The news comes via the WSJ, citing sources “familiar with the matter” and claims that Sony “considered but ultimately rejected a download-only plan” for the PlayStation 4.
The paper describes the platform holder’s considerations as “flirting”, saying that dropping the drive would have broken “decades old tradition”.
The main reason for the reversal? Internet speeds around the world – they’re just not up to the job.
Yet.
The WSJ says that the latest PS4 “prototype” uses AMD technology and is due next year.
It appears Microsoft were in the same boat, too, although they too will be resorting to a drive in addition to any download options.
Nobody now expects either company to show off their new consoles next week in L.A., but they’ll almost certainly be shown behind closed doors to developers and investors – there’s plenty of secret rooms upstairs…
hazelam
hopefully they actually learned from the abject failure of the go.
but knowing sony, they likely didn’t learn anything and this is for some other reason.
whatever the reason though, it’s a good job.
i would never buy a home console that was download only.
especially not from sony.
not while it meant i’d have to rely on scee for content.
and even if i lived in one of their favoured countries i still wouldn’t.
because you get a machine like that, and they’ve got you by the short and curlies.
a download only console isn’t going to have a choice of vendors for content is it?
no, it won’t.
you’ll be locked to a monopoly supplier.
and that’s not something i’m willing to do.
fs
Totally with you on that. I’d not thought about the fact that Sony would hav you by the balls with the prices. It would like only being able to buy Iphones from an Iphone shop, nowhere else. Also this will ultimately kill gaming retail both online and offline.
The Lone Steven
I’m glad that they have put the download only idea to rest for now as we are nowhere near ready for gaming to become download only. The PSP Go is proof of that.
You can’t beat the good old fashioned gaming collection and that brand new smell. I really hope it won’t get released next year as it’s too early imo.
fs
What about gamers without internet? I know this might raise eyebrows, as the majority, do have internet. I just believe that its too early for this, i’m pro-progression with technology and innovative ideas but Sony needs to think about its market. You look at this, we have major swings in internet speeds in the UK, it’s not different in the US. Only some of the scandinavian countries and some other parts of europe like Germany (this opinion is formed on knowing a couple of people from these places and speaking with them about it, I could easily be wrong with this)that could really collectively benefit from this at the moment. It’s when we start to become fustrated with having to use optical media that, ultimately, it will die. Audio CD has already suffered from the swift gust of wind that is new technology, and to some extent so has DVD, but gaming is’t quite at that stage yet IMO. Plus the obvious point that you can play CD and DVD on many different machines such as your PC, DVD, CD player as well as your Consoles. You cant just pick up a PS3 game and play it on your DVD player, what would you do if your interet was down for a few days for mainteance and a game you wated came out during those days? It seems unlikely but things like this are all factors that Sony have probably thought about.
10 years time if you ask me, technology maybe be moving but I dont think the consumer has yet.
sparkyscrum
Download only for PS3 games takes ages and I expect OS4 games will be even bigger. Despite having broadband that supposed to be 66mb (get more like 35mb) and a PS3 with a 320gb HDD, still rather have my disc.
Another point is my PS3 is in the centre of my home set up. A download only console wouldn’t replace my PS3 without a blu ray drive so would end being annoyingly an extra box to find room for.
fs
I’ve always thought that CD would fall as time moved on, but I always imagined maybe a USB-style option coming into place. If Sony wanted to do away with the optical drive then this is an option, to bridge the gap between Optics and Download-only gaming. They always find a way of making E3 harder and harder to wait for.