Even as the gaming industry is looking into the future with Virtual Reality (VR)-related technology and several VR games, Sony is reportedly working on a newer and a powerful version of PS4 console, "PlayStation 4.5," which will help the company in VR-related endeavours, Kotaku reported, citing developer sources.
The rumoured version is designed to make room for greater graphical power and games that run on 4K resolution. The information comes following Sony's reported developer briefings. It is not clear if this will be an upgradable variant for current PS4 users or must be bought separately.
In order to run 4K games on PlayStation, Sony needs to develop a stronger and powerful console with greater graphics capability than its current PS4, The Verge reported.. The current version of PS4 only supports 4K videos and photos but no games.
It is not clear if the rumoured version's current name, "PlayStation 4.5," is an official one or just a nickname.
Developers have told Kotaku that the rumoured console will consist of "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."
It was also noted that a powerful PS4 will compete against PCs that will power virtual reality games. A powerful PS4 will allow Sony to match the likes of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive that are priced higher and make use of powerful PCs.
Though Sony spokesperson declined to comment on "rumours and speculation," it is unusual for a console upgrade happening mid-cycle, but it was not unheard of either, The Verge said.
