Some Games Run Slower on PS4 Pro Than PS4

The newly launched PlayStation 4 Pro is a more powerful system than the existing versions of PS4, allowing for better-looking and smoother games. But that isn't always the case, with a new report suggesting games sometimes suffer from performance issues that result in lower frame rates on a Pro than on a standard PS4.

This is according to findings by Digital Foundry, which notes that this is only true of a select number of games with PS4 Pro updates and only at certain times. Still, the fact that this is happening with the PS4 Pro--the high-end version of Sony's console--is disconcerting. Not only that, but leaked Sony documents from earlier this year state that this goes against the company's guidelines for developers.

And it's not just some no-name games this is occurring with. While Mantis Burn Racing, a smaller title, is affected, it was also found to be the case with a major Sony game (The Last of Us Remastered) and one of October's biggest releases (Skyrim: Special Edition).

In the case of The Last of Us on Pro, you can choose to play at 60 FPS with a resolution of 3200x1800. There are frame rate dips with this option, but Digital Foundry notes this isn't necessarily a huge deal considering how gorgeous it looks, particularly in HDR. However, you can't opt to simply maintain a 60 FPS lock at all costs.

What's worse is the scenario faced by those playing on a 1080p screen. In that case, The Last of Us renders at a higher resolution and then downsamples to 1080p to improve anti-aliasing. It's a less meaningful visual improvement, yet you still have to deal with dips that result in a frame rate lower than that of the game on a standard PS4. There's no option to forgo the anti-aliasing enhancements in favor of a frame rate that is at least as stable as on PS4.

Skyrim also features a similar situation. You might be willing to deal with some frame rate drops to enjoy a higher resolution on a 4K display. But those on a 1080p display might prefer the slightly more consistent frame rate seen on a standard PS4, and that isn't an option if you're playing on a Pro.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is cited as another example, although its Pro performance can be either better or worse than on a standard PS4 in different spots. Some dips on Pro reach the 20 FPS mark, which is far from ideal.

The videos above--and Digital Foundry's accompanying write-up--document this issue in greater detail and are worth a look if you're interested in further specifics. The site says it's shared all of this with Sony, which indicated it's investigating the issues.

The PS4 Pro launched earlier this week for $400.