Golem.de spoke with Sony boss Shawn Layden regarding the state of console cycles. With the advent of mid-generation new hardware, many were concerned that traditional console cycles could be on its way out. Similar to smartphones, the gaming industry might have been considering taking out newer and more powerful consoles every year or so. Shawn Layden cleared all of this up when asked about the PS4 Pro.
According to Shawn, the PS4 Pro will not have any exclusives not playable on the original PS4. He explains instead the role of the mid-generation upgrade,
Shawn Layden: With the Playstation 4 Pro we have for the first time implemented this kind of innovation within the life cycle of a console. The pro is really only to offer advantages such as 4K resolutions and HMD for players who can and want to use that. Add to this a more stable image rate and larger hard disk space. But who has a standard PS4 has no real disadvantages. Each of our games will continue to run on the classic PS4 and possibly slightly better on the Pro.
Golem.de: This means that you are more likely to rely on a real Playstation 5 – whenever that will be?
Shawn Layden: Yes. It will probably be some time.
With that all cleared up, it should be easier to appreciate the role of the PS4 Pro as just an upgrade option. Other than that, Sony seems determined to continue traditional console cycles. They've mentioned numerous times that the Pro is a mid-generation upgrade and since it released at the end of 2016, we should still have this generation running until 2019 or 2020. Be sure to check out the full interview on the link below.
Are our readers excited that there will be a PS5? Share below.
raga
Microsoft and Sony will be running into the same problem: visuals reach a dead-end.
Meaning, when you get a more powerful machine, it will just be a matter of showing higher resolutions over and over. For the normal human eye, HD is already quite good. And while 4K is noticeable, only so when you put both type of TVs next to each other.
So they are going to need something else to show that their machine is next-gen. Something that can be touched or seen easily, otherwise people will just ask: why couldn’t you do that on the previous gen?
They might go Hybrid, like Nintendo. Or maybe with a full VR experience, once that advances and becomes cheaper? Or maybe it will be a full-streaming machine, where then only the network connection matters. It will be interesting to see what they do, but won’t find out till 2019.
Andres Fernandez
Well that’s why having a strong first party stable is important. When that dead end is reached it will be all about the exclusives even more than before.
HYPERTiZ
Far Cry 2 had realistic environment damage (crysis 1 too (on pc idk about ps3) – FC5 and crysis 2/3made it almost on existent so theres that to look for… After they removed for some assine reason. the problem is the weak cpu in the PS4 unless they bump up the PS5 to be atleast on par to a 8400 in terms of performance would be greatly appreciated for all gamers.