Okay, so Sony has announced a new PlayStation. Do you want it? That depends: What are you going to use it for?
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a difficult question for a certain segment of the population. A new game machine? Why, of course I want that! But the PlayStation 4 Pro, which Sony announced at an event in New York City yesterday, is a sort of new game machine we don't often see. It's largely identical to the existing PlayStation 4, with the exception of its graphics processing unit, which is about twice as powerful. This will let PS4 Pro display upgraded visuals, both in terms of having more detailed in-game models and upping the resolution to 4K if your TV supports it.
First things first: You will not have to upgrade to the $399 PlayStation 4 Pro when it launches on November 10 just to play the latest games. Game discs and downloads going into the future will be compatible with all of the models of PS4. And lest we forget, PlayStation 4 graphics already look pretty damn good without an upgrade. (And, come on, graphics aren't everything!)
So if you'd rather not buy a new machine, you won't miss out on any content. It's just that said content will look at least somewhat nicer (maybe a lot nicer) on a Pro. Sony says it will continue to support both models.
Sony also touted the fact that PS4 Pro, to be released November 10 for $399, would work with High Dynamic Range TV sets. But then it said that the existing PS4 would also support HDR after a firmware upgrade. So you won't need PS4 Pro to enjoy HDR gaming.
WIRED editor Tim Moynihan was live at the Sony event to see the Pro running on some very expensive Sony televisions, and had this to say: "On Sony's super-high-end Z Series HDR 4K TVs, the PlayStation Pro's best-case scenario looked phenomenal. On Uncharted 4, augmented with an HDR patch that unlocked a wider color gamut and brighter highlights, a cloudy blue sky looked just like the real thing, while underwater sun rays glimmered off sand with shocking realism. In a similarly patched version of Infamous First Light, bolts of neon look so bright that you'll need to don a pair of Ray-Bans."
