Anyway to test it? I swear it runs better and loads faster with Boost-Mode on? I know it shouldn’t make any difference but it really seems it is?

It’s your imagination.

Boost Mode just runs the CPU and GPU clocks at the full PS4 Pro speed, instead of running them at the standard PS4 speed. Any game that gets a PS4 Pro patch, obviously runs the game at the full PS4 Pro CPU and GPU clock speed.

Boost Mode only uses half the compute units inside the GPU, the same as the standard PS4. While any game that gets a PS4 Pro patch, utilises them all. Twice as many.

Loading times are governed by the hard drive speed and amount/speed of RAM. The more RAM, the less loading if it’s already in memory. PS4 and PS4 Pro have the same hard drive speed so no change there, but PS4 Pro runs its RAM at a higher speed, and has an extra 500mb available for games, plus background OS tasks run on additional RAM.

That means you just see a slight increase in load times on PS4 Pro, but that has nothing do with Boost Mode.

I know *Boost Mode* improves performance on games without Pro patches, but from what I can tell while using boost mode when my daughter plays Knack it seems to run better? And the loading times seem shorter?

The Scorpio version will be great as well, but the hardware will cost you more and you will have to wait for it. Don’t be expecting a huge difference because the PS4 Pro is already filling a 4K screen with very high quality imagery at a low price.

There is no Boost Mode for games that are native PS4 Pro. This game is native PS4 Pro taking full advantage of the extra power.

Boost Mode is excellent, but it’s for games that have not been optimised for the PS4 Pro to improve frame stability over the base version.

The ugly screen tear and flickering details in the XB1 version compared to PS4 Pro are not even in the same ball park. There is no contest.

MS have tried to find a positive by upping the colour saturation because it does not require any extra power, but it’s like putting too much sugar in your drink.

The game brings together everything that Ubisoft has learned making open world games and gives you the ultimate open world sand box, gathering all the best bits. In terms of gameplay, the freeform emergent Far Cry series was always a Ubisoft success, so that has been adopted as the framework for this game which is excellent.

The world is truly massive with incredible detail. You will continue to be impressed as you discover each location which are all individually designed and very intricate. There must be over 200 of them and they all make awesome battle grounds. The road network is extremely realistic and the driving is a pleasure if you stick to the roads. Both the cars and the helicopter handling have been drastically improved from the beta. The boats are thrilling like GTAV, especially down the rivers.

The game is best played at a deliberate slow pace using strategy and stealth. You have lots of tools at your dispose that keep on delivering as you progress. The game really excels when you do that. Example, when we got the red dot sight we realised we had a new pointing tool when planning the attack from a hilltop. When you point your gun at something a red beam points to it that was invisible to the enemy, but we could see it clear as day with night vision equipped. It great for communicating something like, “the drone radio jammer is behind that building.”

I’ve found that two player coop is the best because you can keep things tighter and think as one. Four player usually ends up as a run and gun GTAV style romp because it only takes one loose cannon and it all goes guns loud with everyone twitch shooting. Some gamers actually like that so it caters for everyone.

The reason is because the PS4 Pro version is a massive difference. The stable clarity is breathtaking. You feel a great sense of presence as if you are really there. The PS4 and especially the XB1 version are dog rough with stutters, screen tear and flickering distant details that pull you out of the immersion.

If you care, buy a PS4 Pro, if you don’t care, stay as you are. But don’t delude yourself and pretend that they are the same.

And will there be a Xbone-S vs PS4-Pro?