The next-generation PlayStation will be called the PlayStation 4, Sony Computer Entertainment announced today.
Sony's next console will launch this holiday, the company said. The PS4's architecture was designed with high performance and ease of development in mind, Sony says. The console will also ship with a new controller, the touch-sensitive DualShock 4, and a new PlayStation 4 Eye camera.
PS4 will feature connectivity with second screen devices, like tablets and mobile phones, through a PlayStation App, Sony announced. The system will place a great emphasis on social components and video sharing, thanks to a dedicated "Share" button the PS4 controller and a custom chip that powers "always on" video compression and decompression systems for "seamless uploading of gameplay."
The new PlayStation will also integrate streaming technology through Gaikai, allowing PS4 users to instantly try out games and stream previous generation games to the system, Sony said.
Sony announced a handful of new games, including Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, Infamous: Second Son and Driveclub. Blizzard's Diablo 3, Ubisoft's Watch Dogs and Bungie's Destiny were also confirmed for the console.
Pricing and detailed release plans were not announced at Sony's PlayStation Meeting event in New York.
"The demands for a new platform were clear," said Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment. PS4 will be powered by ideas that would "revolutionize not just the console," but our entire line of products, House said.
"Expect the best franchises to be even better," House said. "Expect powerful opportunities to play even when away from the primary console."
"The living room is no longer the center of the PlayStation ecosystem," House said. "The player is."
House said Sony is "conceptualizing how the next-gen gamer wants to play," with episodic and free-to-play content emphasized during House's presentation.