PS4 Pro Impression From a PC Gamer

I was one of the lucky who managed to get a PS4 Pro early and seeing as how the system is coming out today I thought of sharing my thoughts. As someone who games mainly on PC I hope the video below would provide some perspective.

[miyamoto]

The Naughty Dog Magic is strong in this one...
"Playing 4K on PC is a bitch" - LOL!

[RashBandicoot]

It really is. Honestly I don't think I'll upgrade by 980ti until Nvidia presents a GPU that can really do 4K 60 fps with ultra settings. That to me will be the future.

[I_am_Batman]

You can't expect a minimum standard like that because that would require devs to be forced to achieve this standard which is not happening especially not on PC. Saying that a GPU should achieve 4k @60fps on ultra settings doesn't contain any menaingful information at all. "Ultra settings" isn't an industry standard. Ultra settings in one game can be less demanding than low settings in another game.

I personally don't like this early jump to 4k. I would've liked the PS5 (assuming a late 2019 release) to go for 1440p-1800p (with less demanding games rendering in 2160p) and upscale to 4k screens similar to how the PS3 handled 720p and 1080p games.

With the PS4 Pro mirrored GPU architecture and only a slight improvement to the CPU it makes sense that Sony is prioritising resolution I just hope that they don't set expectations for the PS5 to be a native 4k machine.

[RashBandicoot]

@I_AM_BATMAN I know each game varies but right now for instance I can play most if not all games on Ultra 1080p @60 FPS. What I mean to say is that once it reaches that standard for 4K I'd invest in a new GPU.

[I_am_Batman]

I see. That will certainly take another couple of years. If next gen consoles push for native 4k resolution you'll probably get a GPU like that reasonably soon. The 980ti is a beast and will remain a great performing GPU for some time so you shouldn't have a problem waiting 3-4 years.

[nitrogav]

Was the BF1 game any different on Pro ? . Is there a proper Pro mode ? .

[ShadowKnight]

I can get 4K 60fps in a lot of my games on my gtx 1080. It works for Gears of War 4 and Battlefield one. The only game it doesn't work on is Dues ex it can't handle 4K 60fps atm. But you're right you should wait next year for the new cards because they'll be more design for 4K 60fps

[TankCrossing]

4k60 with ultra settings represents an almost absolute ceiling for graphics at the moment. If single cards perform at the ceiling then the devs aren't pushing hard enough. They could and should aim higher than that. Pushing boundaries is one of the most endearing aspects of PC gaming.

Not having to worry about performance and setting is one of the most endearing aspects of console games.

It's nice to do both!

[miyamoto]

Alrighty then.
It's the positive feeling you have experienced that matters.

Mark Cerny was able to make 4K TV gaming affordable at the right time.
Genius at work there.

With this Checkerboard Rendering technique Sony has set the PS4 Pro perfectly nice until a proper 4K PS5 comes at the right time.
And if the PS5 renders 4K games in Checkerboard then hello 8K.

[ProjectVulcan]

It's definitely too early for 4K consoles. When those kinds of resolutions are yet to make major waves in the PC space (it still isn't a huge market) then you can feel the market is a little too young for a mainstream console. The hardware doesn't really feel ready for it either.

Another 3 years would have been about perfect, for a totally new console platform, with a massive GPU generational leap, lots more memory and CPU performance, and comfortable 4K native gaming in everything with visual upgrades to boot.

What we have here is a sticker plaster solution. Pro is barely fast enough to make existing visuals 4K native and match the framerates of the same games on 1080p on the standard PS4.

Even in 2 years time you'll probably be able to stick something as fast as a Titan X in a new console, and get proper 4K and upgrades out of it.

[indyman7777]

I_AM_BATMAT.....Please sir didnt you know people cant handle the truth?

[UCForce]

Good video. I will buy Pro but I have to spend my money wisely.

[KingAlistair]

i traded my 980 ti for 550$ 1 month before the 1080 came out and got another one for sli.Very big upgrade and easily 4k/60 fps every game i own.

[starchild]

The PS4 Pro is a good value, offering pretty good quality for the price. On PC though you have to realize that you're usually running at higher settings and higher framerates than on the Pro so of course it will be more demanding.

I personally think a Gsync or FreeSync monitor is a must if you're doing any high end PC gaming. I'm able to run most games at 4k resolution at ultra or nearly ultra settings on my GTX 1070. With variable refresh rate monitors you don't need to worry about maintaining 60fps. Obviously the higher framerate the better, but even framerates between 35 and 60fps are pretty smooth on these monitors.

[Forum_Pirate]

What he doesn't mention: Playing most games on PC at ultra settings offers far higher quality visuals than the consoles can (and if you don't believe me, go look at the DF tombraider comparisons, and pay special attention to anything that doesn't get to be center screen a lot.

[Irishguy95]

Yeah, everyone loves their HDR and 4K, but the textures themselves are ignored..for now. Whatever Buzzword pops up!

[ShadowKnight]

He definitely forgot to mention that 😊. But for the value the Pro is still a great system

[Errorist76]

He mentioned that in an earlier video already. Yet he still said the PSPro held up remarkably well.

[Forum_Pirate]

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, you can get a 4k/30/Ultra capable PC (if will do 60 at the same settings but only in supremely optimized games, think DOOM and Borderlands 2) for 450 USD if you go hunt down a used i52500k on ebay and grab a 1060 or 480, which can maintain 4k/30/ultra quite often, especially if you tone down AA. If you don't buy used parts you're looking at 550 to 600, and if you add the cost of PS+ to your console like you should when assessing it's cost then the PC comes out about the same in terms of price. If you had bought a $900 PC around PS4 launch you would *still* have a more powerful PC than the PS4 pro and if you're upgrading from a PS4 to a PS4 pro it would also have been cheaper to get the PC.

[seanpitt23]

BF1 on ps4 pro my thoughts https://youtube.com/watch?v...

[solideagle]

"when you buy a new console you expect a new menu" he is not impressed because menu is same, first of all this is not new console. It's PS4 but enhanced version of it. I hope you understand the difference between new console versus same console with upgrade. did you expect new menu when you bought PS3 slim? lol

[StormLegend]

He was expecting a new menu (Which is dumb) but other then that, he loves the 4K! The visuals look really good and HDR makes everything better.

[Skankinruby]

An amazon reviewer said that the pro is not compatible with LG oled tvs. If this is legit and can't be fixed with an update that's crap because that's the TV I was gonna buy for this set up.

[Corpser]

What I read on neogaf is you need to force HDMI 1.4, something like that

[Rimfro]

I have an LG C6 OLED and 4K/HDR is working fine on the pro. It automatically switched to my HDR settings (prompt in the top corner) when Ratchet and Clank launched. Just make sure you turn on the hdmi ultra deep color settings, in the general tab of the menu, for the hdmi input you have the ps4 pro connected to. Downloading The Last of Us, and Uncharted 4 now. But yeah, all good from here. Tried it out just now.

[Skankinruby]

Nice, that would have pissed me off so bad

[SirCharles]

Tlou is not 4k60, it's 4k 30. Also, Uncharted 4 is 1440p.

[Rimfro]

Do you know if it will output to a native 1440 monitor? I don't feel like moving the pro to test it. Haha.

[TheManicCoder]

Hey @Rimfro, I actually have wondered about this myself. It looks like it will only output up to 1080p (so like the current PS4) or 4K. I've asked a friend of mine to test, but this seems to be the case which is why I won't upgrade (for now).

[Rimfro]

@TheManicCoder

Good looking out. I may be tempted to hook it up anyway, just to see for myself. If, by some miracle, I can rig it to work, I'll let you know. Haha. I'd be okay with it just working with uncharted, to be honest. I'm currently running it on an OLED.

The HDR on ratchet and clank is gorgeous. Whatever 4K upscaling they are using, it's legit. The image is just a tad soft in spots, but it almost appears native. Im fairly impressed with the pro, right now, which is funny, because I've been kinda hating on it since the reveal. Haha.

[Glemt]

I came here to read an article, not watch a video : /

[bean59]

I'll invest in 4k when nividia release an affordable mid range card that can do 4k @ 60 fps with all the bells and whistles. No way would I spend 1000$ on a titanx or 700$ for a 1080. I can build a new PC for the price of one of these cards.

[dragonaught007]

I give it at least two more years till that happens

[PrinterMan]

1080 is pretty sweet though but ya it is pricey. Even the 1080 though cannot run all games on ultra at 4K 60 fps. Close but some settings on some games still need to be tuned. Overwatch, infinite warfare, mgs5 and several others are no problem. That's with an i5 6600k processor

[MADGameR]

I have a high end gaming PC and just picked up the last PS4 Pro on Target today! I'm happy with it! n___n

[Shineon]

sure you do I almost bought a pro based off your post but Ive read your comment history boy oh boy playstation man

[Rimfro]

I'm as far from a ps4 fanboy, if you check my post history, and I'm digging the pro so far. I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have access to a 4K display just yet or already own a ps4 (at least not yet), but if you have any interest, and the set-up, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the image quality on a 4K display. It's a noticeable improvement in 4K image quality from the Xbox One S (which is also my UHD Blu-ray player).

[Shineon]

@Rimfro I agree buddy

[Malice-Flare]

the cut-off point will be when PS5 is launched...

[LoveSpuds]

I definately noticed an improvement with Battlefield1, it looks fab. I tried The Last of Us and it also looked incredible but so far, the game that has utterly blown my socks off is TombRaider, my god it looks incredible!

I have to agree with Digital Foundry, while its not as good as high end PC and its not always true 4K, the amount of bang for your buck and the improvement over standard PS4 is really impressive.

[KingAlistair]

Being for 4k gamer since early 2013 and having played with the pro up close,its at least 5 times slower compared to my current setup,but should be a meaningful upgrade to a console owner.

[mad-dog]

Disagree about the downsampling on a 1080P screen. Makes a huge difference for me in some games right now. Especially on a large screen.
I hope more games will get a patch.

[Game-o-holic]

lol. A vegetarians' view of a meat eater.

[teo72]

I just bought the pro yesterday and I only have a 1080p tv. I popped in Battlefield 1 and jumped in to MP, and was floored by how beutiful it looked. I did not expect that. Then I played Rise of the Tomb Raider, and wow... just wow. Ps4pro is definitly worth it to me.

[KickSpinFilter]

PS4-4K HDR TV= sell/update
PS4-4K nonHDR TV= no
PS4-1080K TV= no
No PS4-4 K HDR TV, 4K nonHDR TV or 1080p TV= buy

[cyx]

I played watchdogs 2 last night on my OG then on my pro and i have to say there is a difference even at 1080p. Kinda day and night. At 1st i thought it was just my eyes but the pro does a great job of cleaning things up and improving overall visual fidelity. The jaggies around marcus and his belongings such as his laptop bag, hat , face mask , etc were pretty much gone on the pro. Watchdogs 2 is labeled ps4 pro enhanced on the back of its case but the game itself has no toggle options so i wasnt sure what to expect at 1080p. Im waiting for black friday before i pick up a 4k hdr tv . all i can say is that if theres a difference like this at a 1080p res then 4k hdr should be promising.

[Tzuno]

I would better spend money for a gtx 1060 and play in pure 2k rather than buying a console anymore or a more smart choice is to spend 400$ on a rx 480 and a free sync monitor 144hz and play in clean 1080p but over 60hz, oh the fluidity rather than fake 4k and 30fps.