Do you even WANT a PlayStation 4.5?

I have a launch PS4 which is serving me well. I don't particularly care for playing games at the highest/smoothest framerate & graphical quality - if I did, I would have a monster PC. I played Witcher 3 on PS4 and didn't mind the occasional framerate stutters/drops, and it looked plenty beautiful to me. I also give zero shits about 4K. So yeah, I wouldn't buy a PS4.5 if those were the only benefits.

.. but if there were games exclusive to PS4.5 that I really wanted, I would begrudgingly throw my cash at Sony.

There's still games getting announced for the PS3 that I'm excited for. I got no need for all this 4K, Z28, VR, 3-D, Y2J jazz.

I highly doubt a PS4.5 is going to do 4k natively rendered. I'd wager it does 4k blu-ray and upscales games to 4k resolutions. Two grand in PC hardware won't do 4k/60 consistently on new AAA titles and the days of consoles selling at a loss are gone.

I also doubt the PS4.5 will backwards play all PS4 games at higher frame rates - the titles where physics are sync'ed to the frame rate would get all jacked up.

I also doubt there's much incentive for most companies to go back and update older titles to play at a higher resolution, frame rates, or wider FOVs. Even if it's just a few lines in some config file, someone's gotta do the QA and cert.

I would totally be down for a PS4.5 if they drastically improved load times, though.

I regret buying a PS4 because about 5 months later I managed to get a pretty damn powerful PC and I haven't touched any consoles since.

I've got a 4K TV but I don't care enough about the format to buy another machine.

If there's some sort of marked improvement in visual quality or performance for a large variety of games, maybe alongside an easy upgrade path for consumers, I'd consider it. Otherwise, nope. My PS4 does alright, even if there are some games that run like junk on it. I feel like that's more a developer optimization issue than anything.

I mean, once 4k becomes more of a common thing, then yeah. But, they would also have to make a sweet deal for trading in my previous PS4 for me to find it worth it to upgrade. Like, if I could get a ps4.5 by trading in my old ps4 and the final price tag was like 150 bucks, max, I might consider it. Until then, I'll stick with my regular one.

I'm in the frustrating place where I really want to buy a PS4 but am holding off because I have no idea what this whole 4.5 thing is. I imagine there are people in the same situation with Xbox One. Both of these companies should get out there and address this shit. If 4.5 ends up being the right choice for me, I'll get it. But, I don't think I'd pay substantially more for it. And I'd be pretty upset if it broke apart the user base on a software level.

Hopefully this gets figured out before No Man's Sky.

I have a 1080p television that I will use until it dies, and while I was thinking of getting a PS4 in the future for trophies and playing games with friends, grumblings of mid-life hardware upgrades for consoles is pushing me in the direction of building a mITX Steam Machine for my living room with the money I would have put into a PS4. I feel stupid about it, but part of me would like to have all of my PlayStation trophies consolidated. However, MGS5, GTA5, a handful of "AAA" games and a whole grip of indies I have will run just as well, if not better, on a damn PC. What will really push me over the line is whether or not the FFVII Remake is gettting a PC port...not that I give a damn, but my girlfriend is drooling over it.

I was planning on buying a PS4 somewhat soon, but then this announcement came up. I guess I'd be up for a better one because I didn't already drop 400 bucks, but I definitely see the problems with this strategy. Also not knowing when it comes out is really lame since I was getting a PS4 this year for NieR and FFXV. Now I'll have no way to play those games until this thing comes out which is a huge bummer.

I'm very reluctant for this quick console turn around but the time between the SNES and the 64 was honestly not that long so I'd be ok if a new system came out in 2017 or something. What I'm ok with is if this PS 4.5 has all the VR stuff built in, Ran Normal ps4 games better, had a larger hard drive and played 4k video. I feel like that's on enough of a "revision" to sell, if it ran games that only the ps4.5 can run then no... Done deal, not cool Sony.

I would be willing to buy a 4.5 version years from now if I wanted to replace my current due to a breakdown or something, but don't have any interest upgrading for it's own sake. Don't plan to have a 4K tv anytime soon and I doubt there will be exclusives enough to make it tempting.

I think the whole question's framing is misleading.

I doubt anybody would begrudge ppl getting the opportunity to buy PS 4.5 that offers things like 4K support as long as the base model PS4 continues to be able to play future PS4 games reasonably well.

It's when new software gets immediately gated behind new hardware that you have a problem (like SNES emulation on the N3DS or SEGA's 32X or the N64 expansion pack).

If consoles really are going the phone route, then software needs to work across multiple iterations of existing hardware like it does on phones. I.e. no PS 4.5+ exclusive software until a PS5 or such has been released.

Honestly it makes no sense that people will be angry at sony for making a new console. Some of us want a improved and more powerful console. If you don't want that don't buy it. Everyone gets what they want that way. Not everyone buys the new phone that comes and same applies with a new upgraded console. The games will still work.

I'd have to upgrade my TV in order for a 4k Playstation to make any difference, and the current model PS4 runs things plenty fine. The real issue I'd have with this is splitting the user base. We are back to Xbox 360 levels in online populations, let's not break up the party again, please?

I haven't seen a compelling reason to buy any of the new consoles yet, let alone an upgrade to one of them.

Oops! I checked the wrong box! I meant to check one saying I'd buy one that would have higher performance. But I'm mostly indifferent right now.

Perhaps I could have worded the question differently, but I'm not sure why it would be misleading. I fully agree with you about gated software and such, which is why I essentially asked several questions in the poll.

Q1 is ONLY about 2K video, and has no impact on gaming. Q2 assumes that games will run better on the new consoles, but all games will still run on older consoles. Q3 is where we reach the point of gated software.

Yeah, I don't think the smart move is to wait for E3. Sony and MS really need to step out in front of this and explain their plans, or they're going to start losing console sales. Even the WSJ has reported on this, now. It's starting to carry over into mainstream media, and that's almost certainly going to have a negative impact when it comes to moving consoles.

I might be missing something, but I think this PS4K alarm is somewhat misguided. I think it might be pretty benign.

What do we know?

1)Sony is making a new revision of the PS4 with updated stats.

2)Sony is putting out a VR headset that has associated hardware to boost the specs for VR games.

3)Companies respec their hardware all the time to save on costs and shrink the casing. (PS2 slim)

Could it not be that Sony is just combining the PS VR kit with the standard PS4 so that someone buying a new console doesn't have to buy two separate boxes? Not only this, wouldn't it make sense to allow that added boost of tech to be available for developers who aren't making VR titles as well? Similarly, by combining the two kits into one, Sony can save on manufacturing costs and eliminate redundancies.

I might be wrong, but I feel like it's alarmist to think that this means Sony is going to start putting out new PS4s every year to try to keep up with PCs...

Fuck no! The first party support isn't strong enough to justify the additional console "upgrades" and I already keep my pc hardware relatively up to date to play the big third party games. If Sony really expects the market to upgrade consoles every few years I'll probably just abanddon consoles entirely.

One of the (many) reasons I've always preferred console gaming to PC gaming is that I don't have to worry about whether the hardware can run the games that come out for the console or the regular need to upgrade the hardware to play games properly. I have no desire to see that carry over to consoles, even if it's a much more limited form of it.

Now maybe if console games acquired the types of settings you can find on a PC that let you customize performance to a greater degree maybe that would be different. It would be much less likely that any game would have a reason to be "unplayable" on the weaker version, but somehow I doubt that will happen.

I have absolutely no interest in 4K (can the human eye even tell?). But I wouldn't mind getting an upgraded PS4 if the difference in power was substantial enough and there was a noticeable difference.

I bought my PS4 for the ease of taking it to and from university opposed to a lugging a PC back and forth as well as the reduced cost opposed to a high end PC. I do not want to upgrade my PS4. For the cost of buying both the original and new PS4.5 you probably could throw together a much better PC.

If my PS4 broke or I just wanted a new one, I'm glad they redesign would actually be a better than the PS4 than the usual just make it skinny.

I only play on PS4 only and I feel like currently I'm not getting a true "next gen" experience yet, I believe some more power would help and I would rather have games finally running on 60fps than 4K. Do I want to get a new Playstation just an year after I bought my PS4 though? Hell no! But if they did some nice and cheap upgrade plan and the "4.5" was worth it, I would be interested.

If they made a "steam" type box thing but just with the PlayStation name on it that I could upgrade, maybe I might be into that? I'm fine with what we have now.

Be honest. EVERYONE wants one. They just dont to pay for it, esp if they own a PS4 already. Which is my situation.

I sort of had the reaction that came up in the Beastcast discussion. I don't really understand who this thing is for, whatever it might end up being. Even more so if it is an actual power increase that risks fragmenting the user base if console manufacturers allow developers to focus on the newest hardware. I kind of feel like either give the console a few more years and call it a short cycle or you reivision consoles every year but keep them backwards compatible (within reason, like phones) but you lower the cost of every iteration so they're cheap enough to where you don't feel like someone robbed you for upgrading more often than once every 6-8 years. Though I am sure that's practically impossible. So for me, it all seems like a really strange plan that caters to some really specific demographic.

But at the same time, I have no clue what this may or may not be so I don't necessarily feel like setting my PS4 on fire and throwing it out the window and cursing Sony for all time just yet.

I'd buy one, if it was available (I don't have a PS4 yet). But, it's not like I was asking for a stronger PS4, you know? I don't care at all about 4K (do games even consistently have assets ready for 1080?), so the only thing I'd be interested in is a smoother framerate and better loading times.

Dammit, I just want a machine to play Persona 5 on. Does it have to get any more complicated than that?

As a jaded PS4 owner I don't really care. I do want them to make a better PS4 for the people that want it.. I do want new games to work on my old ps4 albeit at lower res (but lets keep frames at/above 30). At this point in this Gen, all my purchases seem to be happening on PC.

I think the polls have officially jumped the shark when they read more like market research questionnaires

I think it's too early to be doing new hardware revisions on PS4's or Xbox One's that add new features to the consoles. It splits the market up too much. I think if people want something they can upgrade so incrementally they would just buy a pc.

If Sony does this and it's anything more than a 4K player (which I don't care about) or a cosmetic upgrade, I will move to PC gaming full-time and never buy another Sony console. The reasons that I'm 50/50 PC/PS4 right now are:

(1) My PC is middling and only gives me marginally better performance than consoles right now.

(2) I do not particularly like tweaking shit or having to buy upgrades. I prefer to set and forget

(3) Trophies

If Sony starts forcing mid-generation upgrades, then that negates #2. I work enough that fixing #1 isn't cost prohibitive, (especially if, in the alternative, Sony is to forcing me to pay another $400 anyway), and while #3 would be annoying, it's certainly not enough to retain me by itself.

Only way I'll buy a more powerful ps4 revision is if my original PS4 breaks and there is some new game released I feel like I need to play.

If mine were to fail today I don't think I'd bother replacing it, in fact I'd replace my Vita before my PS4.

If the playstation 4.5 gets made, I will probably throw my hands up into the air and say "fuck this. I'm out!" in a calm voice and start saving for a gaming PC. This generation has been such a weird mess, it's like every console is turning out to be some early access bullshit. I really do love my PS4, but that might because I'm a lazy bum that can't afford a good gaming PC. PS4.5 would be the final straw before I finally test that theory. I'm not made of money, but at least I could decide my own fate with a good gaming PC, and not be left to the whims of a changing console landscape.

A large component of the next PS4 is 4K according to the developers, to the point that its known among them as the PS4K. I seriously doubt they are going to try and push that and PS VR both this holiday season unless they plan to position it as a better system for VR.

Which after todays stream wouldn't surprise me actually, i mean EVE Valkyrie could only run on medium on a 970, so i cant imagine how thats going to look on PS4

Maybe in like 5 years when they actually start making games in 4k.

I am generally a late adopter to new consoles both because of price and because I tend to wait until manufacturing works out the kinks and offers a better product. I've owned every Playstation so far and had been thinking about jumping in on the PS4 in the next few months. Needless to say my plans have changed and I'm just not sure where I see myself going now. Buying an actual gaming PC has been an appealing thought for awhile now, and I was able to go ahead and order a fairly decent machine for around a grand. I'm just not sure why I would also need a console, especially if they plan to start releasing little half step machines every 2 or 3 years. Why not invest in a machine that can do gaming, but also plenty of other stuff?

The appeal of consoles has always been price and stability. If things start going the way it seems they might, both of those advantages disappear.

If I hadn't gotten it for very cheap, I wouldn't even own a PS4.

Absolutely not. I mostly game on PC and don't feel that at this point I would get enough out of a non-Nintendo console to justify what I put into it. The only reason I have a PS4 is because I managed to get one of the 20th anniversary units, and beyond playing Bloodborne and Battlefront with a friend, I have barely touched the thing. Getting a whole new PS4 just to play games at better framerates would mean I've invested as much into a Playstation as I have into a PC only to play it significantly less.

I haven't had any reason to get a PS4 yet, so absolutely I would get one as my 4K device (in addition to using my PC). I don't know if it could handle 4K blu Ray, as there is only one 4K blu Ray player currently available and it is $400.

Not sure why so many boxes.

But I think it's a good idea to release this alongside the slim.

Yes I want one. Would I actually buy one? I don't know. We don't even know the price or specs yet.

I only recently got back into gaming by buying a PS4. That's because I liked to be sure that I don't have to worry about upgrades and if my games will work on the system for a couple of years. If they now screw this up and games run janky or not at all on the regular PS4, they lost me as a customer and I leave gaming again.

I can't believe all this confusion is good marketing for them, especially to consumers who are not actively following the news around PS4.

I mean, the graphics look fine. Everyone who wants the best graphics should buy a PC anyways. And messing up a working ecosystem for 4K or better VR performance seems like a huge gamble on Sonys side.

I'm not all that interest in dropping down another hundreds of dollars for another Playstation any time soon. It's only been like two and a half years since the PS4 came out, I feel like it's asking a lot of existing PS4 owners to buy another one so soon. I can totally see it being a nice thing for people who don't have a PS4 yet though.

If that power could be used to improve how the current games run, and not just for 4K. I would be interested, because the framerate is so bad on many PS4 games.

No.

I don't own a PS 4, so if I were to buy one, I would buy the newest model. But I am not a fan of this idea of modular consoles, especially when it comes to needing a specific version to run a game, so I would be extremely reluctant to buying one.

I would want a better and more powerful PS4 if it means I get higher fidelity games on my hassle free console.

I don't want to pay for another entire console.

If they offer a really good trade-in program I'm all for it. Otherwise it will be a salty, if not inevitable, purchase for me.

@humanity: That's my view on it too.

If my options are dropping another €400 on a console, I'll just finally get that graphics card upgrade I've been after.

If I could trade in my original console and get this new one for at most €150 then I'd consider it. But any more than that and it's a no sale.

However, I don't want there to be games that only work of the "new" PS4. If that's the case I'd rather developers have to stick with and get the most out of the current hardware.

@jesus_phish: Yah it seems a bit early to be throwing in the towel and saying "we can't get anything more out of this!" Last generation had some really stellar looking games like the Gears series, Mass Effect 2, Dead Space or the Uncharted games. They all ran pretty good too. This generation most games seem to have some serious framerate issues and lack in content. I actually wouldn't mind if developers took a step back from graphics and just made some solid games. Scale things back a bit, work on the content first and then how it looks. I think people would much rather buy a really awesome playing game that looked "good" instead of a beautiful looking game that played just average - the Order comes to mind.

Exactly my thoughts. The graphics on PS4 are not cutting edge, but I don't think that many people care about it. They are good enough. Most people who really care about graphics have a PC gaming machine at home, and I also think the majority of people who own a PS4 are casual gamers who are happy with the graphics where they are right now.

The only way I can see Sony pull this off is if it simply allows 4K video playback, but that leads to so much consumer confusion (even here in a gaming forum people are confused already). I don't see where Sony is going with that stuff, and I hope they don't ruin what has been a great console for me so far.

I don't own a PS4 yet, so in that way an update would benefit me. But any split in the userbase would be bad.