We might only be 27 months into this console generation, but word has spread that Sony has plans to introduce new hardware in the near future. No, it's not the PlayStation 5. Instead, it's a hardware revision that entails all new potential for the current-generation of PlayStation.
Here's what you need to know.
The Source Portfolio Is Convincing
Just a few weeks ago someone managed to use a homemade controller to fool the world into thinking they were witnessing the controller coming to Nintendo's next console. Point being is that the gaming industry is prone to biting on rumors.
The circumstance here is very different. Giant Bomb, Digital Foundry, and even an individual have shared that they each have their own source(s) for their information. The journalists who have shared their information have had great track records, and aren't the types to just throw out rumors for the sake of traffic. Made better, the information has been consistent across sources, including a codename "NEO", which is right in-line with Sony's affection for the Matrix film—i.e. Project Morpheus.
What's being proposed might come across as initially shocking given the history of console generations, but it's plausible and even makes sense from a competitiveness standpoint. After all, it wasn't long ago that Nintendo dabbled in multi-tier offerings with its "New" Nintendo 3DS, which was a 3DS revision with improved hardware. You should prepare for what appears to be the inevitable.
A Huge Hardware Upgrade
Initial rumors pointed toward the NEO being equipped with a GPU that will be "twice as powerful as standard PS4 and much faster," along with improvements to clock speed. This week Giantbomb's sources have gone as far as to share the specific hardware components for the NEO. They are reportedly as follows:
Original PS4
CPU: 8 Jaguar Cores at 1.6 GHz
GPU: AMD GCN, 18 CUs at 800 MHz
Memory: 8 GB GDDR5, 176 GB/sNEO
CPU: 8 Jaguar Cores at 2.1 GHz
GPU: Improved AMD GCN, 36 CUs at 911 MHz
Memory: 8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s
As showcased above, the NEO would be substantially more powerful than the original PS4. Its clock speed per core would allow for far more computational power, which will particularly help with physics-heavy games and open-world titles like Assassin's Creed Unity, games that have already hit bottlenecks on the current PS4 hardware. Meanwhile, the new GPU contains twice as many Compute Units, and runs at a higher clock. This will allow for far more potential in graphics computation than on the original PS4, which is a must for the revision's target for consistent 60 frames-per-second experiences and 4K resolution. Lastly, the higher memory bandwidth of the GDDR5 supports the power of the upgraded CPU and GPU, ensuring that all components work in-tandem to achieve much improved results.
Notable Perks
Once the NEO hits the market, every developer will reportedly be required to create a "Base Mode" that allows the game to run both on the original PS4 and NEO. However, owners of the NEO will have access to a "NEO Mode," which will open up the hardware to improved game experiences.
It's up to developers to decide what NEO Mode means for their games. In general, it will mean a more stable framerate or higher graphics quality. The important thing to note is that Sony is taking steps to ensure that the playerbase doesn't become fragmented by NEO exclusive titles in the same way the New Nintendo 3DS did; every game must be able to run on the original PS4.
The biggest perk, and what will be marketed the most, is the NEO's ability to output at 4K. Apparently, this has implications both for video media as well as games.
No other console comes close to achieving this massive resolution, which totals at 8,294,400 pixels in its 3840×2160 resolution, a quantum leap from the 2,073,600 of 1080p. Meanwhile, even the best PC hardware available struggles to run AAA experiences at 4K. The sheer horsepower required to render at 4K makes it extremely likely that the only games that will natively display at 4K are those with more simple visuals, particularly lower-budget indie games. That said, apparently some AAA games will upscale from 1080p to 4K, which isn't nearly as effective for image quality, but at the very least harnesses the pixel count of 4K displays.
Speaking of which, millions of consumers invested in 4K displays for their first time this last holiday season. To the surprise of many, very few services and products take advantage of 4K, which has disappointed a sizable portion of buyers. If Sony really is pushing for 4K support as sources have said, this would be a huge technological win, not too dissimilar to how it invested heavily in Blu-ray at the start of the PlayStation 3 generation.
A Fair Asking Price
Initial rumors pointed toward a top limit of a $499 price point dependent upon final specifications. The most recent rumors indicate that the NEO will likely debut at $399, which is what the original PS4 was initially sold at. By the time of its debut the original PS4 is likely to MSRP at $299 through the calendar year—it was offered at this price during Black Friday 2015. This will mean that Sony is pushing for a tiered approach not too dissimilar to the smartphone industry, where new and more powerful models are offered at a premium, but consumer can decide to invest in a lower-budget option.
The big question is: What are current PS4 owners supposed to do about their current hardware after upgrading? This is a significant question that Sony will need to take into consideration. Some consumers have suggested that Sony should promote a trade-in program that allows current owners to easily and reliably upgrade at a discount. Realistically, this will dump a huge supply of older models into the inventory of stores like GameStop, meaning that they will be reliant on high consumer demand for these older models to make it a wise business strategy.
It would be a complicated situation, but one that if handled well could result in many PS4 fans double-dipping, further accelerating the total sales of the PS4 brand, and enforcing its dominance in the current gaming market.
The Death of the Single-Hardware Standard
The single most commonly discussed element of the NEO is how it will break the single-hardware standard that consoles have stayed true to since their inception. The notion that consumers can buy into an value-oriented ecosystem and receive support over a six- to ten-year generation, while developers have been able to focus their entire attention on optimizing code for a single set of components, could very well be the number-one selling point of consoles.
With Sony's tiered solution, things will become much more complex for both consumers and developers. New buyers will have to decide whether they want to enter the PS4 ecosystem at a lower price or have better hardware. Consumers already invested in the PS4 will have to decide if they want to stick with their initial purchase, or upgrade. In this case the circumstance is likely to make consumers question whether or not they should invest in PC hardware, which has a multitude of perks of its own, traditionally held back by a similar demand for upgrading.
Moreover, developers will be encouraged to invest time into developing both Base and NEO configurations. On one hand this will allow designers to aim higher and create more beautiful experiences for the NEO install base. On the other hand this means longer development cycles and potential for less optimization due to the additional work required. Depending on the time requirements for for creating double configuration, the NEO could cut into profits, leaving developers and publishers alike unhappy with Sony's business decision.
What This All Means
Consoles have been slowly transitioning toward becoming nothing more than standardized PCs. The PS4 and Xbox One both have PC architecture, and familiar components, and the NEO pushes this one step further by making console gamers have to worry about hardware upgrades just like PC gamers do.
That's not to say that there aren't perks to this multi-tier approach. In fact, improved hardware will allow the generation to last longer, and for games on these consoles to keep up with major technological evolutions happening on PC. This will particularly benefit the upcoming PlayStation VR, which has pushed the PS4 to its absolute limit in order to deliver 90+ frames per second experiences.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is amidst a move to introduce an upgraded console of its own. If so, it has its work cut out for it, because the NEO has some very impressive specifications. Nonetheless, a war similar to the debut of the Xbox One and PS4 will wage again, where resolutions and frame rate are compared. In the case of Microsoft, there's a chance to right the shortcomings of its current-generation console and prove that it knows how to design compelling hardware to meet the needs of today's consumers. If not, it will fall further behind in the race.
Here we are once again witnessing a major evolution of the gaming industry, one that appears ambitious and remarkable. With time, multi-tier console generations could become the norm, or this could simply be a misstep by hardware manufacturers in an effort to innovate.
