Opinion: The PS5 won't run games at 4K

I was recently reading about the PS4K and the Nintendo NX, and how both will operate at 4K. Now people have rightly said that the PS4K won't run games at native 4K resolution, it's more that it can display that resolution if required. I'm assuming if the rumours about the NX are true it will be similar. But this could be a set up for future public confusion.

If we go back to the launch of the Xbox 360, HD tv's had just came out. 720p was the standard and 1080p was for the really expensive sets. That was the norm so people were happy. When the PS4 launched 1080p was the norm. The console (generally) runs games at that resolution so people were happy. 4K tv's had only just started to launch the year before so they were the exception.

But things are changing. 4K tv's have came down in price a lot. New console iterations will support this along with tv/media services following suit. 4K will become the norm. This will create an issue for the general public perception of the PS5.

A graphics card alone that can display modern games with the detail turned up at 4K and 30fps costs probably at least double the cost of a PS4. Then you need lots of ram and a good processor. These are just generalisims. But if you want a 4K capable pc it's not cheap and that won't change anytime soon.

Now say the PS5 comes out in 4-5 years, and gets sold at a loss for around £400. It won't be able to display a native 4K resolution unless the graphics get toned down. But by that point 4K will be the norm. And because of this the general gaming public will expect it, and the gaming companies might try to (stupidly) accommodate it.

4K is cool but it's too much of a hardware jump given the likely timeframe. Bear in mind 720p to 1080p is roughly double. 1080p to 4K is four times as much. The PS5 unfortunately cannot be that leap in performance at an affordable price point. 1440p is what the next console should aim for. But I guarantee if it does a lot of people will complain. "Underpowered" will get shouted from the rooftops.

Submitted by JCSuperAwesome | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016