The Pro Dilemma
The PS4 Pro is Sony’s mid-generation console. It’s not a PlayStation 5, but it’s much more powerful than the standard PS4 model and can even support 4K gaming. It was a big deal when announced, and may have been part of the equation that led to PS4 breaking the Xbox One’s streak of leading sales every month, but it hasn’t exactly proved its purpose just yet. There’s a list of games that have taken advantage of the new capabilities with patches here and there, but many of those titles have been out for some time, so unless you want to replay old games, they aren’t doing you any favors.
Then there are the new games that are utilizing the capabilities of the machine, although there has been no uniformity. Right now it’s very much the wild west when it comes to new releases. Developers are free to use all, some, or none of the extra power available, making it a gamble right now. But that’s not the only problem. Some releases, such as the finally available The Last Guardian, perform a bit too much better on the Pro, leaving those with standard consoles with lesser experiences.
It could be just a matter of learning the ropes and finding a balance while developing, but it’s definitely something that the company needs to look into. A new console launch should bring solutions, not more problems, and the lack of consistency between how the console is being used is also of note.
All of the mistakes made this year can definitely be addressed, but Sony needs to get on top of them soon lest they bleed into 2017.
