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PS4 Pro Benefits for 1080p TV Owners (general and game-specific)

Everyone with a 1080p Display should give 4k downsampling a try. The IQ is so much better with less shimmering and aliasing. It's a big difference in some areas like Geothermal Valley. Enriched GFX has some nice shadows and minor improvements, but it's not that noticeable. It also plays worse thanks to framepacing issues.

Yes, it's the best thing about the Pro. It's also clealry the best mode in Tombraider. It just doesn't really show as well in these gif comparisons above.

Is the history only for as long as you've had the game installed though? Modern Warfare Remastered only shows 'Update 1.04: Bug fixes.'

Yeah it's not always sepcified. Sometimes it is though.
 

Harp

Member
I started playing last night and find myself using 4K more often. There are occasions that I do feel I notice Enriched adds a bit more to some scenes with whatever voodoo it is implementing, but my brain keeps telling me to leave it on 4K for the sake of taking advantage of my TV's native resolution. But its an internal battle I can't seem to make my mind up on yet.

The higher framerate option I don't care for. It does run a bit smoother, but I do notice the overall clarity drop moreso than the other two options, and the framerate doesn't at all feel locked and feels like it's dynamic adjustments swing wildly, even if it is universally higher than the other two modes. Felt I was able to more easily condition to the lower framerate modes and take advantage of a cleaner/crisper image.

That said, unless really laser-focusing on the details, its difficult to really tell a dramatic difference shifting between the three modes. It's almost taking away the enjoyment of the game itself as I am being so picky about these marginal image selections rather than just enjoying the experience. Need to just settle and forget.


I am going with 4k because it eliminates the shimmer in the game. I have bought this game 3 time. On Xbox one the shimmer made we wait for the pc version. Got the pc version for half off but maxed out at 1080p the shimmer was still there. But on the pro at 4k it's gone. And it really hard to see what is downgraded from enriched mode. But enriched mode has the shimmer so $125 dollars later I can finally play this game.
 
Eh.. not sure here. Did you mix them up?
4K settings on 1080P look really clean compared to both high fps mode and enriched mode. Enriched mode looks the worst imo. Really jaggy and shimmery.
It looks cleaner on my screen. Maybe bacause it's in motion but all your screens look noisy and jaggy to me.

Shadows look a lot better on enriched though.

It looks noisy because the gif is dithered. I love Enriched mode, it's definitely more blurrier than 4k but i love the extra graphical effects. It really adds more immersion to the scene. In the beginning the difference wasn't even noticeable, but later on in the game the improvements are clear.
tomb-raider-comparisoywa3p.gif

https://abload.de/img/6g1yrx.png
https://abload.de/img/7n9y7n.png
 
It looks noisy because the gif is dithered. I love Enriched mode, it's definitely more blurrier than 4k but i love the extra graphical effects. It really adds more immersion to the scene. In the beginning the difference wasn't even noticeable, but later on in the game the improvements are clear.
tomb-raider-comparisoywa3p.gif

https://abload.de/img/6g1yrx.png
https://abload.de/img/7n9y7n.png

Ah okay. Gif compression fucking things up.
Yeah enriched mode has some nice features but all i really see is jaggies. Can't not see those fuckers for some reason. So i chose down sampled.
 

Bog

Junior Ace
I use "high framerate" mode the majority of the time, but switch to 4K during cutscenes or spots where the "high framerate" drops to the 30s.
 
A bit disappointed in the Pro so far. But then again I've been playing lots of PC games maxed out at 60fps with lots of downsampling.
 

SoundLad

Member
Looking at the pipes on the left hand side of those captures really shows off the benefits of tesselation in enriched mode Tomb Raider. If I had a Pro I would definitely go with enriched.

4K:
tr1v3sw0.png


Enriched:
tr28asms.png
 
Not a sexy example but playing MLB 16 The Show on the Pro got rid of almost all of the very noticeable aliasing that is all over that game. It's noticeable to me because I play at least a game of it a day and I was pretty impressed how an old game got improved on the newer machine.
 

zombieshavebrains

I have not used cocaine
Question, i see that the Pro has the ability to stream 1080p/60fps...will that work for Bloodborne? The game is only 30fps right?

Literally the only reason i'm going to buy a PS4 eventually is for BB but i'm having a hard time justifying the $400 Pro when I can play it just fine with the $250 Amateur.
 
Looking at the pipes on the left hand side of those captures really shows off the benefits of tesselation in enriched mode Tomb Raider. If I had a Pro I would definitely go with enriched.

4K:
tr1v3sw0.png


Enriched:
tr28asms.png

Not just that, look at the rocks. It's like they don't have any texture in 4k mode. All in all the three modes are just perfect. They all offer something unique and i hope future pro games support this.
 

5taquitos

Member
Question, i see that the Pro has the ability to stream 1080p/60fps...will that work for Bloodborne? The game is only 30fps right?

Literally the only reason i'm going to buy a PS4 eventually is for BB but i'm having a hard time justifying the $400 Pro when I can play it just fine with the $250 Amateur.

If you are only ever going to play Bloodborne for the entire time that you own your PS4, may as well get an original or Slim. If you plan on playing any other game that may come out in the next few years, you may want to consider the Pro.
 

dakun

Member
So does Watch Dogs 2 do anything for 1080p Displays on the Pro? All i'm hearing is the 4k support on 4k TVs
 

Arttemis

Member
So does Watch Dogs 2 do anything for 1080p Displays on the Pro? All i'm hearing is the 4k support on 4k TVs

All games that have 4k support get supersampling benefits in 1080p, improving image quality. Aliasing is improved, with smooth lines instead of jagged edges.
 
Looking at the pipes on the left hand side of those captures really shows off the benefits of tesselation in enriched mode Tomb Raider. If I had a Pro I would definitely go with enriched.

4K:
tr1v3sw0.png


Enriched:
tr28asms.png

Yes, Enriched has some really good stuff. I just wish it came with the downsampled 4K version, haha.
 
Hitman comparison - opening scenes of some of Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh and Colorado - https://youtu.be/FyF7GqiUZuM

Thanx. Pro version looks very soft/ blurry. What are the specifics of the pro patch? What res and stuff?
Or did they just Upscale the original res? You allready posted the fountain shots, didn't you? Weird stuff going on there in the Hitman Pro patch.
But maybe it's easier on the eye in motion.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Yes, it's the best thing about the Pro. It's also clealry the best mode in Tombraider. It just doesn't really show as well in these gif comparisons above.



Yeah it's not always sepcified. Sometimes it is though.
At first glance I would agree but I've been switching between modes and although the 4k gives a nice sharp image especially with stuff in the distance I've noticed it strips away literally layers of GFX, foliage surfaces become flat, snow loses a bit of sparkle
Some textures are downgraded (although the 4k image makes the default textures more detailed)
Shadows are sharp but dialed back
So while it adds a bit of sharpness to the overall picture I think it strips too much away
 

Cyborg

Member
Can you use any HDMI for downsampling? The one I got with Pro is to short and I used the oneI bought for the original PS4?
 

winstano

Member
Thanx. Pro version looks very soft/ blurry. What are the specifics of the pro patch? What res and stuff?
Or did they just Upscale the original res? You allready posted the fountain shots, didn't you? Weird stuff going on there in the Hitman Pro patch.
But maybe it's easier on the eye in motion.

I think it's super sampling for some textures, but on the whole it's just the AA tweaks, along with a smoother frame rate. Seems a bit more 'natural' in motion
 

5taquitos

Member
Can you use any HDMI for downsampling? The one I got with Pro is to short and I used the oneI bought for the original PS4?

Yes, you'll only need a premium HDMI cable (like the one in the Pro box) for HDR content on a 4k TV. If you have a 1080p TV, any HDMI cable should work.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
 

ufo8mycat

Member
One thing that worries me about the PS4 Pro, is all that extra power is being used to run games at 4K or near 4K, thus not leaving any headroom left to keep the framerate at 30fps, resulting in possibly having games on Pro dropping below 30fps more often then the PS4 OG version of the same game, because of the 4K resolution.
 
I think it's super sampling for some textures, but on the whole it's just the AA tweaks, along with a smoother frame rate. Seems a bit more 'natural' in motion

Yep, just watched it in motion. Looks pretty good indeed.

At first glance I would agree but I've been switching between modes and although the 4k gives a nice sharp image especially with stuff in the distance I've noticed it strips away literally layers of GFX, foliage surfaces become flat, snow loses a bit of sparkle
Some textures are downgraded (although the 4k image makes the default textures more detailed)
Shadows are sharp but dialed back
So while it adds a bit of sharpness to the overall picture I think it strips too much away

Yeah it's a shame. But the jaggies are always the first thing that distract me. Not a texture. I guess that works differently depending on the person.
I love the lack of distracting shimmering and jaggies. Easier on the eye.
 

Cartho

Member
So does Watch Dogs 2 do anything for 1080p Displays on the Pro? All i'm hearing is the 4k support on 4k TVs

We're not sure of the details yet. I got my copy on Saturday and it patched up to version 1.02 but there are no notes for it and there are rumours going around that this ISN'T the day one patch. So at the moment I'm not sure if there's a pro mode in it or not. I'm playing on a 1080p display with my pro and it certainly looks very nice - really sharp image and the performance is excellent. Not had a single frame rate dip yet. So it might have pro support on disc, or it might have got it in the 1.02 patch. Or it might not have any pro support yet and it might just be a really solidly optimised title with good IQ which is going to get better.

*shrugs*

Ratchet has to be the standout performer for me right now. It's utterly mind blowing. While my PC can run games at 1440p 60 with all the bells and whistles turned on, nothing on there looks this nice. The art style, the colours, the IQ. It's just utterly sublime.
 
Not just that, look at the rocks. It's like they don't have any texture in 4k mode. All in all the three modes are just perfect. They all offer something unique and i hope future pro games support this.

I kinda don't like having a choice. It makes me stress about what to choose and feel like I'm missing something no matter what I go with. I also don't want to be going back and forth between modes as it kills immersion. I have no idea whether to choose 4K or Enriched and I hate that.
 

Humdinger

Member
These problems with framerate dips in some Pro games -- would they be more prevalent on 4K than 1080p? I'm thinking that it wouldn't matter, because it gets upscaled to 4K and then downsampled to 1080, so presumably it would carry whatever 4K-associated framerate decrements with it. However, for dedicated 1080p modes (as opposed to downsampling), the framerate problems might not be as prevalent and framerate would even be improved at times (e.g., TR at 60 fps).
 

Planet

Member
because it gets upscaled to 4K and then downsampled to 1080
Nope, it gets either upscaled to 4K (if not already there) or downsampled to 1080p, depending on the display. But performance-wise it doesn't make a difference, if there isn't a specific 1080p mode.
 
I just want every game to be 60fps with as much increase in graphical fidelity (especially better AA) while maintaining that frame-rate. I really don't care about 4k, or checkerboard 4k - the system isn't powerful enough for that crap (as shown by a few DF videos).
 
I just want every game to be 60fps with as much increase in graphical fidelity (especially better AA) while maintaining that frame-rate. I really don't care about 4k, or checkerboard 4k - the system isn't powerful enough for that crap (as shown by a few DF videos).

This is the opposite of what is going to happen. As we all knew on forehand.
But sure, a lot of gaffers would love that. Most other people don't give a damn though. That's why a lot of devs aim for 30 fps.
Personally, i love the downsampling. I just don't want worse performance.
 

DBT85

Member
Seems like an alarming number of games are actually running worse on the Pro.

What are developers even doing with that horsepower?

I'm not alarmed by it, its new kit and its a few games in certain ways and they are pushing how far it can go with early tools. From the DF videos so far it seems to be alpha effects causing more frame drops than anything else, which is related to memory bandwidth.
 
I just want every game to be 60fps with as much increase in graphical fidelity (especially better AA) while maintaining that frame-rate. I really don't care about 4k, or checkerboard 4k - the system isn't powerful enough for that crap (as shown by a few DF videos).

I dunno man. The supersampling has led to pretty amazing results on 1080p screens. Titanfall 2 went from nice graphically on OG PS4 to "holy shit" on PS4 Pro due to the insanely good image quality.
 
I just want every game to be 60fps with as much increase in graphical fidelity (especially better AA) while maintaining that frame-rate. I really don't care about 4k, or checkerboard 4k - the system isn't powerful enough for that crap (as shown by a few DF videos).

I'm glad I didn't jump on the bandwagon and pre order this thing. No way the is the jump worth the cost (for people with 1080p TV's at least) and in some cases, the performance is worse with the pro. People are now HOPING they get patched again to increase the performance more.
 

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
I'm glad I didn't jump on the bandwagon and pre order this thing. No way the is the jump worth the cost (for people with 1080p TV's at least) and in some cases, the performance is worse with the pro. People are now HOPING they get patched again to increase the performance more.

Some people will take the upgrades over some of the downgrades. Pros and cons.

That's their choice.

I just want every game to be 60fps with as much increase in graphical fidelity (especially better AA) while maintaining that frame-rate. I really don't care about 4k, or checkerboard 4k - the system isn't powerful enough for that crap (as shown by a few DF videos).

The console isn't anywhere near powerful enough to do 60fps for all games either. And increasing the res is actually possible, even if it comes with a minimal drop in performance. So developers do what they think they can.
 

Miggytronz

Member
Can some one explain 4K downsampling to 1080p for me so I can help someone understand it. He's starting an argument that it's all placebo.

From what I understand it's a 4K source fitting into a 1080p frame.
 

MorshuTheTrader

Neo Member
Can some one explain 4K downsampling to 1080p for me so I can help someone understand it. He's starting an argument that it's all placebo.

From what I understand it's a 4K source fitting into a 1080p frame.

I think of it like this: You render a 4K image, so you have a lot of extra detail and information that just isn't present at native 1080p. Then you take this image and start combining pixels (essentially averaging them together) until you get down to 1080p. That extra information that was present in the 4K image is now averaged into your 1080p image, resulting in a sharper overall image.
 

Miggytronz

Member
I think of it like this: You render a 4K image, so you have a lot of extra detail and information that just isn't present at native 1080p. Then you take this image and start combining pixels (essentially averaging them together) until you get down to 1080p. That extra information that was present in the 4K image is now averaged into your 1080p image, resulting in a sharper overall image.

Theoretically it's still a mirror effect of what would be a 4K product.
 

Interfectum

Member
Can some one explain 4K downsampling to 1080p for me so I can help someone understand it. He's starting an argument that it's all placebo.

From what I understand it's a 4K source fitting into a 1080p frame.

I could be wrong but it's like scaling down an image in Photoshop.
Normal 1080p image: Any flaws or artifacts will be apparent.
4K downsampled 1080p image: Lots of flaws or artifacts the 4K version had will be completely smoothed over, hidden and fixed at 1080p.

So basically they are starting with higher quality assets. When scaled down you'll get a lot of things for "free" like AA. Some games will look better than others, especially ones that scale up from 900p to 1080p which suffer the opposite problem.
 

ufo8mycat

Member
As well as eliminating jaggies, does downsampling to 1080p also increase the sharpness/clarity of the image, making it look like texture detail is also increased?
 
Played some WD2 on my 60" Sony W850B, it's the first time I have really seen the benefits for 1080p set owners on the Pro.

Looks stunning, very crisp with very little aliasing visible. A real step up on other open world games visually, would love to see GTA 5 look like this. :)
 
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