New, More Powerful PS4 Console Upgrade Detailed Further in New Report

Following last night's report that offered new details on Sony's rumored plans for a beefier PlayStation 4 codenamed Neo, Eurogamer has now come forward to corroborate the story. The site explains it had been "sitting on" many of the details featured in GameSpot sisiter site Giant Bomb's report, but was waiting to confirm with a second source. Now, because Sony is "openly sharing [the PS4.5 specification] with developers," and in light of Giant Bomb's story, the site can confirm, "There is no doubt--this is real."

Eurogamer obtained the same documentation as Giant Bomb, but also added some new information. First, the site claims development kit prototypes are heading to studios right now. A new "test kit" will be sent to developers later, while a "second-gen" development kit will reportedly be sent out in June.

In all cases, the test kits will not match the final system's design, and Sony is asking developers not to share any images of the device. Of course, it's possible images will leak anyway.

A list of developers that the PS4.5 development kits are being sent to was not provided, but it seems likely that Sony-owned studios would be among them.

The Eurogamer report also claims Sony will provide "more intensive" briefings on the Neo system at its DevCon event in May. After that, Sony will start to accept game submissions for Neo-supported games in August. A release date for the Neo itself was not mentioned in this story or Giant Bomb's.

According to Giant Bomb, the PS4.5 will feature an upgraded CPU, GPU, and RAM. Every PS4 game will reportedly be required to ship with two different modes--one where the game will run on the current PS4 and one that will run on the upgraded console. The Neo mode will utilize the superior hardware to increase and stabilize frame rates, while also offering higher resolutions. 4K output will be supported, but games won't be required to run at 4K resolution.

A new PS4 model has yet to be confirmed by Sony, and the company has not responded to GameSpot's request for comment, or anyone else's for that matter. According to Giant Bomb, the system will sell for $400 whenever it is released. Bear in mind that, as with most stories of this nature, elements from the various reports about the system and its nature could change. Keep checking back for more on this story.

Sony may not be alone in releasing new hardware, as a recent report claimed Microsoft was experimenting with a "variety" of new Xbox device prototypes.

Not everyone is thrilled with the idea of mid-cycle hardware upgrades, however. BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk recently said such a thing would be a "gigantic pain in the ass" for developers and consumers alike.

While we wait for more details on the new PS4, you can read the new stories at Giant Bomb and Eurogamer and check out the Neo's specifications below:

	Original PS4	Neo
CPU	8 Jaguar Cores at 1.6 GHz	8 Jaguar Cores at 2.1 GHz
GPU	AMD GCN, 18 CUs at 800 MHz	Improved AMD GCN, 36 CUs at 911 MHz
Memory	8 GB GDDR5, 176 GB/s	8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s