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PS4 Pro Vs PS4: Is It Worth The Upgrade, Or Should You Wait?

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 02:35 PST, Nov 18, 2016

An unexpected PS4 Pro vs. PS4 decision has struck the gaming world, and it’s enough to make some of us think twice about upgrading. In 2013, the PlayStation 4 hit the markets and began outselling Xbox One almost immediately, mostly due to poor PR from Microsoft.

Now, Microsoft has bounced back and is now promising what appears to be the ultimate gaming rig by the end of 2017 with the Scorpio. However, with the launch of Sony’s upgraded current-gen console, some are wondering if the upgrade is actually worth it.

Some might even opt to wait for Sony to release a more stable PS4 Pro with a 4K Blu-ray player built in to compete with the Xbox One S. After the announcement and specs of the Xbox One Scorpio, it seems Sony is already allegedly limiting themselves by saying the Pro is the best they can do.

Admittedly, reviewers have pointed to the VR headset as an example, saying that PlayStation VR is performing better than competing headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. However, the best games exclusively available on the PS4 headset are little more than tech demos.

It remains to be seen if virtual reality gaming has a future, and sales will be the deciding factor.

The question also remains whether or not gamers would be better served upgrading to a PS4 Pro or sticking with the original PS4. Business Insider says that only three kinds of people will be buying the PlayStation 4 Pro.

You might buy one if you have a 4K UltraHD TV and want to get the best possible visuals from your games. You might already own an original PS4, or not, and don’t see Xbox One Scorpio as a worthwhile addition to their entertainment set-up. The other type is the one who doesn’t own a 4K TV but wants the option of better visuals if they decide to take the Ultra HD plunge.

If you already own a PlayStation 4 and a sizeable HDTV, you will most likely wait for a more powerful upgrade to justify the extra $400 or so.

This is all ignoring the idea of which games will look the best in 4K resolution. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition has been seeing problems with the upgrade since it launched, and the first two patches were apparently not enough. The game still has issues with frame rate drops when the detail level rises.

Other titles like The Last of Us Remastered haven’t appeared to inherit any real issues, but that’s more of a linear action game as opposed to an epic Western RPG. The visuals are practically fixed and there is less of a tendency for surprises to the processor.

Most current PS4 titles will only get a boost with HDR, which makes them look better even if it doesn’t give them any graphical upgrade. GameSpot claims that Battlefield 1 shows a “massive” performance upgrade, though the graphics only look a slight bit sharper.

If future games made with 4K in mind are as vast and demanding as Skyrim, it might be worth it to wait for a PlayStation 4 Pro upgrade or update which can actually handle it more smoothly. A lot of open-world titles will likely have similar issues, and Sony may need to release another upgrade console to compete with the Scorpio.

Remember that it’s rather early in the 4K gaming cycle and developers are likely still learning to use it effectively. By 2020, there may be more impressive titles than Skyrim which actually reach 4K at 60 or more frames per second.

In the PS4 Pro vs. PS4 arena, where do you stand? Is it worth the upgrade, or are you waiting for Sony to upgrade it again to compete with Scorpio?

[Featured Image by charnsitr/Shutterstock.com]

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