The rumor mill surrounding the next generation consoles has brought up a new nugget to the Internet surface today. Digitimes reports via unnamed sources that Sony is preparing to start production of its Playstation 4 consoles sometime by the end of 2011. The actual launch of the next version of Sony"s game console would happen sometime in 2012. If true (and as always all these kinds of stories should be taken with a grain of salt) this would certainly be a huge move on Sony"s part to replace its Playstation 3 console. Many analysts have predicted that Sony doesn"t want to disrupt its PS3 business by releasing a new console too soon. Of course, Sony is planning to release its next generation portable console, the PS Vita, sometime this holiday season.
The Digitimes report also states that Sony is aiming to have 20 million PS4 units to ship in 2012, again a highly ambitious number considering how rare the PS3 was to get when it was launched back in 2006. The article also names Taiwan-based companies Foxconn and Pegatron Technology as assembling the PS4 as they have done with the PS3 console. Finally, Digitimes is claiming that the PS4 will have some sort of "body movement-based control like Kinect" as part of its technology. If that"s true, that would mean that Sony believes that Microsoft"s approach to motion sensing controllers is one that should be embraced rather that Nintendo"s approach with its tablet-like Wii U controller. Naturally, Sony has not yet commented on the Digitimes report.