Not everything about the PS4 launch had our jaws hitting the floor. That graphical jump from PS2 to PS3 wasn't quite there, until now. The absolutely stunning Unreal Engine 4 tech demo released a few months ago has now made its debut on PS4, showing us just what the console will be capable of.

Still no physical console though, as the Unreal Engine demo shown at GDC was a feed from a mystery PS4 hidden somewhere in the background. 

As for the demo itself, it's nothing new, but the fact that the PS4 can manage it is stunning. Unreal Engine 3 was responsible for a lot of the major releases on the Xbox 360 and PS4, powering the likes of Gears of War. UE4 should play a similar role in the next console generation.

Class-leading lighting, particle effects and physics all are part of the tech demo. Things like the lava, wind and other environmental effects will be very demanding for most systems, so clearly the PS4 is going to be a powerful piece of kit.

We imagine that the Xbox 720 will be able to handle the Unreal Engine 4 demo in just the same way, simply because it will likely power a large number of future releases on the new consoles.

Also shown at GDC was a new tech showcase called Infiltrator. In all honesty, this new demo puts the last,  shown only on PS4, to shame. It is as close as we've seen to a real-time CGI movie and has us hoping that games in future look just as good. 

Tech demos are designed to show off the best of an engine's abilities, so you do have to take all they show with a slight pinch of salt. In reality, playable games are usually a step down, but not by much.

The next generation of gaming is clearly very much around the corner, we just need Microsoft to show us its hand and then we'll get saving.