Upgraded PS4 Has Codename NEO, Here Are Its Specs

New evidence came to light from Giantbomb about the rumored enhanced model of the PlayStation 4, which, up until now, we referred to as PS4K or PS4.5. So, as it seems, the codename of the improved console inside Sony is NEO and will come with upgraded features, such octa-core processor at 2.1GHz (instead of 1.6GHz in the current model), more powerful GPU and higher bandwidth RAM, as well as the possibility of video output in 4K resolution.

As Giantbomb mentions, every game that will be released in October and afterwards, will support two modes: the "Base Mode" which will allow the game to run in the current version of the console, and the "NEO Mode", for the game to run in the newer version. This means that the titles in NEO Mode will be able to exploit the hardware upgrade (and extra memory) in order to provide more stable frame rate and picture quality. NEO will support 4K output, however its games themselves are not required to do so. The documents received by the website note that Sony offers solutions to developers regarding this kind of resolution, while the owners of 4K TVs will have to wait for the new console to upscale the games, in such a way that it will not affect the frame rate (Sony has set it as a priority).

The plan of the Japanese company seems to be that the NEO will coexist with the current PS4, using the same environment, the same Store, the same account system, the same menu, or in other words, providing the same user experience. As shown by the documents, there will be no games which will run only on NEO, and the developers will not be able to distinct PS4 players with NEO users in multiplayer. Additionally, Sony will not enable in-game content offered exclusively to owners of the new console. At local level, however, there may be improved features (8-player co-op instead of 4-player co-op). The features supported by both editions of the PS4 will be the same, and it seems that the PlayStation VR will not function differently in the newer model, denying recent rumors.

In the new information, there does not seem to be included a precise release date, plus the theme of games that will be released for the two modes (NEO Mode, Base Mode) does not necessarily mean that the new version of the PS4 will be released in October. The games that will be released by the end of September will need to be patched to reach the standards of the NEO and the developers will be able to prepare NEO-ready games before the release of the console. Something also worth mentioning is for a game to make use of the console’s features, it should be updated with a corresponding patch from the developer.

Last but not least, as Giantbomb notes, with this new info, it will not be surprising to see Sony dropping the price of a PS4 even more, so as to make it even more accessible to gamers.

E3 is just a few weeks away (14-16 June), so stay tuned!