Over 40 million people own the PlayStation 4. Sony's betting that the remaining 6.96 billion people on planet Earth are holding out for a new version.
Your cat probably needs his own PlayStation 4.Sony
This new PlayStation 4, dubbed "Neo" (as a codename), is more powerful than ever. It's capable of powering games in a 4K/UltraHD resolution — roughly four times the resolution the PS4 is currently capable of pushing.
Sony's only said so much about the new console, but reputable rumors from multiple sources paint a clearer picture of what we can expect from PS4 Neo. We've gathered that all together right here.
DON'T PANIC: The original PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Neo share a game library.
The games you already own for PlayStation 4 will continue to work on PlayStation 4 Neo. There are no games that are only available on the new system. PlayStation 4 Neo is, "intended to sit alongside and complement the standard PS4," according to Sony's head of PlayStation, Andrew House.
To that end, it'll make games look better (higher resolution). But don't expect any PlayStation 4 Neo-exclusive games.
It's more powerful than ever before, but not the most powerful game console in the works.
PlayStation 4 Neo, internally, is slightly different than the current PS4. It's not a gigantic jump in power, but it is a notable lift. Here's the full rundown, care of leaked specs:
- It's got the same main processor, but it's been tweaked to run slightly faster.
- It's got a new graphics processor that's far more capable than the current PS4's graphics processor (just over twice as powerful).
- It's got the same amount of memory, but it's also been tweaked to handle more equations.
All of which is to say: No, you don't need to replace your current PlayStation 4 with Neo. And if you're looking for a major jump in game console hardware, the new Xbox One ("Project Scorpio") coming in 2017 is the one to buy.
Games (and movies) can be played in 4K/UltraHD resolution — the next step for television.
4K and UltraHD are the next evolution of television. Like standard definition was to high definition, such is high definition to 4K/UltraHD. Neo can produce both games and movies in 4K.
You'll want a nice 4K/UltraHD TV to really take advantage of those prettier games. If you've already got one, that's fantastic! But you're in the minority — less than a quarter of American households have them.
4K/UltraHD TVs currently cost somewhere in the range of $500 to $1,000 (and up, of course), depending on size and options and which company you go with — Samsung's TVs cost more than Vizio's TVs, for instance. They aren't outrageously expensive, but you'll pay a lot more for a new 4K/UltraHD TV than you will for the standard HD equivalent.
It may arrive as soon as holiday 2016!
Pretty soon, right? That's according to a report from Giant Bomb, which cited internal Sony documents (leaked) that required game developers making games for the PlayStation 4 to include a "Neo Mode" starting in October 2016.
That could simply be a measure of being prepared for a release in 2017, but we're guessing it's because the system itself is getting released in October. Just in time for holiday sales! That makes a lot more sense to us than, say, releasing it in early 2017 after the big holiday shopping season.
Of course, with Sony's PlayStation VR headset for PlayStation 4 also launching in October 2016, maybe Sony doesn't want to flood the holiday market with expensive new hardware. We'll see!
It's going to cost more than $350.
The current PlayStation 4 costs $349.99. Color us incredibly surprised if Neo costs that amount or less — it would mean a price cut for the current model, and it would be a huge surprise considering that the new console's internals are considerably more modern than what's inside the original PS4.
What's more likely is it costs in the range of $400 to $500 (if not more) and the current PS4 remains $350. Sony's not said anything about price just yet; hell, the company hasn't even shown the console yet, let alone talked about price or release date specifics.
PlayStation 4 Neo will also support the PlayStation 4 VR headset, of course.
Already pre-ordered your new PlayStation VR headset? Don't worry: Neo will work with both new and old PlayStation 4s. It's possible that PS VR will work even better with PS4 Neo, actually.
For instance, the PlayStation VR headset requires a separate (included) "breakout box" that both splits the PS4's video signal (so you can see what the headset user is doing on a TV) and offers a modicum of additional processing power. It's entirely possible that this breakout box will be circumvented on PlayStation 4 Neo.
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