Hold on to your butts. Hot on the tail of an earlier report on the rumoured “PlayStation 4.5” (or the more succinct “PS4K”), another story has emerged, potentially shedding light on new details of the machine that could break the traditional console cycle.
NeoGAF user OsirisBlack shared details of an unnamed meeting yesterday, stating in very clear terms that the PS4K is the real deal, and could be here within the next 12 months. Corroborating with previous sources, the system’s hardware is said to include a GPU roughly twice as powerful as the existing PS4’s, with a more powerful CPU’s inclusion still being decided.
If the CPU does receive an upgrade, the price point would then be $499. According to the source, this would be the upper limit of the PS4K’s price. Otherwise, without the upgrade, the system could retail for as little as $399 – the same sticker the original PS4 saw in 2013.
Existing PS4 owners – all 36+ million of them – may experience ruffled feathers, however: OsirisBlack states “there is currently no plan for any type of trade in program for current PS4 users but that could change.” This new system could almost be deemed a PS5 with built-in backwards compatibility, especially considering what else Black adds:
“It was stated plainly and with no room for interpretation that there are developers that already have development kits for the PS4K and that they are making games that will directly target and take advantage of the higher specs of the PS4K. It was also stated that these games will in fact work for the PS4 but with considerable sacrifices made to performance.”
Gran Turismo Sport gets a mention as well. While the wording isn’t completely clear, Osiris asserts that certain titles will see a “significant” improvement in their performance at the PS4K’s launch date. Those games include specific VR-equipped titles, of which GT Sport is one. That pins the (supposed) launch date of the hotly-anticipated game somewhere between PSVR’s October release, and the PS4K’s Q1 2017 date.
While some have written this off as yet more rumour-mongering (or an early April Fools’ prank), that it originates at NeoGAF does lend it a certain amount of credence, considering the site’s penchant for insider knowledge.
Sony of course has yet to officially announce anything relating to a new PlayStation. Stay tuned to GTPlanet for more on this story as it develops!
Thanks to TurismoBad for the tip!
See more articles on 4K Resolution, PlayStation 4.5, and PlayStation 4K.
Was gonna wait until later this year to get a PS4, but I’ll wait longer to pick this up. Backwards compatibility for all titles to the original PS? Worth the wait for me.
I wonder, with The Witcher III Wild Hunt game including all DLC’s topping out at 50+ gigs in harddrive space, imagine what some of these VR games will be possibly needing 50+ to 100+ gigs of harddrive space. With that being said I would like to know what size and type of harddrive they plan on using. They might call it a PS4.5 or even PS4K why not start with a 4TB harddrive or opt out for a 5TB harddrive for an extra $100, 500gig just doesn’t cut it anymore…8)
And when’s the Mucic and Photo Folders going to be put in the PS4, l loved that in the PS3…I know the Media Player option, l want it internal not on some thumb drive or external harddrive blah blah blah this and that…lol…8)
A new console each 3d year or so is really nothing to complain about, instead be happy!
Think if all companies did the same, New Iphone every 3 years, new TV same, new cpu/hd/graphiccard/audio….and many many other products. Why should consoles be exception when alm else evolves?!?!
alm=all
Agreed, I see no reason to worry since ps3 and Ps4 are co existing, and pc is capable of much more than any console.. If we have ps4k with improved everything it’s a great news.. Next time you upgrade you will see bigger graphical leap.. Choice is a good thing. Don’t get too upset I also got the regular ps4 and I’m ok with that… Same games for every one.. Doubt ps4k will have something exclusive except better graphics and performance…. And that’s awesome..
Ruffled feathers would likely result in a permanent migratory flock to PC, as if PS4K didn’t alienate PS4 enough… I do hope I’m wrong though!
One thing is certain for me, I just buy a new console when GTS come out.. coukd be the PS4 or 4K, but with the speed of this things, i guess, 5 is the best option
Just going to say, that as a employee of PlayStation, I’m not looking forward to this.
Interesting. You are an employee of a brand. How is that possible? :)
PlayStation is a brand created by a company called Sony Computer Entertainment.
Disregaurd my last comment this is what I was trying to say.
By building the vr processing unit into the ps4, Sony is able to eliminate the cost of manufacturing, packaging, and shipping:
1. The processing unit
2. hdmi cable
3. USB cable
4. Power adapter
Sony is just doing what they always do, cutting costs and maximizing profits. It’s a lot cheaper to just put the chipset on the ps4 mobo than produce all of these items separately for psvr. There’s your “ps4.5” a regular ps4 with no advantage for games over the original. Just a built in “pu”. People are blowing this out of proportion.
Ps1? still got works..ps2(slim)? still works and used in the van….PS3 (slim)? massively used daily can’t see we’re gonna stop using it any time soon….now that’s value for money….buy better stuff and stop throwing stuff away every time somthing else comes out…there never obsolete and theirs allways support….seems Microsoft had no plan past the X1 domination failure…the internet is the issue here.they can’t get VR4k to all 36 million.. Time to pull out the long awaited 400 gig optical blue ray disc and a console to match….here’s to the future ….just gets better
Incomprehensible gibberish.
This is definitely my attitude. I’m wondering what the “significant performance increase” will be in regard to PS4K built games. If it’s mostly VR support without need of the co-processor box and better graphics overall, that’s not a big deal. I’m betting Assetto Corsa PS4 looks and runs just about like it does on a good PC. Then again, I could see one thing that will vex some of us: if games like AC and Gran Turismo have 24 cars on track at once, but on PS4K it’s 32 – 40-plus, I could just imagine the consternation in the gaming community. Now, I run 24 car races offline in RaceRoom and that’s plenty of cars to compete with. But with the prospect of multi-class racing, things look quite a bit sweeter with a bigger field of in-class competition.
But still, I think SONY should go all out on PS4K and endow it with a CPU running around 3ghz. When the specs for PS4 and XBO came out, I thought it would work well enough, and in particular with the little processing goodies Mark Cerny and the team put into PS4. But with VR being a resource hog, and 4K resolution being a prospect, I’ve always had something like PS4K in back of my mind.
And you guys wanting a free lunch, just consider that instead of SONY throwing a WHOLE NEW CONSOLE at you with so-so or no backwards compatibility, which PS4 isn’t compatible at all with PS3, you’ll be able to play every game coming out because it’s essentially the same system. Of course this is Earth, and we’re human beings, so jealousy and resentment reign supreme here, even over the littlest things…
By the way Mike, careful, that’s close to trolling… ;-)
Incomprehensible? Ok! Gibberish? No way!
The other reason that Sony is doing this because of backwards compatibility. Those that bought PS1 to PS3 games on the PS3 won’t have to buy it again. Think about it. Double the GPU and CPU power for emulating the PS1 to PS3 games with ease.
…Lol. Not likely, but would be nice nevertheless.
My question is PD actually going to do anything about GT6 if the next game doesn’t come out until next year? It’s one thing to delay a new game due to development, but why not give the current GT6 players something to pass the time until the new game and system arrives? If not, I’m pretty sure the projected sales numbers for GT Sport will probably decline as frustration will get the better of many.
I don’t know why people are complaining, it’s not like you need a PS4K instantly, a standard PS4 just play games fine.
You’re right, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is already obsolete. It’s not a tragedy, but it’s a bad taste.
I just felt like the time when i had a PC, when upgrades were obsolete by the time they arrived in my mail box… maybe i should go back to it, at least i won’t need to pay to play online. I can’t deny it, this bothers me a lot… made a big sacrifice to buy a PS4 recently, and i’m sure a lot of the other 40 million people did too…
I can’t imagine the impact on GT Sport PS4 vs. PS4K being any more than VR resolutions and 4K playback. Impacting number of cars on track or any other tangible game characteristic would never ever happen for many logical reasons.
So I don’t care, but I know most guys would probably be really bothered knowing that their graphics could potentially be better or something. Definitely a precarious situation.
Also I didn’t realize until reading these comments that all PSN online gaming requires Plus now, F.
I’m not going to give up my PS4 for that pile of garbage.
I’ve been going off of $ony since the PS4 came out, & they decided torestrict multiplayer access only to those with a PS Plus subscription (that & the wheel situation they created). If these rumours are true it’s just gonna put me off of them even more.
Started PC gaming in December and have been wondering the last few weeks if I will even need a PS4. With this news Sony is making it easy to say NO.
There’s no way that GT Sport is only for the PS4K or any other upcoming games for that, ignoring millions of others would be a terrible and backwards buisness move by Sony on Sega-levels of fail.
I hope this doesn’t mean I have to buy a new PS4.
“It was also stated that these games will in fact work for the PS4 but with considerable sacrifices made to performance.”
I was waiting for Dark Souls 3 to buy a PS4 but now I’m wondering if I should wait and keep the tradition to buy a console to play a GT game (PS4K + GTSport)… and only then buy DS3, Bloodborne, No Man Sky and Uncharted 4. Man… I don’t know if I can wait 12 more months.
2x CPU sounds more like a PS5.
*GPU
Just bought Dark Souls 2 for the PS3. I’ll have some time without thinking about buying the PS4. lol
So new GT really coming out towards PS4’s end of life… Lucky i didn’t spring for a PS4 then…
How disappointing, I bought a PS3 late in its life to play GT6 which, in the end I liked so much. Since then I have been catching up on the PS3 exclusives and have been having a great time, what a great machine. So a month ago I purchased a PS4 thinking and believing that GTS was coming any minute. All I’ve played so far is DC which I don’t like. With this announcement I feel like I’ve bought the wrong machine.