Sony Announces PS4 Pro and Slim

Sony formally unveiled the new slimmer PS4 and the PS4 Pro today. Launching November 10, the new PS4 Pro will the capable of 4K resolution in games and video. The new system has greater memory, increased CPU clock rate, 1 TB hard drive, and a powerful GPU that will help bring 4K video and HDR to console owners.

Mark Cerny, PS4 chief architect, showed off the PS4 Pro during the press conference. He stressed the importance of lighting for storytelling in games and showed gamers they can expect a never before seen level of detail in environments and characters. 4k video will allow developers to showcase a great visual density in their environments. 4K Streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube will also be able to take advantage of the PS4 Pro added power.

Players will not have to wait for titles suitable for the PS4 Pros new capabilities as Cerny went on to announce that several titles, both first party and third party will be sending out game patches to help them get the most out of the PS4 Pro’s new hardware. These titles include Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Infamous: First Light, and Shadow of Mordor. Many of the new games out for PS4 in the next few months will also be PS4 Pro ready, including Watch Dogs 2, FIFA 16, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Sony showed off gameplay from several recent and upcoming games running on their new PS4 Pro system during the press conference.

Current PS4 owners shouldn’t fret though, as Cerny promised the same discs and downloaded content will work on both PS4 and PS4 Pro. Developers will not only support both systems, but also optimizes titles for both 4K and HD TVs for the many gamers who haven’t made the jump to new displays yet. Sony also added that they will be rolling out a firmware update for all current PS4s that will allow HDR video. High Dynamic range video allows a wider range of colors and lighting to be seen, creating a more photorealistic image. This will make the scenery in PS4 titles running on a HDR capable TV appear richer and more vibrant.

The slimmer PS4 will be available September 15 for $299.99 while the PS4 Pro will be available November 10 for $399.99.

What are your thoughts on the new PS4 Pro? Will you be upgrading your PS4 for 4K video? If you are not already a PS4 gamer, does this entice you to invest? Let us know in the comments, or talk to us on Twitter and Facebook.