Coming up to a weeks worth of time with the PS4 Pro, I’ve come to a conclusion on Sony’s new system. Note that as the title suggests, I do not own a 4K tv, and so my thoughts of the benefits/limitations of the Pro are limited to my experience on a Full HD 1080p display. So, on to the impressions.
What’s to like?
At the least, you’re getting the PlayStation 4 experience over 40 million people have come to know and love since the original launched in November 2013. The system still feels snappy, the recent addition of folders helps some of the library management woes, and the 1TB hard drive means less time spent fiddling around with deleting and installing games and apps.
With regard to games, all your old PS4 titles just work in the new system, simply pop in the disc and you’re good to go. “What about all the extra power” you ask? Unfortunately it is down to the developers to decide whether your old games will receive an update to performance and graphics, however all games released after the PS4 Pro will be required to support it in some way.
A full list of games with PS4 Pro upgrades can be found here, and some of these recent releases give us some insight into how these improvements may manifest themselves.
Of the handful of Pro titles I have played, Crystal Dynamics’ Rise of the Tomb Raider offers one of the best Pro upgrades, with a plethora of features exclusive to the PS4 Pro version used to varying effect in it’s 3 different render modes. One mode is dubbed enhanced graphics mode, offering better textures, lighting effects and other visual improvements at 1080p resolution for maximum beauty.
The most enticing mode for me however has been the high frame rate mode, which renders the game in a smooth 60fps that really brings the gameplay together, giving you more control and a greater sense of fluidity in the animation. The 60fps argument is constantly raging, and it is a feature I am not usually too concerned about. In this instance however, there was simply no going back once I had tried this mode, and the promise of future titles such as Final Fantasy XIV offering a 1080p 60fps option definitely justify my purchase.
There is also a 4K mode, that renders the game at a much higher resolution than 1080p. While the complete benefit of this is not available to me on a 1080p display, downsampling still means that 1080p users benefit from running the game in this mode. This benefit is essentially better image quality and less jaggies and artefacts than the standard PS4. Interestingly, it seems developers will take this as the bare minimum approach to implementing PS4 Pro support, simply using the additional power to bump up the resolution rather than a full blown overhaul of graphics and effects.
All in all there are definitely tangible benefits for 1080p TV owners, and personally, I will take an enhanced 1080p image with better frame rates over 4K resolution any day of the week.
And not so much…
My time with the PS4 Pro so far has been exclusively with Pro enhanced titles, however some worrying reports have been cropping about how the system handles performance of some titles on the new hardware. As Eurogamer reports, some titles exhibit worse performance on the new system, with features like higher resolution causing sluggish or laggy performance, even when outputting to a 1080p screen.
This is at odds with Sony’s own developer requirements, which specify that titles must perform at the same or better level on Pro than the original PS4. While it is not a huge concern for the moment, this development is worth following if you are contemplating whether to take the plunge.
The bottom line.
I am happy with my decision to make the upgrade. I feel the performance increase and graphical fidelity afforded by the new hardware do add to the PlayStation experience, enhancing my enjoyment of and immersion into video games.
For a device I use every day, the cost is not too high, and the promise of the best possible gaming experiences in the future are extremely enticing, especially with titles such as Horizon: Zero Dawn and Days Gone not too far away.
If graphics are important to you, and developers continue to take the time to offer a variety of modes to take advantage of the PS4 Pro hardware, I see the console as a very enticing upgrade from the OG PS4, and a no-brainer for anyone picking up a PS4 for the first time
Thanks for reading,
B.
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