PS4 Neo won't hit the PlayStation 4, says executive

PS4 Neo won't hit the PlayStation 4, says executive

Shuhei Yoshida confirms existing console's lifecycle will not be affected when next generation comes along

PlayStation gamers have nothing to fear from the PlayStation 4 Neo, a company executive has announced.

The existence of the new console was confirmed by Sony president Andrew House during an interview with the Financial Times ahead of this year's E3 exposition.

Now PlayStation Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed the Neo will not replace the PS4. Nor will its arrival mean the lifecycle for the existing console will be reduced, allaying fan fears that it would devalue the current platform or even kill it off altogether.

"PS4 is PS4," said Yoshida, in an interview with German games websiteGameswelt.tv. "The new high-end PS4 is still PS4, so you know the lifecycle is not going to be shorter."

With both Sony and Microsoft intent on releasing more powerful versions of their existing games consoles, many gamers feel a seismic shift has begun in the way the platforms are developed and sold. 

As GameSpot says, new consoles with upgraded hardware are typically released with several years between them, creating generations. It took Sony seven years to replace the PS3 with the PS4, while Microsoft waited eight to introduce the Xbox One after 2005's Xbox 360.

The arrival of the PS4 Neo and Microsoft's Xbox Scorpio, as they are currently known, could fire the starting gun on a completely new upgrade cycle. Rather than focusing on extensive overhauls with brand new devices after a handful of years, consoles could become more like smartphones, with regular developments unveiled that are compatible with more than one device.

The PS4 and PS4 Neo are designed to work alongside each other and play the same games. PS4 gamers will play within the same framework as those on Neo, although those with the upgraded console will have better-looking games in 4K resolution.

According to Alphr, it's possible the Neo could be released later this year, possibly to coincide with the release of the PlayStation VR headset.

As for the Xbox Scorpio, the Daily Telegraph says it won't launch until late next year.

This sort of "technical leap mid-cycle is unprecedented", adds the paper, but rather than signalling a sea-change transformation in how consoles are sold, it could just be a one-off for this generation, who are desperate to take advantage of 4K televisions and virtual reality headsets.

It's a theory that fits in with Yoshida's words, as it accounts for a return to normality for the PS4 lifecycle.