Talks about a more powerful PlayStation 4 console continue to spread on the Web.
Sony hasn't made an official announcement yet, but evidence of the rumored upgrade has been steadily mounting. The Wall Street Journal supported reports from Kotaku and Eurogamer, which both claimed that the new PS4 will be able to provide "higher-end gaming experiences" that include virtual reality.
According to the WSJ, the console will be equipped with "enhanced graphics and power" and is capable of powering "ultra-high-definition resolution graphics." The new system will join the existing PS4, with both platforms supporting the same game titles.
"Existing PlayStation 4 owners would need to buy the new model to take full advantage of the enhanced graphics and power," the news outlet's report read. "Though it is likely that the current model and the coming one would share the same software catalog."
Sony is hoping that the new PS4 will "capture gamers willing to pay for a richer gaming environment, including a high-end virtual-reality experience," the WSJ added. The tech giant's continued retail of the standard PS4 along with the more powerful console will likely boost Sony's efforts to give its players more options in the PlayStation world.
The WSJ noted that the new console doesn't have an official name yet but is being called as the PS4 4K. Sources claimed that Sony will launch the new system before the October release of the PlayStation VR.
If WSJ's report comes to fruition, the new PS4 could be launched at E3 in June. An estimated price for the system, however, wasn't mentioned.
PlayStation VR Inferior to Other Virtual Reality Consoles
Sony has admitted that the PlayStation VR will not be at par with the HTC Vive and Facebook's Oculus Rift, which both run on higher-end PCs in the $1,000 range.
"If you just talk about the high-end quality, yes, I would admit that Oculus may have better VR," Sony Computer Entertainment VP Masayasu Ito told Polygon. "However, it requires a very expensive and very fast PC. The biggest advantage for Sony is our headset works with PS4. It's more for everyday use, so it has to be easy to use and it has to be affordable. This is not for the person who uses a high-end PC. It's for the mass market."
PlayStation VR will reportedly head to any of the 36 million PS4 consoles already out, GameSpot reported. The device is expected to be released in the first half of 2016, but it may be pushed to this year's fall season.