Sony Unveils PlayStation 4 Video Game Console Design, Pricing, & Release Date at E3 2013

Sony has finally unveiled the PlayStation 4 video game console’s design at E3 2013 after facing criticism for not showing a physical console at the initial announcement in February. The new console is all black, looks somewhat like a slanted PlayStation 2, and shares a partially shiny, partially matte design with Microsoft’s Xbox One.

Sony also took aim at Microsoft’s online requirements and used game policies for the Xbox One, promising the PlayStation 4 won’t impose restrictions on lending or reselling game discs and users will not have to be connected to the internet to play single-player games offline.

Turning to games, Sony announced a number of new PlayStation 4 exclusive titles like The Order: 1886 developed by Ready at Dawn, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV — formerly known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII — and Kingdom Hearts 3. The company also provided brief updates on previously announced PlayStation 4 launch titles Killzone: Shadow Fall, Evolution Studios’ DriveClub, and Knack. Infamous: Second Son will be released for the new console in Q1 2014, as well as Blizzard’s Diablo III, and Square Enix MMO Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be released exclusively on the PS3 and PS4. Upcoming Bethesda MMO The Elder Scrolls Online will also be available on the PS4 in Spring 2014.

http://youtu.be/tdcXjOfiLsg

Sony also showed off a number of indie games that will be console exclusive to the PlayStation 4 — though several have already been released for the PC. Transistor from Bastion developer Supergiant Games, Don’t Starve by Klei, and Mercenary Kings by Tribute Games — the developers behind Scott Pilgrim — will all be coming to Sony’s new console alongside Young Horses’ Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Secret Ponchos by Switchblade Monkeys, Ragtag’s stealth-action puzzler Ray’s the Dead, and Outlast by Red Barrel. Oddworld Inhabitant will also launch a remake of the original Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee titled Oddworld New N Tasty, and 7 bit Games, creators of Skulls of the Shogun, will release a side-scrolling world space shooter titled Galak-Z The Dimensional.

Developers also demoed previously announced titles Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and Watch Dogs, and Quantic Dream showed off a small clip of another impressive tech demo titled The Dark Sorcerer. Sony also briefly touched on upcoming entertainment offerings like Redbox and Flixster, which will join existing offerings like Sony Video Unlimited, Music Unlimited, Netflix, and more.

The PlayStation 4 will cost $399 — $100 less than Microsoft’s Xbox One — and will be available “this holiday season.” Sony’s website has a current list of PlayStation 4 games, and for more coverage of Sony’s E3 announcements, head over to Kotaku.