Issue #48September / October 1998Console PreviewSony Computer Entertainment
PLAYSTATION NEXT ARTIST RENDERING
Beneath the misty uncertainty of gaming's future, the freshest details of the next incarnation of the PlayStation console are starting to come to light. While Sony was predictably hush-hush about their intentions for a successor to the PS-X at E3, pressure arising as a result of growing Dreamcast hype is forcing those much-awaited beans to spill. SCEI VP Ken Kutaragi recently confirmed the console is currently under development in Tokyo, and that the chipset for the device is completed. An official reveal is sure to take place sooner rather than later, although Sony is hardly in any rush to move on from the monumental success of the PlayStation.
Needless to say, developers are much less so in the dark than the rest of us. Select first- and third-party developers have been briefed on the components of the hardware and, according to Sony, are already working on developing the next PlayStation's game library. An anonymous developer source suggested to our team that the processing power and graphical fidelity of the "PlayStation Next" is about on par with the Dreamcast, noting the same games are being created for both machines. Resisting the itch to speculate, he explained that the Windows-based architecture of the Dreamcast is far easier to work with, which may hint at a turnaround from Saturn.
SONY DVD PLAYER
Sony presently appears planning to incorporate standard CD-ROM technology into the next PlayStation, although this may not be the final call. Developers have reportedly been contacted to see whether they feel a DVD (Digital Video Disc) medium may be more optimal for the successor console. With the technology in its infancy, Sony has thus far strayed from considering DVD a viable format, but news of this developer poll implies plans may have changed.
Incorporating DVD tech could give the next console a leg-up over the Dreamcast. Allowing DVD multimedia playback may be the secret ingredient for success as entertainment companies rush to reprint and repackage their films and television shows on disc. But, it could also increase the supply cost and drive up the MSRP. Either way, be sure to stay tuned as we keep digging deeper!
