Sony is apparently working on an upgrade for PS4, nicknamed the “PS4.5”. Kotaku reports Sony is developing a new system that is basically a PS4 with increased graphical power and 4K resolution for games. The PS4 is capable of displaying videos and photos at 4K, but game resolutions are as high as 1080p. Kotaku states that the developers they spoke with say the extra power can enhance games that use PlayStation VR.

It wasn’t long ago that word was going around the internet that Phil Spencer of Microsoft was hinting at Xbox One getting a hardware upgrade. Perhaps both Sony and Microsoft are anticipating the launch of Nintendo NX? Maybe these companies think a model like with the New 3DS to be successful enough to capitalize on?

New Nintendo 3DS was sort of the first of its kind in that it offered more CPU power on the same platform. Previous Nintendo handhelds had upgrades even as far back as the original Game Boy with the Game Boy Pocket, GBA with the SP, DS with the DSi. All sorts of consoles have had remakes as well, but New 3DS would be the first one to actually have significant increase in processing power, with its own exclusive games, without developing a whole new system.

If you look at the previous generation of consoles, the seventh generation (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360), it lasted roughly 8 years before the current generation of consoles were released. The oldest of current consoles, the Wii U, is only just over 3 years old, the PS4 and Xbox One only 2. Now there are solid looking rumors that NX will release this year, and that PS4 and Xbox One might be getting upgrades to their hardware. Is this the start of half-generations, where consoles receive internal hardware upgrades halfway through their lifespan?

What do you think—is this the start of a new trend in console manufacturing, just an outlier of video game history, or do you think these rumors don’t hold any real weight?