You’ve heard the whispers by now, whispers of a more powerful and better equipped PlayStation 4 machine. Intended to handle higher-end gaming experiences and to serve as a better launchpad for Sony’s VR peripheral – the rumored “PlayStation 4.5” is just that machine, and it just might be closer than we all think.
The new console would be announced before the planned October release window of PlayStation VR, according to the Wall Street Journal’s sources. The updated platform would naturally feature more powerful hardware, headlined by an upgraded GPU that will perhaps be married to a smaller, more power-efficient CPU.
Now for the bad news: should this come to, it would require existing owners of the PlayStation 4 to shell out more bank for the enhanced model in order to take full advantage of its 
capabilities. This would result in a dividing line within the community, and would effectively introduce an ecosystem where there is a lesser entry model. However, without knowing how Sony plans to handle the matter, this is conjecture at best.
With that in mind, WSJ’s sources also report that, despite the higher-end hardware and second entry fee, “it is likely that the current model and the coming one would share the same software catalog.”
Should the premium model improve the VR experience, it isn’t clear how. The peripheral would still use a dedicated display with a resolution of 960×1080 per eye, which is inferior to the displays used in the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, both of which are 1080×1200 per eye.
However, the improved machine can allow the headset to maintain a consistent and smooth framerate. This lends credence to Sony’s stern rule that a PSVR title can never drop below 60 frames, as it would result in the game being rejected.
Should the updated console release, it will signal the end of the once predictable pattern of the succeeding platform releasing every 6-7 years. Sony’s PS4 refresh would trivialize the traditional waiting period down to nearly 3 years.
What are your thoughts on the all-but-confirmed “PlayStation 4.5?” Is this the beginning of an entirely new era of console generations, or will it do more harm than good when it’s all said and done? Let us know in the comments below!
See more articles on 4K Resolution, PlayStation 4.5, PlayStation 4K, and PlayStation VR.
No problem, they can release better ones each year too. I see it as smartphones, games will run on old iphones but new ones bring smoother experience and add new features in usability.
In this case 4k, VR, faster loading and perhaps
other features.
And it was expected when they went for more standard components. They need too keep up with PC and if Kaz needs more power for AI and sound then bring it on!
I’m so with you on this. Sort of. The PS4 having the power of a good gaming laptop was acceptable to me when I saw the results, though a few developers have stated in muted tones that a more powerful system would have been desirable. And naturally this is kind of a “duh,” of course more power would mean even more amazing and immersive games.
I don’t know if this was the secret plan of SONY, Mark Cerny, Kaz and others all along when they made PS4 like a gaming PC, but I’m all for it. When my uber PC died and I had to play Fallout 4 on my old rig, it was so wussy in comparison that I had to run it in 1280×720 resolution. But it would still play fine, and it looked amazing for such low rez. PS4K will be no different. The regular PS4 will still be just dandy, and games like GT7 will play the same on it. But with the bigger rig, the eye candy will be nicer and pop in might be reduced. The factors of gameplay like physics and A.I., not so much, but the potential for even more eye popping graphics that will be relevant years from now, that’s a bonus for me.
“They need too keep up with PC and if Kaz needs more power for AI and sound then bring it on!”
Not quite how any of that works, but you do realize the second PS4K hits shelves it’s already obsolete by sheer comparison? I’m also going to politely point out that everything you said in the beginning of your statement would be utterly detrimental to the market.
And with upgrades coming regulary, perhaps owning a ps4 is not what you want.Instead you pay each month like a subscription and always have new ps4 and have ps+ with more free games.
And if we take it some years ahead, i guess all you need is a client, all else is streamed.
I’m glad I didn’t get a ps4 yet cause I’ll be getting this upgraded one :)
All i can see is greedy sony executives rubbing there hands together and licking their lips. Nothing wrong with the plain old ps4. Do not be swindled people.
Strangely, no one is accusing the PC gaming component producers of being greedy fiends, or the game developers of being in cahoots with them. And if you haven’t bought a PS4 yet, this gives you the option of something a little more future proof. I’m sorry if this hurts the feelings of some of you, but it doesn’t make your PS4s any less desirable or fun.
You must work for sony. :p
Is what I said a bit too hard to grasp?
And by the way, I like SONY Computer Entertainment, and the SONY studio arm. TVs are freaking awesome too. But that’s beside the point. If you have a problem with different levels of consoles which still play games just as good as the other, why do you not rant about PC gaming which is FAR worse in the NUMEROUS levels of performance? No one has addressed this matter in a logical and persuasive way except a few of my like minded friends here.
So for profit companies can’t make and sell products for profit?
Ok guys dont have an aneurysm on this one. Im simply saying this is blatent price gouging. Whats the value for money here? 500 more dollars for a slightly cripser picture, less loading times or the ability to use the new VR accessory for the console? I will eat my words of the sales of this dressed up ps4 surepass the original but i dont think there are that many ppl willing to fork over half a thousand dollars for scraps attached to their original console. Its not fair on the consumer.
I don’t mind If Sony will change my original PS4 for PS4K with moderate pay of 100$
As long as the new system doesn’t offer any gaming advantages over the original PS4. If it is primarily for 4K streaming and VR then fine. However if it’s an upgraded PS4 then i might just get out the game because that’s BS to the 11th degree.
The major thing that would tip the scales for me purchasing this machine would be backwards compatibility. Beyond that, I’m not sure.
I don’t mind new ps4k, ps3 and ps4 are co existing and it’s fine… Biggest worry I have is what will happen to VR with regular ps4. And gt sport support… I think we need to wait until it’s clear what will be its role in this generation..
Whats the size of the Harddrive for the new PS4.5…???
I’d like to know that as well. A 2TB option would be great, just so we don’t have to worry about HDD space any longer.
Jerome
Or the possibility of an SSD? Now that would make a performance difference.
I really don’t play many games any more but.. what the heck is the average install size these days? 2TB to not have to worry!?! I could never imagine using up 500 gigs.
I’m all about that SSD though…
SSD, it cost too much…
If Sony don’t offer us current PS4 owners a mega good trade in deal I’m gonna be pretty pissed off tbh.
PS4.5 will play then all 30fps titals in 60fps haha…
Why not triple screen support, if you can play 4K, it is not possible play triple FHD screens???
Come on, this VR glasses is big joke, because peoples eye need LOT of pixels, maybe 16K if you have look this world tomorrow :D
I’m honestly suprised SONY haven’t been able to produce an actual extra wide curved gaming TV/monitor, something around 4:1 aspect ratio in a 30-40″ size. It would be less than 3 x 16:9 obviously but a great compromise and extremely popular to play any game with having the extra vision, but particularly awesome for racing =). A more powerful PS4 could do this I’m sure, cause I’m not too fond of sitting there with this thing on my head either, it’s probably a sweet experience, but overall it’s a bit of joke to dissapear from the world around you.
Looks like the PS4K will launch in October. Since it’s likely we won’t see any hint of GT Sport until then, that should work out well for me. I imagine a standard PS4 will see a price drop so I’d wait til then to finally get one unless there was incentive to go to the 4K (aside from VR which I’m not interested in.)
As long as both PS4 & PS4.5 play all PS4 games there’s no problem whatsoever.
I assume it’ll be just like the New 3DS, faster processor/shorter load times etc, with the added VR compatibility. To me VR is utter garbage, just like autonomous driving. Just shows corporations have their priorities completely wrong. Car companies should be spending billions on alternative technologies to replace the current internal combustion (not just stopgaps like EVs), not cars that drive themselves.
…I clicked on the link, but WSJ wants me to join in the cult. Boo.
Anyway, I am conflicted about this – on the one hand it goes against the very definition of console gaming; but on the other, it has been done before, successfully I might add, by Nintendo for over a decade – just take a look at DS and millions of units sold of its various incarnations.
You can argue they are not the same, ‘cuz that’s a portable, but I see no difference there seeing that both are dedicate gaming platforms designed to offer out-the-box ease of gaming.
As long as there are no “Only playable on PS4K” games popping up everywhere then I guess it shouldn’t cause too much of an issue. Hell, even DS ecosystem has games that won’t play on older hardware yet they have sold truckloads of them already, so just emulate that business model and you’re golden.
Growing up in a lower middle class family always envy friends manage to upgrade Super NES, Sega Megadrive. Like fashion industry always in cycles.
I haven’t bought a PS4 yet – I’m waiting for Black Friday / Cyber Monday – hopefully when the new model comes out the old one will go down in price.
I remember SEGA trying to do add-ons for their Genesis to produce more power. It failed due to the pricing. Nintendo tried the Nintendo 64DD to produce more power, it failed due to pricing. Nintendo tried to make a 3D Add-On for the Gamecube, it was scrapped in fear of pricing.
Sony needs to beware of the pricing if they want this too work.
This wont be a 4k machine.They will be too expensive to produce and make affordable to most people. All this will be is lower power consumption and a new shell.Just like the ps1, ps2 and ps3 slim.They remodel the consoles after 2 or so years tgo bump sales as they are starting to dwindle. For sony to release anything more would be commercial suicide.
So the PSVR will work fine on a ‘normal’ PS4? If so then I can’t really much point in the PS4K – if 4K is that important to you then PC is by far the better route.
If a PS4K is required for PSVR then Sony know where they can shove it (imo) as they just priced themselves out of contention (PS4K+PSVR+PS Eye+PS Move not to mention 4K TV)!!!!
If on the other hand it’s just like the slim versions the other generations received it’s not so bad, so long as all software is compatible across both versions.
Great job Sony. Way to lose more customers than you already are if this does happen.
Upgrading hardware in th middle of a cycle should only happen on PC. Leave the consoles as they are until the replacement happens.
Multi-tiered console gaming could flat out kill the console industry if stuff like this is allowed.
I just hope the Xbox ONE and the Wii U don’t join in.
As soon as the rumors emerged I knew what this is all about. It’s very clear. This is how it will happen:
https://youtu.be/Edeswpg3WzM
(My yt speculation)
You snooze you loose. Sony is doing the right thing to be right there when it counts. All that matters is that all games released for Playstation 4.5 must work with the existing non-VR/4k video hardware. That way not a single person has a right and reason to complain. Now what if: PD has been concentrating on VR as a launch title and we have to wait another half year for our first GT on PS4???? Noooooooo! I’m a perfectly happy 1080p player!! Beta please. Beta sooner than later.. as they (some) say..
Did you really just say “not a single person has a right or reason to complain?”
Yes, because if this console is put on the market it will simply be an expansion of the Playstation brand, Sony is very unlikely to turn this into an ‘elite’ vs. ‘common’ Playstation club thing.
VR-only games seem pointless at the current moment, there are lots of unknowns VR tech present for Sony, but it’s just wise to get in early with the right hardware off the bat to make it an actual investment for buyers, something with a lifespan of at least 3 years + able to sustain the competitive nature of the PC counterparts. If Sony already sees very obvious concerns about a flawless VR integration using the current hardware, the entire campain could turn bitter and backfire very fast.
There is nothing wrong with releasing a newer console with more power and features, personally I’m not all too interested in VR, but I think it’d be cool if Sony could add Display Port or HDMI 2 outputs to possibly have 1440p capability as non-VR users. The console should offer more incentive other than just VR to be marketable imo. Price drop on the ‘classic’ PS4 to $299 and the 4.5 up for $499 seems like a very marketable thing to me. Of course, yes, it’d be unprecedented in the console world, many people are shoked and unwilling to understand when a traditional trend is broken, but this is clearly an oppertunity Sony must be very confident about, the extensive money they’ve put into the VR development doesn’t need first time reviews of a mediocore, stuttery experience ‘because hardware isn’t up to task’.
Have people suddenly forgotten the point of a console? It is to offer a stable platform with no discernible gaps in performance or hardware within a cycle. If this were PlayStation 5 that would be one thing, but it’s an updated machine – and it won’t even be capable of native 4K, not in that form factor or price point. It’ll be in the same place at launch that the “original” PS4 was when compared to PC’s: insignificant by sheer comparison.
Does Sony have the upper-hand with the PSVR’s price? Yes, but only slightly. That’s mitigated even further with the cost of the PS4K; cost of PSVR; cost of PS Move; cost of a 4K TV if you aren’t already in possession of one, and the cost of the PS Eye.
Now it doesn’t particularly bother me on anything other than principle, but if you’re going to pretend there isn’t a threshold for this, and a potentially expensive one at that for the “full” experience, then you’re fooling yourself.
As for the original purpose of my reply, you nor anyone else gets to dictate that decision for others.
All I said is, because all games will likely be playable on either console for the remainder of both PS4 version’s life, there’s no need for anyone be disgruntled about the fact Sony is doing this. It could prove the best thing they coukd have done in the end, we just don’t know enough facts about how horrible VR ‘woud have been’ on the current hardware. MOST people around the world will continue to buy the non-VR PS4 anyway. But we need a few more facts about this entire situation before making drastic conclusions of Sony dividing gamers, or even bridging the gap of console and PC in terms of affordability.
Mike, I still don’t see a problem with this. PC gaming isn’t a gulag of leets and losers. Everyone is able to play their games across a veritable plethora of performance regimes. Some guys with their $1000-plus graphics cards can play Fallout 4 at ungodly detail, and can see some of that detail all the way across the map in a gunscope. The rest of us have to settle for details scaling away at a certain point we find works, but we aren’t exactly missing anything because we can’t put everything on Ultra.
It’s going to be the same thing with PS4K. If you don’t have one, the eye candy won’t be quite as delicious but it’s still going to be sweet. No one will be left out of anything, except the VR experience might be a little better with the 4K. I see nothing but win in this.
Ha noncence speculation…the big investors are scared…simple! Sony have backed a market that’s posseble for everyone to have right now and are all ready for it by many years..the other VR (HMD) are high end tec for the few….that’s not to say Sony is not already working on the next high spec VR 4K version for when there’s a market in the future (well we know that PD actually are)..but in October the way games are played and what we expect from them is going to change forever…
Such a move by Sony would be reminiscent of PC gaming at best; back to square one no? What would convince buyers to go with consoles then?
I’m waiting for the “GT:Sport and GT7 to be only compatible with PS4K” announcement. Hahaha!
Please. Just go back to bed, you’re drunk!
With absence of news regarding GT:Sport I’m slowly beginning to think that might be a possibility…..
I just want to know it GTS will be playable without VR
I really don’t see any dividing line between the 4K uber users and the peons back in 1080p/720 land. PC games have been scalable forever. You have a wimpy system with a 10 year old GPU? You cut back on all the graphics. Have a mean machine that scales your mancave using quantum physics? Crank everything up to Nukem. Why would PS4K be any different?
When it launches, I’m there.
Because consoles are a fixed platform. It’s the entire basis of their allure, combined with exclusives. If they’re going the route of being scalable with refreshes every 3 or so years, it’ll make them redundant.
Combine that with the fact that this model won’t do native 4K in any way, shape or form with all the hope of Silicon Valley makes it even more so.
For once I agree with what you are saying Tenacious D, the only reason I would even consider VR would be to play games like the forthcoming GT7 or GT Sport in a high res highly detailed way. I see no point in pixel vision, it would take us back to the stone ages.
Sony are doing the right thing. However I won’t be in a position to buy the new console for many years to come.. It’s all so up in the air right now. Sit it out for 5 years, then, if we’re all still alive we can decide what to buy then!