Sony's UK head spills the beans on its REAL killer feature - and what to buy tonight

“None of us knew that PlayStation 4 was going to be so much cheaper than Xbox One - until the moment they announced it in May,” says Sony Computer Entertainment’s UK managing director Fergal Gara.

The console launches tonight at midnight in the UK - having sparked a frenzy in the U.S. which saw a million sold in 24 hours.

“We worked in total isolation - and we only found out how much Xbox cost hours before we announced our own price. We were a little surprised.”

Gara says the company has learned lessons from the expensive PlayStation 3 - describing the console coyly as a “brave move and an ambitious one".

PS3 was built by Sony from the ground up using “bleeding-edge silicon” - and the £425 price tag put gamers off, Gara admits. Coincidentally, Xbox One costs almost exactly the same..

“PlayStation 4 is more similar to PS2,” says Gara. “We used cheaper components, but cleverly - so you get a futureproof machine that will last.”

                                           [Five great cooking apps for Christmas]


The battle between the two is expected to drive the worldwide games market to a new height of $57 billion per year, according to analyst Gartner.

On launch day, Gara hopes gamers will be surprised by one of the console’s less-hyped features - being able to play PS4 games via Wi-Fi anywhere on a handheld Vita console

“When we launch tonight, you’ll be able to get a Vita plus a PS4 for £500,” says Gara, “And you can literally play any game on the Vita, anywhere, via Wi-Fi. It’s great - but it’s one of those things you don’t get how cool it is until it’s in your hands. We’re focusing on gamers here - and they will love this.”

Gara admits that an overhaul was “long overdue” for PS3’s ‘look’, a simple line of options. Instead, PS4 will offer a grid of games, news about friends - and even Facebook.

“It was long overdue,” he says, “Times have changed. Gamers no longer live in a bubble. It’s all social now. We spend our days sharing funny photos online. Why not share video of your best games?”

For gamer Dads, Gara has one piece of advice, “You can turn it off. You’re not compelled to hit the Share button to show off. You can just play it old-style, single-player.”

Gara says that shooter Killzone “stretches” next-generation consoles more than any other game - although he admits to being disappointed that Sony’s flagship racer, Driveclub, missed its launch date. It will now appear in March.

[How Titanfall could topple Call of Duty: interview]

Even hardened Sony fans will be impressed, Gara says - particularly with the new functions which can have gamers playing in seconds.

Over the long stretch of the last “console war” Xbox 360 and PS3 both sold around 80 million in the end - but Gara is still waiting to see whether one game might swing things one way or the other.

“I am lucky in this job - I’ve had a glimpse into the future, and I think some PS4 titles will make us ask, ‘What is a game? What is TV? Where do games fit into the world of entertainment now?’