Sony has officially announced the upgraded version of the PlayStation 4 (PS4) called PS4 Pro. A question arises: what's the difference and is it worth the upgrade?
Sony released the PS4 in November 2013 as the successor to the PlayStation 3 (PS3). The gaming console is one of the most popular consoles in the market and it gives stiff competition to the likes of the Microsoft Xbox One and the Nintendo Wii U.
After three years the company has announced the PS4 Pro, which has enhanced features when compared to the original PS4.
The PS4 Pro will have better processing power in comparison to its predecessor. The latest Sony offering boasts 4.2 teraflops based on AMD Radeon technology, while the PS4 comes with 1.84 teraflops GPU based on AMB Radeon technology. Sony claims that the PS4 Pro is twice as fast than the original PS4.
"Games that already look extraordinary on PS4 will look richer and more detailed, thanks to the more powerful GPU and faster CPU at the heart of PS4 Pro," says Sony.
The PS4 does not support 4K; however, the PS4 Pro supports 4K resolution gaming as well as video streaming. 4K resolution will offer a sharper and crisper gaming experience. However, it is worth noting that customers should own a 4K TV to experience high-quality 4K video and games via the PS4 Pro.
Sony says that the PS4 Pro will still offer a great gaming and video-watching experience even on TVs that do not support 4K.
"Even if you own an HDTV that does not support either 4K or HDR, PS4 Pro still provides a number of benefits. All games will run in 1080p resolution, and some will even run in a higher or more stable frame rate. If you're a gamer that wants to be at the forefront of innovation, PS4 Pro is for you," says Sony.
During the PlayStation Meeting on Sept. 7, Sony also announced several games that would release for the PS4 Pro. These games will include 4K and HDR graphics. During the event, the gaming console maker showed off Watch Dogs 2 for the PS4 Pro. Sony also revealed an ungraded Uncharted 4 version for the PS4 Pro.
Sony has announced backward compatibility for the PS4 Pro, which means customers who own a PS4 will be able to play their existing games on the new gaming console. Existing Uncharted 4 owners will be able to download a patch that will allow them to play the game on PS4 Pro in 4K and HDR.
Future game releases such as Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Days Gone, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Mass Effect: Andromeda will include enhancements for PS4 Pro.
The new PS4 Pro will be available from November onward at a price tag of $399.99.
Many market experts believe that the PS4 Pro is not a major upgrade to the PS4 but the enhancements cannot be ignored. Many gamers who already own a PS4 may not want to upgrade to the PS4 Pro.
However, the latest PS4 Pro is worth the holiday cash for those who have not joined the PS4 community and currently own a PS3 or Microsoft Xbox 360.
