Gaming oriented website, Kotaku, has reported that a trustworthy source has confirmed the working title or perhaps, even the actual name of Sony's latest PlayStation console to be 'Orbis' and, that the console is slated for release in-time for the 2013 holiday season.
Suggestions that Orbis may form the final name of Sony's fourth PlayStation stem from the firm's latest handheld, the PlayStation Vita, which, like Orbis, is a name Latin in origin, with Vita meaning 'life' and Orbis 'Circle, Ring or Orbit'. Place the two together and, more or less, we have the 'Circle of Life'. At the very least, it's a great internal name for a next-gen product ecosystem.
To back-up claims, unlike web addresses such as ps4.scedev.net, orbis.scedev.net correctly resolves as a name on the Sony Computer Entertainment Developer website.
Kotaku's source didn't just stop at the name, however, stating that currently, the working hardware for Sony's next-gen console includes an AMD x64 CPU and a Southern Islands GPU, with the console capable of resolution output up to 4,096 x 2,160, with the GPU featuring enough pixel-pushing power to comfortably support 1080p 3D gaming. Ultimately, Sony may very well look to include a high-end Kaveri APU, meeting rumoured specifications, whilst keeping down costs, power consumption and simplifying the development process.
Given the success of the PlayStation 3 as a Blu-Ray media hub and, the appearance of 4K televisions, it seems highly likely that Sony will look to support the latest 4K video playback standards in its Orbis console.
Ending on a bit of a downer, it's suggested that the Orbis will force users to 'lock' retail games to a single PSN account, preventing the resale of discs. This writer for one isn't convinced that this is a good idea, having experienced family SingStar songs being unavailable at Christmas, despite using the correct PSN account, simply because the console had been changed. We've also just witnessed long standing retailer GAME, head into administration, where, whilst developers and publishers claim they should receive a cut of resold content, second hand sales and their associated margins had no-doubt, helped to keep the failing retailer alive and kicking up until now.
It appears as though Sony won't quite go the full hog and outlaw second-hand content all-together, however, with it being suggested second-hand games will function in a demo mode, until the new owner pays an unlock fee.
Here's hoping Sony just focuses on making better games as opposed to squeezing its customers for all they're worth.
