We know PlayStation 4.5 is real – but why is Sony making it?

eurogamer.net

5 pointsdeafcalculus2 comments

If I were a Sony exec, I wouldn't even bother making it without an HBM2 GPU and a Zen CPU. I mean, just another slightly more powerful PS4 that's a little better at supporting 4k games? Sounds pretty boring as a value proposition.

But if we're already hearing rumors about it, it's probably no farther than 2 years away. The PS4 uses a GPU that came out about 18 months earlier. So it's very possible an HBM2 GPU would not make the cut.

I don't think most gamers are that interested in 4k gaming. In fact, I bet many more are much more excited about playing VR games on the PS4. If the PS4k will be better for that (due to the better hardware), then I think they'd rather buy it for that, not for 4k games.

I wonder if even that's a good idea for Sony seeing how Microsoft faced a severe fragmentation issue with Kinect twice. If Sony offers VR as an optional add-on, most devs will throw in half assed VR features, which is not good for any one. IMO, a separate PSVR that's completely unconnected to the PS4 might be better for developers, gamers, and the future of VR.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com