Sony’s technical wizards talk us through the benefits of PS4 Pro and the future of video game visuals.
One of the nicest things about Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro announcement event was how intimate it was. The conference was a smaller and more modest affair than I’d expected, and afterward it gave way to an open-plan mini show floor where developers hung out in front of their games showing them off and chatting openly about just how Sony’s new addition to the PlayStation range benefits their games.
Directly behind the stage were three screens showcasing the work of Naughty Dog, a studio that’s well known for mind-boggling feats of technical achievement. The company has been Sony’s go-to technical powerhouse for a while now – so just how have they found the transition to and working on PS4 Pro?
We pulled aside Naughty Dog’s Christian Gyrling to find out more. Gyrling is clearly excited about the new technology, and after serving as a lead programmer on Uncharted 4 has been tasked with heading up PS4 Pro development of PS4 Pro patches for both that game and The Last of Us Remastered.
As we chat, he beams at the impressive-looking demo where Uncharted 4’s Chapter 3 and Chapter 12 swipe back and forth between Pro and non-Pro modes. The difference seems to be the type that’s harder to quantify on a stream or a screen grab, but that offered by HDR in particular is profound.
The PS5 Exists.
