Everything we know so far about the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim

MANILA, Philippines – At the Playstation Meeting in New York on Wednesday, September 7 (September 8, Manila time), Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled their mid-cycle consoles: the Playstation 4 Pro, previously codenamed Playstation Neo, and a slimmer Playstation 4.

Here’s everything we know about the consoles so far.

The slim PS4 – Same capacities, sleeker look

There were few details given regarding the specs of both consoles but you can expect that the slimmer PS4 (also called the PS4 Slim) will be similar to that of the standard PS4 console. The PS4 Slim is 30% lighter than the standard and has a few cosmetic changes.

For those who spotted the leaked photos of the PS4 Slim prior to the Playstation Meeting, we can confirm now that the leak was slightly accurate. A closer look from Ars Technica reveals that the PS4 slim has done away with a few of the standard’s features.

The PS4 Slim replaces the touch buttons for physical buttons which are found discreetly at the small opening found in the middle of the console. It ditches the glowing light bar running down the middle of the console. There’s also a lot more space between the two USB ports.

The iconic triangle, circle, cross, and square control buttons of the Playstation can be located at the side of the console and can be used for the vertical stand.

If you’re looking for a space to upgrade the hard drive of your PS4 slim, there’s a space located at the side of the console which you can remove with a twist of the screw. From there all you have to do is slip out the old drive and slide in your upgraded one.

The PS4 Slim will cost $299 and will be released on September 15.

PS4 Pro – The upgraded PS4

The PS4 Pro is an upgraded version of the standard PS4. The meatier console is capable of 4K gaming and High Dynamic Range imaging (HDR). Its graphical processor, or GPU, has more than double the power of the standard PS4 and its CPU has a boosted clock rate. The console is also packed with a 1TB hard drive.

When the PS4 Pro is coupled with either a 4K or HDR TV, players can expect a dramatic change in both the resolution and details. Those with HDR displays can expect key areas of the game to look dozens of times brighter than what a conventional TV can display, and those playing on 4K televisions will be able to see more sharper looking details along with brighter visuals.

Mark Cerny, the Lead System Architect for the PS4 Pro, revealed the power of the new console by demonstrating its effects on both existing and unreleased games.

Existing games like Uncharted 4 and Infamous had brighter explosions and more vibrant neon lights. Games that are yet to be released like Horizon Zero Dawn and Dying Light looked far more impressive with more environmental and textural details than their original trailers.

The PS4 Pro will also complement the PSVR better. With the PS4 pro, PSVR users will get to enjoy increased crispness, higher frame rates, and better immersion. With double the pixel count from the standard model, the PS4 pro will “breathe further life” into the virtual universe of PSVR games.

According to Cerny, however, those using the “conventional” displays will also get to experience the capacity of the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro and the game will be able to detect the type of display the user has and will upgrade the graphics accordingly. All the current PS4 games are playable on the PS4 Pro, and the console will reveal visual details you’ve never seen on a standard PS4 even if you use it on an average television. And if the developers choose to, they can patch their games to make full use of the PS4 Pros potential.

Cerny also mentioned that Sony will allow players to switch from the standard PS4 to the PS4 Pro easily. The PS4 Pro would be “providing a number of mechanisms for easily transferring your game library and entitlements from the standard model to the new console.”

Sony is not waiting for the Xbox Scorpio as they will be releasing the PS4 Pro on November 10, just before the holiday season. The console is priced at $399.

What do you think? Will you be getting the PS4 Slim or the PS4 Pro? Or are you sticking to your standard PS4? – Rappler.com