All you need to know about the PlayStation 4 Pro

The PlayStation 4 Pro was announced a few months ago as a more powerful version of the PS4. The original PlayStation 4 model came out in November 2013 and a "Slim PS4" released earlier in this year, and the original and slim PS4s have the same specs and both support a full HD 1080p resolution. The PS4 Pro will have better specifications than the other PS4 models and it will support a 4K resolution output and native HDR for those who have HDR capable TV's and comes with a standard 1TB harddrive. The original and slim PS4 consoles have also had an update that allows them to support HDR.

These are the specifications of the PS4 Pro:

• Main processor: Custom-chip single Processor
• CPU: x86-64 AMD "Jaguar," 8 cores
• GPU: 4.20 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon™ based graphics engine
• Memory: GDDR5 8GB 1GB of VRAM
• Storage size: 1TB
• External dimensions: Approx. 295×55×327 mm (width × height × length) (excludes largest projection)
• Mass: Approx. 3.3 kg
• BD/DVD Drive: BD × 6 CAV, DVD × 8 CAV
• Input/Output: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.1 Gen.1) port × 3, AUX port × 1
• Networking: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)×1, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth® 4.0 (LE)
• Power: AC 100V, 50/60Hz
• Power consumption: Max. 310W
• Operating temp: 5ºC - 35ºC
• AV Output: HDMI out port (supports 4K/HDR) DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) port

The specifications for the PS4 Pro compared to the original PS4 are, as you would expect, better. Its most notable improvement is the GPU, which was 1.84 TFLOP in the original launch PS4 to 4.3 TFLOP. The upgrade in GPU is to accommodate the 4K functionality.

Games on the PS4 Pro will run faster and with fewer frame-rate issues, too, thus making the overall gaming experience much smoother across the board.

The boost in performance is sure to help developers who make games for PSVR, as some VR developers have said that the current PS4 tech is somewhat of a bottleneck and limits their potential. PSVR games should also look and perform better than they do on the current PS4 models.

The PS4 Pro weirdly doesn't have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, but it can play full HD 1080p Blu-ray discs just fine. We don't know why Sony decided not to include an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, although we suspect that it was to reduce the overall price of the console. The decision not to include one is, especially puzzling considering that the Xbox One S has one.

An important thing to note is that all PlayStation 4 games will work on the PS4 Pro. It is up to developers if they want to work on a patch that will allow their games to make use of the extra power given by the PS4 Pro, though.

"Pro-Enhanced" for PS4 titles will now have the logo below, so games that take advantage of the PS4 Pro are clearly identified. The kind of enhancements that players should expect are higher resolutions, consistent and improved frame rates and higher-res textures (or a choice between different improvements, for example Nioh lets you go for improved resolution or a stable 60 FPS, but not both).

The following games are confirmed to be available for PS4 Pro at launch. (Do note, all PS4 games can be played on the PS4 Pro. This list shows the ones that will benefit from the increase in power.)

• Bound
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Driveclub VR
• EA SPORTS FIFA 17
• HELLDIVERS
• HITMAN
• Hustle Kings
• inFAMOUS First Light
• inFAMOUS Second Son
• Knack
• Mafia III
• Middle Earth: Shadows of Mordor
• NBA 2K17
• Paragon
• Ratchet & Clank
• RIGS Mechanized Combat League
• Rise Of The Tomb Raider
• Robinson: The Journey
• SMITE
• Super Stardust Ultra
• The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
• The Last Of Us Remastered
• The Last Of Us: Left Behind
• The Playroom VR
• Titanfall 2
• Tumble
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
• VR Worlds
• World Of Tanks

There are a number of games that are coming out sometime in the future that will take advantage of the PS4 Pro's extra horsepower.

• Days Gone - 2017
• Dishonored 2 - November 11
• Farpoint (PlayStation VR) - TBD 2016
• Final Fantasy XV - November 29
• For Honor - February 14, 2017
• Ghost Recon: Wildlands - March 7, 2017
• Horizon: Zero Dawn - February 28, 2017
• Killing Floor 2 - November 18
• Mass Effect: Andromeda - Early 2017
• Resident Evil 7 - January 24, 2017
• Spider-Man - TBD
• Steep - December 2
• Watch Dogs 2 - November 15

The PlayStation 4 Pro is scheduled to release on November 10 for £349. Are you going to pick one up or are you looking to upgrade your current PS4 to the PS4 Pro? Let us know in the comments below!