The PS4 Pro is Insignificant, and That's a Problem

The PS4 Pro is a nice piece of kit. But with lacklustre support from developers, it's hard to not be underwhelmed by what it offers.

[C-H-E-F]

lackluster support? You obviously don't play PSVR games on there, the difference is night and day. Also, games with proper Pro support look so much better than PS4 games, of course you need a proper tv to see the difference as well. I'm running on a LG B6 OLED. and the difference is noticeable.

[Notellin]

Definitely in PSVR I notice the improvements. I have a regular PS4 in my living room and my Pro is in my man cave but I bring the PSVR out to show people in the front room. Farpoint is so much better on Pro I don't like showing it off on the regular PS4.

But in regular games I find it disappointing that they don't use the power all that much. Or at least the games I own don't seem to do much. I also have a 4k HDR TV in the front room and a 4K 60fps ViewSonic monitor for the man cave. I bet more first party titles will start to look incredible on the pro in the future though but so far I'd say if you don't have PSVR just get a regular PS4.

[darthv72]

Wouldn't the psvr be more akin to a display and therefore have certain limitations in what it can display?

Pro seems to just allow for psvr to hit those limitations more consistently than the base model. Id imagine a psvr 2.0 would benefit the pro more than the 1.0 does.

Like how the pro is a benefit to 1080p more consistently than the base model and is able to really stretch its legs on 4k.

[RpgSama]

I actually love how someone like me with an original PS4 doesn't feel cheated or left out with the Pro, it's an improvement for who wants it or for new users, it's a mid-generation upgrade, key word upgrade.

[Notellin]

@darthv72 VR is not just akin to another display it's completely different. VR requires frame rates as high as 90 fps in order to reduce nausea and create an image that's immersive. Almost all console games are 30 fps with some hitting the 60 fps mark which is nowhere near high enough for VR.

Your comment seems to show your minimal knowledge in tech.

If you look at the minimum specs for VR on PC they are ridiculous. Any newer headset would require more than a PS4 pro. PS4 pro definitely isn't powerful enough to run HTC Vive or Oculus headsets at their specs. So no your comment doesn't really apply.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Honestly, as a 4K and PSVR owner the extra $100 asking price was well justified. With improvements to non patched games and better streaming performance there is a lot more to the Pro than ppl might think. Horizon, Farpoint, Nioh, MLB The Show, TESO/Morrowind, PS+ games like Killing Floor and Neon Chrome, Wipeout Omega. These are all recently relevant games that are dramatically enhanced on Pro.

[Petebloodyonion]

@Notellin
Actually, Darth is right on the money with is comments that the PSVR doesn't bring a different image (it's fixed at 1080P) but allows a more stable experience (basically what you are saying with frame rates).

Perhaps a PSVR2 would allow the potential of the PS Pro to be used as a 2K Psvr screen (for a game like race the sun).

[Notellin]

@Petebloodyonion Again someone who doesn't understand technology. It's a 1080p resolution but it's for two images one for each eye. So splitting the screen in half one for each eye the PS4 has to output two 960x1080 images.

No way the PS4 pro is capable of rendering two images at a higher resolution of 2k and 4k with frames high enough for VR. It isn't even able to play most regular games in those resolutions.

[joab777]

Yep. And every article on here when Neo was announced was about how it would be "too significant" and split the base. It's absurd. I love the Pro and it makes a huge difference if you have a 4k TV.

[OB1Biker]

Haha its easy to see where the media are going with their drumming.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Yea well most people by the numbers don't play PSVR, and that's irrelevant to the point overall. A more unified or global approach for the Pro pushing every PS4 game would be not only very welcome, but would also make the immediate appeal of the platform a more desirable purchase.

[joab777]

I'm happy with it being a great option for those either buying a new PSVR, a replacement PS4 or a machine for a new TV. We railed against Sony for creating something too powerful that would end consoles as we know them, or would split the base. They did very well!

As 4k TVs have plummeted, more and more ppl will want this option. My hope is that it extends this gen long enough that the PS5 is capable of running all games at 4k native 60 fps for $500. We will see.

[DivoJones]

I've heard that the PSVR box doesn't passthrough HDR. And the fact they opted to not upgrade the optical drive to a 4K UHD Blu-ray drive is also surprising considering they were the original console to support Blu-ray. It's a nitpick, but to make a box that can output 4K HDR but not give it a drive that supports that same media seems ill-advised. Have they not made enough money on PS4 to spend a little coin and match the Xbox One S optical drive?

[Deep-throat]

Yes, lackluster support.

Sony should discontinue the PS4 Pro and PS Now. They should focus on the PS4 then release a new console in 2019 or 2020.

[Knushwood Butt]

Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?

[rainslacker]

Why PSNow? it has nothing to do with the console itself. Seems you just want to throw that in there for the sake of having it out there.

Otherwise, why not suggest they lower the price of PS4P, discontinue the original PS4, and then go from there. That way, the newer customers can experience the best experience that PS4 has to offer, and wouldn't be denied the choice of what they want.

[IamTylerDurden1]

I honestly think there is an agenda. It makes little sense why ppl would bash the most powerful console on the market and the only console that truly takes advantage of your 4K tv. How tf is PS4 Pro insignificant if u own a 4K set or PSVR? Honestly, if u put up the money for a 4K tv and u are a PlayStation gamer Pro is almost mandatory. Ppl made a big deal about 720 and 900 to 1080p, but yet they scoff at a a game in 1440, 1620p, and cb 4K. Every game would be great at native 4K, but when no other console even renders above native 1080p atm i don't see how ppl can say a game is bad for being 1620p, 1440p, or 1800p. Especially when the ppl saying this are most likely playing their games at 720-dynamic 1080p.

[C-H-E-F]

@IamTylerDurden1

I find it funny, that people are like oh i have a Pro and 4k tv and i don't see a difference, that's because they bought a Pro and are running on a BUDGET 4ktv, might as well be running on a 1080p tv lOl. if your TV cost less than 2k and it says it's "4k" then you wasted 2k (unless you're able to find last year top end models for under that somehow). These are the same people that bought an element 4k tv from walmart for 698 thinking they got a deal. LMAO....

Like it's clearly a difference, especially in our game room my wife is running on a LG65UH7700 and I'm running on a 65" LG B6 OLED she has a ps4 I have a ps4 Pro and you can tell the difference right off the bat. I mean it's clear as night and day. However, most people don't have decent setups so guess what, they are here talking about how the Pro isn't being used well. lOl For starters the pro is just getting it's legs in the race, by end of the year into next year we will see it begin to stretch, but Horizon is mindblowing and Uncharted.

[rainslacker]

I wouldn't say it's lackluster at all. Every game coming out has mandated support, and some have some nice added features. I don't think it's really worth the upgrade after having gotten one, but since I do have one, I'm not upset about the additions to games i play.

The relevance of what it has to offer is really up to the customer though. Some people find more value in the added performance, some may just buy the best thing available without understanding it, others are content with the stock version of consoles.

But I don't feel the actual support is insignificant.

[consolez_FTW]

I got a pro for FFXV, horizon and BF1; those alone were worth it for me the difference is astounding with a 4k set up. and since it released in November, one in five consoles sold since then being pro models is definitely impressive. Outside of trying to downplay sales this article doesn't bring any evidence to support your claim that the pro is insignificant but nice attempt at trying to stir the pot

[DreadGara]

And so many games and upcoming game's are actually supporting Pro. So i don't know what the heck are they talking about....

[meatnormous]

I bought mine with the hope of better FPS at 1080p. I still have not purchased a 4k tv because I refuse to buy a cheap one and the content is just not there yet. I work for Directv (at&t) and we can barely get 4k content on satellite. My 1080p tv was a little over 3 grand for a 65 inch and I am not replacing that beauty anytime soon.

[Knushwood Butt]

I'm enjoying Uncharted 4 multiplayer in 1080p and better framerate on the Pro.

Put it this way: I wouldn't go back.

[BrettAwesome]

Those games look fantastic! So does watchdogs 2, titanfall 2, resogun and wipeout!!

[CrimsonPheonix]

The evidence is that everywhere outside of this PS cult people are dismissing it as a joke.
The thing does almost nothing for the average consumer. You need a expensive new tv just to see a slight difference if you try to.

[joab777]

Exactly! As I wrote above and as has been talked about recently, it is simply a gen extender so that the price of tech drops by the time the PS5 releases. It isn't supposed to be a huge leap, but something for those who have bought 4k TVs or PSVRs. Otherwise, by the time tech prices for a console capable of native 4k/60 fps fall to $500 or less, the PS4 would be severely outdated.

[Pantz]

Sounds like spew to me. I love my PS4 Pro and already got a 46 game attach rate on it since it came out. Even my Sister has a Pro. All of the Pro supported games look awesome and for the older games there's BOOST MODE!

[gbsrnctaln]

I have noticed that boost mode has helped SIGNIFICANTLY in games like Just Cause 3 and GTAV. I have loved my pro. And for $399, why fuckin not?

[meatnormous]

Boost mode helps in BF4 as well.

[hahaha]

Boost mode inspires me to take off my pants .

[crazyCoconuts]

Almost all new games I play are Pro enhanced somehow. Big games like BF1, Titanfall 2, and Horizon Zero Dawn look glorious on a Pro, even with a 1080p display. I also tried them on a 60" 4k TV, and holy crap! Just because some games don't have a patch out or they don't have a lot of config options doesn't warrant calling developer support lackluster as a whole IMO...

[lio_convoy]

Another person whining about what they feel they're entitled about. My god, this era is the era of the crybaby. I got a PS4 Pro and you know what? It cost me 20 bucks at my local video game store by trading in my PS4, and about 6 games I never played anyways. Has it been worth that 20 bucks and my trade-ins? Yep. If I'd have bought it from the get-go, would I still think so? Heck, yeah, I've played lots of games that've been either made to look considerably nicer or gotten a good boost in frame rate, or both. I think dev. support's been great for it so far, and for such a new console, the amount of dev. support it has is awesome. There's a lot more to come, too with RDR2, Days Gone, TLoU2, Spider-Man, MvCI and lots of other titles that I don't remember right now. My god, man, for an extra hundred bucks, I think the support for this mid-gen console has been great, and we've gotten a great deal for the system. It looks better, it plays better, there's more hard drive space to save games... I've got no complaints.

[morganfell]

I do not think this is from games pew but rather from game spew because they are spewing some crap. Do people even research before they write this drivel? How about simply thinking first? This is the second site I have blacklisted in 10 minutes. I do not need the idiot writing getting in my way of actual news.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

[_LarZen_]

I've been just more and more disappointed by the bad support developers have been giving the PS4Pro. I dont belive in Sony and Microsoft's philosophy that it's up to developers how to take advantage of it. They should have a strict set of parameters developers need to follow.

I really hope Microsoft has a team that works with developers. If not we will just see the same lackluster support as time goes by.

But one thing we must not forget. And that is that both the PS4Pro and Scorpio are just a new iteration. It's for early adopters of 4K TV's that dont want to wait. Because when the next version of PlayStation and Xbox comes out. 2160p will be the new 1080p.

EDIT: Mmmm...just love the salty tears. Keep down voting lads.

[DashArrivals]

Insignificant? What a full on bunch of horse crap. I'm not reading this obvious trash piece.

[bestofthebest]

Almost every game that has come out has some kind of pro enhancement

[Movefasta1993]

I wish Sony would have held out until this year and released a console on par with the Scorpio, they had such a big lead already and so had no need to rush it.I don't get honestly, if you think about it , the biggest thing going for the Scorpio is it's power,they could have eliminated that by releasing a console on par with it whilst delivering its big ip.

[Omnislashver36]

True, I would have much rather dished out $499 for a 6TFLOPS 12GB version myself. Imagining PS titles on a platform like that would be mind-blowing. I'm really hoping they do something special with PS5 now... 9TFLOPS/16GB would be astounding.

[Movefasta1993]

Yeah at least we'll get the ps5 sooner this way anyhow, hopefully the cpu gets a big boost

[Omnislashver36]

Maybe that Ryzen architecture will come in handy. I'm just hoping there are no hiccups in Backwards Compatibility because of it. Fingers crossed this is the real deal ;)

[LOCO209]

Insignificant huh ? Weird wording for this as it's just an upgraded PS4 and even the PS4 isn't insignificant.

I'd say NOT in the slightest like mentioned it helps PSVR and also a lot of PRO supported games have great support and getting more and more support as we move forward. Plus boost mode to help when possible.

The problem is devs are just starting to wrap their heads around these mid gen upgrades and what they can do exactly as to not leave the base line systems out on console. Console being the key word.

They have been doing multiple configs on pc for years but this is a first for consoles at THIS level other than basic up clocks and booster packs over the years.

I feel with a little time and also with the release of more than one mid gen upgrade we will start to see more and more support across the board from more devs other than first party.
Other than that i'd say the PRO party is just getting started.

[andrewsquall]

Its only as significant as it can be beside the already little standard PS4 GDDR5 beast that came before it.

But I suppose Scorpio is significant and perfect and that really says it all about the 2 current models of Xbone on the market this past 3 and a half years.

[Rude-ro]

Ahhhhh that time of year when Microsoft media shills go full force. This and Christmas... keep up the good work!!! You do wonders for gaming :/

[TheOttomatic91]

Not sure if author did his/her research but whilst Pro isn't selling as much as the standard PS4 (I mean what can at this point?) it still is selling hardware and bringing in cash for Sony.

[ChronoJoe]

I think the 4K enhancements are pretty significant and most games I have bought and played feature that support. I don't know what the author is talking about saying they're not noticable.

Yes, they're not noticeable if you don't have the hardware to go with them, a 4K HDR TV or a PSVR, but for people already invested in the high end tech for their living room, it makes a pretty significant difference to have the PRO behind that.

[Deathdeliverer]

I think they are trying to downplay the pro with scorpios arrival. Scorpio will be stronger, no doubt, but pro improves virtually every game in one way or several others. That lackluster support bulletpoint? Lols.

[Silly gameAr]

Seems like someone is mad.

[IamTylerDurden1]

20% of all PS4s sold are Pros and as 4K TV adoption rates increase so will the PS4 Pro adoption rate. Idk how u can say the most powerful console and the only console capable or rendering above native 1080p and 4K is insignificant. By this holiday it should be 1 out of 4 consoles sold being a Pro. Is that truly insignificant?

[SubZtx]

I like how people are bringing up "mid generation upgrades" Sony may be thinking that way, but I don't think Microsoft is. The Scorpio is 4x more powerful than an XBone. This is a new console with full backwards compatibility like they all should be from now on.

[NecoTehSergal]

This guys' opinion is insignificant.

[ShadowWolf712]

1 in 5 PS4 sales since it launched have been Pro sales. Hardly seems insignificant in that regard.

[Fist4achin]

Huh?!

[Miacosa]

40% of all new ps4s are pro models??

[ILostMyMind]

Buy a regular PS4 - The Best Console Ever Made.

[dumahim]

What was it, 1 out of 5 new PS4s are Pros? Doesn't sound insignificant at all.

[BadElf]

True

[DJ]

Not really, pretty soon it will be the only PS4 model you can buy. But that's because of AMD switching to a new manufacturing process, which is why both Sony and Microsoft did mid-cycle refreshes. Microsoft just took it more seriously.

[TrueRican]

its funny how people post article without knowing anything.

[bluefox755]

Except it's not...
So there's that.

[MunchMiller00]

"The PS4 Pro is a nice piece of kit."

A clock bump and a few unlocked CU's constitutes a "nice piece of kit" ? You must still be impressed with "the light bulb" and "the radio" are ya? Simple things...............

[Jayszen]

The writer of this article is complaining about the Pro just because according to him developers cannot be bothered to support the upgraded console as it represents only 1 in 5 of all new PS4 consoles sold since the Pro was released and under 4% of all the PS4 sold to date. The writer, however, says that when Scorpio is released the problem won't be as bad as developers will make the effort as there are now two consoles for which to make use of higher-quality assets. Really? So the writers' argument about the insignificance of the PS4 Pro is not applicable to the Xbox even though the Xbox One / S has probably only sold 25 to 30 million in total and Scorpio sales in the first year may well amount to no more than 2 to 5 % of total sales. Hmm.

Aside from stock shortages, price could also be a factor and perhaps the Pro has sold only 1 in 5 because it is also more expensive than the Slim. If that is the case, then Scorpio is in trouble as it will be more expensive then the Xbox One S (unless Microsoft is going to subsidize the cost heavily and take a loss on each unit). More likely is that as the PS4 Pro was not readily available in the first 6 months or so and there were only limited stocks, a lot of gamers just went for what was available just so they could play all the lovely PS4 exclusives coming out this year.

The Pro is ideal for those who have a 4k HDR TV as I do and is essential for the PSVR. Sony's first party studios do optimize for the Pro and given that the console has so many exclusives from first, second and third party studios, I suspect that there is no shortage of games that are ideal for the PS4 Pro.

[Inzo]

"it's hard to not be underwhelmed by what it offers."

It offers games, whats underwhelming about that?

[kungfuian]

The Pro offers 4k and VR owning consumers something they want while at the same time extending the potential lifespan of the PS4 platform. Providing a relatively inexpensive option for gamers who want 4k performance (checker boarded or other) is not insignificant. Increased performance on 1080 screens is not insignificant. And increased performance for PSVR is not insignificant. And the sales back it up. 20% of PS4 sales and 25% of revenue is not insignificant for a premium product; especially based on the early adoption status of 4K sets. I bet Sony is happy about those numbers!

But even more significant is that the Pro provides Sony a one year head start in the premium-mid gen console space. This preemptive move disrupts/dilutes the impact of Microsoft's scorpio and that is about as significant as you can get. It actually puts them in a really great position relative to their competitor and that's a really big deal.

[Einhander1971]

I personally think the Scorpio will insignificant but there you go.

[mad-dog]

There should be more support.
But a lot of games do have support and it's often a really nice difference.

[ligidiscbe1986]

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[BenRC01]

By that logic the Scorpio is pointless too.
I will admit that games look nicer on my 4k hdr set but i have told friends its probably not worth it if youre strapped for cash or fancy a switch or something else.
Play on my standard ps4 on my 1080p plasma and tekken/horizon/UC4 at still all look amazing.

[WickedLester]

I still don't understand why Sony felt this model was even needed. They would've been just as successful releasing just the slim PS4 and riding that out to the end of this generation. As good a job as Sony has done this generation, I still believe the Pro was an unforced error. Prior to the announcement of Pro, nobody was asking for it. Nobody was expressing dissatisfaction with how the standard PS4 was performing. It's like Sony forgot that part of what makes consoles appealing is the ubiquity of the hardware. I definitely think Sony put an unnecessary product on the shelves that hasn't really changed anything in terms of market share. If they had simply stuck with the standard PS4 and only introduced the slim, their lead over the competition would still be about the same and their total user base would still be about what it is right now.

[Platformgamer]

Mid gen consoles are bullshit. I hope sony understood it.

[Bolts]

The Pro is a game changer. But the biggest problem is it stills wallow in the gutter that is 30 FPS. There are 60 FPS games but they're only a fraction of the library and not enough to achieve true greatness.

[Ju]

I just got me that gold Slim for my travel PS4...and well, yah, nobody would say that once you go back from the Pro. It's not just the resolution. But it actually becomes pretty apparent when you are used to the Pro how much slower the Slim is. And that is navigation, loading, switching apps. Pretty much everything. Of course if you never had one. the Slim is just fine, I guess. Glad they made the Pro and glad I got one That's all I really care about.