Category: Gamespot

As it did with the standard PlayStation 4, Sony recruited Mark Cerny to lead development on the newly announced PlayStation 4 Pro. Now, Sony has released a video in which Cerny talks about the strengths of the existing PS4 and how the PS4 Pro model will take things even further.

Cerny started off by making it clear what the PS4 is not. “PS4 Pro is not the start of a new generation, nor is it a console that is going to blur the lines between generations,” Cerny said. “That’s important, because there is a certain cadence to game development.”

The developer went on to say that moving from one console to a new one, traditionally, can be a “disruptive” experience since developers need to familiarize themselves with new tech. However, with PS4 Pro, this should be eased, given that it is not a true replacement for the PS4 as was the case with the shift from PlayStation 3 to PS4.

“PS4 Pro, arriving as it does mid-generation, means that our target is to take the whole PS4 experience to a new level and to do so without the kind of disruption that moving to a new console generation would entail,” he said.

The PS4 Pro’s increased power will allow developers to deliver better graphics and smoother frame rates. Essentially, the console will make it so the “creator’s vision is represented in richer fashion,” Cerny said.

Though games running on PS4 will look better on a regular HDTV set, you will want a 4K TV to make the most of the system. Cerny said sales of these TVs are on the rise, stating that one-third of TVs sold this year will be 4K-compatible. HDR uptake is further out, Cerny said.

“But it’s great having the console out now because it means that the game experiences will be ready and waiting as HDR penetration increases,” he explained.

Cerny also talked about the benefits of PS4 Pro for PlayStation VR. Virtual reality games running on the new hardware should look “crisper” and have more detailed graphics, he said.

Additionally, Cerny discussed the new DualShock 4 controller, which has a lightbar on the touchpad that lets you know which player is which for multiplayer. Another new feature is that the controller sends signals to the PS4 Pro by USB, which should reduce latency. “When you’re playing a fighting game, and you want the absolute minimum latency, it’s just heaven,” Cerny said.

We also learn in the video that Sony started developing PS4 Pro as soon as the PS4 shipped in November 2013. Cerny said Sony was aware that 4K was on the rise and wanted to release a console that supported that. Next week, Sony will release a firmware update for all PS4 systems–including those sold at launch–that will unlock HDR support.

Lastly, Cerny shared a story about when he asked a “very famous director” about what Sony should do next in terms of new hardware. This person, who was not named, laid out a vision for a new console that was basically exactly what Sony was already thinking about, Cerny said.

The PS4 Pro goes on sale in November, priced at $400. The PS4 Slim comes out next week for $300.

For more on this week’s PlayStation news, check out our roundup of all the big announcements.

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EA Sports’ NHL 17 isn’t scheduled to come out until September 13, but it’s playable now on Xbox One for some. A trial version of the professional hockey game was added to the Xbox One’s EA Access catalog today, allowing subscribers to play the full game as much as they want for a set period of time.

It’s not immediately clear how many hours the NHL 17’s early play period runs for, but if history is any indication, it should be between 6 and 10. EA Access subscribers can grab NHL 17’s trial version starting today, September 8, from the EA Access hub on Xbox One.

A version of EA Access called Origin Access is available on PC, but NHL 17 is only available on console. Additionally, PS4 players are left out because EA Access is not offered on that console.

Though NHL 17 isn’t out until next week, reviews for the game have started to come online. GameSpot’s NHL 17 review scored the game a 7/10.

“NHL 17 is a great game of hockey, but unlike last year, there isn’t a standout mode or feature that makes this game substantially better than its predecessor,” reviewer Mat Paget said. “It rides off a lot of what NHL 16 did, and the new additions don’t add anything crucial to the experience. It’s still a lot of fun to trade players in Franchise, build a formidable roster in Hockey Ultimate Team, and actually play matches, but if you were hoping NHL 17 would be a significant step forward for the series, you’re out of luck.”

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The Mass Effect series has always allowed players to choose between male and female characters, but in Mass Effect: Andromeda both versions of the protagonist, Ryder, will exist in the universe and are actually related.

“What people don’t know, a little surprise here, is these two are brother and sister,” Mac Walters, creative lead on Andromeda, told PlayStation Access. “They both exist in the game world at the same time. So if you’re playing as the sister–the female Ryder–your bother is somewhere in the universe.”

Not only that, but the character shown in the first reveal trailer wearing the N7 armor is also related to the Ryder siblings.

“Another fun little tidbit is the character we saw two E3s ago in the N7 is actually their father. We’ve got the full Ryder family now revealed. We’ll do names and things in the future.”

During Sony’s PlayStation Meeting it was revealed that Andromeda will take advantage of the new hardware in the PlayStation Pro, and a 4K gameplay video was shown. BioWare later confirmed Andromeda will run at 30 FPS across both PS4 and the PS4 Pro.

BioWare’s Aaryn Flynn also revealed a brand new Mass Effect: Andromeda trailer will be shown on November 7 to “officially open the doors to the next chapter of the Mass Effect universe.” This date is N7 Day, which BioWare uses to celebrate its sci-fi franchise.

Mass Effect: Andromeda launches in 2017 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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The PlayStation 4 Pro’s Share functionality will capture screenshots at 4K, Sony has revealed. Speaking to Polygon, the company also confirmed it will record video in 1080p at 30 frames per second. For reference, the base PS4 model is limited to 720p.

The PS4 Pro was announced during the PlayStation Meeting and given a November 10 release date. It will cost $399/£349/A$560. Sony chose to call it the “Pro” model as it is intended to sit alongside the current PS4 model and complement it.

The PS4 Pro features a 1 TB hard drive, doubled GPU power, and a boosted CPU clockspeed. This allows it to deliver visuals at 4K resolution and give developers the option to implement HDR. Upcoming games that will support these features include FIFA 17, Battlefield 1, and Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Sony will be releasing patches for e Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Infamous: Last Light so they benefit from the PS4 Pro’s new hardware, and it said other third-party publishers are doing the same for their titles.

Read GameSpot’s full report on the PS4 Pro announcement here and you can see all the news from the PlayStation Meeting, including a new 4K Mass Effect: Andromeda gameplay trailer, here.

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2K Sports has released a new trailer for NBA 2K17 that focuses on the professional basketball game’s arenas. The video spotlights the league’s numerous arenas and covers how they are modeled to be authentic to their real-world counterparts, even down to team-specific sounds and more.

In the video’s caption, 2K says it visited all 30 NBA arenas across the United States and Canada to authentically capture how each stadium looks, but also how it sounds. As you’ll see and hear in the video, the shot clock buzzer sounds different depending on what arena you’re in. This is all being done in an effort to create the “most authentic experience in a sports game ever,” 2K said.

In other news about NBA 2K17, 2K recently confirmed that Creed actor Michael B. Jordan will star in the game’s MyCareer mode. You can get started with NBA 2K17’s MyCareer mode on September 9 when a free app called “The Prelude” arrives on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This lets you choose your position, select a play style, and define your character’s physical attributes like height and wingspan.

The full game comes out on September 20, but you can play four days early if you preorder. In addition to PS4 and Xbox One, NBA 2K17 is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

In other news about NBA 2K17, 2K has confirmed that the game features HDR support on Xbox One S.

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Sony’s highly anticipated New York news event takes place today, September 7, starting at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET. In addition to breakout news stories, GameSpot will be in the room at the PlayStation Theater to bring you a liveblog with up-to-the-second updates for the news regarding all the big announcements.

Officially, Sony has not said a word about what fans can expect. Thanks to leaks, however, we are fairly certain one of the reveals will be a slimmed-down PlayStation 4 console. Considering this system is already apparently out in the wild, we wouldn’t be surprised if it will also launch relatively soon.

The other expected announcement is the new, more powerful PS4 console, Neo. Sony confirmed this system in June, but has not yet offered much in the way of specifics. This is likely to change today during the event, which may serve as the console’s formal unveiling.

As is always the case in the consumer technology world, there is a chance of a complete surprise announcement or reveal.

You can also watch the entire event live on GameSpot, while, as mentioned, we’ll have breakout news stories and analysis after the event wraps up.

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