PS4 Firmware Update 4.06 Released

Thinking of buying a spanking new PS4 Pro this Christmas?

According to a report from Famitsu, Sony have sold 65,194 units of their PlayStation 4 Pro console in its opening 4 days of availability in Japan. Think of it as the difference between an iPhone 6 and iPhone 7.

That’s at least positive, while the rest of the specs – 1TB storage, three USB 3.1 ports, Gigabit Ethernet alongside the 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0 – should at least make this console solid for the next few years, though given the lack of 4K disc support, you have to wonder if Sony thinks the format won’t be a victor and if 4K digital delivery is the real horse to bet on.

The president of Polyphony Digital Kazunori Yamauchi is very sober when it comes to racing games since he’s also a sports auto driver. In Tomb Raider, for example, you can play in “4K” mode, opt for 1080p resolution with a frame rate approaching 60fps, or play at 1080p with graphical bells and whistles all pushed to the max.

It’s not an automatic boost for all games, however. The campaign is said to benefit from increased resolution and smoother frame rates. A gamer playing at 60, 90 or 120 frames per second at a high resolution has a definite advantage over someone with a lower framerate and resolution. Personally we welcome this addition, the light bar isn’t just useful as a marker for virtual reality, it’s a great way of adding suspense of providing quick updates on your character’s current situation. Due to the architecture of the PS3 it might not be possible, but if Sony did it and it was done well, it would open up an enormous library of games to Pro owners. It doesn’t massively impact the game one way or the other, but the update is welcome nonetheless.

It also reported that the problem is mostly hitting on the older units of TV Brands Hisense and LG and on Vizio.

In an exclusive interview with Gaming Bolt, Technical Director at Crytek Rok Erjavec implied that the additional RAM in the console is beneficial for its gaming side, while compensating for the higher demands that is running the 4K on the system.

Speaking of Tomb Raider, the game really exemplifies how I hope Pro games are treated in the future.

If you’re looking for an affordable (it costs as much as the original PS4) entry into the world of 4K gaming then the PS4 Pro is a no brainer.

When teamed up on a decent HDR compatible TV (in my case the Panasonic DX802 for this review), it’s this level of added pop that at times in a way elevates the Pro over a high-end PC rig for visual thrills.

Codenamed as PlayStation Neo, the much anticipated, hardware buffed, graphically elevated version of base PlayStation 4 was revealed as PlayStation Pro and launched last week globally. That will undoubtedly change over time, as more and more developers begin building their games with a Pro focus from the start.

However, updated games, such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Shadow of Mordor, make use of the PS4 Pro’s ability to Supersample, allowing for truly sumptuous visuals at Full HD.