What to expect from Sony and the rumored PlayStation 4 'Orbis'

While Sony never confirmed the subject of its announcement tonight in New York City, it has not stopped analysts and gamers from chasing rumors about the next PlayStation console. By now, it’s pretty much understood that the public is expecting a PlayStation 4.

What’s not as certain, however, is what the game console would offer. 4K resolution? A “share” button? A new controller? Here’s what’s being discussed:

The specs: The PS4 is predicted to feature 8GB of system memory, 2.2 GB of video memory, an Advanced Micro Devices Bulldozer eight-core processor, and an AMD R10XX GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), according to Gamespot. It may also include a Blu-ray drive and a 160 GB hard drive.

The specs have not been debated too much, aside from which AMD processor will be used and other minor details.

The name: What’s in a name? For Sony, a “PlayStation 4” could have less appeal. Japanese superstitions associate the number four with the word for death (shi), as they're pronounced the same. Some hotels and hospitals skip the number four, just as some American hotels may skip the 13th floor. Instead, the new console would likely go by its code name, Orbis (it more or less means circle in Latin).

Streaming games: The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 15 that Sony plans to offer technology to stream games for its next video-game console. Users would play games delivered to them online. The feature would not only keep costs lower for customers, but also enable them to play more complex games on their smart phones.

It would not come as a surprise if the new console included a streaming service. Sony acquired the cloud-based gaming service Gaikai in July for $380 million. It was known for streaming visually intense games for which players would normally need higher-quality personal computers or gaming consoles.

Kinect-like motion: Latest reports suggest that Sony’s new console will include or launch along with a “dual camera” that rivals Microsoft’s Kinect, as noted by Trusted Reviews. The feature would offer motion-based gaming options, as well as a selection of interactive system controls such as voice commands.

Sony has worked on motion-control gaming features before, NBC notes. After Nintendo released wand-like motion controls, Sony introduced a similar feature of its own, but with a more accurate controller for the PlayStation 3: the PlayStation Move. For those unfamiliar with the feature, PlayStation move offers a more realistic and immersive gaming experience 

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