Sony has revealed that its new PlayStation 4 home console won’t be able to output games in 4K Ultra HD quality to match the next generation TV technology that’s already in the works from the likes of Panasonic, Samsung and even Sony itself.
The console sports a HDMI out socket for connecting up to HDTVs of the sort most people have now, but it was thought that being a console to replace the PS3 for the next five years at least, it would be prepared for the next generation of TVs.
There is a redeeming factor however; the console will upscale your home movies and pictures to 4K quality, should you happen to acquire one of these super sharp tellies in the future. It’s only gaming that won’t be 4K, and Sony hasn’t yet confirmed the resolution in which you’ll be able to play games, though we expect it to be Full HD, or 1920 x 1080.
According to gaming site Polygon, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed this information after last night’s launch.
Whereas we currently play Xbox 360 and PS3 games in Full HD, or 1920 x 1080 resolutions, 4K Ultra HD TVs are capable of displaying an even bigger and sharper picture at a stonking resolution of 3840 x 2160. This would make for some mind-blowing gaming and movies, provided you’ve got the expensive TV as well.
Unless Microsoft makes its next Xbox 4K compatible for gaming it looks as though we’ll have to wait another five or six years before it becomes a thing. For now we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for a 4K Xbox, but we’re not holding our breath.