The PS4 Pro is a bit of an odd duck. It’s the first PlayStation console that’s effectively a mid-cycle upgrade. Traditionally, gaming generations follow each other in an orderly line, each new iteration in some way distinct from its predecessor. Sometimes there’s backwards compatibility, other times not. The PS4 Pro is different. It represents a hardware upgrade, yet it’s very much a PS4.
The situation is akin to the automotive market. Do you want a BMW 7 Series 740i or the hybrid with all the extras? Same car, different ride.
This face-lift was inevitable. The timing for the original PS4 couldn’t have been worse. It launched pre-4K and HEVC, when HDMI 2.0 boards were barely out of the science lab. For a next-gen console it was very much locked to the HD era. Not that this was ever going to slow it down commercially.
With the Pro CUH-7000, to give it its official product code, (nearly) everything gets an upgrade. The console can now offer 4K streaming services and has the horsepower to run games natively in 4K (with caveats), with HDR. What was once the preserve of the high-end PC gamer is now available to joypad jockeys at an everyday price point.
Perhaps the most contentious aspect of the PS4 Pro is its disc drive. Only those who have been living in a cave will be unaware that this won't play UHD Blu-ray, sticking with regular BD instead. The company cites philosophical reasons, but I’m not buying that. Whatever the reason for its omission, for the fledgling 4K format, Sony’s frugality was undoubtedly a disaster. Millions of owners who could have had access to the new UHD format were written off.
Personally, I’m sanguine about the decision, though. Aside for sheer convenience, I’d never advocate using a games console for movie playback anyway. The user experience, particularly given the fact that the PS4 Pro doesn’t have a ‘real’ remote control like the PS3, is dire.
Triple-deck delight
This story is from the January 2017 edition of Home Cinema Choice.
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This story is from the January 2017 edition of Home Cinema Choice.
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