Several news outlets are reporting that Sony is working on an upgraded PlayStation 4 to deliver 4K gaming. The project, which they’re unofficially calling the “PlayStation 4.5,” is said to offer 4K gaming capabilities and increased graphical power. The new gaming console is in development right now, but it will not be called the PS5.
The current console games are in high-definition at 1080p, 4K offers 4,000 pixels in resolution, so this would be a huge upgrade. The PS4 can handle 4K photos and videos, but it can’t process 4K games.
Besides the resolution, the new PlayStation would pack much more processing power and upgraded GPU, that could enhance the PlayStation VR experience, allowing Sony to challenge HTC Vive and Oculus Rift’s abilities.
There is no timetable for the release of the new unit, and Kotaku’s sources are calling it an “exploratory” device at this stage.
Just weeks ago, Microsoft has already said that they plan to upgrade the Xbox One instead of rolling out a brand new console.
Microsoft’s head of Xbox Phil Spencer made the comments at the company’s Spring Showcase event keynote:
“We see on other platforms whether it be mobile or PC that you get a continuous innovation that you rarely see on console. Consoles lock the hardware and the software platforms together at the beginning of the generation. Then you ride the generation out for seven or so years, while other ecosystems are getting better, faster, stronger. And then you wait for the next big step function.
When you look at the console space, I believe we will see more hardware innovation in the console space than we’ve ever seen. You’ll actually see us come out with new hardware capability during a generation allowing the same games to run backward and forward compatible because we have a Universal Windows Application running on top of the Universal Windows Platform that allows us to focus more and more on hardware innovation without invalidating the games that run on that platform.”
This move seems to help the console gaming companies make more frequent updates to hardware so that they could compete more easily and more often with today’s gaming PCs that get updated regularly. Plus it helps Sony and Microsoft be compatible with 4K televisions that will be more and more popular as prices go down.
Speaking of virtual reality, check out PlayStation’s PS VR.
[Kotaku]