Sony's newly launched PS4 models in Japan features a new hardware design that improves power efficiency by 18 percent.
Although western markets also received a new PS4 - a 1TB version dubbed the "Ultimate Player" edition - its hardware design remained virtually unchanged from the PS4 editions that have been available since launch.
However, the new CUH-1200 PS4s currently only available in Japan appears to have had a major redesign hardware wise, even if the form factor remains the same. A teardown performed by Japanese blog Pocket News, and translated by Eurogamer, shows just how much has changed.
While the processor remains a 28nm chip, it is now a more efficient version. Double density RAM is now used to reduced the number of RAM chips from 16 to 8. There are also changes to a number of other chips, including the HDMI chip.
All of this combine to reduce the power requirement of the system, with a 30 to 50 percent reduction in standby power use, with gameplay power usage down from an average 148.6 watts to only 122 watts.
The reduced power usage also means a smaller and lighter power supply, a weight reduction of 80 grams. More importantly, the improved efficiency means less heat being produced, and the system fan (which remains unchanged in design) has had its speed lowered. This means the new PS4s are also quieter, producing a peak noise output of 56dB, down from 60dB (the average output is down to 52dB from 57dB).
This new PS4 design makes it unlikely that a "slim" version of the PS4 will available soon, but it is also expected that this revised, quieter, more power efficient PS4 should make its way to Western markets, possibly just in time for the important holiday sales period.
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