The Rumoured PS4.5 – What Could It Mean For Console Gaming?

There’s been talk of an upgraded PS4 floating around the internet for a while now. Allegedly it’ll have an upgraded GPU to support high-end 4K resolutions for games, whilst adding more processing power to enhance the games supported by Playstation VR. Sounds great, but what does it mean for existing PS4 owners? And is this where we see the line between consoles and PCs begin to blur?

Investing in a console is, more often than not, safe ground. You’ve purchased a platform that’ll tide you over for a good number of years without the hassle of hardware. It’s the power of plug and play that really drives console sales, giving everyone a fairly affordable box that you can just insert a disc into and click play. Most people don’t usually care what’s in the box, as long as it works and they can buy whatever’s suitable for their chosen platform; great, sorted. And this is the main differentiating factor between those who own a console and those who own a PC. The latter care about things such as overclocking, and how each component they’ve meticulously chosen squeezes out every possible smidgeon of FPS when combined and seated in a disco ball of wire management and impeccable air flow. So with the possibility that a PS4.5 is inbound, I’d imagine PS4 users would be left scratching their heads. They’d spent their hard earned cash on something that they thought wouldn’t require anymore management than occasionally clicking “update”. But all of sudden a new iteration of their investment appears on the marketplace with a pretty hefty upgrade.

“We have no idea what the PS4.5 could be. If anything, it could, as previously mentioned, be a hefty £300 replacement. Or will it be an add-on external component to the existing console?”

Lets be honest, I’d be quite frustrated knowing that in order to get the true PS4 experience, I’d have to spend even more money than I thought I’d have to. Potentially it could mean spending another £300 out of necessity as I’m meant to get with the times and evolve, man. What if I was happy in my primordial state? I distinctly remember enjoying my time with Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360 until they introduced DLC after DLC, budging me further and further out of online matchmaking until it was practically pointless to play unless I forked out money I couldn’t afford. It could be more of the same with the PS4.5. Not only will it kickstart a new take on consoles, but it will also divide an otherwise harmonious community.

We have no idea what the PS4.5 could be. If anything, it could, as previously mentioned, be a hefty £300 replacement. Or will it be an add-on external component to the existing console? As these are significant hardware changes, I highly doubt PS4 users will get a free upgrade. The best Sony can offer is a slight discount to an inevitably painful hit to the wallet. Even if it is as simple as buying a GPU upgrade that you stick into the side of your existing PS4, it’ll still affect the existing community in a way that’ll be tough to manage if they start telling developers to make games optimised for the PS4.5 in order to utilise its greater processing power. The only element of exclusivity within console gaming should lie in IPs, not hardware. Otherwise you’re taking consoles and shifting their position in the market. They’re an exciting new platform for developers to use for a few years until the next generation is introduced. They’re designed to be accessible to all, even as developers gradually improve their optimisation so graphics look sleeker and performance climbs higher. But their identity will morph to an ever-changing, convenient bundle of hardware to add to. Rather than having to research and plan your PC build, you could buy a next-gen console and just bung in new components when they’re released. That’s not a console; that’s something that the console market wants to avoid.

Another great aspect of console gaming is their character. You begin to get attached to your beloved console as they sit there, stoically powering you through a ton of unforgettable experiences and hilarious chats with friends online. You’ll relish the moments when the hideous home screen is updated, or when the clunky UI suddenly disappears for it to be replaced with gloriously intuitive interface. The satisfying clunk as you plug in more controllers, or the cold, damp touch of a cloth that’s resting on top of an Xbox 360 to prevent the dreaded red rings. The annoyed mumble as you can’t find the right socket, and the surge of happiness as you twist and turn the HDMI cable for the TV screen to spring to life; that’s console gaming.

“Another great aspect of console gaming is their character. You begin to get attached to your beloved console as they sit there, stoically powering you through a ton of unforgettable experiences and hilarious chats with friends online”

Of course, it’s all speculative, but I’d find it difficult to imagine this character being stripped away. Many of these things I’ve just described will remain, but the one thing that cements them all is the fact that your console hasn’t needed a face-lift. It’s got the musty fragrance of a warrior that’s seen it all, proudly sporting the battle scars of controllers flung. Sure, you can argue that buying an extra component doesn’t detract from the console’s character, but I’d say that it does. I love the anticipation and electricity that surrounds a new console reveal, but with evolving hardware this might start to waver. I’ll have the PC gamer mentality, looking to buy new components and constantly aware that my rig is a framework to mess around with. It’s your “baby”, but its innards are expendable. If I had the money I wouldn’t hesitate to do away with my parts and start afresh. And if consoles aren’t going to be growing old with grace anymore then it’ll only sap my energy for the next generation.

Am I saying that it would be worth buying a PC instead if consoles began turning to hardware upgrades? No, probably not. Consoles would still retain their convenient, accessible nature. Albeit you’ll have to steel yourself for further investments where there were none previous.

Finally it’s worth mentioning the repercussions of the PS4.5’s hypothetical existence. Does this mean that Microsoft have to arm themselves with an upgraded or upgradable Xbox One?