PlayStation 4 owners, PS4.5 releases, what do you do?

I see that as the same shit they did when they rebranded the Playstation to be PSOne and took that opportunity to do a slim version ... they also did a slim version of the PS2 .. and guess what, they did many revision of the PS3 before the slim version.

It isn't different this time

So how do you expect it to power PSVR as a stand alone unit like Sony wants? Rainbows and "clouds"?

There would be no point in releasing another version of PS4 just to watch movies in 4k on PS4 since both PS4 and xbox one are capable of supporting media in 4k, just not games.

Sell PS4 to fund NX , even sell the Wii U if needed.

It's not going to play games in 4k. Flat out not going to happen. The hardware cost is way off the mark for that. Wasn't there an article on here just the other day pointing that out from the "leaked sources" as well? All it takes is a little math. A GTX970 is ~$320 and isn't remotely capable of 4k gaming (great card, though). That's just the video card. Now people are losing their minds over a supposed ~$400 4k console?

Will there be a more powerful ps4 revision? Possibly. Will it be set up for 4k VIDEO? If it comes to be, then I wouldn't be surprised. But it's not going to render games at 4k.

@casharmy: that would be a very stupid move. If so, the PSVR is dead and not even out yet

I'll likely just ditch consoles altogether since they really have sliced their own throats. PC does everything consoles suddenly wish they could do and they do it a lot better. The choice will be pretty simple for me.

What price is the PSVR being sold at? I am betting a majority of the price for Sony's unit ties into the external GPU needed to run games in that higher resolution. That cost could be translated to what would be needed to produce the PS4k.

When it comes to tech Sony are no idiots. If they are entertaining the idea I am sure they already have a prototype up and running.

Don't presume to make arguments about tech over a company who specializes in it like Sony does. look at PS4 and then look at xbox one (the huge weaker system) WITH a power brick. These guys are great at engineering and tech. Sony is one of the first on the market with 4k to begin with, I am sure they know what they are doing.

@casharmy: the ps4 already powers psvr games. They exist. It doesn't need to be 4k capable to do psvr. The psvr games are simply not going to be as detailed as regular ps4 games, enabling the hardware to do what it needs to do.

The reason everyone yaps on about how these consoles are so weak is because the devs are asking them to do things at the limits of their power. Every single ps4 game could be 1080p 60fps if that was the real, no bs performance target of the devs. But they can't do it, because if they stuck to their guns and hit those targets then SW would just have more threads about how "not next gen" things look instead of lolz over 900ps and 30fpses. We want eye candy? Some pixels and/or fps are gonna take a hit.

So, IF Sony stands by its word of demanding 60fps+ for all psvr titles, it can and will happen. But it's not gonna look like UC4.

Right, consoles don't need an upgrade. Sony is only doing this because of this..

If it wasn't for PS4 not being powerful enough to run that thing on it's own PS4k would be a thing. Still, it's a plus to people who want better performing and better looking playstation exclusives and multiplats. I don't care about PSVR at all, but it's clearly the reason Sony is doing this now.

If they do this right, it would be an over all upgrade of all assets textures, resolution, shaders, effects, draw distance and framerate.

I'm not the man behind the vision ( I know this shit was just to be able to run PSVR without the external power unit) but If I was behind this I'd make the option to simply run games at 1440k @ 30fps (most likely framerate even with the upgrade) or completely max out all setting I mentioned above at 1080p and that's where I'd lock my settings.

Like I said, if they do it right, they would have options something along those lines and I'd jump all over it...lol if they were to do it right. If they only offer 4k like you say and don't address any other graphical components then it's a bust and a flop unless you simply want to be able to play your PS4 with PSVR without the external power unit.

1. Sony has more of a background in PC building than MS does. Ever heard of Vaio? Besides the XBOX and Surface Pro, what other hardware system has Microsoft ever marketed?

2. In a situation where Sony is "stopping the competition" then why a revision? Isn't fixing something that isn't broke a bad business model?

3. The PSVR is a niche product and is intended to be marketed as a niche product. That's what VR systems are. Niche products. Consoles are mainstream products. Why would Sony feel obligated to fund an unsolicited hardware overhaul on a mainstream product to satisfy the requirements of a niche product? There's a huge disconnect here.

4. Matching a 'higher end PC' would cost more than $600 unless Sony was willing to sell the product at a loss? Since as you put it "Sony is stopping the competition", a revision would be completely unsolicited in the console market. Why would Sony then be willing to take a loss on hardware when they can profit on their current model?

5. You're in "left field" when you think for one moment that you will be able to upgrade a Playstation as cost effectively as you can upgrade a PC. When Sony has a monopoly on components, what's their incentive to give you the best price?

I'm not very wealthy and bought my PS4 to see me through a generation of gaming as I've done with the Sony systems of yore. I will not buy it, even if there is a decent upgrade system.

I've not really been gaming much on my PS4 aside from football games when friends come around, so it's actually mostly used as a YouTube box for me. My kids do enjoy playing on it though. VR and 4k do not interest me although I will probably make the jump to 4k in a few years when it's the standard.

I recently saved enough to build a modest gaming pc after being really let down by this generations inability to run a lot of games smoothly, so I think this might be the point in which I part ways from consoles unless something spectacular happens. I don't think PS4.5 or whatever it's called will be that.

There's no "external GPU" even in theory. There's no input standard on the PS4 with enough bandwidth. It's quite comical that you're grasping at straws here and this whole PSVR theory only came into existence within the past few posts.

If you can tell me, exactly what is it that makes the XBONE "huge weaker" than the PS4?

@casharmy:

Consoles are made to be as efficient as possible with the hardware they have. Once you start adding variables "after the fact" you either:

A: Had an inefficient and flawed console to begin with, since it was designed to be upgraded.

B: Have to rebuild the entire system from scratch to account for the hardware variable that you wish to change.

A hardware revision is not the same as a hardware upgrade, you're confusing things.

No...no it doesn't.

PlayStation VR’s external processing unit is the size of a Wii – report

We learned from a recent developer panel the VR headset will need another box to power it, alongside PlayStation 4 itself. Today, a new report revealed the box will be as small as a Nintendo Wii.

http://www.vg247.com/2015/12/17/playstation-vrs-external-processing-unit-is-the-size-of-a-wii-report/

Read, learn, and go forth into the world and spread misinformation on more...

Your assumption that these units will combine processing power is absurd and simply not possible. The reason the box is necessary is to post-process data it receives from the PS4 so that it can conform to the standard of the PSVR.

@casharmy: you might want to follow your own advice. The external unit handles important processing, but it's not another GPU in a box for the sake of the vr. Your info is outdated and, frankly, even if it WERE another gpu, that wouldn't motivate the tales of them creating a 4k ps4 - it would motivate them NOT creating one. Again, this ps4.5, if it comes to market, is simply NOT going to offer gaming in 4k.

MAYBE the ps5. But I don't think even that will be 4k gaming capable

@casharmy:

It's circular logic to claim that Sony can upgrade the GPU of the PS4 because:

1. Being a console, the entire system is designed to be 100% efficient with the existing GPU.
2. Being a console, a different GPU would require a system that makes 100% efficient use of it, meaning that all other components must be redesigned
3. If 1 is true, then 2 has to be true. If both 1 and 2 are true then you have a new closed system that is no longer a PS4.

Has Sony made any announcements on how this new playstation will work? Will it simply be a ps4 with more gpu power to run the same games at 4k and thus making sure that there are no compatibility issues between the two versions.

Buy 3 PS4K.

Why? Because it would take 3 of them to play a game in 4K?

ZING!

According to the TC this would be possible. You can LAN them to get 3 times the resolution. His understanding of hardware architecture is clearly limited and his argument clearly boils down to "wish I had a PC"

Edit: I meant Casharmy, not TC.

1. Ok, that contradicts what I said how exactly?

2. Didn't I already explain it was to support PSVR without manufacturing external componets? Redundant question that was already answered.

3. Being a "niche" product is your opinion and in my opinion it's a gimmick however the media at large is pitching VR as the next big thing. Your personal opinion about PSVR means next to nothing as Sony isn't the only company doing this VR thing and they are all going in as full fledged mainstream devices. The only disconnect is your opinion about what VR will be, obviously many companies who are going balls to the wall with this VR concept don't share your opinion.

4. two part answer for a two part question...

a. Matching higher end PC would cost Sony more than $600? So you are assume Sony is paying market price for contracted hardware from a manufacturer? lol you don't seem to know how things work in the big business world it seems.

b. Again you're are making an assumption that the current PSVR model with the external processor to run it's games isn't more of a profit loss than simply making current PS4s higher power. Again, you are trying to act as a trouble shooter on simple ideas that even a simple stock holders would have brought up before the project even left the ground.

Sony is wants PSVR to be their next big thing, a higher powered PS4 would go hand and hand with that plan while extending the PS4 brand life without the extra expense of creating an entirely new console from the ground up. This actually SAVES Sony money if you are planning for the future instead of looking at the right now.

5. Because they want to sell! Simple. The market determines if a product is too high just like PS3 and xbox one at launch. If Sony prices too high there will be backlash, Sony however want's PSVR to be a success as well as their firmly established "PS4" brand so they would try to be competitive with their pricing because they have a lot at stake if they want it to take off.

Because xbox one is huge compared to PS4 and it's also weaker? You don't seem to be the sharpest tool in the cabinet.

Also the PSVR "theory" as you put it didn't come into existence within the last few posts lol I knew that since it's announcement. It's not really my fault if others can't keep up without someone holding their hand before connecting logical pieces of a puzzle together.

I am not the only one to come to this conclusion

Rumor: Sony working on more powerful PS4.5

Developers told Kotaku that this “PlayStation 4.5” (it’s uncertain whether this is an official name or something used among developers) will include an upgraded GPU that supports both high-end 4K resolution for games and adds more processing power that can enhance the games supported by PlayStation VR. It will also allow developers to push more effects and other graphical tweaks to their games.

Currently, PlayStation 4 can output games at a max resolution of 1920×1080 pixels when playing games, whereas 4K outputs at 4096×2160 pixels. PlayStation 4 does, however, support 4K resolution for photos and videos.

Kotaku notes that the circle of people who knew about this upgraded PlayStation 4 was small until recently. Kotaku’s Patrick Klepek first heard about it from one trusted source, then two. And two of its other writers were also able to independently verify its existence. Hoewver, one source said that the device felt “exploratory” and might not even be released this year. At the Game Developers Conference in san Francisco, Kotaku heard that Sony held meetings with developers about the hardware. Another Kotaku writer even overheard developers talking about the upgraded hardware, calling it “PS4.5″ and discussing its increased power, 4K resolution, and PlayStation VR.

http://gematsu.com/2016/03/rumor-sony-working-more-powerful-ps4-5#X5q6VHO71DDBSrxK.99

buy it and keep or give away my PS4.

**** that model, NX it is then. The mobile example is fine for some, but not me. Only just got a Nexus 5X and the BB Z10 was my last one.

Question, doesn't the PSVR come with an extra box to power it?

1. You said that Microsoft would use their PC hardware skillz to Donald Trump Wall the console market into a PC/Console Hybrid Market and that Sony would not be able to conform, implying that they were PC inept.

2. The PS4 is commercially successful as a gaming platform. Questioning its integrity by releasing a superior platform would not be in their best interests. For those that may just hopped on the PS4 train (since it's only been 3 years) it would be quite disheartening that their purchase has lost such significant value.

3. No, these products are niche products. That's why they're not pushing VR as the future of gaming. It's not for everyone. Motion controls aren't for everyone. It's not a gimmick, it's a niche. This is universally understood unless it conveniently falls into the convoluted narrative required to make your argument even somewhat plausible.

4. A: No. It's not about "bulk" hardware because there is no market for "console components" from which Sony can make bulk purchases. The components have to be researched, designed, and developed. Efficiency is the basic principle and necessity of console. It's how they manage to fit such a powerful machine in such a small set-top box. These aren't existing PC GPU's and RAM chips that we're simply swapping out. They have to be designed and manufactured specifically for the Playstation.

4. B: Sony isn't going to change the Playstation's current hardware standard simply to conform to an accessory. That's what the external unit is for. It post processes the PS4's output so that it can comply with the PSVR standard. If the idea was the other way around, there would be no external processor necessary because the PS4 would be designed to output PSVR standard. A PS4 revision and the PSVR are 2 independent ideas. The fact that the PSVR requires an external unit only serves to debunk your theory that the two are related.

5. This requires, however, the establishment of a "console component market." Such a market would have to be created from nothing, from retailers to consumers. It would not be able to compete with the established PC hardware market because it's established and there's no risk. Show me these millions of people pining that they need a more powerful GPU in their PS4s and you might have a point. But realistically what would suddenly turn console gamers into hardware enthusiasts? Sony telling them? Is it even in Sony's best interests? It transcends the core concept of console gaming. If you're so anxious to own an upgradeable platform then buy a PC.

PS4 isn't a "brand". Playstation is a brand. Playstation 4 designates that it's the fourth iteration of the platform.

Maybe it's more thermodynamic. It doesn't have the memory bandwidth that the PS4 does. That was the right answer.

Putting together a puzzle is an interesting analogy, one in which you would be force-fitting two non-conforming pieces while I repeatedly tell you it doesn't work. The PSVR's reliance on an external processor is not in compliance with the PS4.5 theory. A PS4.5 would be designed as to not require the PSVR to do any external processing.

Key word: Rumor

Nice link, they sure made u click didn't they?

But the thread doesn't say anything about MS doing the same it just ask about the PS4.

Thats pathetic what it would really take is a bigger TDP and a willingness to do it.

The PS3 cost sony on 2006 $850 dollars to manufacture each one and they were sold at a loss,in fact all generation hardware had being sold after the PS1,and this one was not because both companies didn't want losses,if sony by any chance or MS would want to invest in getting something stronger they can do it,hell an $850 dollar budget would now would get sony a mighty powerful console.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102079R&cm_re=AMD_Radeon_R9_390-_-83-102-079R-_-Product

This PC cost $749 which is lower than what sony spent on each PS3 back on 2006,and carry an 8 core CPU from a stronger line up than the jaguar and a 8GB memory, R9 390 GPU with 8GB of memory, a 2TB HDD.

This ^^ PC would cost sony much less than those $749 that new egg is selling it for because they buy parts in millions,so we are talking about a $500 or $550 to build something like that,but there is no need for it from the manufacturer point of view the PS4 still selling like hell and just port a water down R9 270 so why get into losses.

Now i am not saying they will do something like this,just showing you how easy they can do it,i think the whole PS4k is nothing more than a PS4 probably with support for 4k video out of the box,and who knows maybe a revision of the APU inside the PS4 with higher clock speed and the 2 shot off CU enable,if they do a revision i don't think they will all out in power because they don't need to not because they can't.

Neither are most PC gamers in fact the huge freaking majority by a land slide are not playing in 4k on PC regardless of having the options,and i am sure a revision would be able to scale games to 4k,which is what many games even do now on xbox one which you are ok with,because i haven't see you putting a fight about 720p games that upscale to 1080p on that consoles.

Oh PLEASE... Is that why half of steam still on dual core because only console gamers stay 7 years with old hardware.? quad core CPU exist since the end of 2006 10 years ago,and half of steam still is on dual core man.

48% vs 44% on dual core.? There are more PS4 with an 8 core CPU than gamers on PC which has 0.26% 6 cores only 1.52% this adoption rated freaking suck,people like you talk about hardware but the fact is most don't buy that crap of go for the ultra expensive,there is a say that goes "If you are not first your last'" and i think it apply here if you don't have a top of the line PC you are not part of the master race you are just another peasant inside the master race,having the ability to upgrade doesn't mean you would and that every one has,the same way some hermits look at console game other hermits look down to them.

Lets say you have a 970GTX one of the most popular on steam now it has 4%,now if you have this card sure you have better graphics than that PS4,but are you a true member of the master Race.?

NO chance in hell.

In Tomb Raider in 1080p you have to be on high setting to hit 60FPS and with drops to 45,on very high you get about 38FPS in 1080p which many of you consider peasant resolution,on 1440p you get 43 FPS in high again,on very high yeah i am sure you will be getting around 33 or less.

And in 4k forget about it you get 23FPS thats unplayable on PC.

So you see if you are not FIRST your last regardless of beating a static console,you are no master on the race,you are just another peasant,and i say this because the huge majority of PC gamers are in deep peasants and not masters in any way.

The way sony and MS want to do it now is the correct form to do it,release a premium model that is compatible with all games rather than an add on,is like cell phones now,the difference is that on PC there is more room for a bigger jump than on cell phones.

1-Not all games are coded to DX on PC.

2-No is not always more cost effective even more with piracy which is huge on PC.

3-No that is a total joke,there have always being console developers,and is not because is less prone to piracy,the PS1,PS2,PS3,xbox 360, dreamcast.wii, xbox all were prone to piracy hell on dreamcast you didn't even have to mode the games would self boot.

I didn't know you needed the bleeding edge of computer hardware to be considered part of the Master Race.

@casharmy:

The most plausible theory is:

• Its a more efficient version of the current GPU.
• It allows 4k upscaling for gaming. This isn't pixel-for-pixel 4096×2160.
• It is along the lines of the XBOX 360 Elite / PS3 Slim
• Same console, different trim. This is typical of a console cycle.
• Your proposal that something unprecedented is about to unfold is unfounded by any non-speculative facts.

Answer, it does not provide extra power to games, but handles other stuff such as social screen:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-what-does-playstation-vr-external-processor-unit-actually-do

I'm also looking for the answer to this question. @dynamitecop Please respond, as this is the real topic you should have created.

PlayStation 4 owners, PS4.5 releases, what do you do?

Keep my PoS4.

Now, if MS makes a slim Xboner I would drop the 80´s VCR in an eye blink and get me one right away.

The limitation of consoles always boils down (no pun intended) to TDP limitations on set-top boxes. That's why rules of pricing in terms of PC hardware don't apply. For starters, you're referencing an "open box" product that gives you a $140 discount. Now try to build the same spec that conforms to the mini-ITX form factor and you might have something legit, yet the PS4 is smaller still.

Now, when console manufacturers work out TDP issues, they normally re-release a console, which I think may be the case here. More powerful GPU? I dunno. More efficient? Probably. That might allow for a slight clock boost, but nothing that's going to significantly improve the console's specs.

1. Yes, I know not all PC games are DX, but it is superior and by far more prevalent than OpenGL.

2. Piracy is more prevalent on PC. I'm not sure we're arguing that point. This is why publishers favor consoles.

3. Of course. There's no closed platform that is truly inaccessible to the end user. Consoles don't support P2P. Catch my drift?

On your point no.2 Yes, piracy is more prevalent on PC, there's no doubting that. There are, however, far more developers bringing games to PC and every single large publisher launches games on PC, more often than not, with far higher settings, gameplay options and in conjunction with the release on other platforms. The one and only [publisher] exception being Sony, who have now sold off their PC centric developer (SOE). That's why there are more games released and far more exclusive games than the consoles ever see.

4K native resolution with is still too far and expensive to put in a console - Even with today's 250-300w TDP based top tier gpu's barely make max settings at 4k at 30 fps. You have the need for much stronger cpu and gpu more memory and memory bandwidth with increased power cooling and material needed to consider as well.

Most likely it will be an slightly revised gpu able to upscale games to 4k being able to comply with the wider color range, and high-dynamic range imaging for better contrast that 4k allows.

Also since AMD is moving to 14nm this will allow them to shrink the current APU save nearly 50% in power/heat & size costs. This could allow them to upclock the current cpu to 2.4ghz to 3.2ghz while increasing gpu's clock rate making the console much more balanced. Or they could just keep everything nearly the same in design in 14nm and just make a new sleek new slim model.

Highly doubt its going to to be a total redesign or upgrade, its going to be revised PS4 with newer features and odds and ends. its not going to leave the PS4's base abilities. So that they wont alienate their current 30+ million user base.

I will care very little. Ifs Sony arent dumb enough to seperate their userbase. Besides would it not be more than just a PS4.5 as doesnt the powrer of the hardware need to improve drastically everytime you go from say 720 to 1080 to 4k.

The accessibility of Amazon Digital and Steam is bringing PC gaming back. Origins is a disaster. Consoles are so far behind in digital downloads.

Console gamers just don't subscribe to the idea of not owning a disk copy of a game so that they can "trade it in". So you could argue that pre-owned sales are causing publishers to return to the PC.

Without the overhead of manufacturing disks and purchasing licensing fees, PC devs are willing to try alot things that they simply would not risk on a console platform. There's a legit indie scene. On the console side, you have huge gaps of nothing between major releases that are over hyped, subject to excessive marketing and inevitably don't deliver.

Console gamers just don't understand the package deals you can get on Steam, the replay value that mods give old games, and how old-fashioned it feels to put a disk into a drive to play a game.

@Johnny-n-Roger: it wouldn't be specifically called ps4.5 or ps4k if that was the case

I don't think the whole 4k is for gaming in that resolution,also remember this is how supposedly the console is being refer to,and not a reference to the gaming abilities of the platform it self,i think the whole 4k thing is more about playing 4k video,and maybe there is some truth about carrying a little better hardware inside but from there to play games in 4k i don't think so.

Don't look at consoles from the perspective that a GPU cost $300 so is out of reach,the xbox 360 carry a GPU stronger than the 7800gtx on 2005,that GPU on PC was $550 alone,the xbox 360 had one more efficient and powerful,had a 3 core CPU a 20GB hdd and 512mb of ram,and launch for $399 but manufacturing cost for MS was like $525 per unit so MS was losing like $125 per unit on launch,and hardware wise to build a PC like the 360 in 2005 was more than $800 going with a single core CPU,if you think about anything dual core that cost sky rocket to more than $2,000 as dual core CPU on 2005 were a novelty and was just for bragging rights as basically no game on 2005 and probably most of 2006 as well didn't support dual cores.

The desktops, which start at about $2,300 to $3,000, are aimed at home multimedia and gaming enthusiasts who want the latest technology, as well as professionals in areas such as video editing. The chips represent Intel's latest thinking on advancing PC processors. Instead of driving rapid increases in speed, the chipmaker is now focusing on adding performance by stuffing additional processor cores into each of its chips, as well as building in new features such as virtualization, which helps carve a PC into different partitions to simultaneously tackle different jobs.

http://www.cnet.com/news/dual-core-desktops-hit-the-market/

Don't take my word for it a dual core PC on 2005 was like 2k or 3k depending what was inside,and the 7800GTX release in summer 2005 was $550 by december it was like $500 $475.

Times are not the same now but it is just to show you that when you are going to build this consoles the cost is not even close to those on PC,as you are not buying from a retailer,in this case sony and MS pay an amount of money to have several millions of this chip manufacture so the cost is incredibly lower,the Xenos on xbox 360 cost MS like $100 probably $160 with ram on PC that was $550.

Neither i think,from what i read the box is to give video to the TV,it doesn't process enhance or add anything to VR games.

What do you play since all you do here is defend the xbox one and trow mud at sony.?

Do you talk about games aside from 1 or 2.? No you don't.

This is what I was proposing as a viable scenario, but more specific. Probably a combination of getting smaller and quieter while upclocking the memory. Solving the throughput issue in regards to SSDs = less moving parts/noise.

Yeah the 360 would've made a formidable gaming PC when it was released, but I don't think it was sold at a loss. I know the PS3 sold at a huge deficit because of the hardware.

The PS4 is equipped with an ATI based GPU with 8GB GDDR5. Would you say its comparable to an R9 290x?

Edit: Meant 280X

Very well said. Finally a thread with good discussion back and forth rather than fanboy bickering.

I play on both PC and consoles, but looking at what you can get on the former, and how easy it is, it makes me realize just how far behind consoles are becoming. Put the disc in, wait for it to install, wait for the massive patch to install, have to deal with insane loading times in game, having to pay for online, etc etc...

Granted not every console game is like this, but I'm finding ease of use to be much more important than all these extra steps it seems to take just to play a game on console.

The PS3 wasn't small the 360 either the xbox and xbox one neither,so fitting better cooling solution is possible hell the size of the xbox one fit a huge fan,so TDP would not be much of and issue if you really want power you can build bigger and we all agree that no matter how big the xbox one look it pales in comparison to big cases on PC so size is not really a problem.

I think the bigger issue here is loses sony is not willing to get into those any more,and MS is tire of them as well so even more than TDP i think profits is what stop them,sure they can make a revision and make one version stronger lets say from 7870 to 7950 something like that but i don't expect a jump to something like 7970 or bigger any time soon,unless the hardware would be sold for $600 which some may argue is not worth it.

1-DX has never being superior to open gl,actually opengl offer better grip and for years has tools with less pitfalls,DX is easier tho.

2-NO there are a PC developers that don't make PC games and the other way around as well piracy is not why developer make games on consoles.

3-

See no matter in what side one stand there is always a point some one share,i agree with this ^^ post,i don't think at all that it will be a PS4 that play games at 4k.

How ever i don't think they will alienate their user base if they do lets say a new upgrade CPU and GPU say beefier CPU from the same line and beefier GPU like 7950 (not saying it will have it) because the way i see it i am sure they would use the same software os they are using now and would probably implement a flag that tell the game which console is running on,much like PC or ios and android.

Yeah, I don't get the point of the upgrade. There isn't enough time for any serious improvements to have been made within the budget of a console so far.