PS4 Pro 1080p (or less) users get a massive boost.

[Jtbrig7390]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/di...or-1080p-users

PS4 Pro's new super-sampling tested: big boosts for 1080p users

With the arrival of the upcoming firmware 5.5, Sony has introduced a new option - system-level super-sampling. It addresses a key frustration for PS4 Pro users hooked up to 1080p screens: the lack of access to high resolution support on a range of games.

Take Metal Gear Solid 5's recent Pro upgrade for example: if you own an ultra HD display, you gain access to higher resolution rendering. This should have benefits for users of 1080p displays too via super-sampling - a brute-force form of anti-aliasing that can offer some beautifully smooth results. However, inexplicably, MGS5 and a small range of other titles completely lock out this support if you only own a 1080p display. It's far from ideal, but with the upcoming firmware 5.5, a solution is now available.

The new super-sampling option is a very welcome addition for Pro users, ensuring that any and all high resolution support previously locked to ultra HD screens now translates into SSAA downscaling on the Pro's 1080p output. It serves to address a genuine grievance users of Sony's supercharged PS4 have had for some time - the notion that they're not getting full access to the complete capabilities of their machine. Of course, there are game modes locked to the 1080p output too, meaning that 4K display users can potentially lose out too. However, there is a solution: owners of ultra HD screens can always switch their consoles to 1080p to access those otherwise locked modes. The opposite simply isn't possible for full HD users without recourse to expensive hardware scalers, like HD Fury's 'Linker', for example.

In worst-case scenarios, PS4 Pro users with 1080p displays really get a bum deal. Take Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection, for example. It's a compilation of AC2, Brotherhood and Revelations, rendering each game at a locked 30fps at a super-crisp native 4K. However, inexplicably, if the PS4 Pro is attached to a 1080p display, the pixel count locks to full HD only - a quarter of the resolution. There are no performance upgrades here for running at the lower res - it's the same locked 30fps. It's a downgrade, plain and simple.

By enabling super-sampling in firmware 5.5, the game believes you have a 4K screen connected and the system takes over from there, downscaling the image and producing beautiful anti-aliasing in the process. The improvement to image quality is clear; jagged edges are smoothed over, more detail can be resolved in some cases, while flickering is also reduced in motion on sub-pixel detail - something we can't really show you in our screenshot gallery here.

The new mode puts choice at the hands of the user, which can only be a good thing. For example, Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Remastered launched with super-sampling support, which was then yanked in a subsequent update, with a tighter 60fps performance lock introduced for 1080p Pro users instead. The preferred outcome here is that all modes should be available to all users, regardless of their screen - and that's exactly what happened with TLOU's last major patch. However, if users had the support offered by the new firmware 5.5 when the SSAA functionality was pulled, system level downsampling would have done the trick just as well (we even compared TLOU's in-built downsampling vs the new system software implementation and got identical results).

However, it's not all plain sailing and the new mode needs to be treated with caution, as there are some potential scenarios that may produce undesirable results. When enabling SSAA on some titles, performance can change - and not for the better. Let's take The Last Guardian for example. It's a game that locks its lower resolution/higher frame-rate option exclusively to the 1080p output, with a less stable, higher resolution mode locked to the 4K mode. So if you use 5.5's super-sampling option in this case, you will get improved image quality, but it comes at the expense of frame-rate - and at its worst, The Last Guardian's frame-rate in 4K mode can drop to 20fps territory. Put simply, given the choice, we'd opt for the 1080p mode.

A similar example is Call of Duty Black Ops 3, which locks a native 1080p mode with enhanced performance to the full HD output, along with a higher resolution mode that's exclusive to 4K displays which, again, doesn't offer as stable a frame-rate. Forcing super-sampling in this case swaps in the lower-performing 4K mode, which may not be ideal, especially in a game like COD where smooth performance is so key to the core experience.

The option to force SSAA is a positive move overall and further caveats to this approach are minor: one small issue is that text and HUD overlays also get scaled down in the process - where the game deploys its 4K assets on the assumption an appropriate display is connected. The resulting scale to 1080p operates at a system level, adding a touch of blur to these elements, something you don't typically see with native 1080p HUDs.

Comparisons with Xbox One X's implementation are inevitable, and while the new super-sampling mode for Pro users is useful, it's still something of a fudge. After all, the whole concept of having Pro enhancements linked to specific display outputs in the first place is a really bad idea. Microsoft's alternative approach is simple and elegant: the system doesn't tell developers which display is attached to the console. This forces game-makers to offer in-game options for all modes, regardless of whether a 1080p or 4K TV is attached and by extension, 1080p super-sampling is automatically taken care of at the system level. It's the ideal set-up and the one we've advocated since PlayStation 4 Pro launched.

It's worth stressing that the majority of games, from Rise of the Tomb Raider to Horizon Zero Dawn to Monster Hunter World do get it right, ensuring that all game modes are available to all users, regardless of what display they might happen to own. With Xbox One X effectively enforcing this standard for all games, hopefully future Pro titles will have SSAA built-in too. However, Metal Gear Survive's beta once again saw exclusive modes that kick in depending on which display output is selected. If this remains the case in final code, it demonstrates that firmware 5.5's SSAA functionality may well be a useful fallback option to have not just for existing games, but potentially for future titles too.

Before it depended on the game but now it will be a system wide choice.

[Zephyr Storm]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/di...or-1080p-users









Before it depended on the game but now it will be a system wide choice.

So it can finally do what the One X has been able to do since launch? Good job on catching up I guess?

[zito]

So it can finally do what the One X has been able to do since launch? Good job on catching up I guess?

Considering the ps4 pro launched a year ahead microsoft is the one catching up. Weaker than the X or not sony has had it's foot in that mid gen upgrade a year ahead of microsoft and with the lack of well any decent games on the xbox Ps4 pro still tends to be the better option. It's cheaper, slightly less powerful, shit ton of good games and it's now updated for 1080p like the X.

[Gohzerlock]

Considering the ps4 pro launched a year ahead microsoft is the one catching up. Weaker than the X or not sony has had it's foot in that mid gen upgrade a year ahead of microsoft and with the lack of well any decent games on the xbox Ps4 pro still tends to be the better option. It's cheaper, slightly less powerful, shit ton of good games and it's now updated for 1080p like the X.

Ya, it tends to be a better option because it has games.

[Zephyr Storm]

Considering the ps4 pro launched a year ahead microsoft is the one catching up. Weaker than the X or not sony has had it's foot in that mid gen upgrade a year ahead of microsoft and with the lack of well any decent games on the xbox Ps4 pro still tends to be the better option. It's cheaper, slightly less powerful, shit ton of good games and it's now updated for 1080p like the X.

If it had a year head start then why is it just NOW catching up with features the One X already had at launch? Seems pretty piss poor on Sony’s part.

And sorry. But the whole MS is just catching up to Sony nonsense has no merit to it. The One X is a much more powerful machine that is capable of running at native 4K on most games. It came out a year later because of the extra investment, horsepower, and features.

I’m glad people like to think Sony did the better option here when all they really did was try to push out a “4K” console before it was actually ready. The technology wasn’t quite there and as such, Sony gave us a half baked console. Nothing more. This is made even more evident by the fact that the Pro is just NOW giving the option to do things the One X could do from the start months ago.

[Tech614]

So it can finally do what the One X has been able to do since launch? Good job on catching up I guess?

No surprise the guy who constantly complains about "fanboys" is the first one to try and turn a thread into a console debate again. Yawn.

[Zephyr Storm]

No surprise the guy who constantly complains about "fanboys" is the first one to try and turn a thread into a console debate again. Yawn.

Glad you contributed so much there, Tech.

No surprise the guy who constantly fills threads with his pointless rhetoric comes into yet another thread to post something completely useless. Yawn.

[zito]

Glad you contributed so much there, Tech.

No surprise the guy who constantly fills threads with his pointless rhetoric comes into yet another thread to post something completely useless. Yawn.

I mean what you posted was completely pointless too. The discussion was about the ps4 update not "sony is catching up to Microsoft"

[Zeta333]

Considering the ps4 pro launched a year ahead microsoft is the one catching up. Weaker than the X or not sony has had it's foot in that mid gen upgrade a year ahead of microsoft and with the lack of well any decent games on the xbox Ps4 pro still tends to be the better option. It's cheaper, slightly less powerful, shit ton of good games and it's now updated for 1080p like the X.

What happened to that 4k disc drive that sony owns that didnt for some reason make it into the ps4 pro but appeared magically in the xbox one s?

[Jtbrig7390]

Glad you contributed so much there, Tech.

No surprise the guy who constantly fills threads with his pointless rhetoric comes into yet another thread to post something completely useless. Yawn.

Ummm Tech is correct and you tried turning this into a Microsoft Vs Sony thing. Also like I said in the OP it use to depend on the game so the feature was already there but now you can do it system wide.

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What happened to that 4k disc drive that sony owns that didnt for some reason make it into the ps4 pro but appeared magically in the xbox one s?

Its almost like Sony didn't want to add it into the system because they are pushing streaming content and it would have made the system cost more.

Seeing how physical media sells are less and less each year who cares.

If u want to console/brand bash go make a thread for this cause this isn't that thread.

[Zeta333]

Ummm Tech is correct and you tried turning this into a Microsoft Vs Sony thing. Also like I said in the OP it use to depend on the game so the feature was already there but now you can do it system wide.

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Its almost like Sony didn't want to add it into the system because they are pushing streaming content and it would have made the system cost more.

Seeing how physical media sells are less and less each year who cares.

If u want to console/brand bash go make a thread for this cause this isn't that thread.

and yet all i see is people bitching about data caps, go stream some 4k content, leme know how your data cap does.

[Tech614]

and yet all i see is people bitching about data caps, go stream some 4k content, leme know how your data cap does.

What does this thread have to do with this tired ass argument?

The PS4 Slim and Pro don't have UHD drives because Sony was cost saving to make more money. It's a rehashed argument nobody cares about at this point, anyone who wants an UHD player should be sufficiently educated a PS4 is not the system to buy for that.

Nobody cares, has nothing to do with this thread. Just another fail attempt at derailing a thread with console war bs.

[Jtbrig7390]

and yet all i see is people bitching about data caps, go stream some 4k content, leme know how your data cap does.

What the fuck does any of that have to do with this thread.

This thread is literally a net positive for Pro owner's and all you and Zephyr Storm tried to do is turn it into console bashing. Also at this time I don't have a data cap soooooooo.

[Zeta333]

What the fuck does any of that have to do with this thread.

This thread is literally a net positive for Pro owner's and all you and Zephyr Storm tried to do is turn it into console bashing. Also at this time I don't have a data cap soooooooo.

no, this thread was made to chest beat about the ps4 pro. And your mad that 2 different people brought up a few weak points. Dont make thread where you just circle jerk about something and then be mad when someone brings up a weak point in said system.

[Eleccybubb]

Meh sadly I don't own a Pro so I won't see the benefits. As I said waiting on my standard to kick the dust before I upgrade.

But yeah sad to see a news thread basically turned into a console wars thread.....

[Jtbrig7390]

no, this thread was made to chest beat about the ps4 pro. And your made that 2 different people brought up a few weak points.

So if you post something positive about Xbox its fine, If I post something positive about PS4 (Pro) its chest beating.

No two people didn't bring up a few weak points, Two people brought up a tired ass argument that isn't related to the thread at all.

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Meh sadly I don't own a Pro so I won't see the benefits. As I said waiting on my standard to kick the dust before I upgrade.

But yeah sad to see a news thread basically turned into a console wars thread.....

Right there was no sense in that shit but the two people who always do it showed up. This is a big bonus for those like myself who play there pro on a 1080P(or less) TV.

[Zeta333]

Meh sadly I don't own a Pro so I won't see the benefits. As I said waiting on my standard to kick the dust before I upgrade.

But yeah sad to see a news thread basically turned into a console wars thread.....

Yeh sorry no it didnt. Just because someone said somthing bad about the brand you like doesnt make it a war. I own a ps4. I chose not to buy the pro due to its shortcomings one of which i outlined here but according to the logic here thats starting a console war.

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So if you post something positive about Xbox its fine, If I post something positive about PS4 (Pro) its chest beating.

No two people didn't bring up a few weak points, Two people brought up a tired ass argument that isn't related to the thread at all.

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Right there was no sense in that shit but the two people who always do it showed up. This is a big bonus for those like myself who play there pro on a 1080P(or less) TV.

It hasnt stopped yall from jumping into those threads on the otherside, stop getting butthurt when someone does it to you. and it may be a tired ass argument to you but its still a weak point.

[Eleccybubb]

Yeh sorry no it didnt. Just because someone said somthing bad about the brand you like doesnt make it a war. I own a ps4. I chose not to buy the pro due to its shortcomings one of which i outlined here but according to the logic here thats starting a console war.

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It hasnt stopped yall from jumping into those threads on the otherside, stop getting butthurt when someone does it to you. and it may be a tired ass argument to you but its still a weak point.

Sorry but you know exactly what was going on in this thread. I'm not calling out one specific side either. Both are as bad as each other. And I'll leave it at that. I'd rather discuss the topic at hand personally.

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So if you post something positive about Xbox its fine, If I post something positive about PS4 (Pro) its chest beating.

No two people didn't bring up a few weak points, Two people brought up a tired ass argument that isn't related to the thread at all.

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Right there was no sense in that shit but the two people who always do it showed up. This is a big bonus for those like myself who play there pro on a 1080P(or less) TV.

I don't even think my TV has HDR .

I just stick the HD cable in, put it on 1080 and play stuff. I was considering one of those fancy 4k ones but I'm not sure I want to yet.

As for the people in question dude just do what I do and throw them on ignore.

[Jtbrig7390]

I don't even think my TV has HDR .

I just stick the HD cable in, put it on 1080 and play stuff. I was considering one of those fancy 4k ones but I'm not sure I want to yet.

As for the people in question dude just do what I do and throw them on ignore.

Not all takes (really only a few) take advantage of the HDR so I wouldn't sweat that much and even the base PS4 does HDR. So IMO when u get a 4K TV if the price difference between HDR and non-HDR is big I wouldn't sweat the HDR.

Ya its clear what they are doing so I'm just going to hit the report and go about my day.

[Edge-]

A bit late on this, but tossing in a warning to keep discussion on-topic. Let's not have this thread devolve into platform arguments, please.