The PlayStation 4 Was This Close To Being Download-Only

The PlayStation 4, more commonly known as Sony’s unannounced or unacknowledged Project Orbis, was apparently nearly, nearly made into a download-only console. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Sony might try and make their new console cloud-based, but a report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that the Japanese giants decided against it.

“Sony Corp. considered but ultimately rejected a download-only scheme for its next videogame console, people familiar with the matter said, opting to include optical disk drives rather than break with a decades-old model in the industry. The Japanese electronics maker’s flirtation with dropping optical drives underscores the rising importance of online networks in the videogame industry, which allow console users to download games, television shows and music without the need for disks or cartridges.”

WSJ also indicates that Sony is targeting a 2013 release date for their new console, which we can just add to the mountains of rumours we’ve heard about already.

But let’s be serious now; cloud-based consoles are a good thing. It shows how far technology has come and what direction it is going. A new console based solely on download-only titles may be a bit early for us to embrace, but sooner or later someone is going to take the plunge and lead the way for everyone else. It’s only a matter of time.