Report: Some games run slower on a PS4 Pro than on standard and Slim models

Certain technical underpinnings seem to cause slowdown on PS4 Pro.

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Digital Foundry is putting PlayStation 4 Pro through its paces, and found that certain games run slower on Sony's half-step console than on its standard and Slim hardware—but only in very specific conditions.

The Last of Us Remastered and Skyrim Special Edition are two games that occasionally suffer on PS4 Pro. In the former, you can select to play at 60 frames per second at a framerate of 3200x1800, but the framerate dips occasionally. It's not a big deal, but Sony distributed documents to developers stressing that games should run as well as one PS4 model as every other.

Output on 1080p TVs fares worse: The Last of Us Remastered renders at a higher resolution and then downsamples to smooth out antialiasing, which still results in framerate drops. Meanwhile, The Last of Us Remastered tends to run at a locked 60fps running on a standard PS4 connected to a 1080p HDTV.

Skyrim exhibits similar problems: ultimately, the game runs smoother on older PS4 hardware connected to 1080p HDTVs.

"With all of this in mind, it's worth stressing that plenty of titles on Pro are working as they should, offering enhancements and the same frame-rate or better, but we'd still like the option to run at base mode spec with Pro's CPU and GPU boosts fully unlocked," Digital Foundry wrote. "At the very least, being able to run with fewer (or indeed no) performance drops from the target frame-rate would be welcome."

Digital Foundry reported its findings to Sony. Representatives from the PS4 manufacturer replied: "We are aware of the issue and currently investigating."

Sony released PlayStation 4 Pro yesterday for $399. If you're interested in picking one up, be sure to check out Shacknews' guide to transferring your data and learning which games support PS4 Pro-exclusive features like 4K resolution.

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.

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  • reply
    November 11, 2016 3:15 PM

    David Craddock posted a new article, Report: Some games run slower on a PS4 Pro than on standard and Slim models

    • reply
      November 11, 2016 3:46 PM

      That shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Patching those games almost certainly hasn't been a top priority. They'll get it fixed if it's not a huge thing. Newer titles that can get developed with this experience under the belt will certainly do better.

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        November 11, 2016 6:48 PM

        Still . When most of the launch lineup is patched games and not new titles and the price tag is $400 - this isn't really acceptable . It clearly says to me "do not buy until we actually have real support".

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        November 11, 2016 6:53 PM

        This is affecting games that have been patched to take advantage of the pro. Games that can now play at 4K will render at that and supersample down on 1080p displays for higher image quality but it is dropping frames. This is directly against sonys cert requirements and the last of us is one of the patched and affected games. No way to turn that off if want. Kinda stinks but they will likely fix.

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      November 11, 2016 9:35 PM

      I'm glad this is being reported. I'm definitely not buying the Pro if the frame-rates are smoother on the old system. I'm already pissed off that Sony didn't create a PS4 Pro game certification policy requiring higher or more stable frame-rates.

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        November 11, 2016 10:21 PM

        The pro is apparebtly a noisy machine. It's a shame.

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          November 11, 2016 10:45 PM

          If I wanted a noisy machine, I'd hook up my 60gb PS3 :(

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          November 12, 2016 8:40 AM

          Mine is more quiet than my original PS4, I never even hear it.

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          November 13, 2016 8:18 AM

          I can promise you my pro is as quite as a mouse compared to my reg PS4. That thing was like a vacuum cleaner on my desk. I can't even hear my Pro. My PC is much louder and its not exactly screaming at me.

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            November 13, 2016 8:22 AM

            On a side note.

            Where the PS4 would pretty much stay hot to the touch, the Pro feels like its not even on other than if you put your hand near the back half of the system. Its pretty warm back there.

            But it doesnt feel as if the entire system is gonna explode all over your desk if you leave it on all day.

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      November 11, 2016 10:20 PM

      [deleted]

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        November 11, 2016 10:46 PM

        Just like the response I got from Microsoft a month ago when I complained about not being able to download any of the season pass content for Forza Horizon. :(

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      November 12, 2016 3:58 AM

      Try swapping the ram!

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      November 12, 2016 5:04 AM

      [deleted]

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        November 12, 2016 8:43 AM

        It is indeed a non issue. Many people are just latching onto it because they don't like knowing there is a better version of something they already own available.

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      November 12, 2016 8:56 AM

      Already feeling better about having just recently purchased a PS4...

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      November 13, 2016 8:16 AM

      Something to do with the Alpha.. Channel.. Pass... see through.. stuffy stuffy stuff.
      And it seems to be mainly with "last gen" games that were dev'd on previous hardware. (wasnt Skyrim on PS3?)

      I really dont think it'll be an issue moving forward

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