PS4 Pro packs some awesome features under its hood - watch our video to learn all about these hidden gems
PlayStation 4 Pro is certainly capable of amazing things, however some features get more attention than the others - so we thought it would be a good idea to list these underrated features down and give them the spotlight they deserve.
#5: Improved wireless support.
Players who choose to connect their PS4 to WiFi were most likely disappointed to learn that the standard PS4 was incompatible with 5GHz wireless. Standard PS4 could only connect to 2.4 GHz - but fortunately, this was rectified with the PS4 Pro, which can now take full advantage of faster speeds.
#4: Enhanced gameplay capture.
As it is widely known, PlayStation 4 can record gameplay footage without breaking a sweat - making it ideal for capturing those perfect moments that you can show off to your friends later on. However, the standard PS4 could only capture gameplay footage at 720p, robbing you of that extra bit of high def for all those epic moments. Luckily, Sony was of the same opinion regarding this, and so they bumped up the recording resolution to 1080p. It's still capped at 30fps though, but it is a massive improvement in the overall quality of the videos you capture, so we can't really complain.
#3: Better PSVR performance.
Before PSVR launched, there was some talk that the PlayStation VR headset would only work well on the PS4 Pro console - making the owners of the standard PS4 debate on whether or not to spend their money on Sony's VR system. However, now that PSVR is out, all doubts have been cleared, and we now know that the standard PS4 offers an amazing experience of virtual reality.
Sony
The PlayStation 4 Pro still offers some noticeable upgrades and improvements when it comes to VR gaming though. Games that have been patched to support the power of the PS4 Pro, such as Battlezone for example, now offer crisper visuals from the downsampled image, while still maintaining a silky smooth framerate.
#2: Third USB 3.1 port.
The standard PS4 has only two USB ports, which, for quite a few players, is not enough, as the constant plugging in and out of USB devices can become extremely annoying. However, the PS4 Pro offers a solution for this as well with its additional USB 3.1 port, found on the rear of the console. This is perfect for PSVR players - as the mess of cables that PSVR causes can be frustrating to say the least. With the extra USB port, this mess can be all tidied up behind the console, while still keeping the performance of the PS4 Pro at full power.
#1: PS4 Pro offers improved visual performance at 1080p.
Now, the first things that come to mind when talking about the PS4 Pro are the 4k and HDR, and it's generally believed that the only way to enjoy the benefits of the PS4 Pro is if you have a TV that supports these technologies. However, that is not the case at all - PS4 Pro offers significant enhancements even at 1080p resolutions. The best example of this is the downsampling, which is rendering the image at a higher resolution and then scaling it back down to the resolution of the display, and thus getting rid of the jagged edges and other aliasing issues, making the picture quality look superb.
Some games take the power of the PS4 Pro to the next level though, as they render scenes at 1080p but with much more details when compared to the standard PS4. The prime example of this is Rise of the Tomb Raider, which has loads of option on offer such as: 4k, 30fps; 1080p, 60fps or 1080p, 30fps with maximum detail. Therefore, you do not need to have a 4k or a 4k HDR TV to enjoy the PlayStation 4 Pro.
There have been some reports of teething performance problems with PS4 Pro and certain games, but we are sure that Sony and game devs will sort those out pretty quickly.
So, how exactly does one use all these features of the Pro? The great news is - you don't have to do anything, even though some games offer additional configuration options. Everything is already pre-installed and set up, just waiting for you to fully experience and appreciate the upgrades!
