Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro banks on growth of 4K, HDR TV market

When Sony introduced the PlayStation 4 Pro, the higher-end version of its current video game console, it promised to make gaming action punchier and more vibrant — depending on what kind of screen you're looking at.

The PS4 Pro, out Nov. 10, plays the same games that work on existing PS4 consoles, but offers 4K resolution — a significant upgrade in pixels compared with the now standard 1080p — and with high-dynamic range (or HDR) colours.

There was one significant hurdle, though: anyone watching Sony's New York press conference on a television or computer monitor that doesn't support 4K or HDR would be unable to tell the difference.

Leap to 4K looks 'dramatic'

Chad Sapieha, who covers video games for the National Post, attended the event and saw first-hand what games would look like on the PS4 Pro.

With a flip of a switch, demonstrators went back and forth between 4K and standard HD to compare the two. The difference "was noticeable bordering on dramatic, depending on the game shown," Sapieha told CBC News. 

"It's not quite as pronounced as switching between standard definition and high definition, but it's definitely in the same ballpark."

Where 4K creates a sharper image, turning on HDR makes colours "deeper and more vibrant thanks to improved contrast," he said.

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"A stretch of sky that just seemed like a pale blue without HDR switched on becomes rich with varying hues. A beach that seemed like just a swath of whitish yellow sand suddenly shows ripples and footprints that were almost completely washed out without HDR."

Whether you notice HDR's improvements, however, will depend on what kind of in-game scenery you're looking at. "Brighter and darker scenes will benefit more than just an average, well-lit indoor setting," he said.

Seeing (in real life) is believing

But how will Sony be able to convince consumers to buy a PS4 Pro, when a large portion of its player base probably first learned about it on a YouTube or Twitch live stream?

"If you're not watching this on a 4K screen, find one and come back," Bioware general manager Arryn Flynn said at the start of a YouTube video showcasing the upcoming Mass Effect Andromeda running on a PS4 Pro.

Most potential customers will have to be swayed the old-fashioned way: by walking into a store and looking at the new TVs.

Leo Hernandez, assistant store manager at 2001 Audio Video in Toronto, cautions that anyone looking to buy a 4K and/or HDR television will need to watch — or play — 4K or HDR content to get the most out of it.

"A TV can have HDR, but if you don't have any HDR content, then you're not going to see any difference," he told CBC News.

"When we do turn on the demo or play something with higher-quality content, then yeah, it does blow the customer out of the water."

4K, HDR TVs slowly gaining traction

Hernandez told CBC News earlier this year that TVs with both 4K and HDR weren't exactly flying off the shelves.

But as prices have gradually come down over the months and services like Netflix and YouTube have begun offering more 4K and/or HDR content, sales are starting to pick up.

A 55-inch 4K TV with HDR sells for between $1,200 and $1,500, compared with upward of $2,000 earlier in the year. There are still higher-priced premium models available for those willing to pay, of course.

Even with the price reduction, though, getting the most out of console gaming today will cost you.

And Sapieha notes that gamers most likely to want a PS4 Pro probably already own a standard PS4.

"PS4 Pro is targeted squarely at hardcore gamers. Sony said as much," he said. "Asking them to buy a second might not sit well with some, especially if they bought their first PS4 in the last year or two."

Won't play 4K Blu-rays

The PS4 Pro might offer the content gamers need to finally shell out for a new TV, but they'll first have to make sure the games they want to play will actually receive a visual upgrade.

Most marquee games coming out for the rest of the year, including Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Battlefield 1, will benefit from the PS4 Pro. Look for the "PS4 Pro Enhanced" label on the games' packaging.

Some older games that are already available, including Uncharted 4 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will receive updates that add PS4 Pro-powered improvements.

One cautionary note, though: while the PS4 Pro will be able to stream 4K video content from services like Netflix and YouTube, it won't play 4K Blu-ray discs — only the standard 1080p versions.

Microsoft's Xbox One S does play 4K Blu-rays, as will Project Scorpio, the upgraded Xbox One coming next year.