Evidence for Sony's more powerful PlayStation 4 mounts, as a new report suggests an official announcement for the console to come before PlayStation VR's launch.

Sony has yet to make a public statement regarding alleged plans for an improved PS4 that will bring increased power to the console, but a new report from The Wall Street Journal supports the notion of the tech firm going on to confirm its existence later this year. In fact, the WSJ proclaimed that the as-of-yet unnamed console – which is getting nicknamed PS4.5 and PS4K – will be announced before the PlayStation VR's October release date.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the new console will have stronger visuals and a higher quality performance, and will take up shelf space next to Sony's regular models of the PlayStation 4. Although the updated PS4 will supposedly be more robust in terms of hardware, both iterations of the system are expected to have an identical library of games, with titles released by the company assumed to work for the two separate platforms, with the report explaining:

"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."

With Sony itself admitting earlier in March of this year that its forthcoming virtual reality headset powered by the PS4 may be somewhat substandard when compared to its competition – Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey echoed the sentiment, saying that PS VR is not as high end as the Oculus Rift – a new console with the ability to deliver "ultra-high definition resolution graphics” could give Sony's product the edge. As it happens, the report from the WSJ claims one of the Japan-based multinational's goals for the new system is "to capture gamers willing to pay for a richer gaming environment, including a high-end virtual-reality experience."

While a price for the enhanced PlayStation 4 was not mentioned in the article, analysts in The Wall Street Journal's story did say putting out the PS4.5 alongside the normal version could help the tech firm provide Sony's fans with more options for gaming. Sony, however, declined to comment at all on any of the aforementioned plans.

Should the WSJ's report be accurate in every way imaginable, one of the best times for Sony to reveal the system would be at E3 2016. The venue is, after all, considered to be the gaming industry's Super Bowl, and announcing it there would undoubtedly give the company a chance to make a convincing case for the console to the biggest audience possible. Of course, even if Sony manages to sway some fans into purchasing it, an upgraded PS4 still presents many concerns.

What do you think about the possibility of a more powerful PS4 getting announced this year? Do you believe it would be a necessary move on Sony's part, or would it be a frivolous step in the wrong direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Sony's next major video game is the Naughty Dog-developed Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, set to release on May 10, 2016, exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

Source: Wall Street Journal (via GameSpot)