What's the PS4.5 release date and specs? Here's all you need to know about the 4K PlayStation
It’s actually happening. The next PlayStation will be the PS4.5, not the PS5, and it’s going to be a powerhouse designed for 4K gaming. The PS4.5 story broke after a report by Kotaku earlier this month, and since then the leaks have come thick and fast. Only a few days ago, a much larger leak fromGiantBomb – which has now been confirmed by Digital Foundry – truly lifted the lid on the PS4.5 or PS4K. So we know the PS4.5 is happening, but what's it going to be like, and what does it mean for games developers and existing PS4 owners? We’ve broken down all the rumours, specs and details into six points you need to know.
PS4.5 (PS4K): All you need to know about the 4K PlayStation
1. The PS4.5 will probably use AMD chips
We’re still not 100% sure what chips the PS4.5 whuill use, but a new report suggests that AMD tech will power the next PlayStation. According to MCV, the chip manufacturer cited "three system on chip wins" for its higher than normal projected revenue – and that points to the Nintendo NX and Xbox 2 as well as the PS4.5. When quizzed on what they could be for, the AMD CEO Lisa Sureplied: “I'd prefer to let that come out as our customers are ready to launch.”
2. The PS4.5 will be much faster
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To get games running at 4K, Sony will have carried out some serious upgrades to the PS4. The current PS4 can handle 1080p resolution at 60fps with most games, but increasing that to a 4K would require several big upgrades. Digital Foundry has detailed just how powerful the PS4.5 going to be – and it’s looking pretty impressive. The report says the PS4.5 will use the same CPU as the PS4, but each of its eight Jaguar cores will be clocked to 2.1GHz instead of 1.6GHz – a boost of 1.3. At the same time, the memory will go up from 8GB GDDR5 at 176GB/sec to the same amount of memory at a faster 218GB/sec – enough for a 24% increase in bandwidth.
However, the largest increase will come from the GPU. Sony is upping the PS4’s 18 Radeon compute units at 800MHz to 36 "improved" units at 911MHz. That should give an increase of 2.3 FLOPs, which is massive.
3. The PS4.5 won’t have its own games
When we first heard about the PS4.5, we wondered how Sony could effectively split its customer base in two, but Giant Bomb's report explains how the company aims to get round that – and just what the PS4.5 will mean for game developers. According to the report, every PS4 game will need to ship with a Base Mode that will run on the standard PS4 and a NEO mode that will use the PS4.5’s increased power. Earlier in the year, I suggested that developers would use something like a free, after-purchase download to unlock the potential of the PS4.5, and that looks to be the case. If Giant Bomb’s sources are right, that’ll be the extent of the differences between the consoles, as the report suggests there will be no PS4.5-only games.
4. The PS4.5 will output to 4K as expected
And what about 4K? It looks as though the PS4.5 will focus on 4K – just like we thought – but Sony is giving developers a lot of scope on how to do this. Instead, it looks like the NEO will be able to upscale to 4K, but will need to at least match the frame rate of the vanilla PS4 game.
And what about 4K? It looks as though the PS4.5 will focus on 4K – just like we thought – but Sony is giving developers a lot of scope on how to do this. Instead, it looks like the NEO will be able to upscale to 4K, but will need to at least match the frame rate of the vanilla PS4 game.
5. The PS4.5 might get a 2016 release date
Although games will feature both modes by October, that doesn’t necessarily mean the NEO or PS4.5 will be out before the end of the year. According to GameStop COO Tony Bartel, the PS4.5 is imminent – so could be out before 2017.
At a GameStop event, Bartel said: "Although we have not modelled extensive growth for new innovation in this presentation, we are very pleased to see the introduction of technology like virtual reality and rumoured new console launches. Some of which seem imminent."
6. The PS4.5 is codenamed "NEO"
Ever since news broke of the "nearly PS5", we’ve been calling it the PS4.5 or the PS4K. However, the latest leaks suggest the PS4.5 is being called NEO internally. Whether you like that name or not doesn’t really matter, as it’s likely to change well before release. After all, the PS4 was called the Orbis during development.
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Although games will feature both modes by October, that doesn’t necessarily mean the NEO or PS4.5 will be out before the end of the year. According to GameStop COO Tony Bartel, the PS4.5 is imminent – so could be out before 2017.
At a GameStop event, Bartel said: "Although we have not modelled extensive growth for new innovation in this presentation, we are very pleased to see the introduction of technology like virtual reality and rumoured new console launches. Some of which seem imminent."
6. The PS4.5 is codenamed "NEO"
Ever since news broke of the "nearly PS5", we’ve been calling it the PS4.5 or the PS4K. However, the latest leaks suggest the PS4.5 is being called NEO internally. Whether you like that name or not doesn’t really matter, as it’s likely to change well before release. After all, the PS4 was called the Orbis during development.
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