New 1TB PS4 Announced, Power Usage And Weight Reduced For Both Storage Sizes
Sony announced a new 1TB “Ultimate Player Edition” of the PlayStation 4 on Monday. The announcement is only for Europe so far, but there are tweaks coming to it and the 500GB version that will make the console lighter and less power hungry.
The 1TB PS4 Ultimate Player Edition was announced on the European PlayStation Blog and is currently scheduled to be released in “select Europe and PAL territories” on July 15.
“Offering twice the storage of the existing PS4, you’ll be able to download more of the games you love to your PS4, extend your play with more great add-on content, and save and share even more of your best gaming highlights,” the announcement reads.
A release announcement for North America is likely not far behind, as an FCC filing for a 1TB PlayStation 4 was spotted earlier this month. This resulted in speculation that Sony would make a reveal during E3. That didn’t happen, but there are still some improvements coming.
A Sony Japan document released Monday reveals that the PS4 is going to be 10 percent lighter and use 8 percent less energy than before. These aren’t huge changes, but the new weight will be approximately 5.5 pounds versus the current 6.2 pounds.
As a NRDC report noted in 2014, the PlayStation 4 currently uses approximately 137 watts of power during gameplay, and 89 watts while streaming video via apps like Netflix. Meanwhile, its standby mode uses 8.5 watts of power. An 8 percent energy drop may not seem like much, but it’s an impressive bit of industrial design given that this doesn’t come with a die shrink for the console’s CPU and GPU hardware.
The new PlayStation 4 is also receiving a cosmetic tweak. The glossy top cover has been replaced with a matte finish.
The move to a larger hard drive matches Microsoft’s announcement for the Xbox One prior to E3. That console is receiving a 1TB hard drive upgrade, as well. Microsoft dropped the price of the 500GB Xbox One to $350 permanently, while the 1TB is $400. Pricing details for the upgraded PS4 have not been provided, however.
Of course, existing PlayStation 4 owners can replace their current 500GB hard drive with a 2.5-inch hard drive of their choice. Meanwhile, Xbox One owners need only plug in a USB 3.0 external hard drive to expand their storage capacity.
Nice update for PlayStation app on iOS and Android improves PlayStation Store browsing experience and more. Give it a shot!
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 22, 2015
Meanwhile, the PlayStation app for iOS and Android was updated today to help with shopping on mobile devices and streaming games. Users will now be able to access the PS Store so that they can redeem gift cards and promotional codes through the mobile app. Those that enjoy streaming their gameplay will also now be able to have comments show on their phone instead of their screen.
[Images via PlayStation Blog]
