The company has finally launched the PlayStation 4 Slim which is simply a toned-down version of the original console for $299. To even things out, Sony has announced that multiplayer games on the Playstation 4 Pro will run at the same framerate as the standard model.
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The PS4 Pro will be powered by AMD’s eight-core Jaguar processor in combination with an GPU based on AMD’s Radeon chipset running at 4.20 teraflops. A slimmer and more energy efficient version of this will be released later this month on the 15th.
In another sign of this new reality, Microsoft Corp. unveiled the Xbox One S, a slimmer update to its Xbox One console, in June at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, where new consoles are traditionally unveiled. The Pro sports upgraded hardware that’ll allow it to take advantage of all the fancy new television technology that’s popped up in the last few years, including 4K resolution for added clarity and high-dynamic-range imaging for more vibrant colors.
It seems like a huge omission right now, and a weird one considering that the Xbox One S – a system with only the most minor of enhancements over its big, older brother – can play them just fine. I’m guessing 4K Blu-Ray was cut in favor of the PS4 Pro’s larger 1TB hard drive, but, honestly, that was the wrong decision – excluding 4K Blu-Ray support makes both the Pro and Sony’s own media format look bad.
Video game console manufacturers are now releasing incremental updates more frequently, rather than major updates spaced several years apart. You know who does have 4K Blu-Ray support?
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With regard to non-game content, the PS4 Pro will provide 4K/Ultra HD streaming playback from Netflix and YouTube, plus other services to be named later. Though Microsoft glosses over gaming at 4K, it’s an interesting point that the PS4 Pro doesn’t have the ability to play 4K Blu-ray discs. Its Wii U console – launched in 2012 – has failed to gain much traction.
