Sony Wanted PS4 to Look Like the Most Sophisticated Product It's Ever Created

We’ve spent a lot of time pondering the innards of the PlayStation 4, but not quite as long considering the external appearance of the console. Despite prompting a bit of a furore when it kept the shape of the box secret earlier in the year, Sony’s said very little about the actual look of the hardware since its overdue announcement at E3 in June. Fortunately, the PlayStation Blog managed to catch up with chief designer Tetsu Sumii at the Tokyo Game Show in order to find out a little more about the chassis.

“I think that the PlayStation brand image needs to be changed a little bit, as it’s a new console, and we have to show what we’re pointing towards for the future,” he admitted. “So I thought that it should be one of the most smart, cool, and intelligent products from Sony. Not just from Sony Computer Entertainment, but the company as a whole. This should be one of the best, coolest, most sophisticated products that we’ve created.”

The sleek style is just the start, though. Sumii was also tasked with ensuring that the brand’s identity is consistent across multiple products. “I wasn’t just thinking about the console, but also about the DualShock 4 wireless controller, the DualShock 4 charging station, the vertical stand, the mono headset, the PlayStation Vita – everything,” he added. Judging by the recent images of the platform’s various peripherals, we reckon that the former mobile phone designer passed with flying colours.

It wasn't easy, though, as the initial concept looked “totally different” to the final design. Fortunately, the philosophy remained consistent throughout. “I just wanted to make a simple object for the living room,” Sumii explained. “Sometimes products are a little too exaggerated. It should be simple. That’s my thinking.” Do you like the look of Sony’s next generation machine? Is there anything that you’d change about its design? Let us know in the comments section below.