PS4K PlayStation 4K Sony PlayStation 1

The rumoured PlayStation 4K may be announced at E3 2016 next week, potentially changing the landscape of consoles forever. With such a seismic shift on the cards, we've pulled together a gaggle of our gobbiest staffers in order ascertain whether this upgraded system is likely to flop or fly. Below you'll find a bunch of referendum style verdicts based upon the rumours regarding the console. Remember, opinions can change when products are officially revealed, so this article merely represents the stance of our writers right now.

PS4K PlayStation 4K Sony PlayStation 2

IN

Alex Stinton: As the King of Self-Justification, there's not the slightest doubt in my mind that I'll manage to convince myself to pick up the PS4K – or whatever Sony decides to call it. In fact, I can see my mind working on it already. Only last night I was lamenting the lack of storage space on my launch PS4, and telling myself not to install a new hard drive, so I could wait and see what an updated model might have to offer. This is only decorative justification, though, as the real reason I would pick up the PS4K is purely and simply because I want the best gaming experience I can, without investing in a PC.

Jacob Hull: My PS4 has been playing up recently so I'm in the market for a new one anyway. That said, the thing I want most from an updated PS4 is a better Wi-Fi adapter. They really ought to fix this so that it works with modern Wi-Fi router standards and not labouring behind on the old 2.4GHz signal from a prior era. I'm less than 10-feet away from the router and my signal strength is at 50 per cent with a fraction of the download speed of everything else in the flat (all of which work without issue). Outside of this, increasing overall graphics power is something I'm always interested in, and since I have an active PlayStation VR pre-order, the extra power will certainly be welcome.

John McCormick: While I think Sony could be shooting itself in the foot by offering an upgraded console while the PS4 is smashing it in sales, for me personally, it's not a big deal. Sony and I have enough good stuff in the bank thanks to the PS4 that I don't mind shelling out for an upgrade if it means better performance, more storage, and maybe some nice new colours. Hot pink, please.

Kell Andersen: To be honest, I'm not as devastated by the PS4K as some people seem to be. I certainly don't feel cheated. What does concern me is the developer side of things. A couple of devs have already expressed dissatisfaction with the need to create two versions of a game. It just seems odd to me that Sony seems to be abandoning its initial strategy of making things as developer friendly as possible. With all that said, will I buy one eventually? Probably.

Ken Talbot: I've never upgraded before, but it seems to me that this is the next logical step for the current generation of hardware. I want the best possible PS4 experience and if that means going the extra mile and spending my cash on a beefed up system, I'm willing to do that. It's controversial to make the comparison, but it's exactly what I do with my PC, so why not my console?

Liam Croft: I've grown up with PlayStation, so anything new on the hardware side has me interested. From the leaks, it seems that we'll be getting better graphics, improved framerates, and an all-round better experience on the PS4K. Those things matter to me, and the thought of playing the rumoured God of War 4 and Sony Bend's next project with improved performance whets my appetite. Give me a decent price point, a trade-in program, and a slew of enhanced games, and I'll be there queuing outside GAME at midnight.

Robert Ramsey: While I'm not entirely sold on the idea of changing the typical console cycle, I'm not about to doubt Sony's long term plans – not when it's been so dominant over the past few years. As I'm sure is the case with many of you reading this, though, I'd ultimately find it difficult to pass up on new hardware as a PlayStation fan. If Sony handles the PS4K right, then you can count me in.

Sammy Barker: As someone who's "upgraded" to slim PlayStation hardware in the past, I'll definitely be buying the PS4K. It remains to be seen whether Sony can make iterative consoles work, but as a fan of the brand, I'll certainly be stumping up for a revised system that promises better performance across the board – even if those improvements are minor. Of course, there's a good chance that I may end up being in the minority – but hey, I'm also one of the four people who purchased a PlayStation Move. C'est la vie.

PS4K PlayStation 4K Sony PlayStation 3

OUT

Graham Banas: The entire concept of iterative console half-steps has irked me from the start. Part of what makes consoles so appealing is the fact that you only need to buy it one time and then you're essentially good to play any game you fancy for close to a decade or so. Changing this model to releasing a new, more powerful unit every couple years is not something I have the remotest interest in. If it comes to that, I'd much prefer to just spend that money on continually upgrading my PC.

Joey Thurmond: Considering my launch PS4 broke down recently, I had no choice but to purchase a new one and, therefore, couldn't afford to buy a PS4K for a while. Had that not happened, the supposed benefits of running games more smoothly and/or at slightly higher settings would've been tempting, but since the improvements seem relatively incremental on paper, I would've still passed on it. However, if the Neo proves capable of exclusively running a lot of future games at 60fps and if I acquire a 4K TV, I'll jump on board in a couple years.

Sam Brooke: The entire point of buying a console instead of a PC is that you're on equal terms with everyone else. Introducing the PS4K so early in the console's lifetime only serves to split up the audience, and if I knew that a better PS4 was releasing, I would've just waited for that instead of buying the base version. We're not made of money, y'know?

Stephen Tailby: I've never forked out for hardware revisions. What's the point? Sony's original hardware instalments have always served me well; the very same consoles present under my telly from the beginning to the end of their respective generations. Sure, the PS4K is a slightly different scenario, with its promises of enhanced performance and graphical oomph. However, the Japanese giant is reportedly asking that developers ensure games perform well on both the vanilla machine and the souped-up successor. If this is true, then... Again, what's the point?

A fairly close contest here in Push Square Towers at eight to four, then – but still comfortably leaning in favour of the PS4K. Where do you stand on the hypothetical hardware? Let us know whether you're in or out via our poll, and then expand upon your stance in the comments section below.

PS4K: are you 'In' or 'Out'? (177 votes)

  1. In all the way32%
  2. Not sure yet31%
  3. I'm totally out37%

Please login to vote in this poll.