By Keerthi Chandrashekar / Keerthi@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Feb 20, 2013 11:41 PM EST

The moment of truth has come and passed: Sony did indeed unveil the PlayStation 4 at its PlayStation Meeting 2013 event in New York., and what can we expect from the next generation of gaming? While Sony did not even show off the actual console itself, which will release during the 2013 holiday season, its features were the centerpiece of the presentation - most importantly, the console's social networking experience. 

Earlier reports indicated that Sony was placing special emphasis on the PlayStation 4's ability to connect users with each other, and nothing could be closer to the truth. 

"Social play is so important to the PlayStation 4 that we've added in hardware to support it," Sony emphatically stated. 

The PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller will come with a dedicated Share button that will allow gamers to easily share gameplay footage with each other. In fact, the console is constantly recording gameplay video in the background, and at any time a gamer can simply pause (the console allows users to pause, switch processes, and dive right back into wherever they left off at anytime) to edit some footage together, and easily upload it to social networks. In fact, the Killzone: Shadow Fall demo footage shown at the presentation was then instantly uploaded to Facebook, demonstrating how easy it is. Achievements and other feats will also be easily uploadable to the social network of your choice, making it easier than ever to make sure everybody knows that you beat "so-and-so" on "so-and-so" difficulty. 

It won't just be previous gameplay footage that will be able to be shared, however. Sony has gone one step further and allowed for spectating. That's right, gamers now have the chance to view friends playing a game, or pick up some nifty tips from world-class pros from the comfort of their couch. Sony has even promised an "over-the-shoulder" experience, meaning that if a friend is having trouble in a particular scenario, other philanthropic souls can warn them to "watch out!" and even actually take control and play through a certain rough spot for them. It's like passing the controller to your friend on the couch, only now it can be done with anyone, anywhere, in the world. A special "Director" feature will even allow some to aid gamers through health potions and other in-game treats. 

As it was rumored earlier, the PlayStation 4 will also be heavily integrated with smartphones, tablets, and of course, the PlayStation Vita. 

There were many other highlights, including the new PlayStation DualShock 4 controller (complete with a touchscreen and 3D sensor built in), but the emphasis of the show remained largely on the PlayStation 4's social networking skills. Whether or not this will convince gamers to choose Sony's console over Microsoft's upcoming next-generation Xbox remains to be seen, but one thing is sure - Sony is looking to create its own social network for gamers on an unparalleled scale. 

Check back with Latinos Post as we delve into more details from the PlayStation 4 event, such as Gaikai's involvement, and some of the pretty games that were shown off (here's a tasty hint: Bungie and Blizzard announced games for the PlayStation 4).

What do you think of the PlayStation 4's social networking capabilities? The real deal, or just a gimmick?

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