Both Microsoft and Sony upped their game with their current-generation consoles, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. But while both are outstanding machines, neither supports 4K resolution, which is (very slowly) gaining traction across the entertainment space.
But Neil Hunt, Chief Product Officer for Netflix, says we should expect to see new versions of both consoles that would include 4K support, perhaps by the end of this year. Indeed, last month, he told The Huffington Post that Sony had "promised" a new version of the PlayStation 4 with 4K video support, and that they would "expect eventually" for it to support HDR (high dynamic range) video as well.
Forbes approached Netflix this week to find out more about the "promise" that Sony had made about a new PS4 model. The company said that it couldn"t discuss Sony"s plans, but it did elaborate on Hunt"s comments regarding new versions of the consoles.
Netflix explained that Hunt expects both consoles to be refreshed this year, on a two-year hardware update cycle. Given the commitment from Sony that he alluded to, he says that when the new PlayStation 4 revision is released, it will include 4K support, and he asserts that the updated Xbox One will offer the same feature.
Of course, it"s very much in Netflix"s interest for 4K support to become more mainstream, given that the company is investing heavily in producing new content for customers who demand 4K streaming.
But it"s not surprising to hear that neither Microsoft nor Sony are willing to commit to supporting it publicly yet, although Sony did acknowledge that "support for high-resolution 4K output for still images and movie content is in consideration".