It's rather surprising that both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One have been out since Fall 2013, if only because it doesn't feel like that much time has passed, and relatively few big things have happened since their respective launches. Both consoles continue to receive updates; highly-anticipated titles were pushed back to later this year, and some games are still releasing for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Basically, it doesn't feel like next-gen is truly here yet, with 2015 presumably being the year that all changes.
The PS4 and Xbox One are barely over a year old, but some are already looking towards the future and whatever redesigns/upgrades the two may get. Namely Netflix, who is predicting that 4K consoles are due out some time in the fall of this year. It may feel a bit premature, but if Netflix is to be believed, these 4K-capable models would debut two years after their predecessors hit shelves.
As reported by Forbes, sourcing this story from The Huffington Post, Netflix first began alluding to a 4K PS4 at CES 2015 last month, when Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt said that Sony "promised' a new PS4 model that would fully support 4K video.
After Forbes reached out to the streaming company to gain more details regarding a new PS4, Netflix, of course, didn't offer anything more, but did provide context on where Hunt was coming from when he spoke at CES. What it comes down to is that Hunt simply believes that Sony and Microsoft will release 4K PS4 and Xbox One models as part of their usual two-year hardware re-release. This would occur during the Fall months of October or November which, as said previously, would be about two years after both systems initially launched.
If Sony and Microsoft are, in fact, preparing new PS4 and Xbox One models for this Fall, it's almost certainly something the pair of companies would announce at a large event like E3. Or, equally unsurprising, separate events created and hosted by the two companies, like how both current-gen consoles were originally revealed. Until then, it's doubtful that Sony, Microsoft or Netflix will share anything else. Maybe some rumors and leaks, though?
When Forbes approached both companies about these possible 4K consoles, the two responded in ways you'd expect. From Microsoft:
"We remain committed to bringing leading entertainment features and services to the living room. Beyond that, we have nothing to share at this time."
Sony, meanwhile:
"Support for high-resolution 4K output for still images and movie content is in consideration, but there are no further details to share at this time."
'Slim' and other redesigns of the PS4 and Xbox One will definitely happen eventually, but it's times like this where many argue companies should slow down a bit and enjoy what's already here. Microsoft just sold a ton of Xbox Ones over the holidays and dropped the price back down to $350, so word of a newer, potentially cheaper system would surely annoy new adopters. The same could be said for the vast amount of PS4 owners.
Are some of you out there looking forward to the PS4 and Xbox One redesigns, or should we be patient? Furthermore, what is it about 4K that appeals to you, if anything?
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Sources: Forbes, The Huffington Post