Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
💻

PlayStation 4

technology Maturity 5-7 Next article →

The PlayStation 4, or PS4, is a home video game console made by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The PlayStation 4. (9021900367)
The PlayStation 4. (9021900367)

It was built to follow the PlayStation 3. This machine belongs to the eighth generation of consoles. It competes with other systems like the Xbox One and the Nintendo Wii U and Switch. Sony wanted to make a system that was easy to use. They also wanted to help people share their games with friends. This focus on social features helped the PS4 become very popular around the world.

Inside the console, a special part called an APU does most of the work.

An APU is a chip that combines a CPU and a GPU. The CPU is the brain that runs the system. The GPU is the part that handles the pictures on your screen. This APU was made by AMD and used an x86-64 architecture. It could reach a peak performance of 1.84 teraflops. The system also uses 8 GB of GDDR5 memory to keep things running smoothly.

Sony began working on this console as early as 2008.

PlayStation 4 logo and wordmark
PlayStation 4 logo and wordmark

Lead architect Mark Cerny helped design the system. Sony also worked with a developer named Bungie to improve the controller. They wanted the controller to be better for shooting games. In 2012, Sony sent out development kits called "Orbis" to game makers. Sony officially announced the PS4 in February 2013 in New York City. This event was called PlayStation Meeting 2013. It showed the world the future of the PlayStation brand.

DualShock 4
DualShock 4

The console launched in North America on November 15, 2013. It arrived in Europe, South America, and Australia on November 29, 2013. The PS4 finally reached Japan on February 22, 2014. In Japan, it cost ¥39,980. In North America, the starting price was $399. Sony later released a smaller version called the Slim in September 2016. They also released a high-end version called the PlayStation 4 Pro. The Pro model was made to support 4K resolution. By October 2019, it was the second best-selling PlayStation console ever.

You control the games using the DualShock 4 controller.

PlayStation 4 Slim 8504
PlayStation 4 Slim 8504

It has a new touchpad that can sense your touch. There is also a "Share" button to record your gameplay. The controller has a built-in speaker and a headphone jack. You can even use "Remote Play" to play games on a PlayStation Vita.

This means you can play your games away from your TV. The PS4 is a lot like a modern personal computer. This makes it easier for studios to build new games for it.

425 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:PlayStation 4 logo and wordmark.svg
PlayStation 4 logo and wordmark.svg
File:The PlayStation 4. (9021900367).jpg
The PlayStation 4. (9021900367).jpg
File:DualShock 4.jpg
DualShock 4.jpg
File:Sony-PlayStation-4-Camera-Mk1.jpg
Sony-PlayStation-4-Camera-Mk1.jpg
File:Sony-PlayStation-4-PSVR-Headset-Mk1-FL.jpg
Sony-PlayStation-4-PSVR-Headset-Mk1-FL.jpg
File:PlayStation-Vita-1101-FL.jpg
PlayStation-Vita-1101-FL.jpg
File:PlayStation 4 Slim 8504.jpg
PlayStation 4 Slim 8504.jpg
File:Sony-PlayStation4-Pro-Console-FL.jpg
Sony-PlayStation4-Pro-Console-FL.jpg
File:AMD@16nm@Jaguar Polaris@Neo@Playstation 4 Pro@CXD90044GB Stack-DSC08867-DSC08882 - ZS-retouched (28006779559).jpg
AMD@16nm@Jaguar Polaris@Neo@Playstation 4...
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.