Earlier we reported on a possible upgrade coming for the PS4, nicknamed the “PS4.5”. The early rumors came out of GDC when Kotaku received information from sources about the console that were later independently verified by others at Kotaku. Details were sketchy but kind of believable, now it appears that Eurogamer was able to independently confirm the console’s existence and that prototypes were currently being made by Sony’s R&D team.
Called the “PlayStation 4K”, the upgraded system will give developers access to more power, but unfortunately it won’t be enough to play games in full 4k resolution. Eurogamer went on to say that the PlayStation 4k will support current and next-gen ultra HD media, and other aspects of the 4k spec like high-dynamic range and a wider color gamut. It’s from here that Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry goes into the real nitty-gritty of what kind of hardware we can expect to see in the PS4K.
Essentially what Digital Foundry says is that the new PS4 will most likely have an upgraded version of the APU technology, which the console already utilizes, as well as the combination of AMD’s CPU and GPU tech into one processor. There was also talk of the change from 24nm microprocessors to 14/16nm processors, whose increased power and decreased size help facility generational leaps. Digital Foundry then says that there are three possible scenarios for the PlayStation 4K: a more powerful unit, a more evolved console, and the minor upgrade.
The more powerful unit would potentially feature the new 14/16nm chip that would give the console the power to play 4k games, but the likelihood of there being a ton of 4K games is slim. The evolved unit would would act like Nintendo’s New 3DS, an upgraded model that can play all older titles but would have more power and some 4k functionality. The problem with this model is that it could potentially fracture the market, leaving players without the new PS4 unable to play newer titles. The final scenario would see a PS4 with some minor graphical upgrades and support for 4K displays, think of it like the PS4 Slim.
We’ll continue to update this story as we get more information, so check back here.