It’s too soon for the next generation of consoles but that isn’t stopping the big boys from releasing special upgraded versions of the current consoles. Microsoft has already released the Xbox One S which is a smaller and more powerful version of their Xbox One console. Just when people thought Sony might be lagging behind they announced two new consoles. The PS4 Neo and PS4 Slim. As the name indicates, the PS4 Slim is a smaller version of the original PS4 with all the same hardware specs.
They’ve also included some physical buttons instead of the touch ones.
The PS4 Neo is a different story. Like the Xbox One S, it got a hardware upgrade. One of the biggest complaints was that none of the current game consoles could support 4K game resolution. With a new graphics processor that makes it just over twice as powerful as the original the PS4 Neo can handle 4K graphics. Although both Sony and gamemakers have said that there are no plans for any game being made exclusively 4K. But that does mean that gamemakers have to ensure that their games can play well on both 4K and standard HD. That also means it will be quite the machine for PS VR games and experiences since it’ll be able to run higher frame rates which will hopefully eliminate motion sickness.
Even though the Neo will be a more powerful machine much of the hardware stays the same (except for hard drive). Reports say that the ram and processor stay the same but are tweaked so they’ll produce more power. Overall the console should have much smoother gameplay and reduced loading times. Right now it isn’t clearly known how the Neo will look but the Slim has already been leaked.
The Slim sports some new symbols on it’s underbelly.
Finally, there has been no official word on cost. The original console sold for $399 and miraculously stayed there to this day. Some say that’s the reason for the console’s success. Xbox which was trailing kept slashing prices and can now be found at $350 retail. You can regularly find the Xbox One discounted all the way down to $300. Conservative estimates have the PS4 Neo at $499 and hopeful estimates are around $450. But before you run off and get a new PS4, Sony has clearly stated that the three consoles are meant to coexist in the same Sony environment, not to replace each other. If you cannot wait there are some people who have started selling the PS4 Slim in the UK before it’s been officially released.
The Slim also sports a new controller that has a much more subtle light bar.
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