A new PlayStation 4 rumour has surfaced, suggesting (or backing up previous suggestions about) a number of interesting things about Sony's next-gen console.
First up, the source speaking to Kotaku suggested that the name for the console is "Orbis". This fact alone seems to lead credence to the rumour, not only because it fits in with Vita (Orbis Vita means "circle of life"), but also because orbis.scedev.net (scedev.net is an official Sony website for PlayStation developers) actually resolves as a legitimate URL. If you attempt to use a name that hasn't been pre-configured to work on the site, like ps4.scedev.net (or balloonanimalsarefun.scedev.net), the webserver returns an error. This suggests that Sony do indeed have something in the works called (or code-named) Orbis.
The secret source also suggested that the system will eliminate the secondhand games market, preventing used games from operating. Even games sold on Blu-Ray disks would be affected, apparently, requiring you to tie them to a PSN / SEN account, at which time the disk could be thrown away.
Yet another facet of the rumour suggested that Sony are going to walk away from backwards compatability with the Orbis, which won't support playing PlayStation 3 games - at all.
With regard to hardware, the Kotaku insider backed up earlier rumours that the next PlayStation will abandon the complicated Cell architecture, opting instead for a simpler (and more traditional) CPU / GPU from vendor AMD. Further, the rumour suggests that the design will be based around a new set of hardware from the videocard vendor called "Southern Islands", which is purportedly capable of delivering an unprecedented 4096×2160 resolution (1080P HDTVs, by comparison, are a much more pedestrian 1920x1080).
This sort of power, while unlikely to be used at that resolution (due to lack of TV support), would likely enable impressive-looking visuals running at high frame rates in 3D on our current HDTVs - something current consoles aren't capable of.
But how much of it is actually true? All of it? None of it? Sony aren't commenting. If the rumour is true, chances are we'll hear about it fairly soon; the source also suggested the system is on target for a holiday 2013 release.
