PS4 Pro CPU/GPU Still A Bottleneck, 4K Checkerboard Technique Harder To Implement – Reinhard Pollice

There is a difference between native 4K, and upscaled 4K...

Posted By | On 14th, Feb. 2017

The PS4 Pro is currently the world’s most powerful console. But in spite of Sony marketing it as a 4K machine, it really is not one- for most games, it is incapable of rendering the image in 4K natively, and instead resorts to a technique known as checkerboard rendering, which is a pretty clever upscaling technique.

However, that lack of native 4K rendering is going to be the biggest ‘bottleneck’ on the PS4 Pro, according to Reinhard Pollice, Product Development Director at THQ Nordic, who is currently working on Battle Chasers: Nightwar. In an exclusive interview with GamingBolt, Reinhard was asked what the biggest bottleneck on the PS4 Pro might be. He said, “It’s still both, the CPU and the GPU. With the PS4 Pro’s GPU, we can’t offer native 4K rendering, which is easy to achieve on good desktop GPUs nowadays.”

This lack of native 4K rendering is something that, according to Pollice, will be noticeable even to the casual observer. “The difference is that the 4K rendered output will look very crisp and smooth while the checkerboard technique will not look as sharp when directly compared. This depends also on the quality and size of the screen/TV, however. From a development perspective the checkerboard technique is a bit harder to implement as it is a custom implementation, while a native 4k resolution is just a higher frame output resolution. In our situation Unity takes care about it anyways.”

I can imagine not being able to hit true, native 4K is a problem for a lot of developers who may want to do just that- however, on the other hand, from Sony’s perspective, it would also have been unfeasible and cost prohibitive to bring a true 4K machine to the market at a consumer friendly price, I imagine. The PS4 Pro was presumably the best compromise between these two contradicting necessities, and here we are.


Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out!

Share Your Thoughts Below  (Always follow our comments policy!)



Keep On Reading!

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Gameplay Trailer Spoils a Major Boss Fight

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Gameplay Trailer Spoils a Major Boss Fight

The expansion launches on October 8th for consoles and PC and has the player venturing to Nahantu to search fo...

Sonic Rumble Confirmed for PC, New Trailer Outlines Modes

Sonic Rumble Confirmed for PC, New Trailer Outlines Modes

The 32-player battle royale is also coming to iOS and Android this Winter and has the franchise's characters c...

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Press Previews Have Been Cancelled – Rumour

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Press Previews Have Been Cancelled – Rumour

Shortly after Ubisoft announcing the cancellation of its TGS plans, it's now being claimed that the game's pla...

Sonic X Shadow Generations Trailer Teases an Unlikely Reunion

Sonic X Shadow Generations Trailer Teases an Unlikely Reunion

The latest story trailer showcases surprising appearances, reality-bending levels, and the return of a powerfu...

DECAPOLICE Delayed to 2026, Will Also Launch for PC

DECAPOLICE Delayed to 2026, Will Also Launch for PC

"Both the visuals and the content of the game are being improved, as we’re evolving it into an even more eng...

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Trailer Showcases Setting, Ghostly Villain, and More

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Trailer Showcases Setting, Ghostly Villain, and More

The upcoming Nintendo Switch title will feature more puzzles than any past Professor Layton title, developer L...