PlayStation 4 codename Orbis?

The next PlayStation console, which is rumoured to be released in Christmas 2013, is apparently codenamed Orbis.

According to reports from a "reliable" Kotaku source, the console will be host to an AMD x64 CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU capable of 2K resolution (more than twice the resolution of the current HD format).

Of course, gamers can also expect to see more 3D support but the source claimed there would be no backwards compatibility with the current generation of games. The Orbis could also feature an inbuilt anti-used game measure, meaning the previously owned games could become a thing of the past. Players would need to pay an unlock fee to access the game.

Games will effectively be registered to a user through their PSN account, and much like DRM, players will be expected to be online for them to load the game in the first instance.

With the Wii U coming this year and rumours of a next generation Xbox the following year, 2013 looks set to be another head-on collision in the market share for gamers.

The question is whether or not Microsoft will continue to take the lion-share of the market, especially in the Middle East where loyalty to the PlayStation system is unparalleled.