Sony’s Kaz Hirai says PS4 is at heart, a games console

It's been a long time since games consoles were solely about playing games. Since they started adding CD playing functions, consoles have been more than just a tool for gunning down digital enemies, but you'd have been forgiven with the recent Xbox One reveal for thinking that nobody uses them for games anymore. Sony's CEO, Kaz Hirai, thinks otherwise and has spoken out about the PS4, saying that it is a games console that is designed with gamers in mind.

Speaking at the D11 conference yesterday, he said (via The Verge): “The most important thing we need to do is agree and understand that the PS4 is a great video game console that appeals to video gamers,” he said. “If we miss that part, I don't think we get the initial establishment of the console. That formula has worked for us with all our consoles, including the PS3.”

Maybe we'll finally get to see the console itself at E3… if only so I can stop posting pictures of the controller. 

While Microsoft could have argued that Sony didn't get that formula right in the early years of the current-gen, in the last year or so, the PS3 has pulled even with the 360 in terms of units sold.

Hirai did however, add the caveat that there were plenty of non-gaming functions to the PS4, more of which would be discussed in the future: “Providing other non-game content is an area we will reveal and talk about in the coming months, but it's first and foremost a video game console,” he said.

KitGuru Says: Sony is certainly ahead in the stakes in the run up to E3, with many, many people unimpressed with the Xbox One for a variety of reasons. Do you guys think Microsoft can turn things around at the expo?

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