Sony has considered creating a more powerful version of the PlayStation 4 that would be capable of 4K support. This news comes from SCE Senior Vice President Masayasu Ito.
In an interview with Japanese site 4Gamer and translated by DualShockers, Ito explained that the hardware architecture allows the system to potentially be upgraded with more powerful components in the future. This move would be something that the Playstation 3 would not be capable of doing. The PS3 ran on an notoriously tricky Cell processor, but the PS4’s x86 chipset is an industry standard. This makes it easier to upgrade with more powerful components. If Sony goes ahead with this plan, then features such as Ultra HD Blu-Ray and 4K gaming will be possible on the system.
Ito stated that the plan is completely hypothetical at this point and that Sony currently has no plans to release an upgraded PS4 at this time. With Sony leading the market in terms of consoles sold, the question of should they becomes the main focal point. Sony would effectively split the audience of the PS4 if they did. Regardless, Sony is considering the upgrade a move that “might be considered.”
Having two simultaneous versions of one Playstation console would be a first for Sony. This move is a common practice for the handheld market but has rarely been done with a home console.