Ultra HD Blu-Ray
One of the major issues with the PS4 Pro when it was first announced was the fact that it would not support UHD Blu-ray discs. This came as a bit of surprise because not only is the Xbox One S supporting the tech (as will next year’s Project Scorpio), but Blu-ray is actually Sony’s technology. The PS3 helped to make the format a standard, so you would think that Sony would continue to follow the trend the company itself set.
When asked, the reason given was that there’s been a stronger shift towards streaming which is why while the PS4 Pro won’t support 4K physical media, it will support UHD streaming. On one hand this seems like a move focused on consumers, but not everyone is convinced. Chances are that Project Scorpio will also support UHD streaming as well as physical media, presenting more choice to players. The exclusion of an option appears to simply be a way to keep costs down, which may be clever, but also gives the competition more options.
Focusing on streaming alienates those who may not have the best internet connection or have capped data plans (4K tends to eat quite a bit more data than standard definition video). Having the option of simply buying a fancy disc removed, is definitely a souring fact for those who intend on using their console as a major part of their entertainment system.
