Aside from bad execution, the event was kicked off with Sony's new PlayStation 4 Slim model, which is meant to replace the current Ps4 on the market. It is set at a $299.99 price point and doesn't really do anything that the original Ps4 didn't already accomplish. However the star of the show, the Ps4 Pro does a few things that the original and slim model won't be able to pull off, with that being said does any of it really matter at this point in time?
The Ps4 Pro releases Nov 10th at a $399.99 price point. Despite not displaying "true 4k" visuals and also not supporting 4k HDR Blu-rays it boast a higher clock speed and a beefed up GPU and CPU, essentially turning the Pro into the power house of the current PlayStation ecosystem. It will also be the first TB model PlayStation to be on the market since the limited edition Call of Duty Black Ops 3 console, better late then never I guess. Along with the upgrade in power, and memory size the Ps4 Pro also stands as the next visual upgrade in PlayStation hardware. That's all well and good, but is the consumer market ready for 4k HDR gaming? Hell is Sony?
Before answering either of these two question, one needs to look at the real issues we have in our industry. As far as entertainment, as far was what games are and what they were and, I believe we must really ask ourselves..."How do 4k HDR visuals change the way we play games? How does it change gameplay design? And most importantly, Does it make games better?
We live in an awesome time to be a "gamer". Not only has the industry seen no more greater success then it is right now but there are also THOUSANDS of games to pick and choose from. From Red Dead Redemption to Pikmin. From The Last of Us to Shovel Knight, the varying genres of video games and technical prowess behind said games have never been as strong as they are today. Which brings me to my first point, with games such as "Outland", "Shadow Complex", or the Telltales game series; are hyper realistic visuals a fundamental part of gaming or a crutch that some publishers and some developers have leaned on for far to long? Even games like the newly announced "Pikmin 3DS" while not looking the best, is still pulling in its fair share of fans and the reasoning is because Pikmin is known to be a good game.
PlayStation 4 Pro is for your "highly discriminating" gamer. It is the iPhone7 of current generation consoles. Minor improvements that don't really fix the underling problem, video game gentrification. Bear in mind that this upgraded console is already making ripples in the development neighborhood. Games very well may have to be sent through certification multiple times, to ensure quality on both the standard Ps4 and the Pro version of the same game.
Were you asking for an upgraded Ps4 console? Are you happy with the one you have and if so how does Sony get you to trade up and get with the times?
Comment in the section below and thanks for reading!
Comment in the section below and thanks for reading!
