| Sony Plans New PlayStation for Graphics-Heavy Games The days of waiting six or more years between videogame-console releases are coming to an end. Sony Corp. is planning to sell a more powerful version of its PlayStation 4 machine to handle higher-end gaming experiences, including virtual reality, people familiar with the matter said, while continuing production of its existing console that has so far sold more than 36 million units world-wide. Existing PlayStation 4 owners would need to buy the new model to take full advantage of the enhanced graphics and power, though it is likely that the current model and the coming one would share the same software catalog, one of the people said.
The new console would be announced before the planned October release of the PlayStation VR, Sony’s new virtual-reality headset, the people said. It would be able to handle ultra-high-definition resolution graphics. The upgraded console would also provide more power for running the PlayStation VR, whose main competitors, Facebook Inc.’s Oculus Rift and HTC Corp.’s Vive, are designed to work with top-shelf computers. News of an upgraded PlayStation console was earlier reported by Kotaku. A spokesman at Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony’s videogame division, declined to comment. More on The Wall Street Journal |
