2016 is shaping up to be an interesting year for console manufacturers. While the current players -PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U - are by no means falling behind in terms of technology, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are still choosing to make incremental updates to their current consoles.
Instead of releasing completely new consoles, these companies are opting for the release of half upgrades, or a middleman between base units. Sony is releasing the PlayStation4.5/PlayStation Neo, Microsoft has the Xbox One S and Nintendo has the Nintendo NX.
According to Tech Radar, the PS4.5 will have Ultra High Definition, thus providing a complete 4K gaming experience. That means a sharper resolution, and more frames per minute. Further, the PS4.5 will get a major overhaul in terms of horsepower. In fact, it is set to match the upcoming PlayStation VR headset.
PC Authority adds that Sony has confirmed all games that are compatible with the PS4 will be compatible with the PS4.5.
Meanwhile, the Xbox One S is confirmed to be much smaller than its predecessor - by as much as 40%. The new size and shape will make the console much cleaner to look at and easier to maintain. Especially because of the built in power brick.
Microsoft is also going to include an updated processor and GPU, as well as increasing the internal storage to 2TB. The visuals are set to improve to 4K as well, so users can leisurely enjoy a Blu-ray collection, stream on Netflix.
There is far less known about the Nintendo NX, particularly because the NES was just revived. However, it has been speculated that Nintendo will incorporate virtual reality into the console as well, making it a handheld/console hybrid.
An intense hardware upgrade is not actually expected, as Nintendo has made it clear that they are focusing on games and not the particular console in which to play them on.
