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How PlayStation Neo and the original PS4 will co-exist
View media item 2001763
View media item 2001763
In this article, we'll be drawing on the rules of engagement that Sony has supplied to PlayStation 4 developers. While these guidelines may change, the picture painted is clear and unambiguous. As the platform holder says explicitly, PS4 and Neo 'co-exist in the marketplace' - one is simply a more technologically capable version of the other, but there are some key points here amongst the wealth of information we'd really like to highlight:
Dual Shock 4 remains the primary controller: Sony has no plans to introduce a new joypad for the Neo hardware. The Dual Shock 4 remains unchanged and Sony has actually mandated that all existing peripherals should be supported with no segregation between PS4 and Neo.
1080p is the mandatory minimum display resolution: Sony is keen to push developers on to higher resolutions and super-sampling down to full HD is an option, but 1080p is the lowest pixel-count allowed.
No online segregation between consoles: If a PlayStation title supports online features, they must be deployed equally on both systems. Developers cannot have Neo-only servers. We believe this may actually introduce gameplay balance issues if, say, the Neo version hits 60fps while the PS4 version is capped at 30fps.
Save data systems are cross-platform: The PlayStation operating system is constant between both PS4 and Neo. This means that all data (save games, back-ups etc) are interchangeable between both systems by default. However, it seems that Sony is leaving it up to developers to ensure that Neo and PS4 save-swapping actually works.
Forward compatibility patches are for old games only: Sony really wants Neo support on all games from October onwards. While older titles can have Neo features patched in, the platform holder will not allow new titles to add Neo features at a later date.
[h2]PlayStation 4/Neo Game Compatibility[/h2]
Sony is very keen on developers supporting both systems simultaneously, and is motivating developers to ensure that there is Neo support in all PS4 titles from Q4 onwards this year. It's also firm on unifying the platforms with little or no exceptions:
- Neo-only or PS4-only games are not permitted (remember that Neo can still run unenhanced titles - developers are simply prohibited from locking out audiences of either console).
- All games you purchase, whether via disc or from the PlayStation Store, should offer both PS4 and Neo functionality with no extra costs associated in running titles on a different console.
- All new titles with Neo support use unified packages that run on both platforms. The CPU binary is identical, while three GPU binaries (shared, PS4-specific and Neo-specific) are all contained in the same package.
- All DLC and additional content is entirely cross-platform. Unified downloads are used for both this, and basic game patches.
- Neo support for old games is allowed via 'forward compatibility' patching - but this will not be allowed for new titles.
- Developers cannot supply exclusive gameplay features for Neo owners. If the game has a split-screen mode, it must be available on both systems. However, modes can be enhanced - so a two-player split-screen mode on PS4 could be expanded to allow a four-player variant on Neo.
[*]Developers cannot add exclusive content to either PS4 or Neo systems.
[*]If there's a bug in Neo-specific code, developers are not allowed to divert Neo owners to the PS4 codepath. The game must be fixed.
[h2]Rendering guidelines[/h2]
We've already described how Sony is looking to offer higher resolution support for 4K screens with the Neo hardware, and how higher frame-rates, more stable frame-rates, improved graphics fidelity and further visual features are encouraged. It's a topic we'll be returning to in due course as more information comes in. However, In terms of hard and fast technical guidelines for Neo rendering, Sony offers this:
- Games running in Neo mode must operate at a native rendering resolution of 1920x1080 (1080p) or higher.
- A game's frame-rate must meet or exceed its equivalent performance level on base PlayStation 4 hardware.
So 1080p is mandated which is good. I know some people were scared that the base version games will get gimped.
Remote play is also getting a boost to 1080p/60fps according to this.
http://www.videogamer.com/news/ps4k..._run_at_minimum_1080p_new_neo_info_leaks.html