It looks like Sony has taken a page out of Microsoft’s playbook because, according to the PlayStation 4 software changelog, an update to the console is opening up developer access to the seventh core of the CPU.
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In terms of raw power, console hardware doesn’t really change over time; the PS4 you buy today will essentially have the same pixel-pushing components as one you buy in 2020.
When it comes to consoles, Microsoft and Sony are constantly trying to get a leg up on the competition.(Meanwhile, Nintendo happily just does their own thing.) If one or the other can somehow squeeze a little extra juice out of their console, they might be able to sway consumers into choosing them.
In total, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have eight cores, but at launch both consoles reserved two for the systems’ OS. Now, if this update report is accurate, Sony has opened up one more core to developers for use in games.
Stealth update to console will give more power to developers.
Currently, the only way to stream from the Playstation 4 is through Sony’s Remote Play feature, which allows streaming from Playstation 4 to Playstation Vita, PS TV or a Sony Xperia device. Backwards compatibility for games from Xbox One to 360 will go into effect soon while Sony’s PS2 emulation remains undefined by the company. Basically, more CPU power means more sources for the PlayStation 4 for games.
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“Some people asked if we plan to provide Remote Play function to PC, and yes, we are indeed working on an official application for PC/Mac”, Yoshida told followers on November 26th. Still, every little bit helps when trying to process complex scenes or bits of game logic. When Xbox One unlocked its core, the amount available to a game depended on OS demands – voice commands could apparently tie up half what was available, for example.
