Sony Corporation is preparing to launch a new, beefed up version of its PlayStation 4 gaming console, according to a report at the weekend.

Social justice warrior gaming site Kotaku claims that the new PS4, tentatively dubbed PS4.5, will include “increased graphical power and games running at 4K resolution.”

The report notes that is is unclear at this stage whether users will need to buy an entirely new device, or will be able to upgrade their existing consoles; it is also speculated that there may be a trade-in service provided for those wanting the newer version.

While the existing PS4 can already display video and photos in 4K, it is unable to with games due to the resource demands of having to deliver four times as many pixels on the screen.

Virtual reality

While Sony is officially making no comment on the report at this stage the emergence of a new version of the PlayStation 4 makes a lot of sense if looked at in the context of what is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread: virtual reality.

While the PlayStation VR headset itself only offers a 1080p resolution, the computing power required to create really great games for it are more than the console can handle; competitors including the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift require high-end PC’s to power their offerings, ones that offer far greater computing power than the PS4, meaning that in theory, at least, both will offer superior gaming.

A new version of the PS4 could also potentially assist Sony in making more money if it was sold for more than the existing PS4, which had its price cut in October 2015 to $350.

Sony though has to be careful on two fronts if it is truly bringing a new version of the PS4 out, and that’s not pissing off its fans, and fracturing the existing ecosystem.

With fans, Sony needs to find a way to keep them onboard with the new model, be it through offering them a discounted upgrade path; with the ecosystem it has to be careful of a split where potentially some games will only work on the new console.

It’s unknown at this stage when Sony might make an announcement, but if they’re already working with developers it would be a fair guess to suggest that we might see the console announced officially around the middle of the year.

Image credit: knightbaron/Flickr/CC by 2.0