Sony has announced that its long-rumoured 1TB PlayStation 4 will be coming to Europe next month. Available from local retailers from 15th July, the 1TB PS4 Ultimate Player Edition has twice as much storage as the existing PS4, which only has a 500GB hard disk, giving you plenty of space to download upcoming games such as Batman: Arkham Knight and the latest Destinyexpansions.
That's not the only PS4 Sony announced today, though, as it's also unveiled a "new" version of the console which will be arriving in Japan at the end of June, with North America, Europe and Asia to follow in the coming months. This model is completely different to the 1TB Ultimate Player Edition mentioned above, as Sony's said it's 10% lighter (weighing approximately 2.5kg as opposed to 2.8kg) and 8% more energy efficient than the current model, with a max power consumption of 230W. It still measures 275x53x305mm, so it will still take up just as much room, but it should lighten the load slightly if you want to carry it round to a mate's house for an evening of games.
^ The New PS4 will be available in both black and white
Speaking of which, the HDD bay cover of the new PS4 now has a matt finish instead of a glossy one, which Sony says will give the console "a more casual look". This will be particularly welcome news for anyone who's tried carrying their PS4 round in their backpack, as we've found the glossy bay cover is extremely prone to getting scratched, so a matt finish should hopefully keep consoles looking better for longer. Otherwise, the console uses exactly the same hardware as the existing model.
It's not all good news, though, as the "new" PS4 won't have a 1TB hard disk, and will ship instead with the standard 500GB hard disk according to Sony's own specs sheet. This is a shame, but at least the 1TB Ultimate Player Edition will be able to compete with Microsoft's newly-announced 1TB Xbox One, which the company unveiled two weeks ago prior to this year's E3. Sony has yet to announce official prices for both of its new consoles, but you can currently buy a 1TB Xbox One for just £350, putting the ball firmly in Sony's court.
