A new, more powerful PlayStation 4 is on the way

A new, more powerful PlayStation 4 video game console is in the works, and it'll be capable of powering more beautiful games than ever before. 

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Sony's head of PlayStation, Andrew House, told The Financial Times in a recent interview that the new PlayStation 4, "is intended to sit alongside and complement the standard PS4." The two versions of the PlayStation 4 are not identical, of course — the newer one has more powerful internals, capable of powering higher-resolution games. It's an attempt at future-proofing the PlayStation 4, and a nod toward a future where more people own 4K televisions (the successor to HD televisions). 

House told the FT that, "all or a very large majority of games will also support the high-end PS4," and that all PS4 games will continue to function on the original PS4. Considering that Sony's sold over 40 million PlayStation 4 consoles already, the Japanese hardware company will need to continue supporting the original version. Moreover, Sony's House says that the original PlayStation 4 will remain on sale alongside the newer version.

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And yes, of course, the newer, more powerful PlayStation 4 will cost more than the current console (which costs $350). Both systems will also support the forthcoming PlayStation VR headset that goes on sale this October for $400.

It's not clear what the new system will be called (its codename is "Neo"), or when it will arrive (rumors give it a fall 2016 launch window), or how much it will cost (more than $350 is all we know). We do know one thing, though: Sony's not unveiling the console in mid-June at the video game industry's big annual show, E3. 

Microsoft, however, is expected to announce a slimmer version of its Xbox One. There have also been reports that Microsoft has a similarly more powerful version of the Xbox One in the works (codenamed "Project Scorpio"). 

All of which is to say: Maybe wait a few months before buying a video game console?

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