Sony unveils new versions of PlayStation 4

[chahlley]

(Technology Today Friday 9 September 2016)

Sony unveils new versions of PlayStation 4

NEW YORK — Sony Interactive Entertainment, a division of Sony Corp, has unveiled two new versions of its PlayStation 4 console in an effort to help Sony maintain its sales lead over Microsoft and Nintendo.

The PlayStation 4 Pro, which will launch Nov 10, will support higher resolution and more realistic imagery by enabling 4k resolution and higher  dynamic range (HDR), said Mr Andrew House, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, at a PlayStation event in New York City on Tuesday. The console will also be available from Nov 10 in Singapore, at a suggested retail price of S$599.

Additionally, the company unveiled a slimmer, lighter and more energyefficient version of its PlayStation 4 console, which will come out on Sept 17 in Singapore and will cost S$449.

PlayStation Pro, whose code name is “Neo”, will support Sony’s virtual reality (VR) headset, due to launch in October.

Sony will also make an upgrade available that will enable all 40 million users of its PlayStation 4 console to upgrade to HDR, said Mr House.

Netflix will launch a new app when the console launches with 600 hours of 4k content, including its hit crime  series Narcos, said Mr House. Google’s YouTube unit is also planning an app for the PS 4 Pro, he said.

Since the 2013 launch, Sony has sold more than 40 million units of the PlayStation 4 console, far outpacing
Microsoft’s XBox One and Nintendo’s Wii U.

Sony has said the games business is set to be its biggest growth driver, helped by strong PS4 console sales, a rise in subscribers to its PlayStation network and the launch of its virtual reality headset.

In the financial year through March 2017, Sony expects the gaming unit to account for 45 per cent of its overall operating profit. Sony forecasts PS4 sales at 20 million units for this financial year, up from the previous year’s 17.7 million units. Reuters