Here's The New PlayStation 4 Pro, Arriving November 10 For $399

By Rexly Peñaflorida
published

Microsoft struck first at E3 with the reveal of Project Scorpio, its upcoming Xbox console that will deliver “true 4K gaming and high-fidelity VR.” Now, it’s Sony's turn to reveal its PlayStation plans for VR. For months we’ve known it as the “PlayStation Neo,” but now it has an official name — the PlayStation 4 Pro.

The New Features

The new console is seen as a complement to the original PS4. However, it has multiple caabilities that make it stand out from its older brother. For starters, it will support 4K resolution as well as high-dynamic range (HDR), similar to Microsoft’s new Xbox One S console. However, it also has some upgraded components. The GPU on the PS Pro uses AMD’s Polaris architecture, and Sony also increased the CPU clock rate and implemented a 1 TB HDD for storage.

As far as titles are concerned, Mark Cerny, the lead system architect, showed off some games that will leverage the new PS4 Pro's abilities. For instance, games such as Ubisoft Montreal's For Honor, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Insomniac Games' new Spider-Man will support 4K resolution. Sucker Punch Production's Infamous First Light, which came out in 2014, as well as the upcoming Days Gone from Sony Interactive Entertainment's Bend Studios, will support HDR.

However, every PS4 owner will get to utilize the HDR feature; Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Andrew House mentioned that HDR support will come in a firmware update that arrives next week.

The addition of 4K resolution support also means that you have access to entertainment that supports the resolution. This includes 4K content on Netflix and YouTube, both of which will have apps on the new PS4 Pro.

If you don’t have access to a 4K TV, the PS4 Pro still adds some visual upgrades to specific games. One such example was Monolith Production’s Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, which utilized supersampling anti-aliasing in its latest footage.

However, the biggest factor for the PS4 Pro is the use of PlayStation VR. According to Cerny, developers can have increased framerates and better texture for their VR games on the new console. Cerny showcased Impulse Gear’s sci-fi shooter Farpoint, which has improved textures on the PS4 Pro.

Support For The Old And New

The lineup of titles that support that PlayStation 4 Pro is impressive, to say the least. Activision CEO Andy Hendrickson mentioned that the new Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered will be playable on the PS4 Pro. Call of Duty: Black Ops III players will also get to play the game on the new console with a future update.

EA also made an appearance and said that the upcoming FIFA 17 soccer game as well as the popular Battlefield 1 will be available on the console. It also showed off some early gameplay footage of Mass Effect: Andromeda, which will also be playable on the new console.

However, the PS4 Pro lineup won’t be strictly limited to a select number of games. House said that all future titles, whether they are disc-based or digital, will work on both the PS4 Pro as well as the base PlayStation 4, so you don’t have to worry about buying a new version of a game that you already own. He also said that publishers and developers should support 4K and HDR features with their titles, although it wasn’t mandatory.

Coming Very Soon

Whereas Microsoft’s Project Scorpio doesn’t arrive until Holiday 2017, Sony didn’t want to wait too long for the release of the PS4 Pro. It will arrive on November 10 with a price of $399, which is near the current price of the original PlayStation 4.

The timing obviously coincides with the start of the holiday season, but more importantly, it comes a month after the release of PlayStation VR. You can still enjoy PSVR content on the old and new PlayStation 4 consoles, but the PS4 Pro offers a slightly better visual experience that you won’t get if you have the original PS4 or the new (and smaller) variant.

Rexly Peñaflorida
42 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dstarr3
    If this means that I'll be able to play Bloodborne at 1080p/60, SOLD.
    Reply
  • Supernova1138
    18563739 said:
    If this means that I'll be able to play Bloodborne at 1080p/60, SOLD.

    Depends on what was slowing the game down. If it was GPU bound, then the underclocked RX 480 ought to help significantly. If the game was CPU bound due to the slow and weak processing cores, a 500MHz overclock isn't going to fix that problem and at best you'd get a more stable 30FPS rather than the 30ish you get on the regular PS4.
    Reply
  • nitrium
    I guess game reviews will have to mention how it performs on BOTH systems now, potentially doubling the review process? Also having a constant 60 fps vs 30 fps is going to make a huge difference for online multiplayer shooters (something PC users can usually address by adjusting graphics settings etc, but consoles don't usually have those). This fragmentation of the PS4 is really is going cause a lot of potential issues imo.
    Reply
  • jasonelmore
    They should have waited like Microsoft and used Zen Cores in the new console. Those jaguar cores are slower than netbook's cpu from 3 years ago. Overall, it seems sony rushed this one out the door. They should have waited and at least tried to match Scorpio's specs.
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    18564278 said:
    They should have waited like Microsoft and used Zen Cores in the new console. Those jaguar cores are slower than netbook's cpu from 3 years ago. Overall, it seems sony rushed this one out the door. They should have waited and at least tried to match Scorpio's specs.

    There will always be sloppy, unfinished, rushed software, no matter what hardware you throw at it. Pre-existing titles need an update in order to run on the new system, so that's interesting. They may also receive patches to take advantage of the HDR capability. Unfortunately, developers like Fromsoft won't be saved by more brute force. Luckily, Sony's team is there to bring Bloodborne up to snuff, though its issues may run too deep for a simple patch fix. At best, I'd expect some HDR and a stable 30 fps.

    I don't like console exclusives and they certainly don't exist to benefit consumers, but I am really impressed by Sony's catalogue this time around (not enough to actually be a buyer, but they do have my praise).

    I'd seriously consider the PS Pro if we were looking at Fromsoft's back catalogue, including Demon's Souls, Dark Souls I/II/III, and Bloodborne (a new Armored Core, anyone?) ... all remastered or not, with or without HDR, and Destiny. I feel like I could get into that one for some reason. A Destiny 2 (done in a way the fans expected of the first) and a new Red Dead Redemption (Renegade) could really seal the deal. Beyond those, not sure there's anything I'd be interested in.
    Reply
  • Carsten_3
    $399 and it will be obsolete when PS5 will be introduced together with Project Scorpio in the holiday season 2017.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    I care about 60 Hz much more than 4k. Does anyone know if the existing 30 Hz games will get boosted to 60?
    Reply
  • monsta
    Bit_User has a good point , think the 60hz needs to be addressed.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    PS4 Neo sounded much better than Pro. Anyway, so existing PS4 titles won't work without the developer patching them? Interesting... hopefully they get everybody onboard by the time it hits.

    Jason: Yeah it does feel like they rushed things a bit but I don't think it is entirely the fault of the hardware division. They were under pressure to get out new hardware ASAP that better supports their VR ambitions. MS is taking a different route so they can take their time. If Scorpio is indeed Zen-based that will be interesting.
    Reply
  • Flame_Runner_Fast
    @SUPERNOVA1138 Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive game. Not a PC game.
    Reply