The PlayStation 4 Pro, launched late last week, is designed to offer better performance with games compared to its more prominent cousin, the PS4. But according to a new report, some “PS4 Pro Enhanced” games are doing the exact opposite – they are performing worse.
While most games are delivering as they should – 4K and HDR if you’ve got the right TV, or offering advanced anti-aliasing if you’re running a 1080p screen – some are falling short of the frame rate provided by the regular PS4. Eurogamer has seen this happen with The Last of Us, Skyrim, and Watch Dogs 2 – with all three titles performing worse on the PS4 Pro than they do on the PS4.
The issue is “fairly frequent” with The Last of Us, with the game regularly failing to deliver 60fps. Meanwhile, the game runs on the PS4 at a locked 60fps without any worries. Similarly, Skyrim on PS4 Pro drops its frame-rate when the game is “heavy on alpha transparency effects”, while the good ol’ PS4 runs it smoothly on 30fps.
Watch Dogs 2, locked to 30fps, provides great visuals on the PS4 Pro but has frame tearing and frame-rate issues that are not to be seen with the PS4. Eurogamer had mixed results with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, with the PS4 Pro performing better in some aspects and then dropping multiple frames in other scenes.
A stable, and playable, frame-rate is much more important than visual improvements – be it fidelity or resolution. This is, of course, not the experience gamers should be getting with an upgraded version of a console that carries the “Pro” moniker. After all, Sony’s technical requirements for “PS4 Pro Enhanced” games were that they must “meet or exceed” frame-rates offered on the PS4.
For what it’s worth, Sony has responded to Eurogamer’s findings, saying: “We are aware of the issue and currently investigating.” Hopefully the problems will be fixed soon, so current and future PS4 buyers can get their money’s worth.
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