PlayStation 4 Pro Will Be the Last PS4 Edition for "Substantial Period of Time"

Andrew House sees this as the complete line-up of PS4s for the time being.

[Maybay]

Makes sense. Even though the ps4/slim/pro will be able to play the same games, the last thing Sony needs to do is to pull a Sega and release consoles every 1-3 years. I remember people being upset about the Wii U lasting only 4 years, and how Nintendo were "burning their clientele."

[starchild]

Yeah, too many people would be upset if they release another more powerful console too soon. If I buy the PS4 Pro I want to get a good couple years out of it before a more powerful PS4, or, even worse, a next generation PS5 comes out.

[mikeslemonade]

I don't have much issue if they do this every 2 years. Much better than having to play low settings at the 2nd half of every generation.

Remember Crysis 3 on PS3? It made a console irrelevant if it stuck to only one sku the whole time.

But people change phones every year and people change shoes every year right.. And with no problem.

[nix]

That "period" is 2 years. Everyone knows that. Anyone that denies is trying to live under the rock.

[darthv72]

"PS4Pro is the last PS4 for a substantial period of time".... so you're telling me there is a chance?

I kid, I kid. Anyone who has seen dumb and dumber will get the reference. Anyways, this seems obvious as the PS5 will be next. That whole "substantial period of time" tells me the PS5 prob wont be out for 5 years as anything shorter isnt really that substantial. Anything longer and they risk people jumping ship from the PS side to something else.

You get cabin fever if you are trapped on one platform for longer than need be.

edit: @starchild. So 2 years isnt long enough for return on investment but 3 years is?

"I already spent $400 on my PS4 and now I'm going to spend another $400 on the PS4 Pro"

That comes out to about 3 years give or take depending on when you bought it initially.

[starchild]

@mikeslemonade

I wouldn't like that. If I buy a PS4 Pro and they release the PS5 in two years I'll feel ripped off. Two years isn't enough return on the investment. I already spent $400 on my PS4 and now I'm going to spend another $400 on the PS4 Pro, so there's no way I'm going to turn around and buy the PS5 in two years.

I don't even upgrade my PC that often. Hell, most of my PC (motherboard, i7 2600k, power supply, etc) hasn't been upgraded for 5 years. The only thing I've upgraded this gen is the graphics card. Once I buy my PS4 Pro I will have actually spent more on my console gaming this gen (on Playstation only) than on my PC.

I mean, seriously, is console gaming going to become significantly more expensive than PC gaming? I hope not. Upgrades every two years would be too frequent. There's almost no chance the console market would tolerate that. And Sony and Microsoft certainly won't be pushing things the very first time they are trying this upgraded console idea.

[Mr Pumblechook]

I think it will be 3 years before we see the PS5 release in 2019. By then a revised PS4 Slim may be release.

[deathtok]

Agree. The next step should be PS5. Even if it's backward compatible it will draw a line as to what games cross over because of the performance difference.

[starchild]

Well yeah, at some point they have to leave the standard PS4 behind and release a new generation of games that wouldn't be possible on the standard PS4.

When the PS5 launches it will have its own games and will also be backwards compatible with the PS4, but I don't think the standard PS4 will be able to play PS5 games. The PS4 Pro however may be able to play scaled down versions of PS5 games. That's how I envision it at least.

[nRicosS]

Agree. Next step must be ps5
Please dont be ps4 pro slim

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

people being upset about Nintendo having the Wii U last almost 5 years is strange to me.
Nintendo system all have 5-6 years before the next. That just how it is.

[Relientk77]

I'm hoping it's just the last until PS5

[Alexander1Nevermind]

The demand for consoles is still extremely high so yes I'm sure there will be a PS5.

[iTechHeads]

Obviously. There won't be a PS4 Pro 2 next year or anything.
PS4 Pro is a half-step for when the PS5 arrives in a about 4 years.

[ocelot07]

I seriously can't see this gen lasting 7 years. I still think PS5 as early as late 2018. Pro would of been on the market for 2 years and the original PS4 for 5.

[Mystogan]

He said a Substantial period of time. AKA you're not gonna see a new PlayStation for at least another 3 years.

[LordMaim]

@Mystogan: He also said last PS4 edition for a substantial period of time. That specifically doesn't rule out a new generation console.

[mkis007]

Mystogan

He never said new playstation, he said new playstation 4. im guessing release by 2020 anyway.

[spoilerjerk]

I have absolutely no doubt that 6 months after Scorpio hits shelves that Sony will be showing PS5 at E3 2018 (for a 2019 release) and that PS4 Pro/ Xbox Scorpio will have been failed experiments.

[game4funz]

Not buying a console then for quite a while. If i were to buy these new iterations for sony and ms I will have spent over 1600 on consoles alone. for what people call the same generation. in the span of 3-5 years...ridiculous.

[arkard]

I see a 2019 release myself, but no way is this gen lasting 7 years

[starchild]

I think the whole idea of these upgraded consoles is to give the generation more life and longevity. So, if anything, they will lengthen the generation relative to what it would have been had the upgraded consoles not come along.

I think this gen would have easily lasted 5 or 6 years with just the regular PS4 and XB1, but now that we are getting significantly more powerful versions of those consoles I think the generation could easily last 7 years or more. 6 years will be an absolute minimum, mark my words.

[arkard]

I see it as ps5 coming out but having mandate with being backward compatible with ps pro, giving each console about 6 or 7years

[DragonDDark]

Good. I don't want a 3rd(edit: 4th) one.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

It will be 2-3ys... the cycle has begun, mark my words. Edit: and this will hold true for MS too... the next console will basically be another bump to the current console just moving the performance needle just enough to get current console owners to consider. I know many call it the Apple model but in many ways...this is the PC model just without upgrading individual components.

[Mystogan]

The Cycle will be 3 years. 2 years is a really short time.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Yeah, you are probably correct... although I could see a 2yr slim like refresh then 3rd yr console spec bump.

[jb227]

I'd personally prefer upgrading individual components. The only reason that seems to ever cause any issues in regards to PC is that there are a variety of vendors creating these components. If Sony & MS made some kind of hot swap type port for their next systems that only accepted Sony or MS components, I don't see why upgrading would be an issue. Even if it necessitates consoles becoming a bit more bulky I'd be fine w/ that. It just feels wasteful to me to buy an entirely new system every few years instead of just releasing cheaper upgrades to a base model. There was talk about phones going modular like this in the future & I'd personally prefer that. Let people decide how they want to upgrade as opposed to having wholesale new solutions.

[BattleAxe]

This is the biggest opportunity for Scorpio to be the standard bearer for native 4K gaming, 4K streaming and 4K Blu-ray playback. The power difference will be generation defining. The conditions are right, for the Xbox Scorpio to become the Xbox 360 of 4K, in that it will become the default console for developers, just as the 360 was the default console for 3rd party developers during the 720p/1080i era..

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

The problem is people like yourself who are acting like 4K Blu-ray playback is something to boast about when you don't even understand what the 4K Blu-ray format is. If you think buying a 4K Blu-ray gives you access to a native 4K movie you are gravely mistaken. A huge amount of 4K Blu-rays are just the original Blu-rays upscaled to 4K meaning putting in a normal Blu-ray movie into the PS4P which upscales to 4K will look the same. If they start releasing movies that came out before 2016 on 4K Blu-ray discs I can almost guarantee those are going to be upscales also.

[Sparta07]

Well said, too bad they will just ignore your comment.

[LexHazard79]

Ok theres a problem with your comment. There is no way a regular blu ray will upscale to look exact as a true 4K native source. Link me where upscale 4K and true native 4K are the same. Seems you're the one that doesnt know anything on 4K.

And you say alot of the 4K blu ray players...are just upscaling, not all and the ones that do, say 4K upscale, which are cheaper than real native 4K players. Now you could disagree but just look up UHD players or do some searching.

Edit: just like when 1080p players was the shit and those cost alot. You went with the cheaper 1080p upscale dvd player.

[Master of Unlocking]

Yeah I remember reading somewhere that recent Hollywood movies like The Martian or Mad Max or Interstellar were only shot in 4K, and the mastering, or whatever it's called, the process of adding SFX was done only in sub-resolutions to that, like 1080p, so those are actually not real 4K movies in the end.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

@BakPAin

Read my comment you sound so ignorant, I'm talking about the video that is burned onto the 4K Blu-ray disc not what the 4K Blu-ray player is doing. No dip a upscale won't look as good as a native resolution.

These movie companies are taking the standard Blu-ray video file and upscaling the video to 4K and then burning that video to these 4K Blu-ray discs. They couldn't be further from being native 4K videos which is why I'm saying the whole video format is pointless until native 4K movies are being produced.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

@Master of Unlocking

Finally someone who understands what I'm talking about. Yes the movie studios record at 4K and sometimes way higher resolutions but the final cut and special effects are produced at 2K. Which means the only option if they want to create a native 4K version is to completely redo special effects which would cost millions and I don't seem them doing this for any movie. Now maybe future movies that are still in the works will start producing the final cut in 4K but until then the 4K movie format is not a native 4K format, a large majority are simply 4K upscales which the PS4P can already do with normal Blu-ray movies.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

@bg116

I don't even understand what you are even talking about, yes the XB1S has a 4K Blu-ray drive but what my comment points out is the fact the 4K UHD Movies that are currently released are pointless since almost none of them are actually native 4K and simply upscaled movies from 2K which means you shouldn't buy them.

[TheColbertinator]

The harvest for ultra HD console gaming is at the doorstep. Microsoft needs to put all its efforts into that relaunch to make up for 2014. With a well positioned NX launch too,Sony can enjoy its new position which is dead last

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

While movie studios record movies at 4K and way higher resolutions, they create the final version in 2K with special effects at 2K. If they wanted to release these movies in native 4K they would have to spend millions to redo the special effects for each movie which is never going to happen which is why you are getting 4K Blu-rays with upscales of the standard Blu-ray version. Maybe newer movies in the works will finally start creating the final cut at 4K but until then 4K Blu-rays are pointless and overpriced.

[ger2396]

What would be the price point for the Scorpio with all those features? If it was even feasible?

[jb227]

Do you honestly buy the idea that every Scorpio title will be native 4k, while that isn't even possible for many current titles on PC w/ higher specs than the Scorpio itself?

Was the power difference between PS4 & XBO 'generation defining'? It's ultimately the same percentage wise in comparison between the PS4 Pro & Scorpio.

The 360 became the default console for devs not based off of its own strengths, but more off of PS3's weaknesses. The 360 came out a full year earlier so it had a higher install base, and the Cell processor was much more difficult to work w/ in relation to the 360. If it was solely down to power, the PS3 would've been the default console for devs.

Bottom line is that by the time Scorpio launches, they will be in more or less the same position that the PS3 was in. They will have a much smaller install base on both the vanilla & pro models, and there's a possibility that MS messes up the architecture. We've already seen their predilection for dropping in eSRam & many devs have called that a bit of a hurdle that needed to be worked around. Nothing keeping a similar situation from happening w/ Scorpio.

Let's maybe wait to see what the actual specs are for the Scorpio, then wait & see how adoption goes, and most importantly, let's see what games look like running on this hardware after devs have had the time to get a good grasp on it.

[TheOptimist]

Yes, another 3 years lol...... How's that a substantial time period?

[DivineAssault]

Well it'd better be! This cant continue happening.. There shouldnt be another console until the PS5

[ziggurcat]

i expect the next PS console to be out in 2020.

[Mystogan]

Lol, people were saying that Sony will launch PS5 in 2018 to compete with Scorpio. I guess this settles it. You won't see a new PlayStation for at least another 3-4 years.

[Rhezin]

I'll believe it when I see it. Fuck companies that use the Apple model.

[NickAwesome]

I Don't believe anything sony is saying anymore, they dropped the ball with this one, if only i knew i could have waited for playstation pro, but no... they never said before, they were gonna release a more powerful ps4, i wish i knew this a year ago

[BlakHavoc]

Good, no more mid gen upgrades please. Go away for a few years and release the PS5 in 2019 or 2020.

[jwillj2k4]

so no 4k bluray player in the touted 4k console that plays 4k games and streams 4k content until at least 2019.
smart move, no seriously.
smart move not offering something your competitor does at a cheaper price today.
smart move forgetting your base contains moderate amount of videophiles.
smart move neglecting those very same videophiles who have always payed extra for the bells and whistles.
smart move leaving 4k out in your premium console just because you have the "lead" and you feel you dont need it.
smart move seeing that sony sits on the board for bluray standards.
smart move since you actually own a portion of the format.
smart move since you actually create the movies your console lacks support for.
smart move.
smart move knowing your competitor will have 2 consoles that support it in about a year.
smart move knowing it will become the standard in about a year as more people buy 4k tvs.
smart move allowing your competitor to have another checkbox as to why their console is better value.
smart move pushing your streaming agenda knowing many people dont have the money to afford the bandwidth or just dont have the streaming speeds available to them.

This is why competition is good, to stop companies in the lead from making bullish idiotic decisions based on the bottom dollar. I hope this blows up in their face. They created a problem where there was none.

[LexHazard79]

Amen to that. Let my fund recuperate...lol

[AizenSosuke]

PS5 is confirmed!?

[Gamist2dot0]

3 years seems like a long time but since it takes 2-3 years for devs to make games these days, seems about right.

[King_Lothric]

Playstation is dominating the whole console market. Now with PSVR and PS4 Pro, it will ensure that the gap versus the Xbox gets even bigger.

[stalepie]

In 2019, PS4 Pro Slim offered at $299, regular Pro reduced to $219. Rumors start appearing for a stream-only USB dongle called PS4Eva to release in 2020 which streams all PS games uprezzed to 4K, even PS1 and PSP oldies. The Chromecast-like dongle costs only $69.99 and includes timed exclusive access to the latest PC games streamed from the best Intel and NVidia hardware.

[game4funz]

Its a shame really I still feel like sony exclusives have barely released from their first party studios since launch and we're already seeing new more powerful iterations of the consoles.

I do hope they dont plan on releasing anything newer for the next 10 or so years. That would be nice. Graphics already look amazing on current consoles, they should just focus on games.

[DarXyde]

Part of me feels obligated to get a Pro. Gaming is such a financial drain. It's a lifelong hobby (so far) but I think I'll give it up once this generation ends. I just don't see myself getting really up there in age and still gaming. That said, it couldn't hurt to get the most out of it by maximizing my experience with this generation.

[DialgaMarine]

I can only imagine that PS4 Pro will be the last iteration of PS4, period, outside of maybe introducing a slimmer model. It would only make sense for Sony to start going to the drawing board for PS5 at this point, but to take their time with it as well and not be disheartened by Scorpio. I think that Sony has finally realized that they're competing with Microsoft less and less as the days go by. They're sticking to maintaining a dedicated console ecosystem while MS is slowly merging itself with PC, thus waiting until 2019/ 2020 to release a potential PS5 would be the smartest move.

[jc12]

Doesnt matter either way. In three years time max, the PS5 will be in late stage development or even released.