Starting out as a mere rumor, the PlayStation NEO was called the ‘PlayStation 4.5’ beginning in March by nearly every user on the Internet that was speculating about it. Many press sites held off on reporting about the supposed new PlayStation until a trustworthy source could confirm it. However, it seems that the ‘PlayStation 4.5’ is, in fact, a reality and has been codenamed by Sony the ‘PlayStation NEO.’
At first, the idea of the PlayStation NEO was absurd to console gamers. After all, why would Sony release yet another system in the middle of the eighth and current console generation?
No one knows what went through Sony’s head when they came up with the idea, but no one can deny that if the rumored specifications are true and PlayStation NEO will really have 4K capabilities, then the new PlayStation will surely be revolutionary in the world of console gaming.
Proof that backs up the existence of the NEO is that Sony is sending out new development kits to studios and will be sending a second generation of kits in June. Game developers can expect to get more info on the NEO at DevCon in May.
Specifications
A spec analysis by DigitalFoundry introduces the new features of this PlayStation NEO, detailing the following:
- Eight Jaguar cores clocked at 2.1GHz (CPU)
- 36 ‘improved’ GCN compute units at 911 MHz (GPU)
- 8GB GDDR5 at 218GB/s (Memory)
While these specs may not seem different from the base PS4 at first, these specifications have faster speeds and jumps in performance, as seen by the doubled amount of GCN compute units. However, as for the CPU, while the speeds have been overclocked, the actual cores themselves will remain from the base PS4.
“While these specs are all well and good, I still have one major concern: will I have to upgrade the PS4 I already own to a NEO?”, Well, I’m glad you asked. The answer is a happy and definitive “no”.
If you’re worried at all about upgrading your base PS4 to the new NEO, as I’ve iterated, this won’t be required. No exclusive games will come to the NEO according to Sony and developers are prohibited from implementing NEO-only features to their games. It seems Sony is working to have their two consoles co-exist instead of conflict with each other.
In other news, if you’re the owner of a 1080p screen, Sony has stated that you can see multiple features from the NEO, including higher, more stable frame-rate, higher graphical fidelity, and more graphics features.
Any Release Info?
There is, unfortunately, no word from Sony about a possible release date or release window. Although it’s probably more likely for the NEO to have a release coinciding with the release of Sony’s own VR headset, the PlayStation VR, it still isn’t possible to say anything without making assumptions. There is also no word on what this new system may look like.
With the PlayStation 4 still the leading console of the generation, it seems odd to make an upgraded version as this might dissuade people from investing money into buying software and hardware for their base PS4. However, this is a respectable decision by Sony as they’re trying to give their console experience the extra edge by pushing the limits of their architecture.
What do you guys think about the NEO’s features? Go ahead and let us know in the comments section below!
