Though it was earlier revealed that EA Sports’ Madden NFL 18 would require a future update to run at 4K with HDR on the PS4 Pro, that too without any details about when said update would arrive, the company has since clarified that this isn’t the case.

Issuing a statement to GameSpot, EA Sports noted that both 4K and 1080p resolutions would be possible on the PS4 Pro without any update being required. The game will also run at 60 FPS though HDR support is still up in the air.

EA Sports also made sure to clarify that running the game at 1080p would result in an improved framerate in “certain areas” but that core gameplay would remain 60 FPS regardless of the resolution. As for HDR, it remains to be seen whether this will be confirmed when the Xbox One X arrives in November.

Madden NFL 18 is out on August 25th for PS4 and Xbox One with EA Access subscribers able to access it on August 17th.

Microsoft is still answering questions on Twitter regarding the Xbox One X and its capabilities and Mike Ybarra, Director of Program Management for Xbox, helped clear up a few things. When asked about the utilization of hardware, especially for a game like Forza Motorsport 7, and whether the console could be pushed more, Ybarra said,”It’s really title specific so hard to answer firmly. As we finish optimizing the systems, it should benefit games even more.”

One user also asked if the Xbox One X DVR would be capable of recording HDR to which Ybarra said, “Yep. Some limitations, but yes.” Users can also look forward to the Xbox One X working with Dolby Atmos, which is good news for surround sound users. Microsoft is also looking into letting you remove games which you have zero Achievements for, like on the Xbox 360. However, there’s “nothing firm yet” as per Ybarra.

Finally in addressing how Xbox One game streaming to Windows 10 is broken for some users, Ybarra said, “We made a change that we think fixed this. Cold boot your console to get the fix and test it (fix will happen automatically). Let me know.”

The Xbox One X meanwhile launches on November 7th and will retail for $500.

Though Project Scorpio is a ways off, we’re already seeing the effects of HDR and 4K gaming on the world today. The PS4 Pro is pushing for upscaled 4K and HDR while the Xbox One S features a 4K Blu-ray drive. Despite this, Albert Penello – who’s in charge of product management and planning at Microsoft Corporation – revealed how it’s still early days for these mediums.

Speaking on the Major Nelson podcast, Penello was surprised that the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim didn’t have a 4K Blu-ray drive and said that it’s a good, albeit early, time for these mediums. “This is the thing I like to remind people when everybody asks: ‘We’re just in the beginning of this.’ So games, and game developers, and TV manufacturers, we all have to get used to it. Figure this out; what works, what do customers want.”

He further noted that it was difficult to show off the benefits of 4K and HDR without the support TV set. “Showing people what 4K and HDR looks like is really hard when you’re not watching the thing in 4K or in HDR. How do we market that and be honest. You have to fudge things a little bit to show the differences, but you want to do it in a way that’s honest. So even telling customers what it looks like, we have to go through that journey.”

You can expect some “big” announcements regarding entertainment apps that support 4K and HDR but that’ll likely come in 2017. Stay tuned in the meantime and let us know what you think in the comments.

Comcept’s ReCore, the not-all-that-bad-but-not-all-that-good third person shooter platformer, has been confirmed to support high-dynamic range lighting or HDR on the Xbox One S in 2017. Xbox Studios GM Shannon Loftis noted on Twitter that the game will be patched for the same next year.

Furthermore, Xbox technical director Mike Ybarra confirmed the news. On Twitter, he said, “Recore with HDR? Yes, it’s coming.”

There are already several Xbox One titles which support HDR on the Xbox One S, notably Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4. Fans who have an HDR display will benefit from these visual improvements the most. Going forward, it’s more likely that other exclusives like Halo Wars 2, Scalebound and so on feature HDR support from launch itself.

The question then is: Which other currently released game will receive HDR support through patches? Let us know which ones you’d like to see in the comments below and stay tuned for more information on the same in the coming months.

Much has been made about the benefits of the PS4 Pro and even the upcoming Project Scorpio from Microsoft. How big are these leaps in gaming though, especially compared to the days when standard definition was making way for high definition?

Game Informer Australia posed this question to Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. With regards to whether the leap to 4K and HDR is transformative, he said, “Big leap is an interesting one…I’ve been around Xbox since the original Xbox and I remember the shift from SD to HD. I remember seeing Gears of War 1, which for us was the first game that I saw on pre-release 360 hardware, and I went, ‘Wow, that just looks like something new…’ The first time you saw a sporting event on live TV in HD, you went, ‘Okay, that is something different.’

“One of the challenges for the generation we’re in now is the jump from 360 to Xbox One, or frankly PS3 to PS4, is visible on screen but not at that same level. It’s not a 2D to 3D transition or an SD to HD transition. You have to be closer to understanding the content and appreciating the content, because those late-gen 360 games look pretty good.

“When I see 4K games, they look demonstrably better, but it’s not the same difference that we saw from SD to HD, or from 2D to 3D when gaming went that direction. HDR is the same way: I love the way movies and games look in HDR, but I don’t think it’s that same transformative thing that we saw with [earlier leaps].”

How will that affect the success of the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio then? We’ll have to wait to find out with the PS4 Pro out on November 10th and Project Scorpio arriving in Holiday 2017.

The Coalition’s Gears of War 4 is now available early for those who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition and while it’s pretty much more of the same, it’s still a worthwhile experience for fans of the series.

Microsoft has been doing its part to push the release, including with the Limited Edition Xbox One S for the game. Will other titles like Scalebound, for example, have such limited editions? Xbox boss Phil Spencer noted on Twitter that, “LEs have been very popular, we’ll do more.”

Spencer also committed to add more Xbox 360 games backwards compatible for the Xbox One. “In our interest to try to get as many 360 games approved as we can, team is always working to expand the list of BC games.”

He also talked about the possibility of digital versions for games like Lost Odyssey being made backwards compatible. “I know a lot of people want this, as do I. We don’t have a date yet but something we want to get done.”

As for whether titles like Mass Effect 2/3 or Blue Dragon would go digital if made backwards compatible on the Xbox One, Spencer said, “We want to give choice on how you buy your games, that would be our goal.” So not a direct confirmation but it’s certainly being kept in mind for Microsoft.

And though Spencer is hyped for Final Fantasy 15 supporting HDR on the Xbox One S, fans shouldn’t hold their breath for older games receiving the same treatment. He noted that the games best suited for HDR are those which have already considered it while in development. “Best examples are when artists have been working in and reviewing scenes in HDR so usually not just something added post.”

Recently, Spencer made comments about some reviews for recent exclusives like Forza Horizon 3 simply being for clicks. He clarified his stance on the same: “Hey, criticism for me saying this bums me out is totally fine and I understand. I respect the feedback.”

In fact, Spencer even apologized, stating that, “I’ll strive to do better, moment of weakness. Apologies.”

But no seriously, he’s sorry. “A mantra of mine is ‘Assume good intent’, this isn’t that.”

What are your thoughts on recent titles like Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 though? Let us know in the comments.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is now HDR compliant on PlayStation 4 family systems, as well as on Xbox One. HDR support was released as part of the new update that came out yesterday. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided becomes the first, and so far only, game on the PlayStation 4 to be HDR compliant- though on the Xbox One, it is joined by other titles, such as Forza Horizon 3.

HDR apart, the update also introduces new content and features for Breach mode, while also introducing some general bugs fixes. But the real star of the show here is definitely HDR support, without a doubt. Deus Ex will be HDR compliant on all PS4 systems, including the PS4, PS4 Slim, and the upcoming PS4 Pro. On the Xbox front, Xbox One S owners get HDR, and presumably, so will owners of the upcoming Xbox One Scorpio.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

We've just released our latest patch for #DeusEx #MankindDivided on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Here's what it brings: pic.twitter.com/GYi0KNxdJb

— Deus Ex (@DeusEx) October 3, 2016

While much has been made of the PS4’s new HDR support – which also improves the quality of visuals on the PS4 Pro – Microsoft’s Xbox One S will also offer HDR support for its upcoming games.

Gears of War 4, unfortunately, won’t offer HDR support on the PC. On NeoGAF, Adam Fletcher, director of community for The Coalition, stated that, “Gears 4 has HDR on Xbox One S. It does not support it on PC. PC just started incorporating HDR support on cards recently and many monitors don’t have the functionality. The PC version does support full 4K, Ultrawide, etc.”

Fletcher did note that if there’s enough demand for the same from PC users, it could arrive later. “I agree some PC users connect into HDR tvs but as of now we do not have support for it. We may incorporate it in a later update though if demand grows.”

Gears of War 4 is out on October 11th. Check out the launch trailer here.

Along with the release of the PS4 Slim today, Sony will be releasing update 4.0 that adds a ton of different features to the core PS4 experience.

One of the bigger additions is High Dynamic Range imaging or HDR for PS4 games, thus improving the overall range of luminescence for lighting and creating a more realistic looking scene. PS4 Pro will be out in November but this update allows for lots of HD streaming options including 1080p streaming for Remote Play on PC and Xperia, 1080p streaming on Share Play, 1080/30 FPS streaming on Twitch and so on.

The update also adds Folders, thus allowing you to place your games and apps into a single location for easy access. Quick Menu is now customizable as well, allowing you to access features like Spotify without having to leave your game. You can also now transfer data from one PS4 to another using a LAN cable.

We’ll update you on when exactly update 4.0 is live for various regions so stay tuned for more information. You can read more about the update here.

The major new technology that Sony demonstrated at the PlayStation meeting yesterday was not 4K, as many may have expected, but HDR- which legitimately looks like it will greatly enhance visual fidelity across the board for everybody who owns a PS4. And the best thing is, everyone gets HDR- Sony will be updating old PS4 consoles with HDR capability with a free firmware update later this year, too.

Speaking after the PlayStation Meeting, Sony’s Shawn Layden discussed HDR, and what it can do for storytelling.

“Talking about getting emotion into your story, and showing people exactly what the feeling of your characters are, I think HDR brings that capability right across the board to everything you do,” he said. “You saw with Days Gone, you saw the reflection of the light against Deacon’s face, and how he has the horde coming against him. HDR is one more… it’s like taking your color palette from 64 crayons to 4 million. It’s fantastic. We think it’s gonna be huge for the creators and the medium, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

I agree with him on HDR- while it’s not a leap on the level of 8-bit, 16-bit, 3D, or HD graphics, it is definitely something substantial, and it’s importance can absolutely not be downplayed.