PS4 Pro Review - IGN

With the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony looks to step into new territory by offering a mid-cycle, higher-power version of its successful PlayStation 4. On paper, the PS4 Pro certainly has the credentials to significantly enhance some existing and future PlayStation 4 games, but in practice, the results range from good to underwhelming depending on what game you’re playing and what kind of screen you’re playing on.

[freshslicepizza]

i guess most people will have to rely on sources like digital foundry to find out exactly which games improve and what the improvements are.

[stuna1]

To be honest I think people who have a 4K TV will see those improvements with no problem.

[Kingthrash360]

I don't trust ign to begin with. The pro has over 30 games supported on launch day and many more will come.. I heard somewhere that all games after launch would support it.
According to ign the xbox one s gets the same score....they didnt have a single game to test out hdr and only had 3 confirmed at the time of the review.. and MS wouldnt give them a demo to test hdr on. They said it was geared more for a movie buff guy. Yet it got a 8.5. No <---games in hdr and only upscaled 4k games that they couldnt see much of a difference compaired 1080p ...8.5...but they making it a point to say there isn't enough support for the pro? Even though all major titles this holiday are supporting it? At launch will have much more to offer...but according to them, not enough. I remember when the xbo and ps4 launched for the first time...they didnt have 30 games supporting it at launch..yet they ding the pro even though it has more support than both tge xbo and ps4 combind at launch? Lol man ign yall never fail.

@ moldy....what first party titles are coming out the rest of 2016?...none...so yeah from now on then. And I said I heard somewhere....I didn't say it was a matter of fact. Still what's your point? Was I wrong? Am I wrong about ign? About how bias they have become? How bought out they have become? They just complained about the support of the neo...but it has more support than any console in recent history at launch. I just can't see how it rated the same as the xbo s even tho it HAD ZERO SUPPORT AT LAUNCH. Smh but whatever...its my opinion that they have become a trash site, especially after Colin and Gregg left.

[kfk]

@Unspoken:

Whereas Digital Foundry, the site that actually knows about tech hardware, concluded:

"We expect Pro implementations to improve over time, and the first party Sony titles we've seen in the pipeline (Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone) looks simply sensational, but it may be some time before developers fully get to grips with the new hardware. But on the flipside, even in the here and now, even with so many different high resolution mode variations in the titles we've looked at so far, the bottom line is clear. Not much more money is buying a whole lot more power.

If you don't already own a PlayStation console and you're looking to invest, the Pro is a no-brainer. You're getting over twice the GPU power, a faster CPU, future-proofed display and streaming media support - and twice the hard drive space. The price-point is keen enough that it's going to take some seriously aggressive bundling deals to make the standard PlayStation 4 look appealing.

But if you already own a PS4, the choice of whether to upgrade is a tricky one. There are no system exclusives, the library is the same, and existing games will only run better if developers go back and patch them. If you own a 4K screen or are considering a purchase, the upgrade will be highly worthwhile, but what's clear is that there's little here likely to make your existing console obsolete. With an installed base rapidly approaching 50m users, that's probably a very good thing. But with that said, if you read Digital Foundry, if you appreciate image quality and performance as we do, it's really difficult to overlook the fact that there's a system out there that's better than what you have now - and if more titles follow the approach to enhancement seen in the likes of Rise of the Tomb Raider, PlayStation 4 Pro becomes an essential purchase."

[freshslicepizza]

King,

One again you are wrong. Only first party titles starting the beginning of 2017 are guaranteed to be pro upgraded. You seem to be just as confused about the ps4 pro as you are about Scorpio which you apparently want to talk more about and Microsoft. Do you really need to make every topic about them?

[BizarroUltraman]

@unspoken,

But if you already had a PS4. Im sure you'll be able to tell the difference if any in games. Those new to the product will probably need to tho.

[MadMax]

Not if you're simply upscaling and the game doesn't support proper 4K. Also, unless you own a 55inch 4K and are planning on gaming up close, it's going to be minimal. People are thinking 4K and getting crazy. There's not much that supports 4K at the moment. I think a lot of people are going to be very disappointed. I would definately give it time and wait. Apart from Uncharted, the new PS4 pro will serve not much purpose right now.

[S2Killinit]

Cant trust IGN they have a terrible track record.

[darthv72]

"According to ign the xbox one s gets the same score...." so had this been a 9 then King wouldn't have ranted on like he did.

sheesh the weight some people put on a number.

[Kingthrash360]

Darth...I just don't like the ign bias.
Fps games almost always gets a pass even though they aren't great experiences....like evolve getting a 9 for example.
My question to you does the xbox s and the ps4pro both have the same value? Same experience? Same support? Does a uhd drive have as much value to a gaming console as extra horsepower or support? Mind you it was only 3 months ago that they reviewed the xbos. Smh

[Utalkin2me]

I would figure trolls feet would get tired every once in a while, guess i was wrong.

[NukaCola]

The PS4 Pro will also Render games at 4k on a 1080p TV then shrink the image down the fit that size. Pretty awesome tech that will make even 1080p games gorgeous.

[LamerTamer]

Yeah but that is a waste of power. You could have things you notice more at 1080p if it just rendered native, like better draw distance, framerate, shadows, lighting etc.

To me that would be much better than softer AA looking edges from super sampling.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Why is Moldy always first on every PlayStation article?

Pro is getting great reviews though.

Over 40 Pro enhanced games on launch day.

[JackBNimble]

Because he is a concerned troll and hates everything ps4

[snoopgg]

Because he is a very moldy troll.

[Condemnedman]

what like your in loads of xbox articles. his opinion is as valid as yours in xbox/microsoft articles.

[jaycptza]

He's a effing tool with no life

[Rude-ro]

He is mad he bought a console for $499 that struggled to hit 900p and now there is a console 3x more powerful for $399 and now so many like him talk about how it is not worth the price.
Makes me giggle.
Heck, a 1tb Xbox one s is $349...

[GamingIVfun]

Vince is overly negative in most of his reviews, I don't agree with him very much. Personally I don't think he is very good journalist. He gives the console an 8.5 which a pretty good score, but the written review comes off as very negative to me, that's a trend with him, seems more so with anything Sony.

[Soc5]

yeah and it's still too early in a year we can look back and then really see what it has contributed to gaming

[DragonDDark]

" lack of uniform support holds it back a bit"

Didn't Sony say every game releasing after the pro will get the 4k support?

[freshslicepizza]

no sony didnt say that. all games will upscale to 4k but that is the same as now with the regular ps4 system and its games upscaling to 1080p if they are native 900p. after the beginning of 2017 first party titles are the only ones that have been confirmed to be upgraded for pro. by the end of this year it is supposed to support 45 titles.

http://blog.us.playstation....

[DragonDDark]

Oh.. Thanks you for making it more clear.

[IamTylerDurden1]

There are ALREADY 43 day one titles confirmed for Pro on Nov 10. I'd bet more than 2 games will be added from Nov 10 to Jan 1. They also said OVER 45 titles, meaning the absolute minimum would be 46. Anyone with a brain realizes the number of Pro enhanced games by January 1, 2017 will surely be well over 50 and likely closer to 60.

[Aenea]

Even in MP it's not being held back by the PS4...

Uncharted 4's MP for instance runs in 900p@60fps, according to DigitalFoundry it runs in 1080p@60fps on the Pro and they are still doing a more in depth analysis but they have noticed other differences...

[IamTylerDurden1]

60fps games appear to run at a more consistent 60fps on Pro according to Digital Foundry. Specifically they tested Modern Warfare Remastered and the Pro version stayed at 60 even when the original dropped to 48. This is with the improved resolution as well.

[Fishy Fingers]

The issue is as the gen continues more and more PS4 titles will be 30fps online, to maintain parity the Pro versions will also be forced to run at 30fps.

They should allow Pro only online games/matchs via filters on future titles to really get the most out of the hardware. Either that or except graphics > gameplay.

[stuna1]

How can it have uniform support when it technically hasn't released to the masses yet!? As it's already being shown there are developers showing support in upgrading frame rates and resolution as well as well as giving Pro owner the options to change on the fly, but we're talking a new PS4 with new abilities and options that require additional accessories to get the most out the hardware .

Like all things new, time is essential to drawing the fullest potential out of a product that requires updates and coding.

[Errorist76]

Don't irritate the fools with logic.

[AizenSosuke]

Lol IGN "Lack of uniform support" just like too much water really quick, that's pointless.

[Germany7]

LOL.

[GoldPunch-TR]

Only 8.5? Pre-order cancelled.

[tealive]

LOL.

[fiveby9]

IGN is a joke of a site. Why waste your time ever reading or watching that site? They exist to appease advertisers with product promotions disguised as reviews. They have so little credibility. Getting paid by the same people whose products you review is such a clear conflict of interest. Of course they'll say their 'journalistic integrity' keeps them honest. If you believe that then you have been fooled by them.

[Gazondaily]

Why don't we get these hilarious comments when they give exclusives high scores?

[MasterCornholio]

Which exclusives are you talking about?

[Gazondaily]

All of em

[fiveby9]

Many years ago I worked in the publishing industry for computing magazines. I know first hand the pressure on the editorial department to not bite the hand that feeds them. Why do you think a magazine / website like Consumer Reports does not take advertising? Product companies don't outright seek to control editorial content. But then can reduce their advertising budget with outlets which are not considered "friendly". When you take advertising money it puts pressure on writers and editors to not harm their income which is derived from advertisers. So regardless of which platform or console you like, always take these sites reviews with healthy skepticism.

[FunAndGun]

Gonna skip this mid-gen hop and wait for the PS5 leap.

[StormLegend]

you're gonna be waiting at least 3-4 years.

[FunAndGun]

lol, so will you!

[ShowanW]

good job sony.

[TheColbertinator]

IGN sure is overly generous these days

[MasterCornholio]

8.5 is a good score for the system. Other sites have been giving it 9/10 and 10/10 so an 8.5 isn't too far off.

[hiawa23]

Got $350 for my orig X1 and PS4. I can't wait for the Pro.

[Ra3v3r]

If it's proven to give a tangible improvement to VR fidelity I may upgrade my current PS4 to a Pro but the lack of a 4K TV is putting me off just now. Having a One S and a PS4 though it shouldn't be too long til I upgrade even if it's only to see HDR shine.

[no_more_heroes]

I saw a 50" 4k hdr tv in Best Buy the other day for $550. I think it was an LG, too.

Honestly, I'm suspicious of it, seems a little too good to be true lol!

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

Don't buy it!

[Jayszen]

No matter what Sony does and how well it does it, IGN will always try and justify whatever score it wants to give right down to things that are beyond Sony's control unless it is a first party game or studio (like uniform support).

[Perjoss]

A score on a console review? wtf is this

[Elda]

3 more days!

[acemonkey]

IGN has the worst reviews from movie, tv shows and gaming for years.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

so 8.5 is bad???

[acemonkey]

No did i say it was good or bad??????

[CoryHG]

I want to hear how it helps performance and visuals in VR games.

[senorfartcushion]

So sarcastically worth the extra money.

I'm going to be smart and NOT do what I've NOT BEEN DOING since this idiotic anti-consumer product was announced:

Ignore it and buy a Scorpio & NinSwitch in 2017 ps5 in 2018.

MWAHAHAHAHA

[kevnb]

Really? The ps4 pro is by far the best console for money right now. I mean the xbox one bundles offer decent value as well I suppose, but this is double the power of the original ps4 for only $100 more... i think im getting one Thursday. My only worry is that people just dont care and opt for the cheaper model anyway.

[kevnb]

I want to hear about how it helps performance in non supported games, I know sony said there wouldnt be any difference but even having better thermals can affect performance. Eurogamer will probably test soon.

[breakdancefight]

It will have no improvements to non-Pro supported titles. I am sure the built in upscaler will make a little difference,no improvements to frame rate will be seen.

[kevnb]

Eurogamer tested project cars and saw no difference, seems like if there was a game that would work a little better it would be something like that. Ps4 must not have thermal throttling, just louder fans in demanding games.

[TheDivine]

By the time all the games that take advantage of it release the ps5 will be announced. Not worth it.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

This review is annoying. He talks about how performance upgrades are inconsistent across titles and how that puts the PS4 pro on shaky ground... wtf?? Of course that's gonna be the case right now. The console isn't even released yet and devs are just now getting around to optimizing for it - not to mention this is an unprecedented event in console cycle history. I'm 100% confident that going forward most if not all PS4 games will have consistent pro support and best practices will naturally form for what is the best way to handle the extra power.

[S2Killinit]

That's IGN for you.

[fhizikz]

I guess .5 is the difference praising ign or shitting them lmao

[Maxor]

This basically confirmed what we all know. 60 FPS is a huge difference that anyone can appreciate where as everything else is fluff. 30 FPS is last gen it's time for the console to leave this behind.

[jjb1981]

I've already played one at Best Buy and it looks incredible. Coming on Thursday!!!

[NotanotherReboot]

owch

[watchem]

Can you have it at 1440p?

[breakdancefight]

Some devs will be outputting at 1440p checkerboard up to 2160p,but the system itself will support a 4k@30 over HDMI 1.4 and an HDMI 2.0 mode.

[plmkoh]

Is it just me or every single console review score is within 8.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

A bit lower than I expected from IGN. They're usually a shill site.

Personal review is 8.0. Lack of 4K DVD playback is a huge blunder. Sony has always been a pioneer in video formats. The only reason they held back on this feature is to include it in what I'm calling the "PS4 Ultra" which will be released in 2018.

[Skankinruby]

4k blu ray will never survive and Sony is smart enough to see a clear bad investment for what it is
@MultiConsoleGamer
Did I say 4k tv? No I didn't. I said 4k blu ray, physical media is bleeding a slow death and 4k blu ray is too little too late.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Within the next 24 months every TV on the market will be a 4K television. Sony is HEAVILY invested in the format. You literally have no idea what you're talking about. Please do some research into the history of this company.

4K is the future.

[Gwiz]

Movies and music are pretty much on digital media these days.I guess they're depending on that trend.

[Kaneki-Ken]

Ultra Blu-ray cost too much and barely see anyone talk about it instead I see people buying the regular Blu-ray/disc since it's cheaper . Also the majority of the people watched their movies/ TV stream thru Netflix and Hulu than buying them. You can't denied streaming is very popular this generation and Disc/Blu-ray is becoming a thing from the past and everything will be digital in the future. PlayStation have chosen Streaming / Digital where the people are at and Ultra Blu-ray movies take a lot of GB off console

[Master of Unlocking]

I agree with the first part of your statement, not including UHD BR support in the PS4 Pro is a blunder, though not huge because the choice just isn't there when it comes to UHD Blu-Rays, and they're not really 4K generally speaking (post-processing is usually done in 2K).
The second part however, hmm no, I really don't think there'll be a "PS4 ultra" in 2018 or ever, more like the PS5 in 2019-2020.
Anyway, even the lack of UHD BR support doesn't warrant to give the first console capable of 4K gaming (both upscaled & native!) an 8.0 IMHO. Can't wait to see IGN's review of the Scorpio one year from now when they'll tell us the 9.5 they give it is justified just because it has UHD BR support and is a bit more powerful than the Pro. Ah, some things just never change.

[no_more_heroes]

Would it be better to trade in my current ps4 or sell it on something like LetGo or OfferUp?

[Hardiman]

All the early users I've seen have really enjoyed it and the reviews have all been positive. I can't wait till Thursday.

[Darkspade]

PS4 with HDR is pretty amazing. Playing the last of us with HDR on is crazy. I'm sure there is a be difference once games are made for PS4 pro and then scaled down for PS4

[SynestheticRoar]

Always a little shock to see ign is still around.

[GNCFLYER]

So, same ol IGN confusing shit. They give a Sony product a hi score but you would never know it if you read the article because all they do is belittle the hell out of it.

[Gwiz]

Yeah lol i was thinking the same thing.

[N1]

I need to save up some cash for one of these. It's great to that an upgrade is noticeable ( If the devs support it ) even on a 1080 p screen.

[jc12]

no matter how you cut it...the PRO is a phased, marginal improvement over the PS4. This isnt necessarily a bad thing per say, it just is what it is.

[pyroxxx]

Those are the same idiots that cannot see the difference between 1080p and 720p,..
"the naked eye cannot percieve the difference between 1080 and 720 before 50 inches. That's what I heard". while having an over-scaned image on tv in the background,.. Their opinion does not matter
https://www.youtube.com/wat...