i3 - March/April 2017 - 17

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offer an option for those who want to
he videogame industry has always
heighten the experience."
embraced new technology. PC
At the same time, House says the goal
gaming has been at the forefront
is for PS4 to remain a single unified comof many new innovations. Consider
munity, which means the same discs and
virtual reality as well as 4K gaming,
downloads will work across all consoles.
which has been buoyed by an influx of 4K
"PlayStation 4 Pro sits alongside the
PC monitors from companies like Dell,
standard PS4 and is part of this genSamsung and BenQ. Now the console
eration of consoles," House says. "It's
business is following suit.
targeted toward the hardcore gamer or
According to research firm IHS, by
those who have invested in 4K TVs."
2019, 34 percent of American homes
Microsoft, which fought the adoption
will have a 4K Ultra HDTV. By 2019, 4K
of Blu-ray by pushing the now disconUHD TVs will be present in 25 percent of
tinued HD-DVD format with its Xbox
homes in the European Union and
360 console, is embracing the new 4K
14 percent of Japanese homes. The recent
Blu-ray Disc player this time around.
rise of 4K TVs, thanks in large part to
Its $300 Xbox One S
lower retail pricing, took
comes with the player.
place after Sony launched
Dave McCarthy, head
its PlayStation 4 and
Gaming in
of operations for Xbox,
Microsoft unleashed its
4K HDR opens
says the philosophy is all
Xbox One in November
about choice.
2013. So in a move that
up a whole
"It's not about us
hadn't previously been
new world,
dictating what machine
seen in the industry, both
allowing players you need because you
companies have released
to experience
have that guarantee of
upgrades to their current
even the tiniest your content and your
hardware offerings that
of details.
accessories working
still play current and
across the lineup overall,"
future games.
McCarthy says. "There
Each company is takwill obviously be different
ing a different approach
- Brandt Varner, general manager of
TV product marketing at Samsung
price points that people
with its hardware. Sony's
enter. Xbox One S in
PlayStation 4 Pro (nickparticular, if you're still on 360 - which
named the PS4K) retails for $400
is a really thriving community for us still
and comes with an improved CPU
to this day - and you've been wondering
(an eight core AMD Jaguar)
about jumping in, or you haven't been a
and increased GPU (4.2 teraflops
part of the Xbox family of console devices
AMD Radeon), which allows developyet, the value that we're delivering at $299
ers to achieve faster frame rates and
- a lot of the 4K Blu-ray players right now
advanced visual effects. Of course,
are over $299. People can choose when
the key differentiator is video can be
they want to do it, but they don't have to
displayed in 4K (4096×2160 pixels),
worry about being left behind."
which is a huge improvement over
Shawn Layden, chairman of Sony
PS4's HD (1920x1080) visuals.
Andrew House, CEO at Sony Interactive Interactive Entertainment Worldwide
Studios, says the PS4 Pro doesn't include
Entertainment, says the upgrade to 4K will
a 4K Ultra HD player because more than
transform entertainment like gamers
90 percent of PS4 gamers consume their
haven't seen since the transition from
movies and entertainment digitally.
standard-definition to high-definition
This generation of millennial and younger
between PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3.
gamers hasn't just cut the cord, they've
"Our vision is to present a clear choice
skipped the disc.
to gamers," House says. "We want to
MARCH/APRIL 2017

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