Just when one thought gaming rigs were a thing of the past, sony playstation 4 was launched on november 15 in new york, and within 24 hours over one million units were sold. What’s so special about ps4? Is it just another gaming rig? Or is it a device that has the potential to be the centrepiece of one’s living room? Atindriya bose, country head of playstation india, speaks to t2 ahead of ps4’s india launch on january 6.

What are your expectations from the indian market?

India is a nascent but vibrant gaming market. While it still is not big enough in the console gaming business to compare with the bigger countries, india has a huge potential and is fast converting into a large gaming business.

What is that one element that makes the ps4 stand out?

Ps4 is the most powerful gaming system of this generation and has opened up numerous avenues of interactive entertainment. Ps4 will deliver incredible new gaming and entertainment experiences, greater social integration, cloud-based technology and system architecture capable of handling the most intricate ideas developers can conceive.

Why do you think the ps4 is better than microsoft’s xbox one?

While we do not comment on other company’s products, the global response from gamers, developers and our partners has been overwhelmingly positive since we unveiled ps4 in february 2013. It is clear that ps4’s powerful features, personalisation and unrelenting focus on what gamers love most have started setting a new standard for interactive entertainment.

ps4 has been one of the most exciting launches in our industry’s history. We will provide the most comprehensive first-party exclusive line-up of games by supporting the indie community to bring innovative and unique gaming experiences to ps4 and through the playstation ecosystem of network, services and platforms — a combination of which will enhance user experience.

One has to pay rs 39,990 for a ps4 in india. The us version costs around rs 25,000 ($399). Why the price difference?

Ps4 (as well as all other playstation products) cannot be compared with us prices in a linear exchange rate-based multiplier. The console gaming category attracts significant amount of import taxes (in combinations of basic customs duty, counterveiling duty, cess). This, in conjunction with the average vat across the states, creates significant difference in the overall cost Realisation and hence in the price structure for india. One needs to factor in these tax components and india-specific cost structures to determine the pricing that makes it a viable business model. So comparing the india price of rs 39,990 against a non-import tax paid pricing of a us model creates a misleading scenario.

So, if an indian buys a ps4 in the us, will it work in india?

A ps4 purchased in the us will broadly operate in india –– except for region-locked bluray contents and certain differences in the system. But it is important to note that we have no capability of offering any sort of service support to ps4 in particular and any playstation products in general for those which do not belong to our territory.

How important will ps vita (sony’s handheld game console) be as a standalone device and also as something that complements the ps4?

In conjunction with ps4, it will play an important role in redefining the overall gaming experience through remote play (a feature that Transmits video and audio to a playstation vita). All ps4 games will be playable on ps vita via remote play, unless they have a control input that doesn’t make it possible. A good example of this would be a dance game that is heavily reliant on camera technology and static environments. This would not be playable on ps vita.

As far as games developed especially for india, what can we expect from ps4?

We have had our share of success on ps2/psp/ps3 with india-developed games and localised content. So, there is huge scope of the same strategy also finding success on ps4. Our primary focus is to enhance the installed base of ps4 manifold.

In multiplayer mode the user has to subscribe to playstation plus (a paid playstation network subscription service). What made you decide on this structure?

online multiplayer on ps4 is a key element of our ps plus membership, which we believe offers more content and features at great value than any other gaming membership service. Membership to ps plus gives access to content and features across ps4, ps3 and ps vita.

playstation 4 features a significantly enhanced online feature set, including play as you download (ability to play games while downloading a title), companion app (allows users to access their ps profile and compare their accomplishments with other users or message them), multi-device connectivity and sharing that will deliver incredible new gaming experiences. We are investing heavily in our network to enable these features and offer a more robust network.

In what ways is ps4 more developer-friendly over ps3?

Ps4 system architecture makes it an incredibly powerful gaming machine. It’s a supercharged computer system capable of handling the most intricate ideas from game developers. The greater social integration, an improved ds4 (dualshock4) controller arrangement, an advanced camera –– microphone arrangement, augmented reality –– all these open up a huge opportunity of unleashing the imagination towards a newer and more immersive gaming experience.

Can users play second-hand or borrowed titles on ps4?

Similar to playstation 3 today, playstation 4 will not have any restrictions for used disc-based games.