PS4 to be called 'Orbis', will limit used games [Rumor]

An insider with Kotaku claims to know a thing or two about Sony's next console. According to today's unconfirmed report, the PlayStation 3 follow-up is being developed under the named Orbis, and is expected to create line-ups at game stores in late 2013.

The unnamed source, who is described as providing “correct information” in the past, said the so-called Orbis will be powered by an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU, allowing the PS3 successor to process regular games at an eye-burning resolution of up to 4096x2160, and 3D games at 1080p. Early dev kits have been shipped to “select developers”, with finalized beta units expected to go out by the end of the year.

More interesting still are the reports that the Orbis will not be backwards compatible with PS3 games and the console will limit access to used games. The source says Sony will accomplish this by making new titles available on Blu-Ray or for download over PlayStation Network, and locking the copies to individual PSN accounts. Players who pick up a new physical copy of the game will also unlock it for download over PSN, however players who buy used will be limited to what they can access, lest they pay another fee to open the entirety of the game's content.

So far, Sony has denied all of the reports, claiming it is not in the habit of commenting on “rumors or speculation”. As noted by Kotaku, however, there already exists a section for Orbis on Sony's DevNet website. The system isn't listed among the platforms, but the Orbis name does appear in the website's address.

With over a year and half to go before Orbis's rumored launch, it's still too early to take this latest info as gospel. However, if the part about the system's anti-used games technology is true, that could pose a major hurdle for dedicated game retailers. What do you make of this latest report?