More and more reports are emerging that Sony is working on an improved PS4 model. The new device is said to be called Playstation 4K.
Just last week, the gaming website Kotaku reported that Sony held a meeting with developers at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to discuss their hardware. Kotaku heard that the developers subsequently spoke of a “PS4.5,” increased performance, 4K resolution, and Playstation VR.
As Eurogamer now reports, these rumors are true, and they have been able to “confirm” them themselves. Sony has already designed prototypes of this device, which according to several sources is said to be called Playstation 4K.
However, this name might not be entirely fitting, as the “Playstation 4K” would provide more graphics power, but not enough to deliver a stable 4K gaming experience. The hardware upgrade is still not sufficient to justify a move into 4K gaming. However, it is likely that the device supports 4K format media playback.
The new console is said to come with a more powerful graphics processor, an improved version of AMD’s APU technology. According to Digital Foundry, this processing unit could transition from a 28nm chip to a 14 or 16nm chip, which represent the new industry standards.
In response to inquiries from Kotaku, Sony declined to comment. A spokesperson shared via email:
We cannot comment on rumors or speculation.
A more powerful PS4 would enable Sony to maintain competitiveness in the virtual reality market, as the pricier VR headsets from Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are designed to run on powerful PCs.
However, it remains to be seen until Sony addresses the matter and reveals official information. If it were necessary to purchase a completely new console, it would surely upset current PS4 owners. After all, a console is expected to remain relevant for several years: and the PS4 has only been on the market since late 2013. How such a “mid-generation hardware” upgrade would look is unclear.
All information about Playstation VR can be found here.
