The PlayStation 4 will be getting a radically new user interface that does away with the cross media bar on the PS3 in favor of something a little more blocky. We got to see a bit of it thanks to a leaked video, but Sony showed it off in an official capacity at Gamescom.
To start off its Gamescom press conference, Sony had its head of worldwide studios, Shuhei Yoshida, sit in a big comfy chair for three minutes as he played around with the PS4’s user interface. In the demo, we get to see how one will access games, and how simple it is to switch between games on the fly with the new save state features.
The below demo also shows off Sony’s partnership with Twitch that will allow gamers to stream their content directly to the service. Interestingly enough, it looks like players can go from watching a match being streamed on Twitch to joining that very game.
Oh, and fans of the XMB need not worry as it’s still there. The demo briefly shows that players can still access something similar by going above the regular UI. Unlike the PS3 and PSP XMB, however, this media bar only provides access to chat parties, friend lists, trophies, settings and notifications.
We’ll probably see more of the PS4’s UI and its intricacies as we head closer to its November 15 launch. Until then, just bask in the glory of Yoshida sitting in a really big chair.
