Earlier this week, news of Sony working on a revised Playstation 4 surfaced the internet. Now this isn't like a 'Slim' version with idenitcal components modified to work in a smaller package, this involved actually upgrading the internals, giving it a significant performance advantage compared to the Playstation 4 released back in 2013. Rumours claim the hardware upgrades would enable games to run at 60 frames per second at a 4K resolution, four times larger than HD-ready resolutions (720p). If anyone owns a standard PS4, they are told not to worry because all games made for the PS4.5 will be compatible with the entry level console, it is just that you would have to make do with compromised graphics, a lower resolution and 30 frames per second.
One of the main reasons why I believed consoles are such a hit is because their ease of use. The typical console gamer would buy a games console, plug it in, play any game they wish to do so and enjoy it for many years to come. Upgraded consoles make things less simple; with games being developed primarily for the PS4.5, developers could end up releasing unoptimised ports to the regular PS4 or even making titles exclusive to the superior console, dividing the community. Essentially, this is a premature generation jump - The Playstation 4 hasn't even had its third anniversary yet. Does this imply consoles are no longer the safe long term investment they used to be? The current RRP of £299.99 for a standard PS4 is far too costly for a console preparing to enter the decline phase, imagine the cost of its successor...
Both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 have adopted architectures similar to one used on a PC. This means it should be easier to upgrade components in a similar way one would do on a desktop computer - So it should come as no surprise Microsoft also has plans to make more powerful variants of the Xbox One too. Regardless of your console preference, rumours suggest console gamers are going to encounter hardware upgrades one way or another.
Essentially then, gaming consoles are gradually becoming more PC like, to the stage where they are upgradable like a desktop computer, and that's a shame. I have always been more inclined to play video games on a console, mainly due to the pick up and play nature. Having to think about system requirements and upgrading components is a drawback of PC gaming I could do without. I guess what's left to do is keep an eye out for any further developments on this story.
One of the main reasons why I believed consoles are such a hit is because their ease of use. The typical console gamer would buy a games console, plug it in, play any game they wish to do so and enjoy it for many years to come. Upgraded consoles make things less simple; with games being developed primarily for the PS4.5, developers could end up releasing unoptimised ports to the regular PS4 or even making titles exclusive to the superior console, dividing the community. Essentially, this is a premature generation jump - The Playstation 4 hasn't even had its third anniversary yet. Does this imply consoles are no longer the safe long term investment they used to be? The current RRP of £299.99 for a standard PS4 is far too costly for a console preparing to enter the decline phase, imagine the cost of its successor...
Both the Xbox One and Playstation 4 have adopted architectures similar to one used on a PC. This means it should be easier to upgrade components in a similar way one would do on a desktop computer - So it should come as no surprise Microsoft also has plans to make more powerful variants of the Xbox One too. Regardless of your console preference, rumours suggest console gamers are going to encounter hardware upgrades one way or another.
Essentially then, gaming consoles are gradually becoming more PC like, to the stage where they are upgradable like a desktop computer, and that's a shame. I have always been more inclined to play video games on a console, mainly due to the pick up and play nature. Having to think about system requirements and upgrading components is a drawback of PC gaming I could do without. I guess what's left to do is keep an eye out for any further developments on this story.
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