Sony, it seems, is working on a supercharged PlayStation 4 console. A report published by Kotaku – citing a slew of different sources – claims that the Japanese giant is at the very least exploring the possibility of a so-called PS4.5-esque system, which would boost the graphical capabilities of the console, enable 4K resolution, and even enhance the performance of PlayStation VR. Megaton?
Well, it could well be. The site claims that it's heard from several independently verified sources that the platform holder's put plans into motion regarding an upgraded platform. Apparently, it's held meetings with studios at the Game Developers Conference this week to pitch plans about how it would all work. Some sources seem to be of the opinion that it's all "exploratory", however.
That means that, while we trust the reporting by Kotaku that this idea does indeed exist, it may never actually make its way to market. It would be a paradigm shift for the traditional console business if it did, though; exactly how the manufacturer would communicate which games work with which machine would be a gigantic headache. Traditionally, consoles tend to upgrade every five to ten years.
But this is something that Microsoft's been discussing publicly as well, so it would seem that the two companies are more or less on the same page with regards to this. The question is: will it actually happen? And would you be down for a supercharged PS4 to begin with? One thing's for sure: this year's about to get even more interesting than it already is.
Would you upgrade to an enhanced PS4? (299 votes)
- Yes, I always want the best possible performance
- Maybe, but it would depend what it improved
- No, I prefer consoles to last an entire generation
- I haven’t even bought the current model yet
Please login to vote in this poll.
[source kotaku.com]
Comments 128
Well, then.
New 3DS syndrom?
Ugh, if they offered a discount from trading in my original PS4 (Sony themselves, not GAME) then I may bite.
I've upgraded consoles before. Bought a PS2 slim when it came out. Last gen I traded my launch-day 360 for a 250GB my 40 Gig PS3 for either a 160 gig model. If the price is reasonable and there's some good trade deals an upgrade is certainly worth considering if there are significant changes.
If Sony do this I will sell my PS4 and switch to PC. My console is two and a half years old and I don't see why I should have to purchase a new system if I want to play new games. The reason I am a console gamer is because I know every game will work on my system.
Not gonna happen, this is simply reactionary to the statements Microsoft made last week. You risk fragmenting your user base and making it even harder on developers. These are talks, and it makes sense to talk about it, but if your going to go 4k and all that, just call it a ps5. I think with the advent and hopeful popularity of psvr, that will carry playstation through the next several years until the ps5 is ready for lainch. Plus let's be serious, this is freaking kotaku.com we are talking about. Doesn't exactly instill confidence in their reports.
What the F Sony!!!! Can you please just stick to one thing.
@Swiket
If this goes down, yes, time to switch to PC.
Sony / Microsoft = Buy! Buy! Buy! Buy!
i'm ok with redesigns as parts become cheaper but a new more powerful version will just lock out gamers, what happens to original PS4 owners when a game comes out that will only work on PS4.5?
it's a dumb move consoles were all about a system that just plug in and play that would last for a long time without the need to worry about your system not being able to play the latest games
if i wanted a system that i have to keep updating and spending extra money on then i would game on PC
leave it as is Sony and you too MS
@Gamer83 This is proposing more than a redesign, though. It's suggesting enhanced hardware, too — and not just a bigger hard drive.
To hell with this
If they intergrated the PS VR into the box with the PS4 that would make sense. 4k support would also be useful thats the new standard. To be honest I would be happy with less time between the console releases but each system keeping the same architecture and being backward compatible.
I hope this isn't true. Sony would be screwing so many people over by doing this
I would be happy to buy a new console in say .... 2-3 years or so. I dont even think most of the developers have got the best out of the ps4 yet, so dropping one sooner is a bit daft.
No i don't want this what would happen is developers will make games that will only work on the ps4.5 therefore abandoning the older one or they will make games for both but only focus on the 4.5 and the version of the game for the original PlayStation will be a bad port
Too soon for me. People would be pissed to invest in a PS VR then have to be another £400 console just to use it properly.
4K gaming isn't going to happen in the coming 2-3 years. 4K TVs are still pretty expensive, they're getting cheaper by the day, but we aren't there yet. Even when those become mainstream, I find it difficult to believe that most big games are ready for 4K. I don't see why the PS4 needs an upgrade at the moment, just wait another couple of years and just release the PS5, and make sure that device is 4K proof.
Just to throw some fuel on this discussion:
New smart phone models release every year or so, and people buy them. Obviously, there are contracts in place and stuff like that, but how aside from that, is this really that different?
Thoughts?
I have a 50" 4K TV so if there was a new version that ran all games at 4K without any sacrifices I'd swallow the cash and buy it. I don't WANT to, but I know I would
People aren't understanding the article. PC games scale all the time to different graphics cards/CPU's so this is no different. For example, a game may run 1080p/30FPS on the current PS4 & theoretically could run in 1080p/60FPS with more bells & whistles on a beefier PS4. Your system would not be obsolete & you don't HAVE to upgrade, nobody is forcing you to do so.
Should be able to trade our "old" ps4 console in for a massive discount on the "ps4.5" as its a piss take to expect us to pay full price for a console that should of been the ps4 in the 1st place!!
@Midzark You can sell it on your own, NOBODY forces people to upgrade technology. If you don't want to upgrade you don't HAVE to.
@ShogunRok Most people pay £45 a month for a new phone for two years blindly accepting is the best way to do things, so if the console market joined the ranks I actually think there would be more sales, not less!
It will always work out more expensive in the end, but hey, £45 sounds a lot less than £400
@get2sammyb
I know, I still stand by what I've said. I've made leaps before, if the price is reasonable, I'll upgrade. I can see why others would be frustrated however and I'm not sure it's the smartest idea. I guess we'll see what happens. I do think the way consoles are handled will obviously be changed in the future, I just didn't expect this soon, assuming everything here ends up being true and coming to fruition within the next year or two. The current PS4 and Xbox One hardware is extremely outdated so I can't say I'm against 'supercharged' re-releases. The transition has to be handled well though.
I doubt we will see PS4.5 or XB1.5 BUT I can see that maybe the PS4/XB1 console cycle may not last as long as the predecessors. The 'architecture' of next gen consoles though have more in common with PC's so I can see the 'next' gen effectively being like PS4.5 in essence. Kind of like buying a top of the range PC - it can still play last gen games because of its architecture/OS.
I expect the PS5 would play PS4 games and some PS4 games will have graphic settings to increase resolution/frame rate but I expect we will see PS5 games too further down the line.
We are 2 and half years into this gen. No doubt Sony and MS are looking to the future. I expect they are gauging interest, hoping to predict the direction etc. In a lot of ways, this gen consoles have 'appeared' under-powered and not a 'significant' upgrade on last gen. I don't think either Sony or MS were prepared for the resolution/frame rate 'discussion'. The fact neither console can manage to match a PC's 'minimum' standard in every game - 1080p/60fps (I know some can), has made the consoles 'appear' under-powered. I think that and the fact that games developers are struggling to get a certain level of performance from games maybe forcing Sony and MS to look to the future sooner.
I have a 4K TV so I would be interested if it does come to fruition...
@Gamer83 I think people are thinking their system wouldn't work & that's not the case. Sony isn't that dumb. The games would "scale up" performance the way they do for the hundreds of different variations of PC CPU/GPU setups in the market.
Phones & PC's already do this. Why not consoles?
@ShogunRok I feel this is more comparable to tablet situation. They're not on contract, and consequently people have been less eager to upgrade, feeling their existing tablet is 'good enough'.
Sounds like PlayStation 5 to me. They did hint it would be a shorter wait for the next generation this time round. Happy to wait and see what happens anyway.
Hope this doesn't happen. PS4 should stay current for new games until PS5 is released; I will certainly feel cheated if Sony do this.
@ShogunRok The only reason I replace my phone every 2 years is due to the wear and tear. Phones are a lot cheaper as well. Got mine for €150, and it's a pretty solid phone. Gaming consoles are more expensive and the reason why I choose them over PC is because you don't need to replace everything every other year. The premise of gaming consoles is that they last an entire generation without any hardware upgrades.
I've been saying for a while now the move to pc like architecture is going to change the way we think about traditional hardware cycles, with at the time (2013) my thinking being the next consoles would hit in 2018 and be fully backwards compatible, have cross console multiplayer/party chat, etc. My thought being down the road we will see on retail boxes something like "optimized for ps5, compatible with ps4" same disc, but settings change based on which console its put in. This would last for 7-8 years, until at which time game support would cease giving it a traditional lifespan, and ps6 would release.
I think with how apu, gpu, ram, etc evolve relatively quickly, you will see consoles still keep their current cycle, you will see the new gen start earlier in order to remain relatively competitive graphics wise with pc. The big thing though is that for the remaining 3-4 years of a consoles cycle, the difference between the 2 can only be non gaming differences, any perceived slight or limitation gaming wise other than graphics, frame rate, etc. Will seriously upset the balance and cause plenty of consumer confusion especially if full bc and a 3-4year full forwards compatibility does not exist. Failure to do this would drive many away from consoles and toward the pc marketplace.
Sorry for the long post, but this is something that if properly done makes a lot of sense, and I fully support a shorter life span if it means these things are implemented and done properly with the consumers in mind. The early upgrad must be seen as a voluntary choice, not something your doing because you know within the year your console you bought 4-5years ago will be more or less obsolete.
@Dreamcaster-X
Yeah, that goes back to how this is all handled. If Sony is going down this route, the messaging better be clear.
If this turns out to be true - expect more hilarious "woe is me" posts from Kotaku for being blacklisted.
@Sanquine Sony & Microsoft afraid on Nintendo NX.?
@get2sammyb I'd do it.. Just give me the best and I'm happy. Plus I'm really looking forward to VR so if a newer console would help out VR I'm good with it
@BigDaddyT0101 Consoles aren't competing with PC's. Anymore so than mobile can be considered competitive to all these markets. Sony is just doing R&D. Microsoft might be leaving the Console Market, but of course, that still leaves our two pillars Sony & Nintendo. They will always (the console market in general) have development of games specific to very limited hardware. Then either consokes or PC, will be asking for the port.
@get2sammyb @Gamer83
I wish Gamer had been here a few weeks ago while I was trying to explain this to you the last time. Sony, and everyone else, has been doing this for years.
New hardware doens't mean you can't play the same games. New 3DS plays almost all the same games as old 3DS. Except 1, XC, and now the old VC.
DS, DSLite, DSi.
Wii, Wii Family (no Gamecube ports) Wii Mini (no internet)
PS3, PS3 slim, PS3 slimmer
Xbox 360, Xbox 360 w./ HDMI (name alludes me, Pro/Gamer/HEro?)
As long as every PS4 can play the same games, it doens't matter if some get 1080p/30 and some 1080p/60,
And some get bundled w/ PSVR w/ that extra box built in. you do realize that is what this is all about don't you, cutitng down those 6 wires and that box to 3 wires no box? It's kind of obvious.
That's so extremely wrong. Why would you want to split your fanbase? Sony's been doing this for a long time too? PS Plus for example: "You can get PS Plus now for 35 euros until the end of the month but only for new members or if your PS Plus has already expired". Why not give a discounted PS Plus to all users? That's just an example btw, an upgraded console would be terrible in my opinion.
@TomKnows I think it's more for Playstation VR and to stay competitive in the VR space. Naah, Nintendo hasn't had a hit since the wii before that the gamecube was a failure and now the Wii U although it has awesome games is also considered a failure. I do hope they come with a console which is stronger than both ps4 and xbox one though
@rjejr the problem is you lost the point of consoles which is unified experience... it becomes like PC when you are getting into...Sony can say every PS4.5 game will run on older PS4 models... but does that mean run run or run like a PC game does on minimum specs... it'll depend on how it goes... if the PS4.5 has a good adoption rate then they'll prioritize 4.5 with little concern for ensuring users of older models get a decent experience... If 4.5 flops then they'll prioritize older models without owners of 4.5 seeing a significant advantage...
Now imagine... if you read a pushsquare review they said the game run at 900p/30 frames with just sporadic frame drops on the 4.5 models... you ask the reviewer whether they tried it in the original ps4 models and they said no... wouldn't you be scared to buy the game thinking that if its pushing 4.5 it'll probably run on OG PS4
Language -Tasuki-
Glad I've waited (the whole having less time to game helps too). I'll get the enhanced version if Final Fantasy XV doesn't come to NX.
Gotta wonder what a PS 4.5 will be compatible with and what it won't be. At least unlike Nintendo, Sony understands the concept of cross buy.
And to everyone complaining about this, I know 75% of you will buy the enhanced version in the end. I know I complained about having to get a new 3DS, but once I saw the faster loading times and a special edition for Monster Hunter, I caved. You will too.
These companies really just don't want you to buy systems day 1, cause something better will come up sooner rather than later.
This makes perfect sense especially with the launch of VR, the biggest danger for this market is that Sony's VR tech could be quickly left behind with no way of upgrading the hardware. So a more powerful PS4 would fix this problem and the sooner the better before there are too many adopters.
As for gaming in general they would have to be very careful how this would work, with around 50 million consoles out there by the time such a thing appears you couldn't turn round and say that new games don't work on that console. Another thing to consider is online gaming, having people compete with 30fps against 60fps gamers would be a big no no. If the developers can easily make games scalable between the two versions then I don't see a big issue and I believe the motivation for this is VR which would benefit greatly
@Swiket Kotaku.com is the National Enquirer of gaming journalism. They hit on something every now and then but are usually WAY off base. Normally because they take insider information and twist it to fit their narrative, just like this. Just because Sony gauged interest among devs about a ps4.5 does not instantly mean it is happening and official. They jump the gum and jump to conclusions regularly.
@Sanquine "NIntendo hasn't had a since the Wii"
You do realize that was the last system, only 1 gen ago? It wasn't that long ago. Also, the 3DS is hit. Is it a megaton, 2nd best selling system of all time like the DS was? No, but 3DS has still sold a ton (still the best selling system of this generation for now).
But NX I doubt will be even as powerful as Xboner or PS4. Something tells me Nintendo is going to something very "special." And we'll get to define what I mean by "special" come E3.
@SonyInfinity They have a pretty good record with leaks like this, though, and this story has four different author's names attached to it (two of which I trust implicitly). They've clearly heard something.
@DualWielding @Grawlog But hardware doens't split the fanbase, software does. Why do you think new Pokemon games always come out on the older hardware first? So the newer install base has a chance to grow. If there are 60mil old PS4 and 30mil new PS4 which system do you make your game run on? Few companies are going to make a game run on only 30m consoles when it could be running on 90mil, that's just common sense.
MS did this 9 NINE years ago BTW, unless you think HDMI is inferior to component?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/08/microsoft-officially-adds-hdmi-to-xbox-360-premium/
Just b/c Sony builds it, doesn't mean games will stop running on the older model PS4. Like I said before it's probably aimed at getting the PS VR to run w/o that external box, that means putting better hardware into the PS4. It does not mean making games that won't run on the old PS4. Two different things.
@ShogunRok Well considering it takes developers a couple of years to get get used to new hardware and the rising cost of development with each generation, which has seen some studios close their doors already, yeah, I think its very different from mobile phones.
Most people get a new phone cheap because of their contract. Also, could you really see console gamers dropping £350-£400 every 18 months.
@Dreamcaster-X But then the PS4 would be holding back the PS4.5 simply because the developer wouldn't be able to fully optimize.
It gets really messy, really quickly, doesn't it? If the games are required to function on the bog-standard PS4, then why would a developer put in the extra effort to take advantage of the PS4.5?
@XCWarrior I don't see how FFXV can come to NX, they've been working on it for 10 years, too late now. FF7 Remake I do see coming to NX or else Cloud would not have been in SSB. We also haven't seen a Cloud amiibo yet. Maybe they are waiting until the FF7 on NX reveal so they can make him look like that?
BTW I've been waiting on FFXV for a PS4 as well. My 2 PS3 are keeping my flip-phone company. Though I was also waiting for U4, but I'm not paying $400 for a 500GB PS4. Maybe 2 years ago at launch, but not mid 2016. Might as well wait for the PS4.5 now, I was kind of waiting for the slim anyway, that shouldhave been due this spring.
I need to 32X my PS4! Man we were so dumb back in the 16bit era! At least I was
Could well happen - people arn't going to like it but it's not going to be PS4,5,6,7,8.9,10 forever, it's the way it's gunna go.
@get2sammyb Does it take extra effort to get less slow down and a better frame rate? And devs do it to show off, b/c they can. Don't devs already make some games in 2 modes - Xbox One at 900p, PS4 at 1080p? So make 1 run at 30fps, 1 at 60fps.
My favorite example of this - though I havnet gotten to use it in awhile - is God of War. Remember they added in that secret full frame mode? They didn't put it in the menu (not to be confused w/ Progresive scan) b/c it wasn't quite working right, but it does work. Think of it that way. Same games, just better. Maybe better means VR, maybe better means 4k. And lets face it, devs will be making games soon in 4k then downresing them to 1080p so they have the 4k version ready for when PS5 and Xbox 2 comes out so they can resell them, like GTA et al. So maybe PS4.5 gets 4k games as well?
I still don't think it's that big of a deal. If it were that big of a deal then it would be PS5, not PS4.5. Know what is a big deal, removing "Other OS", from hardware in peoples homes, but that didn't stop them from doing it.
I don't think they'll call it PS4.5, just "New PS4" or "PS4", did the slim models ever offcially get a name? Did the PS3 get anew name when they dropped USB form 4 to 2? When they dropped BC? Hardware changes all the time, it just does. They won' tsplit the fanbase that much. Did new non-OLED Vita split the fanbase? Oh yeah right, what fanbase?
@rjejr you are missing my point... there are different measures of "running" like PC games theoretically run on the 'minimum specs' rigs but in practice you need at least recommended specs in order to have a decent experience... it's quite possible that if PS4.5 take off, PS4 users will end up with a subpar experience even if the game still theoretically "runs"...
With the minimal upgrades they made from PS3 to PS4, i very, very highly doubt PS4.5 would be capable of anything close to 4k. The amount of graphical horsepower needed on PC to achieve a steady 30fps is about $700. Most games on PS4 can't even handle 1080 right now unless they're cut down to 30fps. Maybe PS6 will get there, definitely not PS5 or 4.5.
@rjejr PS5/XB2 won't be 4k capable, unless they plan on waiting another decade to release them. It's just not going to be financially viable for them to create a machine capable of it, i mean hell, they struggled creating 1080p machines 2 years ago! They're too cheap to attempt it, even in their next gen systems.
@Napples I highly doubt we will have to wait until the PS6 (It's doubtful Sony will make a PS6 simply because by then they will be streaming games) because AMD, who Sony used for the PS4 architecture, have developed a new GPU that runs games in 4k and is cheaper than NVIDIA's chipset. That GPU will be even cheaper by the time Sony release the PS5. Also, after all the moaning gamers have been doing this generation about resolution and frame rate it would be a stupid move to not support 4k 60fps in a console thats around 3 years away.
Kotaku as a source lol anyway With Zen & Polaris heading our way from AMD in the not too distant future, A 4K capable console in a similar power envelope ain't too far fetched in a couple of years - if AMD's showcased power consumption for Polaris is at least legit
Every time this discussion pops up you see people reacting negatively without even considering what it actually is. First off: NO, it won't fragment the user base! It will just enable people to play their PS4 games at a better resolution, framerate and with more post processing effects. There might be a few games harnessing the true power of the PS4.5, but most devs won't bring out a huge triple A title and neglect 75% of the userbase. And second of all: do we really want another PS360 era where games were severely hamstrung by the hardware? And last gen we were fortunate enough to get state of the art tech at its time, something we can't say bout the One and PS4.
A PS4.5 would be a logical and natural step in the right way and would be in line with other high tech products and PC gaming; instead of upgrading the CPU or GPU every 2 years, we let Sony use widely available and cheap components to mass produce PC like consoles, just like we have now, so people who actually care can play games with a better performance. This is NOT like a PC, so please stop don't tell me I should be a PC gamer: I want a closed OS, I want someone else to prepare my updates and I want one of the best tech companies in the world to pick my hardware, so we can get cheap and reliable gaming.
Stop fighting the future and give technology a chance. Games and VR will make leaps if we go from a 8 year to 3 year cycle! Just like with $60 games where people expert 300 hours of joy, we should realize that $400 consoles can only do so much. Our hardware was outdated the moment it launched, a PS4.5 is the only right thing to do for Sony: games will be mostly forward compatible and with backward compatibility jumping to the better hardware will not only give us the chance to play our older games, it'll give games like Bloodborne a second life with the fps it deserved all along.
@Grawlog Even though Sony now use AMD architecture it still takes devs a while to get used to the hardwarel. Why do you think the first wave of PS4 games were so buggy.
@get2sammyb Yep, they have heard that Sony was gauging the interest among developers of the possibility of a souped up ps4, most likely in reaction to Microsofts statements last week. They then took that and made click bait articles that Sony WAS going to release it, without ANY official word. I'm sorry but I have been burned by Kotaku.com articles to many times before, and even when they do leak something that happens it is always different than what they originally predicted. Sorry but I don't trust them, and never will again. If you guys want to that is fine, but my mind tells me Sony is dominating this gen and creating two separate ps4s with different specs that could potentially split the user base and available games does not seem like something would be interested in. I would expect a move like that from the companies that are in second and third, not winning the race. Of course I could be totally wrong and Kotaku.com could be right for once, but I'll keep my reservations until I hear it from Sony themselves.
@WARDIE EXACTLY, we just had reports a couple days ago how first party devs are just now starting to leverage the FULL POWER of the ps4. Unless they make it in a way that devs can release the same games on both units with one having better FPS and resolution I really don't see it happening. Of course if it did I would be forced to buy it to fully utilize my 4k tv, but still.
@rjejr you can get a 500gb ps4 for 300 from most retailers right now, and can usually find a refurbished one for around 250 or more.
@Napples Not only that, but the 4k tv adoption is going VERY slowly in the US, even slower than the initial switch to HD from SD. Why pour money into a device that 75 percent or more of your customer base can't utilize and drive the price up on it for all those people that will never see it used in 4k? Not smart business wise and I don't expect Sony or Microsoft to.do it for several more years.
@WARDIE As far as i'm concerned, AMD did a real crap job on PS4 and X1 hardware. Their GPUs, CPUs and APUs have yet to really measure up to anything intel or nvidia have already created. They can TALK about creating new hardware all day long, but every single time something comes out of their camp, it's an expensive space heater compared to other options on the market.
@DualWielding "PS4 users will end up with a subpar experience even if the game still theoretically "runs"..."
Depends on what you mean by "sub-par". Don't peopel still buy Xbox One even though some games run better on PS4? Wasn't "The Last of Us" a smash hit on PS3 even though it is inferior to PS4? Isn't "Uncharted 2" still a great experience on PS3 even though PS4 is better? Running better on PS4.5 doesn't make the PS4 version unplayable, unless you think half the games on PS4 were unplayable on PS3? (Seriously, there are a lot of PS3 games on PS4.)
Also, if they didn't have sub-par experiences how would Sony get them to upgrade to PS4.5? See Hyrule Warriors Legends - old 3DS vs New 3DS
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/01/video_hyrule_warriors_legends_footage_shows_a_stark_difference_in_old_and_new_3ds_performance
@KingofSaiyans But is SFV Ultimate Stupendous Neverending Glorious Battle coming to NX? Problem w/ NX (OK 1 of them) Nintendo doesn't announce the console, none of the devs can announce their games.
@Grawlog Oh it was just a joke, see the winky face. I'm a funny guy
@Boerewors Well if that's the case then why even release a new console? Why not just upgraded to components to boost games for people who want it? And if you are going to go that far why not just make it all PC and fully upgradeable at any time. The reason why they won't is the same it has always been, people by a console and expect it to play the newest AAA games at the market standard for 5 or more years. I would love an upgraded ps4, but I don't think it would move many units.
@SonyInfinity Oh sorry, I may not have explained myself very well. I was reacting to this announcement, after waiting for Uncharted 4 to buy a PS4.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2016/02/uncharted_4s_limited_edition_ps4_bundle_is_a_true_treasure
As long as all games work on both systems I'm all for it.
@Napples What @WARDIE said. I hope. I need an excuse to buy a 4k TV, PS5 was it .
@Boerewors Man I would love 3 to 4 year life cycles, but I also worry that asking consumers to buy new tech so quickly will eventually put an end to console gaming as we now know it. I honestly believe that trust people have that their console will be good for 7 or so years is what makes many willing to fork over the cash. I think you lose the casual gamer every other gen if you release new conservative every 3 years, as they won't be ready or care about upgrading yet. Then you are left with the problem we had at the beginning of this gen, developers not willing to move on from the ps3 or 360 for over a year after the new consoles dropped, thus limiting the selection on the newer consoles. I think the next gen will be strictly service based consoles, built around online, downloadable games and streaming services.
@Napples Your wrong about AMD, but you're entitled to your opinion.
@AyeHaley And therein lies the problem, they will not. Just like we are seeing with the 3ds and the NEW 3ds. Some, not all, new games are only available for the newer version, and to many that just screams money grab. I honestly believe releasing new consoles every few years will actually lower your user base, because the casuals won't care to upgrade that quickly and we all know the causal gamer makes up the majority of gamers these days.
@rjejr Dude 4k tv is AWESOME, my Samsung upscales everything and the difference between it and my 1080p TV while gaming on the ps4 is very noticeable.
@WARDIE Problem here is most of your conservative base still will not own 4k tvs, so you are asking three quarters or more of your customers to pay more for a console they can't even fully utilize. I hope the ps5 makes the jump to 4k, just not sure it will yet.
@WARDIE This is EXACTLY how MOST console gamers feel, and exactly why this kotaku.com article is bunk. Sony was gauging interest with developers and throwing around ideas and Kotaku presents it as complete fact.
@FullbringIchigo Agree completely and Sony knows most console gamers feel this way. If they didn't feel this way then they would be primarily PC gamers!
@rjejr FFXV was scrapped and restarted during those 10 years. If the NX is easy enough to port to, then there's a good chance the game will come to NX.
Also, Cloud being in Smash really doesn't have anything to do with FFVIIR potentially coming to NX. Sakurai wanted a Final Fantasy character in the game because of fan demand for Final Fantasy characters, and Cloud just happens to be the most iconic and popular Final Fantasy character.
@themcnoisy Yep, just last week read an article talking about how first party devs are just now starting to leverage the FULL POWER of the ps4.
I have a feeling this is true.
@Napples AGREED, I think people are really jumping the gun with this. Probably close to 90 percent of gamers don't even have a 4k tv, why spend all that money building and releasing hardware that won't even be widely viable for several more years? Yawn, this thread is getting ridiculous.
@IceClimbers Sorry, I just can't see it. FFXV will be a day 1 for a lot of people. Everybody knows how poorly those old ports sold at launch on Wii U - Mass Effect 3 and Batman. I can't see Squenix taking 5 minutes porting FFXV to NX when they could be working on the multipart FF7R. I'd rather see KH HD1.5 collection so NX could get KH3.
The demo for FXV came out a year ago, its an old game, it will launch before NX launches, it will make both Zelda U and Zelda NX look bad. I just can't see it.
@SonyInfinity I don't know mate. 3+ years is a long time in regards to technology and because of that 4k TV prices will have come down loads by then. You can already find them for less than £500. Even if most people Haven't upgraded to 4k by then, im sure Sony will be under the belief that they will during the PS5 lifecycle.
Anyway, I like you, hope the PS5 is 4k ready because if its not consoles will be even further behind PC's which wouldn't be good for developers.
@SonyInfinity
The thing is that we won't have the problems we saw at the beginning of this gen: games are backwards and forwards compatible, except for a small amount of games that are simply impossible to run on the old model. Just think New3ds with just 1 game, a port, that the old model can't run. But the owners of the new model do have better performance, better 3d and some small cute mostly cosmetic extras.
Why wouldn't it work? I think it would even attract more people. The old model would be still marketed and offered cheaper as the +/-$400 PS4.5. People who are still in the market for a new gen console can choose whether to go cheap or pick the best. There will also be a lively 2nd hand market because about 20% of the current userbase will immediately upgrade and because Sony makes money on software, not hardware, that would be just great because people aren't likely to sell their games with the console because of BC.
Sure, a modular console might even be better, but then again an entire new model would have the benefit of Sony engineers designing it, so your always okay fan- and powerwise. People who are afraid their old consoles won't work with the new games should think it over: which dev would sink millions into a game just 30- 40% of the userbase can play? Like you said, we saw this "problem" earlier with the transition to PS4, but since both will be x86 architecture based consoles we won't have similar problems for devs. By the time games have evolved so much they have to leave the old PS4 behind, you surely have had 5-6 solid years worth of gaming on it; don't forget we're already in its 3rd year on the market already.
The way I see it gamers will benefit, Sony will benefit, VR will benefit and the entire industry will benefit. Console gamers have become too accustomed to insanely much value for their money and sometimes don't have realistic expectations of what games or a console can or should deliver. I think by adopting a new model we can make this industry more healthy again and more importantly make sure we're getting cutting edge technology. VR will need more than what the current PS4 can offer and so do our 4K TVs; why wait another 6 years for better performance and new experiences when we can have it this year at a price that'll be just as fair as the $400 we paid 2 years ago?
@Napples If anything AMD Knocked it out the park with the PS4 and Xbone. they did what they could with the limited budget they had from MS and Sony and squeezed it in the required power and thermal envelope. Nothing Intel or Nvidia have right now can Beat the PS4 and Xbox one on a single SoC with low enough power consumption and for the Price both companies pay AMD for the Chips. AMD was the only choice in this situation.
Maybe it'll project a hologram of your favourite Sony head of staff. Imagine it, a hologram Kaz Hirai in your own living room.
@WARDIE @KingofSaiyans @Octane All good points, and I tend to agree. It's a weird one, but I think there'd be a lot of unhappy people if this whole thing turned out to be true. General consumers look at this and think "a new console already? Not buying that" - and that's not a particularly great image to have.
@Boerewors Except NONE OF the SNES games coming to the virtual library will run on the original 3DS only the new 3ds, and there will be more. I get your points and I would definitely buy into an advanced version of the ps4, I am just aging Devils advocate and saying what the majority of gamers will say. Casuals won't care to update or buy a new console every 3 years.
No no and again no. Don't let Sony think they can get away with this. A pathetic attempt to win over Nintendo's NX that's probably not a threat anyways? At least wait another 3 years. Jesus.
@WARDIE I honestly think something like this would be better at the very start of a console life cycle. Release 2 versions of your new console, one with 4k etc and one that is just hd etc. PROMISE all your customers that all games released will work fine on both, with no glitches and shorty releases for the weaker version. Trying to implement it half way through the consoles life seems silly honestly, and as I stated the casuals won't go for it at all. At least of you did the both together at the beginning the core gamers could get the nicer one and the casuals could get the cheaper one but everyone would still be on a level playing field. With the price of game production these days I don't see devs liking the idea of having to make a game with multiple versions to meet multiple hardware configurations beyond what they have to already do for the big three. Would only lessen their profit and be nothing really to gain from other from a business standpoint.
And if this happens screw Sony, I will go back to PC gaming...
@SonyInfinity
Those SNES games aren't 3ds' meat and potatoes and it's exactly stuff like that that should come as a lil extra for people that upgrade or buy the better version right away. As long as your Uncharteds, CoDs, ACs etc are playable on both systems the casuals are fine! And for the tech loving, more hardcore crowd there will be awesome new things that are possible with their PSVR, a headset only they own probably.
Look, there's always gonna be that vocal minority who starts protesting because that is what they do. If you were to believe the Internet all localized Nintendo games would be boycotted for instance, yet they sell better every installment... It's just a small group of people who keeps going on about stuff 99% of the people just don't care about. We always got revisions with other hardware like phones, CD players, Blu Ray Players, Discmans (discmen?), LCD/ LED/ Plasma TVs, decoders etc etc, where newer models functioned significantly better than old ones, but we don't mind if there are newer models because they do the same thing our old model does, but better. A new PS4.5 wouldn't be much different, it's like the 4K TV under the consoles: your 1080p will still display Eastenders, the 4K just does it better!
@Riririn
How does NX factor into this at all? This has to do with VR and possibly trying to stay a step ahead of MS which is also discussing doing similar revisions with Xbox One. NX will be a threat, a new console should always be considered a threat until it's proven not to be, but hardly anything is known about NX at this point so I doubt Sony is reacting to that.
I have only had my PS4 for less than half an year, I won't be happy if Sony really starts pulling stupid stuff like this at this point.
@ShogunRok your example would be valid if after two year my smartphone won t be able anymore to run and do what I have bought it for: calling, messaging, skyping, surfing.
I buy a console because I expect that for 5-6 years I do not have to bother about hardware update. If this is not the case, it is better to get a gaming PC, so I can at least choose when an upgrade is needed and is not imposed by a greedy company that want to cut me out if I don t pay the upgrading fee....
This is also why I got disamoured of Nintendo with its stupid New3ds
Sony by definition are a tech company and tech companies are always thinking ahead especially when it comes to competition so in that regard Sony are doing the right thing in trying to stay ahead and not get left behind. But if this were to work though one critical thing NEEDS to happen and that is all future games need to allow PC like graphics and performance options so that those who have the older PS4s can have a decent optimal experience.
But like I've said to others in the past "if you don't like it, then let your voice be heard" go to places like Twitter and Facebook and let Sony know because they will soon drop the idea if enough people speak out against it.
We also have to be mindful that it might Sony pulling a bit of a fast one by making people and developers think that they are doing a PS4.5 whereas they might researching for the PS5 since R&D starts years before the console comes to market.
Time to start stock piling my games library. Think this might be my last console purchase. I've done the whole PC gaming thing and gave it up for a simpler life. Not into cutting and pasting my consoles now also(bad enough having to stick a 2TB HDD in my PS4 when I bought it as it was). 3 decades of my gaming lifestyle and finally the middle men have killed the gaming industry with their greed.
PS4.5? What a load of BS If VR did take off tho then maybe SONY would build in that small VR box into the PS4 in the future like they did with the slim PS2 and it's internet box thingy Apart from that there will not be a PS4.5 EVER. This all sounds like the pro-xbox gaming press trying to damage PS4 sales really.
@TomKongPhooey
There's still NX. I don't see Nintendo going down this path.
@Carl-G
So what about when the press reported MS was looking to do something similar with the Xbox One? Were they also trying to hurt Xbox One sales?
reading between the lines here a paranoid guy would be thinking that Sony is trying to tell us the PS4 in it's current state will struggle to run PSVR titles and we are all getting taken for a ride if we buy this VR headset and don't go also invest in PS4.5 bundle that will inevitabily be sold as a package deal with the headset in the future. Mark my paranoid words!
@gamer83 I ain't been a Nint3ndo boy since N64, might be time to look into a NX.
This rumour's gathered enough pace where Sony will need to come out and deny it now I think. And they will deny it whether they're doing it or not, because this could obviously impact ongoing sales.
@rjejr To be fair the New 3DS has sold pretty badly.
This isn't going to happen though, and if it did it would crash and burn. Steam machines failed for this exact reason. Too many options will only confuse people who know nothing about games, and Sony wouldn't make much, if any, money from the people who know what's what. They just need to concentrate on the PS5 and drop that in 2-3 years.
@Carl-G It's less the press and more developers not keeping their mouths shut.
@Boerewors Well we can agree to disagree. Let's Mark this thread in our memory, if a suppossed ps4.5 releases in the next year I will gladly eat my crow, but, when it does not I will serve it up to you nice and hot.
@thatguyEZ And this is exactly what I have been saying. MOST people like console gaming because they can get a high end gaming experience without all the hassle of pc gaming. They pay 400 or more with the expectation that the console will have a long life, not relegated to second best in a few years when a newer version of the SAME console releases and takes away games from the lesser, older, version. I would definitely buy it, but I know, as well as Sony, thay from a business standpoint it wouldn't be the success you would need to warrant such a move. This is all hearsay, especially considering the absolute terrible source.
@SonyInfinity Indeed, the average consumer would likely just stick with the original PS4 and it would only confuse those who haven't purchased one. While I do like my New 3DS, I can totally see that for most people it's utterly pointless. That's how people will see the new PS4 model. And yes, while I'm sure there are some trustworthy people at kotaku, kotaku as a whole is garbage.
My console is so much bigger than yours, my console can walk right through the door with a feeling so pure....
Jokes aside I probably would upgrade because I spend a lot of time gaming and I want a quality experience...but I wouldn't be too happy to have to upgrade this soon! I love my consoles to last at least 5-6 years.
@thatguyEZ What I think really happened at GDC is Sony was discussing future plans of the ps5. Kotaku caught wind and of course threw in their own assumptions and made it seem like something that could launch this year to generate clicks.
@SonyInfinity I can see that being the case. I could also imagine them talking about it as the PS4.5, but I think that's more in response to what Microsoft has been saying. I think Sony would wait to see what MS does and goes from there. But there's really no chance of that happening. I can see why people would be cool with this kind of thing, but it's just not feasible for a company trying to make a profit. What Sony and MS need to do is blow this gen out of the water and then release the PS5 and Xbox2 in 2-3 years. 4K gaming likely won't hugely catch on for the next few years anyway so I see no reason for either of them to rush out a 4K capable system, at least until the TVs get cheaper.
@SonyInfinity
Haha, I don't necessarily think there will be a PS4.5, this report sounds more like Sony's discussing with major studios when they should launch the PS5. The moment 4k gaming is mentioned you know it'll take a pretty heavy CPU and GPU and at this point a 4K gaming console would be too expensive. The logical choice would be AMD, but even with AMD manufacturing at a loss like they did when this gen started, I don't think a 4K gaming console can be made for under $600 till at least 2018.
I do think it would be a good move for Sony, not just because I want it. I think that it would open up new possibilities for them and increase overall software sales. At first I figured that if this were to happen, MS would be the first to do so, but I'm not too sure about that when I thought about it some more; Sony is in a position very much like Apple is where they can't seem to do no wrong and I believe that bringing a 4.5 on the market will give people a much needed extra option to choose from within the PS framework. People who haven't bought a new console yet could go for the $249 PS4, a price like that would open it up for casuals, families, grannies and 3rd world countries. And for $399 there could be this new and improved PS which suits the needs of hardcore and especially VR gamers better.
My parents aren't interested in hardcore gaming or VR, but a $249 Netflix machine where their grandkids can play games on would be a no brainer. My kids could play the same games as they do back home and even pick their saves out of the cloud, but it'll be with slightly worse visuals and a lower framerate. iPhone 5 is still selling like hotcakes all around the globe because it does pretty much the same as a 6s does, but at a lower cost. Sure, it's slower and some games are iPhone 6 only, but the majority of games, apps and functions is readily available.
I honestly think they're on to something if they just handle the sentiments right. They should explain the way I just did that nothing's gonna chance for people with a PS4, unless they want to! If they want to upgrade they'll have 4K (or better 1080p visuals and framerate realistically speaking) and better VR performance, if they don't they won't even notice because all the games that were coming to PS4 are still coming out.
As a closing thought I'd like to express that aside from the vocal negative Nancies that feel console cycles should last 10 years (which I noticed are coincidentally the same people who are always bashing Xbox, keep on whining about censorship which they know nothing about and are really hostile towards women involved with gaming who they always see as f*cking femi nazis*) I see people thinking way to far ahead. People are dreaming up what games would be possible in the future and although I understand, I'd like to take a step back and consider what it can do for our current library. The new 3ds seems a waste of money on first glance with just one port and some SNES games that are exclusive, but it was one of the best things to happen to handheld gaming for me since the Vita because it gave me an incentive to replay lots of games I already owned and made me appreciate my 3ds library way more! Games like Luigis Mansion, 3D land, Pokemon Y, Mario Kart, SSB, MGS, Mario Golf and many more opened up to me in a way that I never thought they would; they played more smoothly, handled better, booted up faster and the 3D effect was all of a sudden the best feature to grace handheld gaming, whereas previously I hated it. Just think about Bloodborne, The Witcher, AC Unity, Just Cause and so many more that will be playable like the devs intended for the first time! I don't even need exclusive PS4.5 games when I can play Blooodborne on 60fps!
*based on my experiences on a SA gaming forum where I'm part of; on pushsquare we just have Sammy as our resident fanboy
So they want more systems to move, so let's make a different console, make all of the upcoming games only compatible with that one, make people fork over more money, make a lot of people mad and then wonder why people are mad?
Come on, I paid enough for one console, now they'd make a new one (and you know that the upcoming games would only work on that one only) and I'd have to sit there and re-download everything. In all honesty, I wouldn't buy it, because you know if they even did a trade-in deal, it still wouldn't be enough. Sorry sony, but I'll be keeping the original, and if this happens with the games, then I'll be the one missing out on the newer ones. Please don't do it.
I didn't mind paying $200 for New 3DS because the improvements were substantial- the stable 3D finally made 3D the amazing feature it always should have been, and it got exclusive games that the old system wasn't capable of running.
But this would be twice that cost and if the only improvements it has is a little more graphical grunt then I really can't justify this to myself. I guess we'll just have to see when the time comes what those improvements are and how much it would cost
I so called this. Not on here, but to a lot of friends.
PS4.5? PS5? No... they'd miss the perfect opportunity to call it:
PS4K (or PlayStation 4K)
It's perfectly fitting, since it would feature 4K resolution. This would work great if it was able to make most of the 1080p ~30FPS games run at 60FPS, but then have 4K compatibility for games made specifically for the new specs. If the 3DS can get away with the stunt called the "New Nintendo 3DS", then I don't see the problem.
Mark the original PS4 down and release the "PS4K" at the original $399 price. People will want the newest/better machine, and lots of others won't resist the marked down price of the original.
Also, look up "Sony FMPX10 4K Ultra HD Media Player" and laugh at the somewhat similarity in design.
@Dreamcaster-X i was going to type pretty much the same thing, cant believe how many comments were made without someone else mentioning it before you to be honest... And given how many comments came after yours people must still not get it, surely its not that difficult? 😉
@Dreamcaster-X
It would be great to have the Supercharged PS4 and regular PS4 play the same games
The game industry is already doing unconventional and crappy business models as it is. This would just be the icing on the cake and I would probably quit playing video games for good if this happened.
I figured that this was just early PS5 talk, which is probably already in development.
However if this is true I don't see it being released for at least another 3 years. Once sales start slowing down PS 4K can help give it a boost. This way Sony may even beat their PS2 sales record.
Personally I'm against it. One platform per console cycle, for everybody.
This bodes well for Nintendo as this just stinks of Sony having real concerns over the looming NX
Is 4K even popular among consumers, atm? Personally, I think its a waste of money to buy a 4K TV just so I could play games with 4K graphics.
@WanderingBullet As a gamer, you really shouldn't worry about 4k TV's at the moment unless you are prepared to shell out a decent lump sum to get one with a non-terrible refresh rate.
drive caddy that fits taller 4tb hdd's without modification is the numero uno feature i'd want. improved performance like 40-48fps for what would usually be 30fps games is welcome. other than that, i'm fine with this one. an out there feature that would be neat is a 32-64gb ssd cache for the internal hdd to turn any drive into an sshd.
@Warruz Yeah, that was one of the points I was trying to make about Sony developing a PS4 that could run 4K resolution. :/ How many people are actually gonna purchase one of those TVs just for the sake of gaming.
Besides, apart from a developer like Naughty Dog, how many other developers are actually gonna fully utilize the supposed rumored PS4.5's capabilities.
@WanderingBullet Right, but if the new game plan now is to take to an Iphone approach (albeit more spread out), then 4k support, even if not used by games, would be a good step to take. I just wonder who got it in their head to just go RIGHT to 4k, and not take more incremental steps like PC and go to 2k.
@Warruz Plus, I can't imagine how long it would take to download 4K sized games. haha
I don't mind the idea of a new PS4 if it wasn't released anytime soon, maybe after the PS4 is a few years into its cycle then why not bring out a new and improved model.
I'd be interested in it if they did improve the actual consoles hardware and not just a smaller or more quiet console like "slim" versions, and tbh I was a bit disappointed with this gen, I was under the impression at the start that both (Xbone & 4) would be able to run all games at 1080p and 60fps but you're getting developers running into problems trying to get that so early in the cycle so Maybe this gen would hold future games back in that way.
But like its been said here already I doubt they release a new one with the chance that newer games wouldn't work on the older models, so unless developers include an option to scale down graphics or whatever they'd need to do to get it to work on both consoles, then it wouldn't be so bad. But then again, I don't like the idea of needing a newer console just for certain games, it would almost be PC like checking specs of games just to see if you can run them or not.
I'd trade in my PS4 for a pumped up PS4.5 tomorrow, already sick of my PS4 the game's already feel samey and sub par, the same way I felt about my 360 in the last year or so of it's life which is when I stopped buying game's for that. Technology move's faster and faster these day's and console gaming already feel's like it did in the last couple of year's last gen, tis the future unfortunatly.
@KingofSaiyans "I hope we don't get weekly articles stating that "XYZ game will not be coming to NX""
Oh gawd, that's going to be the entire 2nd half of 2016 isn't it. And if things go like I think they might - no AAA support at all for FPS and the like, just "kid" games like Disney Infinity, Lego and Skyladners - there will be a lot more games not coming to NX to talk about about. ugh
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