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Why The PS4 ‘Neo’ Will Be A Good Thing For Gamers

Rumours have been flying around about the PlayStation 4.5 for some months now. A number of outlets have reported on the news that ‘incredibly trusted sources’ revealed the development of the PS4’s pending incremental update. Further to this both Netflix and Gamestop have commented on the fact that they expect 4K compatible consoles to be released in the near future.

The latest report by Giant Bomb seems to be the most believable to date. It details that the PlayStation 4.5 which is allegedly codenamed ‘NEO’ will feature a higher clock speed, an improved GPU and a higher bandwidth in memory. This will result in a more stable frame rate and increased visual fidelity.I think it’s incredibly logical that Sony are opting for a incremental upgrade. It will allow developers to take advantage of hardware that will result in games running smother. Games like Fallout that feature incredible open-worlds will run better than before and allow gamers to enjoy a visual experience that only PC gamers are used to.

Naughty Dog’s Arne Meyer recently made a statement in regards to Uncharted 4 already pushing the PS4 to its limit. It’s important to remember that the PS4 is much easier to develop for than the PS3, so it’s completely logical that developers need more room to work with.The good thing about this is that unlike companies in previous years, Sony are in no way splitting the user-base. They are making it mandatory that all games must run on the base PS4 (which will co-exist alongside the rumoured PlayStation 4.5). This means that the PlayStation 4.5 would only improve performance of games that are available to ALL PlayStation gamers. This console is not being created to create new experiences, it’s simply being created to ENHANCE performance for those who take their gaming seriously but may not want to make the jump to PC.

I’ve seen a ton of people comparing the PlayStation 4.5 to the NEW 3DS and I think that this is an incredibly unfair comparison. The NEW 3DS added new buttons, a second analogue nub and the ability to read Amiibos, as well as increasing the internal specifications of the handheld. All of these things were clearly added to create NEW experiences which is instantly segmented their userbase. This fact is strengthened by the fact that Nintendo released Xenoblade Chronicles 3D EXCLUSIVELY for the NEW 3DS.Lets also discuss PlayStation VR. It’s no secret that PlayStation VR will require a lot of resources to be sucessful. This PlayStation 4.5 would allow Sony to stay ahead of the game knowing that majority of the people who are early adopters for the PlayStation VR would also be willing to shell out for a higher-specced console.

Obviously, there are some negatives. Whilst it’s almost been 3 years since the PS4 released, there will be people who have picked it up recently that will be bitter about shelling out for an inferior  product. Whilst these people are probably not this products target demographic, it’d be extremely beneficial for Sony to announce it as soon as possible and take a short-term hit in sales to maintain brand reputation. With the holiday period being the main selling period, it’d make complete sense for them to release in early November and lower the base level PS4 to casual gamers wanting to make the jump to the next-generation, and there will still be a massive audience for gamers who want a cheaper entry point without the increased performance.Taking all of this into account, the PS4.5 is great for the gaming industry. It’ll provide better performance for hardcore gamers whilst also presumably allowing a cheaper entry point for the base model PS4. It’ll increase the overall user base which will allow more AAA games to be made and sold.

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  • I don't care about upgrades if they aren't going to change the wireless card to AC wifi.

  • Ultra HD (4k) disc playback, WiFi ac/direct, Bluetooth 4.1 & a solid state drive (SSD) or hybrid drive are all current tech and should be included also.
    If not, I might as well upgrade my desktop and go the smartphone route for VR.

  • If i want to upgrade my gaming system on a regular basis, i'd rather go for PC route without becoming a slave for just one company (yep, i'm looking at u sony)!

    • The move by Sony makes sense to me, and here's why....when these companies introduce the new "slim" versions of the original consoles, the slim versions always have new components, usually smaller and that generate less heat to reduce size and make the unit more efficient. If they can add a visual upgrade and performance boost while doing that, why not? Because it will anger the "early adopters"? The games for the new console will have slightly better graphical fidelity and improved framerates, but I don't see this as a reason to get upset.

      I think it's a good option for those who may want to upgrade, and for those that don't, you're still going to be playing the same games for your ps4 as you would for neo. I know it's not great to think that you won't be getting the "very best" version of the game for the ps4, but at the rate technology and the pc makes leaps in technical achievements, this was only a matter of time.

      • You don't create a slim and expect upgraded visuals unless you remove the disk drive. In my opinion it's just going to be an upgraded console because I think gamers will be more angry about a removed disk drive than a upgraded version. That's why for Xbox Phil hinted that if it's going to be another console within the generation it's more likely new hardware, not slight upgrade like PS4k specs.

        • ??? You speak as someone who has little knowledge of what is going on in the chip industry at the moment. Smaller chips with more power that generate less heat. And if you can slim the console and offer a bump in performance, why not? As far as what Microsoft is doing, that's anyone's guess.

          • And yet you forgot the costs somehow and the overall developer's code for such a design. If anything it's wishful thinking, these are businessmen it's all about balance and the bottom line.

            So if the announcement is a slim PS4 coming E3 it's not going to get upgraded specs, that would be reserved for the PS4 Neo which I believe is totally different from a PS4 slim obviously. That's why it's confusing what Sony is doing, where Phil has been upfront that not only are they going to launch another console within the generation but it's going to be new hardware, no slight specs.

            For the PS fans I hope they're aren't gawking over those revealed specs.

          • I don't know...I understand what Sony is doing with the Neo. As far as Microsoft is concerned, I will wait to see what they reveal before I judge, but it's far too soon for a "brand new" xbox, as the tech that would be in the box would be a marginal upgrade over what is currently available, even if they offered different skews at different price points.

            To me, any console claiming to be a different generation from the ps4 or the xbox one has to do 4k gaming reliably, and preferably at 60fps.....and even with a powerful gpu and graphics card the vast majority of pc gamers are not even to that point yet, so why a new xbox if it's not going to be capable? If that target can't be hit, anything Microsoft unveils will be a "half-step" also. And to be quite frank, with 8k monitors and televisions already on the way, I'm not at all convinced Microsoft is getting the timing of what would be a brand new xbox right at all. Of course, "within the generation" might not mean for another 3 or 4 years, but the rumors suggest Microsoft will have something on offer far sooner than that time frame, so that's what I'm basing my speculation off of. Cheers.

Published by
Shannon Grixti