No. But here’s an article anyway.
UPDATE 6/10, 12:00 pm CST: Sony will NOT be showing the PS4K at E3. In an interview with The Financial Times via IGN (which broke just prior to this article’s posting), Andrew House-president and global chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment, revealed that a new PlayStation 4 codenamed “Neo” is real, but will not be shown at E3 this year.
Additionally, House confirmed that the Neo is “intended to sit alongside and complement the standard PS4,” so both consoles will be treated equally during their lifespan.
Disregard the following E3 speculation, but stay for the hype.
Earlier this year, numerous reports from sites like Kotaku indicated that Sony was developing a new version of the PlayStation 4 that will feature increased graphical and processing power, as well as the ability to display games in 4K resolution.
Despite many more news outlets and game developers seemingly outing this console’s existence, Sony has yet to officially confirm this PS4.5/PS4K…
But E3 is coming.
E3, the gaming industry’s biggest trade show, means we’ll be seeing a whole lot of new games and announcements, and with Sony’s press conference for the event being this Tuesday, it’s become widely speculated that the PS4K , will officially be announced then.
Again, nothing has yet to be officially announced, but’s let’s briefly review what exactly this new PS4 could be.
PlayStation 4 was released in November of 2013. Since then, the console hasn’t received a new model or any aesthetic changes, like a slimmer version a la PS2 and PS3. While the PS4K supposedly isn’t smaller than the current PS4, it will apparently feature (via Giant Bomb) hefty increases in computing power. Specifically, the current 1.6GHz CPU will be upgraded to 2.1GHz, the GPU will increase from AMD GCN 18 CUs at 800 MHz to 36 CUs at 911 MHz, and the 8GB of DDR5 RAM will be boosted from 176 to 218 GB/s. All that tech jargon basically means a faster, more powerful machine, capable of rendering games with increased graphical fidelity.
Specifically, this new PS4 will supposedly allow for games to be displayed in proper 4K HD, meaning sharper graphics that rival a high end PC.
(Unrelated E3 hype)
Also, the upgraded processing power will also allow for virtual reality games, a market Sony will be entering this fall with PlayStation VR, to run smoothly at consistent and high-level frame rates.
The console is rumored to launch this fall, with a price point of $400.
So will the PS4K be at E3? Are we excited for it?
To answer the first question: probably. The evidence that this console is real has been stacking for months, and E3 is the best place to show it off. Are we 100% sure? No, but it’s extremely likely.
We’re not entirely sure what to think of this hypothetical console though. On the one hand, for those without a PS4 and have been wanting to pick one up, this is great news. A more powerful console that pushes technology forward is a good thing, especially for new consumers. However, for those who already have a PS4…it’s a different story.
The wild success of PS4 has largely been due to its early lead through an excellent launch, where millions of fans bought the console on day 1. So is this upgrade a slap to the face for longtime supporters? If you want the best version of the PS4, will you have to shell out another $400?
Apparently, Sony is making sure that game developers are creating games that offer the same experience on both consoles (so no exclusive content like DLC), but obviously experiences will look better on one over the other.
Even if that’s true, would Sony even try to incentivize current PS4 owners into buying the new console? Could an official trade-in program emerge?
Obviously we have a lot of questions, but what we’re interested to see is how Sony reveals and explains this (hypothetical) first-of-its-kind 4K console.
And we only have to wait a few more days to find out.
Sony’s E3 2016 press conference is Monday, June 13 at 6 pm PST.
ALL ABOARD THE E3 HYPE TRAIN! CHOO-CHOO!
