In a press conference on Feb. 20, Sony revealed the next iteration of its flagship gaming console: the PlayStation 4. Along with the PS4 itself, a number of details, features and games were also announced for the new console.

According to Mark Cerny, the PS4’s lead system architect, the team designing the console spoke to a number of developers in order to create a console “by game creators, for game creators.” After acknowledging the difficulties many developers had in creating games on the PS3’s unique cell processor, Cerny compared the new console to a PC for its more familiar system architecture.

A number of features were implemented in the console to reduce the time it takes for players to access their content. The PS4 will feature a sleep mode so that games can be suspended or resumed instantly, at any point, without having to wait for the console to boot up. Downloadable content and game updates can be downloaded in the background while other games are played or even with the console turned off. Games downloaded off of the PlayStation Network can be played even while being downloaded.

The PS4 will not be backwards compatible with any previous PlayStation games but Sony hopes to remedy the issue through cloud services. Sony is exploring the possibility of having all PlayStation games, including PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita games, available through PlayStation Network.

Stressing the PS4’s social network viability, real names and profile pictures can be used for PlayStation Network profiles instead of the typical anonymous profiles. Players will be able to pull their information and photos from the social network site of their choice. Players will also be able to spectate while others play, make comments on their videos and streams and even take over playing for others.

The PS4 comes with a new iteration of the PlayStation DualShock controller. The DualShock 4 is laid out very similarly to the PS3’s DualShock 3. The biggest changes are a light bar on the top of the controller which can be tracked in 3D space via a camera, a small touchpad in the center of the controller for more input options and a “share” button that will allow players to upload or live stream gameplay to the PlayStation Network for others to view and comment on. A headphone jack and a small speaker have also been added to the controller.

Other minor complaints with the DualShock 3 have also been addressed in designing the new controller. Its analog sticks are further apart and now have raised edges, making them easier to grip. The trigger buttons are curved slightly to keep fingers from slipping off, a small annoyance with the DualShock 3’s convex triggers.

But hardware doesn’t matter if there aren’t any games to play on it. Five new games were revealed, and a number of other developers came on stage to announce PS4 exclusive content.

Cerny’s own game “Knack” was the first PS4 game to be revealed. It’s an action-platformer starring a small robot who can control dozens of small pieces of metal in order to change his size or composition. Next came Guerrilla Games’s “Killzone: Shadow Fall.” The third sequel in the popular first-person shooter series looks to contain all the sci-fi gunplay and explosive action that fans of the series have come to expect.

The new game “Drive Club” from Evolution Studios uses new technology to take advantage of the PS4’s social functions with team-based racing, online player-created challenges and a smartphone app to manage it all. Sucker Punch’s “Infamous” series gets a next-gen sequel in “Infamous: Second Son.” Set in a modern dystopia, it stars a young man with the ability to teleport and throw fire balls.

Indie developer Jonathan Blow showed off more of his mysterious puzzle game “The Witness” and also announced that Sony would be allowing developers to self-publish their games on PSN. Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono premiered a trailer for the company’s new “Deep Down,” a medieval fantasy game, but not much else was revealed. Chris Metzen from Blizzard revealed that the previously PC-exclusive “Diablo III” would be coming to PS3 and PS4. While not a lot is known about Bungie’s MMO-esque first-person shooter “Destiny,” parent company Activision did reveal that the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game would be getting exclusive content.

Sony still has more that they’re waiting to reveal about the console. The actual device itself wasn’t even shown at the conference. Gamers still have a lot to look forward to from Sony and PlayStation, but they’ll have to wait until this year’s holiday season to get their hands on the PlayStation 4.