Though Microsoft began promoting its Kinect-controlled user interface as soon as the Xbox One was announced three weeks ago, Sony has remained coy about what gamers will see when they turn on their PlayStation 4’s.
Now, a new video has made its way onto the web that shows Sony’s vision of a next-generation console experience. The video’s quality is not great, but it’s clear that it is an ad prepared to show off the online features of the PlayStation 4.
Unsurprisingly, Sony has modified its interface to incorporate more images and Pinterest-style posts. It fits the trend Sony started with its revamped PlayStation Store last year and resembles Microsoft’s style of user interface design.
The ad is about more than the interface, though. It shows a gamer using the PS4 to play multiple games, give a “thumbs up” to another gamer’s recent trophy acquisition, and watch videos shared with other gamers.
In addition, it shows many of the features promised by Sony at its big PS4 announcement in February. The gamer in the ad choses to download the multiplayer portion of game, which downloads in the background while he plays another game. Meanwhile, another gamer sits in a diner while watching videos from the PlayStation Network on her smartphone. She then downloads a PS4 launch title (Killzone Shadow Fall) remotely to her console through a phone app.
The ad, which also features the word “connected” in stark white letters near the end, does show that the PlayStation 4 has been designed with connectivity and social features in mind. If Sony’s big E3 presentation is any indication, the company’s next task will be to reassure people that the PlayStation 4 won’t be required to use these features, or connect every day like the Xbox One.