PS4 getting karaoke game SingStar; use your phone as a microphone

Sony announced today that SingStar, the company's popular karaoke game, is coming to the PlayStation 4 later this year. The SingStar franchise is now a decade old, and in a post on the PlayStation Blog, game director Chris Bruce reveals that more than 26 million copies have been sold to date.

SingStar for PS3 required that you own a special microphone (sold separately) or a PlayStation Eye camera. But with the PS4 version, you can download a free app that will transform your smartphone into a microphone. (The app also lets you create playlists.) In addition, when it's released, this app will work with the PS3 version of SingStar.

The new PS4 version of SingStar features an optimized social component that promises to make it easier for you to share accomplishments on Facebook and Twitter directly through the game. The game also boasts an "improved scoring system," Sony says. "Tons more songs" will be available from the SingStore, including tracks from genres like pop, rock, hip hop, and R&B.

On PS3, you can download SingStar for free and try a few songs before you need to pay for more tracks. It's unclear if Sony will offer a disc-based version of SingStar for PS4 or if it will be available exclusively on the PlayStation Network.