Specs leaked for PlayStation 4 "NEO" upgrade

By Danny Cowan April 19, 2016

ps4 neo will feature faster cpu and gpu 2 640x0 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

An upgraded version of Sony’s PlayStation 4 gaming console featuring added hardware horsepower and optional 4K image output is expected to launch within the next year, multiple sources confirmed with Giant Bomb this week.

The yet-to-be-announced upgrade boasts a faster CPU and GPU compared to current PlayStation 4 hardware, optionally boosting in-game performance.

According to Giant Bomb’s sources, the upcoming PlayStation 4 hardware revision, codenamed “NEO,” includes a CPU running 8 Jaguar Cores at 2.1 GHz. The current PlayStation 4 model features 8 Jaguar Cores running at 1.5 GHz.

The platform’s AMD GCN GPU will also see a significant upgrade, allowing developers to take advantage of 36 simultaneous CUs (Compute Units) running at 911 MHz, compared to the current PS4’s cap of 18 CUs running at 800 MHz.

While both current and future models of the PS4 will include 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, memory bandwidth for the NEO model will see a jump from 176GB per second to 218GB per second. TechPowerUp reports that the NEO’s rumored hardware specs are very similar to AMD’s Polaris architecture.

Sony is reportedly taking measures to ensure that the hardware upgrade does not split its userbase. Following NEO’s launch, supported games will offer a “Base Mode” for existing PlayStation 4 consoles in addition to a “NEO Mode” that takes advantage of CPU and GPU upgrades.

Games running in NEO Mode can optionally output video at 4K/UltraHD resolutions, but a bump in resolution is not a requirement for developers. According to Giant Bomb’s sources, however, games that take advantage of NEO Mode must feature an equivalent or improved framerate compared to Base Mode performance.

Giant Bomb additionally confirms that upcoming PlayStation 4 games will not be allowed to use NEO Mode exclusively, and must offer a Base Mode option for the platform’s existing customer base. Sony’s rumored developer guidelines also prohibit PS4 game makers from including gameplay modes and features that require NEO hardware to function.

A launch date for Sony’s upgraded PlayStation 4 hardware is not yet known.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

This psychedelic PlayStation platformer is already 2024’s most surprising game

A character faces down a massive insect in Ultros.

With a mercilessly busy 2023 winding down, you’d think that I’d be ready for a break from video games. And trust me, I am, but I still can’t help but look forward to what’s on the horizon in 2024. I already know that games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth are bound to consume me, but there’s one indie game that I especially have my eye on: Ultros. The ultrastylish Metroidvania left a strong impression on me at this May’s PlayStation Showcase. That was largely thanks to its eye-popping visual style that’s unlike anything I’ve seen in a video game before.

While Ultros has the look, I was less certain about how it would actually play. I’d finally get a sense of that during a sweeping 90-minute demo. The segment I played would give me a feel for its deceptively deep combat, oddball farming component, and surprising roguelike structure. It was a complicated gameplay snippet that I couldn’t fully get my head around by the end, but that just leaves me even more curious about the final product.
The cycle goes on
At first glance, Ultros appears to be a straightforward game. It seems like your typical 2D Metroidvania where players dash through a maze-like map collecting power-ups. Within minutes, I figured I understood the entire gameplay loop. That was fine by me, because it gave me more time to soak in its wild art style, which really makes it unique. Every room is a psychedelic wash of colors that looks like a Grateful Dead poster. All the painterly details can make it a little hard to navigate, but I loved making my way through all of its gooey alien locales, which are rich with vibrant flora.

Gaming

PlayStation Plus is the perfect stocking stuffer for RPG fans this year

Yuffie holding three materia in FF7 Remake Intergrade.

I thought I had my fill of gaming subscription services. PlayStation Plus's price increase turned me off and the offerings of Xbox Game Pass never fit my fancy. While both of these have their positives, I've never been one to just drop so much money every month for a bunch of games I don't really care about. That was until I jumped into my yearly Christmas-time RPG mood and discovered the bounty of classics that's built up on PS Plus.

The First 11 Minutes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Gameplay - 60 FPS Performance Mode

Gaming

Sony’s new PlayStation earbuds are a perfect match — for my Nintendo Switch

Sony's Pulse Explore earbuds sit next to a Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you’re the kind of PlayStation loyalist who buys every add-on Sony puts out, 2023 may have been a pricey year for you. We’ve gotten the DualSense Edge, PlayStation VR2, a brand new PS5 model, and the PlayStation Portal -- but that’s not all. Sony is refreshing its audio offerings on top of all that, starting with the Pulse Explore next month.

Sony’s new wireless earbuds are built with PlayStation devices in mind. They use a new PlayStation Link connection system, which is built to easily pair them with the PlayStation 5. That tech actually replaces Bluetooth entirely on the new PlayStation Portal, which means that the Pulse Explore will be one of the only ways to get wireless audio on the handheld this year. It’s a sign that Sony is getting more aggressive about building a dedicated PlayStation ecosystem, Apple-style. It doesn’t just want you to buy Sony consoles, but all of the black-and-white accessories that go with them too.