The PS4.5, or NEO, has been garnering a lot of whispers over the past few weeks. What started as just mere speculation over an expected course of action has been receiving more and more “details” as time goes on. What’s most surprising is that these rumors contain a bit more detail with every new muttering in the dark.
With that being said, it’s difficult to keep all of the information in one place in order to make heads or tails of what’s going on behind Sony’s doors. To that end, we’ve put together all of the major rumors we could find in one place for your perusal. You can laugh at them, speculate right along with some of the finer details, or participate in a bit of your own deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes.
4K All Day
The biggest bit of information that was touted about the PS4.5 NEO when rumors first started making their rounds was 4K support for games. The PS4 already supports the Ultra HD resolution for media, but 4K gaming has been limited to only the beefiest of PC rigs. With resolution and framerate playing a much more prominent role in the current console war, 4K would definitely push the PS4.5 NEO into the forefront.
Is 4K really necessary for gaming? That’s really not for us to decide. Whatever a gamer feels will elevate their experience is entirely up to them. But, does this rumor seem like a possibility? Yes, actually. With all of the advancements in technology gaming visuals have steadily been improving and developers have been consistently pushing the envelope. For even more immersive releases, 4K is a step in the most logical direction. It must be noted, though, that this may greatly affect the price of the machine. 4K gaming isn’t exactly cheap on PC so that can possibly translate to the price of the console, making it more expensive than desired.
Upgrade All of the Abbreviations
In order to boost the resolution and framerate of the PS4, the NEO would need to make a few adjustments under the hood. The latest report concerning the upcoming console stated that the CPU, GPU, and RAM would see some much-needed upgrades in order to beef up the entire system.
While the HDD would stay the same as the one currently available, the NEO would feature faster memory and a higher clock speed. According to the report, the updated 8-core processor will run at 2.1 GHz, substantially higher than the PS4’s current 1.6GHz. Not too shabby if you’ve been looking for a bit more strength under all of that black plastic.
NEO Mode
No, this isn’t a difficulty setting in some new Matrix game. NEO Mode would be a setting that would allow players to improve the graphical fidelity of their games if they’re using the new updated version of the console. Think of it like the graphical settings options in your PC games. Most titles offer low, medium, high, and ultra to allow you to tailor the amount of power you want to use. This new mode would be like a switch to high or ultra.
According to the same report that gave insight into the new CPU, GPU, and RAM, this new mode would be required in all games released after October of this year with September games required to add it in as a patch. That means every future game will be able to leverage all of the new power.
No Exclusives
The NEO will provide a huge jump in processing power, possibly a sleek new design, but no exclusives. The upgraded PS4 will essentially be just that, an upgraded version of what you already have. It will make everything prettier, but the library will stay exactly the same.
In order to not split the player base, there will be no need to jump to the NEO if you really don’t care about visual fidelity. Games on the PS4 won’t become uglier, and no experiences will be blocked off to those not willing to make a new investment in the middle of the generation.
This particular rumor is a bit tougher to swallow. That’s not because it’s bad, in fact, it’s very good for Sony to provide choice to its consumers with no repercussions for those who’ve found comfort with their current console. But, it may prove to be a bit difficult for the company to make a case for why fans should once again drop their hard earned cash with no big games as an incentive.
Releasing This Year, Ahead of PSVR
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, we will be seeing NEO (with it’s proper, final name of course) on shelves sometime this fall ahead of the PSVR’s release. That is a pretty big deal, as it would place the upcoming upgrade in a shopping sweet spot and in possible contention with Nintendo’s upcoming console (also rumored to be released later this year).
There are no details regarding price, and Sony has yet to comment on a single report regarding the project, but it wouldn’t be too far-fetched of an idea. October will place the release during the holiday shopping season, and PSVR will ensure that many will be looking at the PS4 during the period. What better way to up-sell millions of prospective fans than to release a console that will make their VR experiences even better?
What do you think about the rumors revolving around the NEO so far? Think any of them hold any weight, or are they just really well thought out speculations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
About the author
