Kotaku: Sony is working on a ‘PS4.5; briefing devs on plans for a more powerful PS4

prwxv3 said:
You are not really loosing anything. You don't have to worry about compatibility (GPU, CPU, ect) and you just plug it in and play. It's still a console at the end of the day.
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What defines a console? I think that's a personal thing to many people and the turn to frequent iterations marks the end of that idea for them. PC becomes a better value.

Will0827 said:
This is where exclusives will matter the most.
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I'm skeptical about that, given the turnout of past console vs PC exclusivity wars that have been had between console and PC gamers.
 
David Ricardo said:
Nope. His point is that the console he just bought will have a successor in no time, and developers will slowly swift resources to the PS4.5 version, resulting in worse and worse ports for the PS4 as time goes by. So, in a couple of years, PS4 versions of games are going to be almost unplayable.

Did you see what BO3 looks like on PS3/360? That's what we are worried about.
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This is a legit concern. I think it'll be more akin to the 'New' 3DS versus regular 3DS. Maybe there will be instances where you get an exclusive (Xenoblade 3DS) to the machine or a game that runs better (Hyrule Warriors) but for the most part you'll be getting almost every game...at first.

Eventually though, devs will shoot for maxing out to PS4.5 settings (especially PSVR) and that will lead to more and more subpar games hitting PS4. It might not be as egregious as PS4 to PS3 but there will be a diffeerence. If the PS4.5 is real, your concern is valid and its laughable that people would dismiss it.

The way around it, and what I anticipate, is that Sony lets you trade in your old PS4 and for $199 you get to upgrade. You aren't forced to if 4K blu ray isn't your thing (4K gaming is NOT going to happen until PS5 imo), don't care about PSVR, or you might be missing out on the few title's highest settings the PS4 isn't capable of.
 
ivanalexander23 said:
The way around it, and what I anticipate, is that Sony lets you trade in your old PS4 and for $199 you get to upgrade. You aren't forced to if 4K blu ray isn't your thing (4K gaming is NOT going to happen until PS5 imo), don't care about PSVR, or you might be missing out on the few title's highest settings the PS4 isn't capable of.
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This where gamestop and other trade in services that exists for cellphones will battle. Sellers of consoles now will for sure offer a bit more to upgrade.
 
teh_pwn said:
PC Gaming has done this for decades. Shared architecture, hundreds of hardware configs, dozens of settings. Not enough RAM, reduce texture resolution.
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The one big advantage of consoles is having 50+ million people with the same hardware, so, in time, it gets a level of optimization unachievable on PCs.
If we lose that, why are we paying for online gaming, why do I have to use the GPU Sony decides, why do I have to pay more for the same game?

Freiya said:
I don't understand why you asked me those questions and then mention the answer at the bottom of your post. PC makes forward compatibility work just fine, same with phones and tablets.
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To me, forward compatibility is some kind of scam. Backwards compatibility is great because you can run everything behind you the way it was meant to run. But forward compatibility, to me, means everything will work fine while your hardware is new and shiny, but as years go by, games are going to run worse and worse until they don't run anymore.


XxRampage07xX said:
BO3 on PS3/360 sucked because Sony, Microsoft, and developers were gradually dropping support for PS3/360 and customers were also moving to newer consoles PS4 and Xbox One. But the situation might be different with PS4 and PS4.5. Firstly, since any game that runs on PS4.5 will also run on PS4, software support for PS4 won't be dropped any time soon, at least until PS5 is announced. Secondly, PS4 will still be selling for casual customers who care more about cheap price than better graphics. Thus, install base for old PS4 will be growing, forcing developers to polish their games more in order to make more sales from the old PS4 users.
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See above.
Also, those who buy cheap PS4s are not going to be as performance sensitive as those who spent more to get the best graphics, so developers are going to change targets to the PS4.5 as soon as they can. Because hardcore PC market maybe is not big enough to justify developing games for it. But hardcore PC hardware+XBO.5+PS4.5 may be enough to entice developers to switch their focus to the hardcore user market, removing precious development time and effort from the 2nd class PS4 users.


OrbitalMatrix said:
What you're failing to remember is that they're both the same console more or less. They play the exact same games. It's like the 3DS and n3DS.

Having to optimise a game for 2 configurations of the same hardware is not in any way the same as having to optimise for 2 completely different systems from different generations with vastly different architectures.
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I have a 2011 iPad 2. It plays the same games and apps as newer iPads but worse. I stopped updating the system software 2 years ago because everytime I updated it it run worse. It runs like shite now. I don't want the same thing happening to my PS4.
 
prwxv3 said:
PC gaming is not about always upgrading your rig. I mean where did this come from?
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Of course not. It's strength is being completely open. The difference between a PC and a console, functionally, in this day and age is open vs closed platform and fluid vs static hardware. The latter is poised to erode with the change to an iterative model. At that point, the only difference left is the former. PC becomes the better deal for I'd imagine a great many people at that point.
 
Just how people called Microsoft out Sony needs to be called out to clarify this. I would not touch a ps4 right now if I was thinking of buying one. Sony needs to get ahead of this
 
I think people are more upset at the nature of non permanence with these products. There arent many areas in technology left that are making products that are ment to be a one time purchase, things are just going to continue upgrading at a faster rate, it was bound to happening in gaming as well. It's just the way things are. As long as people keep upgrading companies are going to keep making new products. If you want the latest and greatest your going to have to buy in its simple as that.
 
Ninja Sharingan said:
Just how people called Microsoft out Sony needs to be called out to clarify this. I would not touch a ps4 right now if I was thinking of buying one. Sony needs to get ahead of this
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I mean if this is all true that's all the more reason to be quiet isn't it? Lowering the window between when people are positive a new version is incoming and its actual release is probably the game right now.
 
MogCakes said:
Of course not. It's strength is being completely open. The difference between a PC and a console, functionally, in this day and age is open vs closed platform and fluid vs static hardware. The latter is poised to erode with the change to an iterative model. At that point, the only difference left is the former. PC becomes the better deal for I'd imagine a great many people at that point.
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The point of a console is a convenient way to play video games without having to worry about having the right GPU, CPU, ect to play current games. That is it nothing else. And this will still be true if this rumor is true.
 
timmyp53 said:
I mean if this is all true that's all the more reason to be quiet isn't it? Lowering the window between when people are positive a new version is incoming and its actual release is probably the game right now.
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Yeh suppose your right but more and more people will be rightfully pissed if they buy one and it then gets announced.
 
ivanalexander23 said:
This is a legit concern. I think it'll be more akin to the 'New' 3DS versus regular 3DS. Maybe there will be instances where you get an exclusive (Xenoblade 3DS) to the machine or a game that runs better (Hyrule Warriors) but for the most part you'll be getting almost every game...at first.

Eventually though, devs will shoot for maxing out to PS4.5 settings (especially PSVR) and that will lead to more and more subpar games hitting PS4. It might not be as egregious as PS4 to PS3 but there will be a diffeerence. If the PS4.5 is real, your concern is valid and its laughable that people would dismiss it.

The way around it, and what I anticipate, is that Sony lets you trade in your old PS4 and for $199 you get to upgrade. You aren't forced to if 4K blu ray isn't your thing (4K gaming is NOT going to happen until PS5 imo), don't care about PSVR, or you might be missing out on the few title's highest settings the PS4 isn't capable of.
Click to expand...
To me it's not so simple as having a 4k TV (which I don't) or not. The thing is, with my PS4, I know I am part of the biggest group of active gamers with the same hardware in the world. Many developers will target PS4 to develop most of their games and then do ports to everything else. Big AAA publishers are going to have a hard time justifying developing a game that doesn't work in the PS4.

If Sony releases a PS4.5 I will have to make a decision. Either I switch my PS4 to this PS4.5 or I just sell it with all the games and the account with all my purchases and start anew in PC gaming. Keeping my PS4 is not an option for me because I don't want to be a sitting duck waiting for the moment crappy ports start coming my way. If they are going to force me to switch to another system, I might aswell switch right now.
 
prwxv3 said:
The point of a console is a convenient way to play video games without having to worry about having the right GPU, CPU, ect to play current games. That is it nothing else. And this will still be true if this rumor is true.
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The point of a console isn't a concretely defined, universally agreed notion. Example: David's post directly above mine.
 
Synth said:
True, but I don't think the risk is really that great. Early adopters are generally early adopters simply because they can't resist the new shit. We always know we're getting a crappy deal overall, but buy anyway, because 2017 isn't 2013 and we ain't that patient... hell, there's no guarantee we'll even live to see it, lol. If anything, those that buy consoles at or near launch are far more likely to be in the "upgrade every iteration" group.
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Spot on.
 
Synth said:
True, but I don't think the risk is really that great. Early adopters are generally early adopters simply because they can't resist the new shit. We always know we're getting a crappy deal overall, but buy anyway, because 2017 isn't 2013 and we ain't that patient... hell, there's no guarantee we'll even live to see it, lol. If anything, those that buy consoles at or near launch are far more likely to be in the "upgrade every iteration" group.
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Very good perspective.
 
Ninja Sharingan said:
Just how people called Microsoft out Sony needs to be called out to clarify this. I would not touch a ps4 right now if I was thinking of buying one. Sony needs to get ahead of this
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Why should they respond to rumors ? And if they do is the typical PR response that they don't respond to such nonsense (true or not)
 
David Ricardo said:
To me it's not so simple as having a 4k TV (which I don't) or not. The thing is, with my PS4, I know I am part of the biggest group of active gamers with the same hardware in the world. Many developers will target PS4 to develop most of their games and then do ports to everything else. Big AAA publishers are going to have a hard time justifying developing a game that doesn't work in the PS4.

If Sony releases a PS4.5 I will have to make a decision. Either I switch my PS4 to this PS4.5 or I just sell it with all the games and the account with all my purchases and start anew in PC gaming. Keeping my PS4 is not an option for me because I don't want to be a sitting duck waiting for the moment crappy ports start coming my way. If they are going to force me to switch to another system, I might aswell switch right now.
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Agreed. I couldn't agree more.
 
"What defines a console? I think that's a personal thing to many people and the turn to frequent iterations marks the end of that idea for them. PC becomes a better value."

I think we're looking at this the wrong way. IF Sony is doing what I suggested in my original post, they're not doing anything different than reiterating on their current hardware on a regular console refresh cycle (albeit slightly abbreviated).

This November will be 3 years for the PS4. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS4.5 doesn't release until that time next year for the holidays. That's a 4 year console cycle, not that much shorter than the standard 5 year (previous generation's length excepted).

Many people have wondered aloud in the past if this console gen was going to be shorter given the lack of an enormous R&D budget for a custom APU and the modest computational power of the Xbone and the PS4. So it wouldn't be a shock in that regard if Sony released a console next November.

I think the important point that I didn't state in my original article is that I believe this idea only works if it's done on a standard console release cycle. If upgrades are being offered every 2 years, i don't think it will work. It works with phones, but I'm skeptical about consoles. But if they take this approach every 4 years? I just don't see any downsides for the producers or consumers. Consistent architecture means backward compatibility, the hardware becomes a consistent known quantity for developers and no more 6-7 year console cycles.
 
Niteandgrey said:
"What defines a console? I think that's a personal thing to many people and the turn to frequent iterations marks the end of that idea for them. PC becomes a better value."

I think we're looking at this the wrong way. IF Sony is doing what I suggested in my original post, they're not doing anything different than reiterating on their current hardware on a regular console refresh cycle (albeit slightly abbreviated).

This November will be 3 years for the PS4. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS4.5 doesn't release until that time next year for the holidays. That's a 4 year console cycle, not that much shorter than the standard 5 year (previous generation's length excepted).

Many people have wondered aloud in the past if this console gen was going to be shorter given the lack of an enormous R&D budget for a custom APU and the modest computational power of the Xbone and the PS4. So it wouldn't be a shock in that regard if Sony released a console next November.

I think the important point that I didn't state in my original article is that I believe this idea only works if it's done on a standard console release cycle. If upgrades are being offered every 2 years, i don't think it will work. It works with phones, but I'm skeptical about consoles. But if they take this approach every 4 years? I just don't see any downsides for the producers or consumers. Consistent architecture means backward compatibility, the hardware becomes a consistent known quantity for developers and no more 6-7 year console cycles.
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This is exactly it.
 
Will0827 said:
I think people are more upset at the nature of non permanence with these products. There arent many areas in technology left that are making products that are ment to be a one time purchase, things are just going to continue upgrading at a faster rate, it was bound to happening in gaming as well. It's just the way things are. As long as people keep upgrading companies are going to keep making new products. If you want the latest and greatest your going to have to buy in its simple as that.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Obsolescence is just an inherit property of technology itself. Did people not see this coming?
 
Personally, I'll just move over to PC before buying into this new model for consoles. The value of consoles for me is knowing everyone is on the same box and knowing that it will be the target for 5-10 years until the new thing comes out.

If there's a PS4, PS4.5, PS4.7, etc. that defeats the entire purpose. It's just a closed off PC that I have to pay $400 every upgrade.

I'm sure many feel differently, but I'm also pretty sure many people feel the same. I can't see this being anything but a mistake. I'll probably skip the PS4.5 and the PS5, but I guess it had to happen eventually anyhow
 
Fancy Corndog said:
Personally, I'd just move over to PC. The value of consoles for me is knowing everyone is on the same box and knowing that it will be the target for 5-10 years until the new thing comes out.

If there's a PS4, PS4.5, PS4.7, etc. that defeats the entire purpose. It's just a closed off PC that I have to pay $400 every upgrade.

I'm sure many feel differently, but I'm also pretty sure many people feel the same. I can't see this being anything but a mistake.
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Consoles are still what you say, it's just the cycle is 4 years, not 5-10 like you said. Not very different.
 
Niteandgrey said:
"What defines a console? I think that's a personal thing to many people and the turn to frequent iterations marks the end of that idea for them. PC becomes a better value."

I think we're looking at this the wrong way. IF Sony is doing what I suggested in my original post, they're not doing anything different than reiterating on their current hardware on a regular console refresh cycle (albeit slightly abbreviated).

This November will be 3 years for the PS4. I wouldn't be surprised if the PS4.5 doesn't release until that time next year for the holidays. That's a 4 year console cycle, not that much shorter than the standard 5 year (previous generation's length excepted).

Many people have wondered aloud in the past if this console gen was going to be shorter given the lack of an enormous R&D budget for a custom APU and the modest computational power of the Xbone and the PS4. So it wouldn't be a shock in that regard if Sony released a console next November.

I think the important point that I didn't state in my original article is that I believe this idea only works if it's done on a standard console release cycle. If upgrades are being offered every 2 years, i don't think it will work. It works with phones, but I'm skeptical about consoles. But if they take this approach every 4 years? I just don't see any downsides for the producers or consumers. Consistent architecture means backward compatibility, the hardware becomes a consistent known quantity for developers and no more 6-7 year console cycles.
Click to expand...

If anything this will devalue the PC because you will be able to get a console that can play 4K games instead of going out to get a PC that can push 4K & chances are people will have 4K TVs & not 4K monitors so they will get a small console that's made for the living room & simple to use vs hooking up their PC to the TV.
 
Or maybe what Kotaku sources are talking about is a PS4K in name only, but under the hood it's really PS5. PS4 is a new brand. PS5 will be called PS4K.

Phil Spencer said something kinda similar (with one difference) an Xbox One that's upgradable.

Just a thought, I'm sure it's already been mentioned in this huge thread already.
 
onQ123 said:
If anything this will devalue the PC because you will be able to get a console that can play 4K games instead of going out to get a PC that can push 4K & chances are people will have 4K TVs & not 4K monitors so they will get a small console that's made for the living room & simple to use vs hooking up their PC to the TV.
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This is what I've already began thinking. I just built a PC that can run games 1080p @60-70fps and now if the PS4k comes out this year, I'll feel my PC was a waste on money.
 
AmyS said:
Or maybe what Kotaku sources are talking about is a PS4K in name only, but under the hood it's really PS5. PS4 is a new brand. PS5 will be called PS4K.

Phil Spencer said something kinda similar (with one difference) an Xbox One that's upgradable.

Just a thought, I'm sure it's already been mentioned in this huge thread already.
Click to expand...

Nope! PS4 with updated GPU for 4K
 
BroBot said:
This is what I've already began thinking. I just built a PC that can run games 1080p @60-70fps and now if the PS4k comes out this year, I'll feel my PC was a waste on money.
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But it's still PS4 games so your PC might still look better for the most part.
 
AmyS said:
Or maybe what Kotaku sources are talking about is a PS4K in name only, but under the hood it's really PS5. PS4 is a new brand. PS5 will be called PS4K.

Phil Spencer said something kinda similar (with one difference) an Xbox One that's upgradable.

Just a thought, I'm sure it's already been mentioned in this huge thread already.
Click to expand...

I echoed the same thoughts earlier. Exploratory stages for a new console three years into the current gen is not out of the ordinary. PS4 brand is strong right now and I think Sony will be sticking with the name for their next gen console.
 
If it's true I'm going to upgrade but I really doubt this rumour.
 
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