A new report hints that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One might be getting hardware refreshes that incorporate the ability to broadcast in 4K resolution.

IGN reports that Netflix has been streaming its content at "Ultra HD" settings -- a 4K resolution -- since April, and Amazon was quick to follow in its footsteps in December. Sony and Microsoft have reportedly both hinted at possibly putting out a "hardware revision" for their respective consoles to give them the capabilities to keep up with this new Ultra HD resolution. According to Forbes, Neil Hunt, Netflix's CPO, announced that Sony had "promised" a hardware revision, stating,

Aside from the lack of screens available to buy right now, there is also a dearth of set-top boxes capable of showing 4K HDR. Hunt said Sony had "promised" a hardware rev for the PS4 that will include a 4K video capability and that they would "expect eventually" for it to support HDR, as one example of where the industry will seek to catch up. But in the meantime any HDR TV will probably have a Netflix app built in, Hunt said, which solves the problem for now.

However neither Netflix, Sony or Microsoft have made further comments about the matter. Both Sony and Microsoft gave non-definitive answers when asked about the future of the consoles, assuring the public that they are committed to bringing fans the most updated technology, but giving no specifics.

While it's unclear what the future holds for either console, a hardware refresh in the second year wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility for either Sony or Microsoft. 4K resolution has been a larger part of PC gaming in recent months, though the adoption rate of Ultra HD TVs in the living room is still sparse. Perhaps we'll learn more in a few months about what fate lies ahead for the current console market.

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