14 DAY TRIAL // The PlayStation 4K, a new version of the PlayStation 4 that is supposed to feature better hardware, seems more real after new reports confirm earlier information that Sony is working on the device and will make an official announcement about it soon.
The confirmation about the platform comes from Digital Foundry, after initial reports from Kotaku, and the source says that Research and Development at Sony already has prototype devices and is exploring the kind of new game experiences that will be launched for it.
It seems that the core feature of the PlayStation 4K is that it can run both video games and media content in 4K resolution and that it can do that because of a powerful graphics processing unit, which will be provided by AMD and will feature 14 or 16 nm manufacturing tech rather than the current 28 nm one.
Sony has so far not provided any comment on the recent speculation about the future of its home console, but it might make an announcement about it during E3 2016 and deliver it to the market before the end of the year.
Better processing power would also make sense, given that the company is planning to launch the PlayStation VR platform before the end of October, and virtual reality will benefit greatly from the ability to support 4K.
Microsoft also talked about potential upgrades for the Xbox One
Launching a PlayStation 4K can have many benefits for Sony, but it can also create problems, especially for those users who have only recently picked up a PS4 and might feel abandoned by the fact that a new platform is revealed and launched quickly.
Microsoft has also talked about the potential of upgrading the Xbox One to improve the kinds of experiences that gamers get from it and to offer better overall graphics quality.
Both the companies need to launch solid titles and to add features to their devices in order to make sure that the slight dip in the value of sales seen during the first two months of the year, according to NPD Group data, does not become a trend for the rest of 2016.
They might also have to make sure that the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 can compete with the mysterious Nintendo NX, which, according to rumors, will be announced in early summer and will be delivered to the market before the end of the season.