For a while now there have been rumors circulating that Sony is working on an upgraded PlayStation, which some are calling PlayStation 4.5 or PlayStation 4K. Yesterday, Giant Bomb posted an article allegedly offering details about the system’s specifications, along with a new codename: NEO.
According to the article, the console will feature an improved CPU, GPU, and memory. Also of note is the fact that starting in October, PS4 games will be required to ship with a mode for the original PS4, and a mode for NEO consoles. In NEO mode, games will be able to take advantage of the upgraded hardware for better performance.
It will also feature support for 4K as previously speculated. However, games are not required to run natively in 4K, which means games that do make use of 4K will probably do so through upscaling until 4K becomes more widespread.
Outside of the new hardware upgrades, NEO will supposedly run alongside the PlayStation 4, making the upgrade entirely optional — at least for launch. No games will be exclusive to NEO, and PS4 gamers will be able to play together as they would on a launch PS4. That also means that NEO players won’t have access to any exclusive perks that you wouldn’t have access to on a launch PS4. Virtual reality functionality will also remain the same, to further ensure parity between consoles.
Giant Bomb also offers the following specifications, with a comparison between NEO and the PS4.
| Original PS4 | NEO | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8 Jaguar Cores at 1.6 GHz | 8 Jaguar Cores at 2.1 GHz |
| GPU | AMD GCN, 18 CUs at 800 MHz | Improved AMD GCN, 36 CUs at 911 MHz |
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR5, 176 GB/s | 8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s |
What do you think about the upgrade? Are you interested in picking one up? Let us know in the comments below.