PlayStation 4 X86 Architecture Was Requested by Gaming Community, Says Sony

One of the big surprises of the PlayStation 4 reveal event that took place in New York during the previous month was the fact that the new home console would use a X86 architecture, which makes it very similar to modern PCs.

Michael Denny, the senior vice president at Sony Worldwide Studios, says that the feature was implemented because of requests from the community, including both gamers and developers.

He tells The Official PlayStation Magazine that, "Part of PlayStation 4 is learning from previous platforms and making things better. Then part of it is the new experience as well, adding extra features, and you put those together for a much better package and much better experience for the gamer."

The executive acknowledges that any new console launch can only succeed as long as the company behind it has the ability to launch impressive new games.

The PlayStation 4 is supported by more than 100 third-party developers, according to Sony.

Denny adds, "Making decisions like having the 8GB high speed system memory on board is just a massive win for developers in terms of the sort of games they can create, and the ease of game development."

A number of developers, including Arkane Studios and Suda51, have recently commented positively on the hardware of the PlayStation 4, although they do not have official projects linked to the new hardware.

Companies that are already working on titles powered by the PS4 include: Bungie with Destiny, Capcom with Deep Down and Blizzard with its already launched Diablo III.

The PlayStation 4 is designed to use a X86 architecture, which will presumably make it easier for teams to create their games on the PC and port them to the Sony device.

The new console will also have extensive new social and streaming capabilities.