The PS4 Neo is official and we can finally talk about it without the codename, because it’s real name is the PS4 Pro.
It’s a 4K, HDR-supporting beast, but not quite the powerhouse that was rumored.
We already knew the 4K-focused console existed thanks to Andrew House, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment who gave it the nod earlier this year.
House explained that the PS4 Pro will be sold alongside the current PS4 rather than replacing it – along with the heavily rumored PS4 Slim. “We will be selling both (versions) through the life cycle,” said House.
Sony hasn’t actually confirmed hard specs of what the PS4 Pro will be packing as yet. However, we do know that it will arrive with double the GPU power of the original PS4 and a boosted CPU clock rate. That’s enough to let it play some games in 4K or at 60 frames per second, which wouldn’t be possible on the previous non-Pro PS4. It doesn’t seem like it is quite the jump that Microsoft’s upcoming Project Scorpio will be. Then again, Sony says even the base PS4 will support the upcoming PS VR, whereas the Xbox One family won’t support VR until Project Scorpio.
It seems as though there won’t be any Pro-exclusive games or features. Sony’s Andrew House said that it will be compatible with all existing PS4 games and support “all of a very large majority” of future releases, as well as PlayStation VR games.
Games released post-October will come with a basic setting for users running it on the current PS4 and an enhanced “Forward Compatibility” mode for anyone who has the fancy new console. But this won’t affect multiplayer in any way whatsoever, so there will always be a level playing field online.
Any games released in late September will need a PS4 Pro-centric Day One patch to make sure they’re ready for the influx of new hardware. Meanwhile, the original PS4 and newer PS4 Slim will both be HDR compatible too soon, thanks to an online update.
PS4 Pro will sell for $400 which was the PS4 original launch price back in September 2014. The new PS4 Slim is $300.
However, you’ll also have to bear in mind that the PlayStation VR will retail for $400 when it launches in October, so if you’re planning on grabbing a PS4 Pro and the headset, expect to spend a hefty $800.
The PS4 Pro will be available November 15, 2016.
