So The PS4.5 is A Thing

April 19, 2016

My thoughts on the impending announcement of the new Playstation 4.

There have been rumors regarding a new version of the Playstation 4 with higher quality hardware. But after Giant Bomb wrote a story about the new console�s specs, the question has become when, not if, Sony will officially announce this thing. I�m feeling very conflicted about this development.

Giving developers better tools to create better games isn�t a bad thing. But this seems like a very easy way to fragment the user base. One of the main reasons I don�t play most games on my computer is that I value the simplicity of a console. Every player, more or less, gets the same experience with a game. The arrival of a new version of the PS4 would obviously break that while raising some questions that Sony has to answer. How much better would games be because of these new machines? How would this affect multiplayer games involving new and original consoles? Is there a way to upgrade if you already have a Playstation 4? It feels like a lot of questions to improve a system that�s only a couple of years old. Here�s hoping Sony answers them well.

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RubberDuck - April 19, 2016 (02:11 AM)
Gaming has been shambolic as of lately, i doubt anyone including developers should even consider upgradding their systems specs, thus spending money where it isn't worth it . Developers need to move their asses and design better games, instead of whinning and bitching about how underpowered consoles are.

Nintendo managed to pull it off somehow with Bayonetta 2 and Super Mario 3D World , on the much underpowered Wii U in comparison to the Sony and Microsoft counterparts i might add. Let's not mention Fire Emblem: Awakening here,a game on a fucking handheld system far surpassing garbage like Quantum Break on XOne. X-Com 2 even blew it , even though Firaxis are designing for pc enthusiasts with their 3-way SLI GTX 980Ti and whatnot. I couldn't even throw a grenade properly in that game with that 'jumpy' mouse aiming control.And as far as i remember, Diablo III and its DLCs were sublimely ported to the PS4.

I think it is already beyond any shadow of doubt to say that the PS4 upgrade is to accomodate the development of The Last Guardian, just like the New Nintendo 3DS was to accomodate Xenoblade Chronicles port.

Hehe, back then they told us that gaming is going to surpass movie. Well think again, with gaming studios closing due to high development costs, and low budget movies with tremendous artistic value such as Barbara by Christian Petzold, 4 Months , 3 Weeks and 2 Days by Cristian Mungiu , Boyhood by Richard Linklater keep surfacing one after another, you have got to be joking me to think that upgrading the specs will cut it. Development need to mature and stop being unreasonably over-demanding, and be satisfied with the tools at their disposal , before this industry goes down the drain for good and irreversible.

joseph_valencia - April 19, 2016 (11:56 AM)
I'm just glad I'm wasn't an early adopter this gen!

honestgamer - April 19, 2016 (12:28 PM)
It does look like the PlayStation 4.5 is going to happen, but documentation also suggests that current PS4 owners won't have reason to be overly concerned. From the IGN article:

"The documents obtained by the publication suggest that Sony has no intention of splitting its user base with the NEO, and both consoles will share the same store and interface. There will also be no NEO-only games, nor will NEO users be offered any exclusive unlockables or gameplay options...aside from running a superior version of the game, that is."

That's important, because a split base could be a problem. This way, I can continue to play the dozens of PS4 games I've purchased already, AND I can play anything else that might come out for the remainder of the system's life cycle, VR stuff aside (that requires additional hardware, of course). And if the time comes when I do get the PS4.5, many of my older games from October and onward will magically run somewhat better. It's really a non-issue, and I'm glad I've had my PS4 since launch.

I suspect, honestly, that the PS4.5 refresh is so that PlayStation VR will have a greater likelihood of being able to compete directly with Oculus Rift, which requires a beefy computer that obviously outclasses the original PS4.

jerec - April 19, 2016 (01:11 PM)
Nintendo was often doing this, like with the 3DS. Some games only work on the "New 3DS"

honestgamer - April 19, 2016 (01:31 PM)
Right, Jerec, but Nintendo is doing that at the end of the 3DS life cycle, and there will probably be a total of maybe 4 or 5 games that fit that criteria. So it's a lot different than if Sony introduced the PS4.5 and said "Sorry about the last 60% or so of our game library for the PS4 that you now won't be able to play."

Feedback
	RubberDuck - April 19, 2016 (02:11 AM) Gaming has been shambolic as of lately, i doubt anyone including developers should even consider upgradding their systems specs, thus spending money where it isn't worth it . Developers need to move their asses and design better games, instead of whinning and bitching about how underpowered consoles are. Nintendo managed to pull it off somehow with Bayonetta 2 and Super Mario 3D World , on the much underpowered Wii U in comparison to the Sony and Microsoft counterparts i might add. Let's not mention Fire Emblem: Awakening here,a game on a fucking handheld system far surpassing garbage like Quantum Break on XOne. X-Com 2 even blew it , even though Firaxis are designing for pc enthusiasts with their 3-way SLI GTX 980Ti and whatnot. I couldn't even throw a grenade properly in that game with that 'jumpy' mouse aiming control.And as far as i remember, Diablo III and its DLCs were sublimely ported to the PS4. I think it is already beyond any shadow of doubt to say that the PS4 upgrade is to accomodate the development of The Last Guardian, just like the New Nintendo 3DS was to accomodate Xenoblade Chronicles port. Hehe, back then they told us that gaming is going to surpass movie. Well think again, with gaming studios closing due to high development costs, and low budget movies with tremendous artistic value such as Barbara by Christian Petzold, 4 Months , 3 Weeks and 2 Days by Cristian Mungiu , Boyhood by Richard Linklater keep surfacing one after another, you have got to be joking me to think that upgrading the specs will cut it. Development need to mature and stop being unreasonably over-demanding, and be satisfied with the tools at their disposal , before this industry goes down the drain for good and irreversible.
	joseph_valencia - April 19, 2016 (11:56 AM) I'm just glad I'm wasn't an early adopter this gen!
	honestgamer - April 19, 2016 (12:28 PM) It does look like the PlayStation 4.5 is going to happen, but documentation also suggests that current PS4 owners won't have reason to be overly concerned. From the IGN article: "The documents obtained by the publication suggest that Sony has no intention of splitting its user base with the NEO, and both consoles will share the same store and interface. There will also be no NEO-only games, nor will NEO users be offered any exclusive unlockables or gameplay options...aside from running a superior version of the game, that is." That's important, because a split base could be a problem. This way, I can continue to play the dozens of PS4 games I've purchased already, AND I can play anything else that might come out for the remainder of the system's life cycle, VR stuff aside (that requires additional hardware, of course). And if the time comes when I do get the PS4.5, many of my older games from October and onward will magically run somewhat better. It's really a non-issue, and I'm glad I've had my PS4 since launch. I suspect, honestly, that the PS4.5 refresh is so that PlayStation VR will have a greater likelihood of being able to compete directly with Oculus Rift, which requires a beefy computer that obviously outclasses the original PS4.
	jerec - April 19, 2016 (01:11 PM) Nintendo was often doing this, like with the 3DS. Some games only work on the "New 3DS"
	honestgamer - April 19, 2016 (01:31 PM) Right, Jerec, but Nintendo is doing that at the end of the 3DS life cycle, and there will probably be a total of maybe 4 or 5 games that fit that criteria. So it's a lot different than if Sony introduced the PS4.5 and said "Sorry about the last 60% or so of our game library for the PS4 that you now won't be able to play."

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