Ahead of the PS4’s imminent launch Stateside this month, and its release here locally just five weeks away, two pieces of news have emerged from the Sony stable in anticipation of the next-gen console’s arrival.

The first, and most tantalising of these is that apparently more as yet unannounced PS4 launch titles will be unveiled next week, according to the host of Spike TV, Geoff Keighley.

In a tweet, Keighley alluded to “an epic night of PlayStation world premieres and announcements” next week on the 14^th, an hour ahead of the midnight launch of the console Stateside. Responding to a request for clarification as to whether this included new PS4 games, Keighley replied “definitely.”

The question is, what exactly Sony may have its sleeve that it has been holding onto until the US launch? Spike TV has traditionally been a significant platform for unveiling some particularly exciting games (the chateau burning trailer for Uncharted 3 comes to mind,) so it will certainly be interesting to see what emerges this time.

A firm(ware) hand

Sony also announced yet another firmware update for the PS Vita, this one though, adding several nifty features to the console. The first of these is the PS4 Link app, which will enable players to use their PS Vita to remotely control their PS4 system, and play PS4 games on their PS Vita. Additionally, the update also supports using the PS Vita as a second screen in supporting titles.

The new update also enables PS Vita users to use Wi-Fi to connect to their PS3 and transfer data between the two devices. Sony elaborated that the PS Vita and PS3 must be connected within the same network, and the PS3 system does require firmware version 4.50 or later.‎ For a more detailed rundown, head over to the video below.

To the point

Admittedly, here South of the equator we do still have a little wait ahead of us, with the PS4 only slated for launch on the 13^th December, almost a month behind our US counterparts. That being said, there is one advantage to lagging slightly behind, as it means that issues with the new hardware, should they arise, will likely be resolved by the time the console hits our shores.

It will certainly be interesting though, to see whether the PS4 can revitalise the PS Vita’s fortunes, a sentiment that Ster Kinekor CEO Mario Dos Santos expressed hope around. Certainly, getting the handheld console to ‘play nice’ with its big brothers - something that this new update accomplishes - is definitely a step in the right direction.