Why Buy PS4 Pro Without Owning a 4K TV?

The next upgrade to the PlayStation 4, the PS4 Pro, is launching in just a matter of weeks! With PlayStation VR already out, it’s a crazy time to be a PlayStation fan, especially if you’re a gadget junkie. I have this incredible urge to pick up a PS4 Pro, but the pragmatic side of me (it appears every once in a while, the jerk) keeps pointing out that I have no reason to buy a PS4 Pro. My PlayStation 4 works just fine, I’m not getting PSVR, and the real kick in the pants is the lack of a 4K TV. The 4K TVs are coming down in price, so the thought of adding this gadget to my ever-growing collection isn’t as far fetched as it once was. But the reality is, most TVs cost nearly twice as much as a PS4 Pro, so it’s more feasible to get a PS4 Pro before taking the 4K TV plunge.

But why bother getting a PS4 Pro at all if you don’t have a 4K TV? Isn’t that the point; to take advantage of the new technology with current PS4 games?

I put this very question to my fellow staff here, hoping that they would tell me I’m an idiot for even considering such a venture. Instead, they all brought up numerous points as to why the 4K TV is just the icing on the cake.

Stable Frame Rate

As Sony has said that all past PS4 games will be able to provide PS4 Pro support, you can expect that nearly your entire PS4 library will gain PS4 Pro support at some point. Thus far, only two games have confirmed that they won’t receive a PS4 Pro support upgrade: Destiny and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. All future PS4 games will have to provide PS4 Pro support in additional to standard PS4 compatibility. But by purchasing a PS4 Pro, you will ensure a stable frame rate at a minimum of 30 frames-per-second (fps) for all PS4 Pro supported games. Depending upon the PS4 Pro support the developer provides, the games could additionally be bumped up to a guaranteed 1080p. Users who want to at least be able to run their games at 1080p on their HD TVs with a steady frame rate will find that support with a PS4 Pro.

Only PS4 Pro Can Take Advantage of Full Graphical Upgrades

As mentioned above, only the PS4 Pro can promise guaranteed 1080p resolution at a solid 30fps. Games that haven’t released yet for the PS4 will be required to provide PS4 Pro support, and since this tech will be available before the game goes gold, many of these games will have PS4 Pro-only support for 1080p/60fps. Chances are, if resolution and frame rate are already so important to you for console gaming, then you already do have a 4K TV. However, if a 4K TV is not in the cards at the moment, then at least there are ways to unlock your current TV’s full potential with the PS4 Pro.

Don’t take it from me, though. Take it from an official Sony rep:

HDTV owners will also be able to enjoy the enhanced gameplay experiences on PS4 Pro, as the system delivers 1080p resolution for all PS4 games and higher or more stable frame rates for some supported titles.

Will Enhance PSVR

I have no interest in PSVR, but I know I’m in the minority for this fantastic technology. And yes, it is absolutely fantastic. I was a major skeptic until I tried VR for myself. I am a believer in the tech for sure, but unfortunately for me, it triggers my vertigo in the worst way so it’s a no go for me personally. But for those of you who can handle VR and want PSVR, either now or eventually, then the PS4 Pro is the way to go for your purchase.

The PS4 Pro was built with PSVR in the forefront of Sony’s minds, and as such, it was created to better perform with PSVR than the standard PS4. Developers again have the option to bump up the frame rate with PS4 Pro support for PSVR titles, which allows the frame rate to go up to 120fps if supported. Future PSVR games will be developed with required PS4 Pro support, meaning future PSVR games will release in far higher graphical quality than they are required to do so now.

Get a PS4 Pro Now, Be Ready for That 4K TV Later

4K TVs are not nearly as expensive as they originally were, even 4K TVs with HDR (high dynamic range) capability. New technology always runs crazy expensive at the get go, but as the technology improves and becomes easier to make, the prices slowly drop. At the risk of aging myself, I remember when plasma TVs were a brand new thing and they sold for $12,000. Some 4K TVs run in the four digits, but nothing is currently close to those original plasma TV prices. The point is, they are dropping, so one day soon, they will be far more obtainable.

So which do you pick up first, the 4K TV or the PS4 Pro? Well, for now, the PS4 Pro is cheaper than a 4K TV and, as we’ve already nicely laid out for you, a PS4 Pro can improve your games now even with an HDTV. Already having the new console means you’re ready for that 4K TV when it finally reaches that price you can fit in your budget.

Yes, this is the weakest argument in the bunch, but it is still a valid argument.

And it looks like I might have talked myself into pre-ordering a PS4 Pro. Even my pragmatic side has run out of arguments against it, except for that little thing called money. Kind of need that regardless, with or without a 4K TV.

Essential Reading:

PS4 Pro Info Dump

PS4 Pro - Everything You Need to Know

We're ready, are you?
What is PS4 Pro?

PS4 Pro is the latest addition to the PlayStation family. Thanks to a bolstered GPU, it touts the ability to “render higher or more consistent framerates, increased environmental and character model detail, improved overall visual quality, and other related visual enhancements.”
What's in the Box?

Curious to know what the PS4 Pro will come packing at launch? Wonder no more! PSLS has a handy unboxing video for you right here.
An Incremental Upgrade

Sony continues to emphasis that Pro doesn’t herald the start of a new generation; instead, it’s a premium piece of hardware designed to coexist with the base PS4 model. What’s more, you can rest assured that there will be more PlayStations further down the line.

“Where we go from there, we’re going to have to wait and see. It’s our first time innovating within the life cycle, so I’m not exactly sure what impact that will have on our plan going forward. But there will be more PlayStations.”
High Dynamic Range

So, what’s all this fuss about HDR? It stands for High Dynamic Range and is considered as a “real step forward” for visual imagery. It has its roots in photography, and essentially heightens a picture’s range between darkest blacks and brightest whites allowing for a richer, more engrossing display.
Checkerboard Rendering, Explained

From teraflops to checkerboard rendering, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the technical jargon swirling around PS4 Pro.

When it comes to the latter, Lead System Architect Mark Cerny explained the ins and outs of how Pro achieves 4K via checkerboard rendering.

"First, we can do the same ID-based color propagation that we did for geometry rendering, so we can get some excellent spatial anti-aliasing before we even get into temporal, even without paying attention to the previous frame, we can create images of a higher quality than if our 4m colour samples were arranged in a rectangular grid… In other words, image quality is immediately better than 1530p.

"Second, we can use the colours and the IDs from the previous frame, which is to say that we can do some pretty darn good temporal anti-aliasing. Clearly if the camera isn’t moving we can insert the previous frame’s colours and essentially get perfect 4K imagery. But even if the camera is moving or parts of the scene are moving, we can use the IDs – both object ID and triangle ID to hunt for an appropriate part of the previous frame and use that. So the IDs give us some certainty about how to use the previous frame.

"[With] checkerboard rendering, the first two pluses are the same: crisp edges, detailed foliage, storm fences, but also, increased detail in textures, increased detail in specular effects. But we’re doubling pixel shader workload, there are other overheads as well and it may not be possible to from 1080p native all the way up to 2160p checkerboard."
Forward Compatibility

But don’t fret! Not all PS4 titles will be left in the dust. Soon after PlayStation Meeting 2016, it was confirmed that existing games can be retroactively enhanced for PS4 Pro via post-launch updates in a strategy that Sony is referring to as “forward compatibility.” The buck ultimately stops with the developer on this one, but already a host of first and third-party studios have pledged their support.
No 4K Blu-Ray Support

Arguably the big point of contention, PS4 Pro won’t include 4K Blu-ray support whatsoever — and there’s no plans to add the feature post-launch.

Said Sony: “Our feeling is that while physical media continues to be a big part of the games business, we see a trend on video towards streaming. Certainly with our user base, it’s the second biggest use case for people’s time on the system so we place more emphasis on that area.”
No 4K TV, No Bueno?

Why buy a PS4 Pro without owning a 4K TV? That's a question our own Keri Honea asked, and her overview is nothing short of a must-read.
42 Games to Have PS4 Pro on Day One

Battlefield 1 and Bound are among the titles that'll take full advantage of the PS4 Pro come release.

Here's a full rundown of all 42 titles and remember, the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn and Watch Dogs 2 will all support Sony's hardware refresh out of the box.

Battlefield 1
Battlezone
Bound
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Driveclub VR
FIFA 17
Firewatch
Helldivers
Hitman
Hustle Kings
inFamous First Light
inFamous Second Son
Knack
Mafia III
Mantis Burn Racing
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
NBA 2K17
Paragon
PlayStation VR Worlds
Ratchet & Clank
Rez Infinite
RIGS Mechanized Combat League
Rise Of The Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
Robinson: The Journey
Smite
Super Stardust Ultra
The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
The Last Of Us Remastered
The Last Of Us: Left Behind
The Playroom VR
Titanfall 2
Tumble
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Viking Squad
Wheels of Aurelia
World Of Tanks
XCOM 2
PlayStation VR

PlayStation VR is an impressive piece of kit on its own, that much we know. But with PS4 Pro, Sony's head-mounted device will receive a technical boost, and the platform-holder is actively encouraging game developers to tap into the console's enhanced innards.

Should a studio take this course of action, “there’ll be a big boost to performance with no noticeable impact to image quality in the HMD [head-mounted display].”

Said Cerny:

“We’re just asking for them to take advantage. We’d like for them to take a look at what the hardware can do and do something with it."
Frame-Rate Parity in Multiplayer Titles

Fearing that bumping multiplayer frame-rates will lend PS4 Pro owners an unfair advantage, Naughty Dog noted recently that it fully intends to cap performance at a select threshold — be that 30 or 60 frames-per-second.

“The main thing that we’re making sure of is that the frame-rates are the same; there’s definitely no frame-rate advantage. You can’t run one at 60 and one at 30. You want to make sure the updates are exactly the same.”
Data Transfer

If you’re out to upgrade come November, PS4 to PS4 Pro data transfer is possible via an Ethernet Cable and firmware 4.00, allowing you to port over games, saved data, and Share content from one console to the next.

Said Sony: "PS4 Pro exists in the same digital ecosystem as the standard PS4 in all regards; two PS4 console systems, one PlayStation Network, one PS4 community."
4K Gaming Always in the Cards

It seems Sony was mulling over the possibility of 4K gaming pretty early on — just after the PS4 shipped, in fact.
High-End Streaming Support

The Netflix and YouTube apps on PS4 Pro will boast 4K streaming support.
What About Non-4K TVs?

If you aren’t one of the fortunate few to own a 4K TV, PS4 Pro still opens up notable performance boosts. PS Blog writes: “Depending on how the developer chooses to use the increased processing power, games with PS4 Pro support are able to render higher or more consistent framerates, increased environmental and character model detail, improved overall visual quality, and other related visual enhancements.”
Pre-Orders Open & Hands-On

Pre-orders are now open ahead of the system's November 10 release date.

On the fence? Have a gander at our hands-on impressions piece for more insight.
Our Early Thoughts

The PSLS crew weighed in on the Pro announcement late last week via our latest edition of Now Loading. The consensus? Mixed, with a dose of cautious optimism.

If you'd rather content for your ears, PS4 Pro was also a point of discussion on a recent episode of The Clickbait Podcast.
A Tale of Two Consoles

In our recent episode of Versus here on PSLS, we pit the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro against one another to weigh up their respective pros and cons.
HDD Can Be Replaced

Though PS4 Pro-ready titles won't necessarily be bigger than their PS4 counterparts, early adopters will be pleased to note that the HDD can be upgraded -- just keep in mind that support doesn't include external hard drives.

Launching alongside the remodelled DualShock 4 pad, Sony has stressed that it has no intention of rolling out a premium controller in the vein of the Xbox One Elite.

Said Cerny:

"We want to keep PlayStation 4 as a single unified audience. We need to be quite careful to the enhancements we add to the controller. But it’s not the sort of thing that’s going to create haves and have nots."
4K Capture Card Incoming?

Hardware manufacturer Elgato Gaming has been dropping hints that a 4K capture device is in the works. We'll have to make the jump up from 1080p at some point, right?
Price, Specs & 8GB of RAM

PlayStation 4 Pro will launch on November 10 for $399.

In anticipation of its release, here you'll find all the technical minutia you'll ever need regarding PS4 Pro. Sony, meanwhile, recently levelled on its decision to keep the RAM at 8GB.
Strong Competition

Though Andrew House seems more concerned with the PC market, Microsoft’s Project Scorpio is purportedly more powerful than the PS4 Pro.

Will that make a marked difference come release? Or is the one-year headstart enough for Sony to bolster its market dominance?
Our Review

Anthony Severino, the founding father of PSLS, is handling our review of the PS4 Pro. Find his final verdict here.