According to an article published today by the Wall Street Journal, Sony plans a new PlayStation for graphics-heavy games. This article stated that the updated console would be announced before the virtual-reality headset PSVR. This article supports the ongoing rumors of what has been referred to as the “PlayStation 4K” or “PlayStation 4.5”. Now we all know that Sony took the center stage of announcing the PlayStation VR’s release date at GDC 2016 this month, revealing that its VR headset would launch in October.
Does this mean that we are going to expect the upgraded console real soon? What does this mean for gamers?
Perhaps it means that the days of waiting six or more years between videogame-console releases are coming to an end. Perhaps you remember that PS3 was released 2006 and it took 7 years before the PS4 was released in 2013, the same year Xbox One was released in which its Xbox 360 predecessor happened 2005. The Wall Street Journal’s article supports previous releases from Kotaku and Eurogamer regarding the same rumor stating Sony’s plans to release a new version of the PS4 (check our article from last week). The Wall Street Journal also reports that Sony will not face out the existing PS4 and will continue manufacturing the regular PS4, as well as its more powerful counterpart — with games working for both platforms.
The current PS4 cannot output 4K content, because its optical drive cannot read 4K Blu-ray discs. The main point of this new PlayStation upgrade is to handle higher-end gaming experiences, including virtual reality. But it doesn’t mean that the regular PS4 cannot handle VR. The upgraded PS4 will reportedly be able to play 4K resolution content, and according to the article, this was derived out of Sony’s ambition to deliver “a richer gaming environment, including a high-end virtual-reality experience”, for gamers who are willing to pay for a higher price of course.
There are no rumored price leaks yet but a lot of us are expecting this big reveal during the E3 this coming June.
Stay tuned for more on Sony’s rumored 4K ‘PlayStation 4.5’ updates.