Sony Exec Claims PlayStation Neo Won't Alter PS4 Lifecycle
Sony recently confirmed that it's working on a faster version of its PlayStation 4 console. The new build, codenamed PS4 Neo, will feature more powerful hardware inside that's capable of playing back 4K Ultra HD video and gaming at a 4K resolution, but if you're worried about cutting short the lifecycle of the PS4, Sony President Shuhei Yoshida says that won't be the case.
Yoshida spoke about the PS4 Neo and gaming in general at E3. Andrew House from German-language website Gameswelt interviewed Yoshida and asked him point blank if the regular console cycles of 5-6 years is coming to an end in favor of hardware upgrades in smaller steps.
"Well, no, PS4 is PS4, you know the new high-end PS4 is still PS4, so you know the lifecycle is not going to be shorter," Yoshida said.
Both the PS4 and Xbox One launched in November 2013. Prior to that, Sony launched its PlayStation 3 console in November 2006, while Microsoft's Xbox 360 came out a year earlier in November 2005. The 5-6 year lifecycle that House referenced in his interview is more like 7-8 years these days, though his question is a valid one considering recent developments.
Microsoft is also planning a significantly faster console for 4K gaming called Project Scorpio. It's said to be four times faster than the Xbox One, but it's not expected to debut until next fall. In the meantime, Microsoft is currently taking pre-orders for the Xbox One S, a slimmer version of the Xbox One that's said to be a little bit faster than the original Xbox One.
All of this is to say that the future of console gaming is a bit murky in terms of how Microsoft and Sony will handle new generation models. Rather than wait to 7-8 years to release a brand new machine, it seems that incremental upgrades in between major releases will become the norm.
Yoshida spoke about the PS4 Neo and gaming in general at E3. Andrew House from German-language website Gameswelt interviewed Yoshida and asked him point blank if the regular console cycles of 5-6 years is coming to an end in favor of hardware upgrades in smaller steps.
"Well, no, PS4 is PS4, you know the new high-end PS4 is still PS4, so you know the lifecycle is not going to be shorter," Yoshida said.
Both the PS4 and Xbox One launched in November 2013. Prior to that, Sony launched its PlayStation 3 console in November 2006, while Microsoft's Xbox 360 came out a year earlier in November 2005. The 5-6 year lifecycle that House referenced in his interview is more like 7-8 years these days, though his question is a valid one considering recent developments.
Microsoft is also planning a significantly faster console for 4K gaming called Project Scorpio. It's said to be four times faster than the Xbox One, but it's not expected to debut until next fall. In the meantime, Microsoft is currently taking pre-orders for the Xbox One S, a slimmer version of the Xbox One that's said to be a little bit faster than the original Xbox One.
All of this is to say that the future of console gaming is a bit murky in terms of how Microsoft and Sony will handle new generation models. Rather than wait to 7-8 years to release a brand new machine, it seems that incremental upgrades in between major releases will become the norm.
