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[Zombie James]

Sigh.

I may as well go to PC. I wonder if those who were calling Microsoft for considering this will do the same to Sony?

Calling it PS4.5 is really muddying the water. If it comes out 4+ years after the PS4, it's the start of a new cycle. Not an incremental upgrade or a move to a smartphone cycle.

 

[Nocturno999]

If theres a significant upgrade every 3 years then Im ok.

But 4K lol not going to happen unless they make an oversized PS4 at double the price.

 

[Blobbers]

Imagine if the PS4.5 doesn't actually play PS4 games at a higher resolution or framerate, but you have to upgrade. So, you would literally have in-generation remasters. Example:

Uncharted 4 Definitive 4K Edition, also playable in 1080p/60FPS - 50$
Bloodborne Definitive 4K Edition, also playable in 1080p/60FPS - 40$

You could also opt for the normal PS4 edition, but it will literally look the same as on a normal PS4, and it wont have any online capabilities.

Arrogant Sony is back.

 

[Aurizen]

That's bad.... really bad... I just hope they don't make an exclusive game for the new system..

 

[cyba89]

The rumour is from an anonymous source, right?

I will doubt the rumour

You could just, you know, read the article.

 

[MRORANGE]

Welcome to PC. Gaming.

Want to play TLOU2? You will need a PS4.9 Zeon to even play it at 30 fps.

 

[Neuromancer]

Those of you posting about how this is bullshit should probably read the entire article before commenting!

I did read it. Just because multiple developers heard the same thing doesn't make it true though. Rumors can get started and catch on for any number of reasons. I remember your own Patrick Klepek saying he heard PS4 was going to have always online DRM too, back in 2013.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Fuck off Sony if it's true. I won't upgrade / buy new console until PS5 comes out (and assuming it'll be good - I didn't have regrets about switching camps when XONE didn't turn out to be what I was waiting for).

 

[BibiMaghoo]

As primarily a PC gamer who is used to iterative hardware upgrades, I'd like to say to you all:

"Welcome! We've been expecting you for quite sometime!"

Er, no. You can upgrade singular components of a PC. If you have to buy a new one each time you wouldn't be happy about it. That is not PC territory. It is Iphone territory.

 

[KillerMan91]

The original Xbox loss lead its entire life and was nowhere near as successful as the PS2, which is why I used the PS2 example. Only the Saturn to Dreamcast turnaround in Japan was that short on home console.

The 360 was certainly a generational leap, but it lasted 8 years instead. Why are we assuming a significantly short gen because of smaller losses and weaker hardware at launch? I'm just saying, we'll wait and see. Anytime from 2018-2021 would seem pretty normal, and a PS4k sounds like a PS5 regardless...like that's a huge resolution boost.

PS1 to PS2 was around 5 years in North America and Europe.

 

[Kholdy]

Makes complete sense to me. With x86 CPUs and PC architecture all around, it would be super easy to support 3-4 iterations of hardware simultaneously. This doesn't make the original PS4 any less than it is, it just means that new games will play 720-1080p with low-mid settings of PC equivalents, and PS4K supports either 720p-1080p at high settings or 4K at low-mid settings.

COGS for a console that can match PS4 but at 4K native would be a bit higher than PS4 at launch, especially this year. They could probably keep the GPU part's cost down by focusing on adding components that increase resolution throughput (ROPS, RAM throughput) without adding more and more processing units like high end PC GPUs do. Put it on a Zen chipset to modestly increase CPU performance and you should be able to match settings at 4K.

If anything this extends the life of PS4. You could still play new games in 2022 that support 3 versions of PS4, they would just have lower settings. PC can do this with hundreds of possible configurations, surely a walled garden could do 3. Why would Sony do this if PS4 is selling well? For the same reason if PSX or PS2 could have done the same they would have to sustain their marketshare. or why Apple keeps releasing iPads.

You know what? This makes sense.

 

[Ricky_R]

Sony should delay Uncharted 4 again.

 

[ogbg]

While juggle three different gaming clients (uPlay, Steam, Origin) with three different ecosystems and consistently switching between two different control schemes (kb+mouse & gamepad) just to play all the third party games.

You might do this, which is fine but most people who use a console with one ecosystem, unified OS and one control method to access and all third party games with a touch of a few buttons are not. The accessibility consoles are not going to magically appear on PC.

I was kind of worried about this myself but to be honest I find the PC just as convenient as the PS4 for living room gaming. I use my DS4 for every game (DS4Windows is great). Also uPlay games can be purchased and launched from Steam so I barely notice it.

 

[mokalovesoulmate]

Well then I think devs can make 2 game config profiles...one for legacy PS4 and one for new PS4 (or PS4K).

I cannot decide if this is good or bad thing but lets see where this goes...

 

[Joelstinton14]

Not keen on this to be honest. I like comfort. I feel like i just settled into a nice 6-8 year cycle of gaming.

And as of late last year cross gen titles were still being released. It feels like this generation as barely got started.

But power.. eh, the only lens that many people see the industry through.

 

[orochi91]

Agreed this is probably in the works but that does not mean it will ever be released it could be transitioned into the next machine, PS5. If it does release as an upgrade to help devs with their VR games which I suspect is the reason there fishing for more power they absolutely must and I mean MUST have some sort of trade in/ upgrade incentive for current PS4 users the install base is entirely too high to just say buy our upgraded PS4 for $600. The backlash could be enough to cripple the brand. 34 million angry customers would be not be a good look.
Something along the lines of, Trade in your PS4 and get a PS4.5 for $250 could work but even that would be pushing it.

I do wonder how much power there talking and which GPU they would go with.

Well said.

A trade-in program would go a long way, but the incentive would need to high.

Still, I'm of the opinion that this is likely the PS5 being reported on.

 

[IronicSonic]

This not gonna work if it's not backward and forward compatible like MS plans with One. It's the only way.

PS5 comments are dumb

 

[Obliterator]

The blow back in this thread reminds me a lot of when the evidence started mounting of the Xbox and PC userbase fusing. People demanded it was impossible and not real.

Welp

 

[Kuldar]

Maybe they use the idea of PS4.5 as a way to pitch a console that will be an iteration of the actual architecture with native backward compatibility.

 

[Lynx_7]

I'll wait for some concrete information before passing judgement on this but I don't like the idea of having to upgrade my consoles (if they even give you that option. I expect them to go the N3DS route and sell it as a separate thing). One of the main reasons I still prefer console gaming to PC gaming is precisely the fact that I can count on being able to play new releases with a consistent performance without the need to worry about specs and all that.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

This probably completely fine with alot of people on here but for the masses,average joes...i dont see this going well

 

[ironcreed]

The era of generations is over?

Looks that way.

 

[kadotsu]

It's probably just a slim model with 4k non game output that morphed into a PS4.5 after some rounds of the telephone game.

 

[Gamezone]

Fine by me. Just keep supporting physical media and everything else that makes consoles great.

 

[Odrion]

I figured this would be the case when it was revealed that the consoles were built for x86.

I think it's a good idea, the hardware for the PS4 and Xbox One outright sucks. Doing yearly upgrades would be a bit much but if this is a 6~7 year cycle then I think that a upgrade in the middle of it would be almost necessary to combat fatigue and the technology growth from Smart Devices/PCs.

This not gonna work if it's not backward and forward compatible like MS plans with One. It's the only way.

It most likely will?

 

[Disaster Nebraska]

Those of you posting about how this is bullshit should probably read the entire article before commenting!

Yes, the only people who don't believe this are those who didn't read the article. You caught us. This whole thread has either been people believe the article or people blindly denying it for no real reason. It's not like people haven't been posting their thoughts or anything...

 

[Tfault]

They should delay Uncharted 4 again.

Uncharted 4.5

 

[PdotMichael]

Yearly release models are unrealistic just for the low or even negative hardware margins of such consoles alone.
At the same time there is no reason to reset your usebase to zero with a new hardware gen anymore.

 

[eFKac]

I don't believe that to be true, but I hope it's not.

Seems like a really bad idea.

 

[Gen X]

Uh. Isn't 4K called 4K because it has 4 times the amount of pixels as 1080p, not twice.

Shouldn't it be called 4x or XXXX then?

 

[Hex]

Kotaku ...lulz

 

[dragonzdogma]

Hey, so regardless if the PS4K is a rumor or not,
what say some of you expert techies that know the ps4 and have toyed around with it,
is there anything there that be added to expand it's power, where would the "upgrade" even go, through the HDD, the USB ports?

Please do tell

 

[VibratingDonkey]

Multiple press sneak fucks with multiple developer sources. This seems quite likely to be a real thing that is going to happen.
Hm, wonder how far into the future these upgraded models are. I've been planning on getting a PS4 by the end of the year. Suppose that might be changing then.

Wonder for how long they're going to support the PS4.0 and Xbox One.0?
What will the upgraded model release schedule look like going forward? Annual?

This is weird and unusual. A paradigm shift?

 

[CaptNink]

The era of generations is over?

It's about time.

 

[friskykillface]

If every console cycle is 3 years or so I'd probably just go to PC and I don't even like PC that much

At least my mgs V system still looks good so I'll keep it B^)

 

[Ogodei]

Seems like a similar pitch to the N3DS, iron out hardware/software bottlenecks that the system runs into.

Half of me wonders if it's a response to NX possibly being stronger, or if, like Nintendo's plans for NX and the rumbling's Microsoft's made about incremental upgrades, this is just Sony moving in that direction in general.

 

[Trago]

Console generations don't matter anymore.

 

[Papacheeks]

It's happening. And it's happening for all 3 console manufactures. Platform as a service. Get used to it.

There is no appreciable difference between what Microsoft and Sony (and Nintendo) are doing. So if you sang a different tune in the Xbox platform thread, be sure to pour some ketchup on your crow.

Where is the info on PSN being on PC?

Or having developers use a a PSN type of UWP?

That's different all on it's own.

 

[entremet]

I really don't see a trade in program happening.

Like at all.

They'll basically say that new games will be required to play on the OG PS4--until a cutoff not revealed until years later.

I can't think of any CE company that has had such a trade in program for fully functioning hardware.

It's not happening, folks. The trade in will be GS, ebay, and Craigslist lol.

 

[Movalpolos]

What i'm thinking, if there is any truth to this, then it's an end of the generation solution that Sony is thinking of. Basically instead of buying a new console you could just buy an upgrade for the PS4. The Kotaku rumor even says that it appears to be an exploratory situation right now. So it's not something set in stone or something that's going to happen any time soon.

Seems reasonable.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

I call bullshit.

 

[Toki767]

This not gonna work if it's not backward and forward compatible like MS plans with One. It's the only way.

PS5 comments are dumb

You're aware that Sony started planning for the PS4 in 2008 right? 2 years after the PS3 launched.

PS5 makes the most sense if you're thinking rationally.

 

[dolabla]

Nintendo can get away with it, why not Sony? I would easily sell my PS4 and upgrade to a PS4.5.

 

[Joelstinton14]

PS1 to PS2 was around 5 years in North America and Europe.

Thing is when you are young, 5 years is an eternity. Thats your whole entire secondary school education.

When you reach 30 5 years is nothing. Not enough time!

 

[Z3M0G]

They may want this for better VR experience too...

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

So basically you dont want higher fidelity in PSVR but at the same time refuse to buy lower version because higher version exists.

Personally, I find that hard to understand in the mobile space too (ie Z5 does not invalidate how great my Z3 is)... but again, gotta point out that PS4 was not released last year but in 2013. If 4 years later Sony comes out with PS4 revision that can do 4K gaming and make "my" PSVR even nicer, then I am there day 1.

At this point, if faster console iteration is a reality, then fast VR headset iteration is also a reality. Might as well wait for an improved console and an improved headset, instead of wasting money on what can be described as a baseline VR experience.

Also, the hope is the Canadian dollar would be stronger. by then :|

 

[jroc74]

In all likelihood, Sony is probably planning for the PS5 rather than a PS4 upgrade. They probably sold it as "It will basically be a PS4 but it does 4K."

If they just called it the PS5 instead of a "PS4.5" would people still be freaking out?

To me this is a good thing as long as they dont split the player bases and really no developer is going to make "only" PS4.5 games because they'd be throwing away tons of sales (just like how you can count how many new 3DS only games there are on one hand).

Yea some of in that other thread said Phil was probably just talking about shorter times to release the next consoles. Might be the same thing here.

Sony, MS....just call the consoles the PS5, XB2 and be done with it.

 

[Son Of Sparda]

If this really is what it sounds then Sony can shove its hardware. I just sell my PS4 and never buy another Sony hardware again.

Paying $400 for console that will get replaced by a better version 2-3 years later is not acceptable for a lot of us who live in this side of the world.

 

[jschreier]

I did read it. Just because multiple developers heard the same thing doesn't make it true though. Rumors can get started and catch on for any number of reasons.

True! And just because Sony is briefing developers on this device doesn't mean it's 100% going to happen, or that it's going to happen any time soon. But those in this thread calling it bullshit should really read the whole story (and look at our history of reporting).

 

[Curufinwe]

If it doesn't happen till November 2018 then it's just a new console and we've got back on a more reasonable generational cycle.

Since this is Patrick Klepek reporting this, I'm inclined to believe it. But no way in hell will a new PS4 play games at 4k.

Patrick Klepek broke the Infinity Ward stuff and Microsoft's backtracking on always online Xbox One. He doesn't make shit up.

He doesn't, but IIRC him and the rest of the Gaint Bomb guys were pretty confident in 2013 that Sony were also planning always online DRM. Which was bullshit.