Sony Is Working on a PS4 With 4K Output

Patrick Klepek:

Sony is currently planning a new version of the PS4 with increased graphical power and games running at 4K resolution, developer sources tell Kotaku.

We don’t know whether current PS4 owners will be able to upgrade or if they’ll have to buy an entirely new device to benefit from this power boost, but from what we hear, Sony has started briefing developers.

Based on conversations with developers who have spoken with Sony, this ‘PS4.5’ will include an upgraded GPU both to support high-end 4K resolution for games and add more processing power that can enhance the games supported by PlayStation VR, the headset Sony will launch this fall. It’s unclear if ‘PS4.5’ is an official name or just a nickname that developers have been using. One developer jokingly called it the ‘PS4K’ while telling me about the device.

Will games that are enhanced for the PS4K scale down their graphics gracefully for the PS4 or will there be a break in compatibility? What about PS VR? And since this would require the GPU to push four times the pixels, would it still have similar performance to a 1080p PS4?

I still have a 1080p plasma, but is the first reason I would consider using to upgrade to a 4K TV.