The PS3 has the ability to install a Linux OS on its HDD, turning it into a home computer. This offers great flexibility to the system, which some love and others don’t care for. We here at PS4Talk see this as a possible step towards one of the more popular OS’s being available on the PS4, that the regular consumer will care to use. Linux is a massively popular OS, but ask the general person what is is and they just shrug their shoulders and think you’re an uber geek.
With this in mind, is Sony best advised to try obtain permission from MS or Apple to offer the ability to install their OS on the PS4? Sure there are issues with Licenses, but by the time the PS4 is released the license for XP or perhaps even the failing Vista will be cheap enough to justify this. Offering a much more publically known OS will no doubt be another factor to help sell Sony’s next console. I know that the ability to install Windows on the Macbook is what was the deciding factor for me. The ability to dualboot is essential for me. And we all love machines capable of doing multiple things. Just look at our mobile phones, they now feature cameras, wifi, radios, tv tuners…and the list of extra features keeps increasing. The PS3 is a real media machine, and I can only see the PS4 becoming even more versatile.
Of course, this is purely pipe dreams and speculation, but thought arousing non-the-less. What are your thoughts regarding the matter of 3rd party OS’s on the PS4? Perhaps even the rumoured Google OS will make a show on the PS4.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
You know that those OSes only work with x86 architecture, don’t you? I doubt either console will ever use x86 ever again (there was only one that did, the original Xbox, and that one was a bomb (financially), because it was much too expensive to produce!)
There maybe x86 (32-Bit) versions of those those OSes but there are also x64 (64-Bit) versions too, for XP and Vista at least. Many PC gamers use the x64 OSes as it is the only version that can handle more that 4gb of ram.
Hmm… I recall seeing how viciously slow Windows and MacOS were when the PS3s were made to use them. OSes would have to be optimized specifically for the Cell/BE architechture to run properly. I am not sure if Microsoft or Apple would even try to rewrite entire pieces of code of their OSes just to allow them to detect and properly use the Cell’s SPEs as well as managing RAM.
The PS4 should stick to the media center side (play games, watch videos/movies, listen to audio/music, browse the web, etc.) rather than be an all out computer-capable system. So it might be able to run Linux and do those amazing supercomputing things like cracking codes or predicting weather… more power to it. But I wouldn’t like to see the PlayStation brand turn into the next Alienware computers, but cheaper… as much as an ironically fascinating concept as I find it to be. No, really… it takes the luster of “gaming console” out of the name and turns it into… “eh, just another computer, big deal”.
NO. They would opt for another linux based operating system that can be added. They want to be a media center and not a home computer. Even though the two are merging together.
I agree with psfour, the PS4 would just stick to Linux.
Sony wouldn’t want to enter their Playstation brand into the market of home PCs, it would be nice but at the same time it’s not necessary and in turn would compete with their own Vaio brand.
What I think may happen with the next console though, is that the firmware itself would just be a modified version of Linux designed to look like the XMB with proprietary code for launching games, accessing the Store, and the like.
Yea at first it doesn’t sound like so much of a good idea, but the Linux scene is too much to cash in on and Sony could profit heavily from it.
New features and updates would come sooner and be more functional, plus this would ward off the whole hacking scene by allowing them to access certain features and by blocking others away from them to not be tampered with (like DRM, Disc encryption, etc).
I dought it will be either Windows or OS X. It’ll probably be some type of OS based on the Linux kernel, it’s free, the know how is widely available and lets face it, Windows has the XBox and OS X is made for their specific multimedia hardware/architecture.
come on you tell me in every detail why sony would do that?
i hate playing games with keyboards its lame if i had the chance to get a console with the power of super computers but id have to use a keyboard id say I love you, im gettin a ps1(got all the playsaton consoles) if ya all want that why even create ps4 just go to the local computer store heres the list to get that great stuff you want
1.computer (powerful computer)
2.empty harddive
3.linux installer
and it will be cheaper
ill bet you all my money sony wont put linux or mac os x on ps4
HI THERE I BET ANY THING FUTURE GAMING CONSOLES WILL USE BE OS BECUASE BE OS IS SUCH A SMALL COMPANY THERE A CLOSED OS OPERATING SYSTEM THAT MEANS NO BODEY HAS ACESS
so let me get this straight…deciding whether or not to put Windows or OSx on PS4? Well considering Microsofts XBOX 360 i doubt they would put Windows on the PS4 and i doubt Apple would team with Sony anyway.
Even if they did… would it not be better to buy a computer?!
what Sony really needs to do is develop games for their consoles can play cross-platform. I would love to play on my PC against PS3/PS4 players. Microsoft barely even offers this feature between the 360 and Vista/7 operating systems. Ship the PS4 with a tricked out Linux version OS pre-loaded, one that can run XP, Vista, OSx, etc virtually, AND play head to head against PC users. Cross platform gaming will be the key…