"The biggest thing was that we didn't want the hardware to be a puzzle that programmers would be needing to solve to make quality titles," Cerny said, referring to the PS3's Cell processor that was powerful but often described as difficult to work with.

In 2008, Cerny began meeting with developers, asking them what they would like to see from a future PlayStation platform. He said he had to handle these discussions delicately. "It's not like we could come out and say we were developing the next generation of hardware; we certainly couldn't say that in 2008."

The PS4 has yielded praise from high-profile developers since its announcement. Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford said last week that he is "" about the platform, celebrating Sony for inviting Gearbox to the table to brainstorm ideas for the PS4.

Meanwhile, id Software veteran John Carmack said he is .

The PS4 will , though Sony has yet to reveal price or region availability details for the next-generation platform.