PS4 allows playing games as they're downloading

Sony's PlayStation 4 will allow users to play games as those very games are downloading. The PS4 will have a secondary custom chip for background downloading and processing.

Sony's goal is to learn enough about its players' behaviors that the console can guess what individuals are going to buy and download those games even before they purchase them, Mark Cerny said during Sony's conference today.

Sony's PlayStation event in New York City kicked off at 6PM EST (3PM PST, 11PM GMT) today. Sony kept a tight lid on any specific game or console announcements prior to the show, though popular speculation suggested it would reveal the next PlayStation home console.