Andrew House admits the PS4 Pro is a reaction to PC migration

[Deleted member 13524]

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...o-our-approach-isnt-reactive-this-time-around

I saw some data that really influenced me.
It suggested that there’s a dip mid-console lifecycle where the players who want the very best graphical experience will start to migrate to PC, because that’s obviously where it’s to be had. We wanted to keep those people within our eco-system by giving them the very best and very highest [performance quality]. So the net result of those thoughts was PlayStation 4 Pro – and, by and large, a graphical approach to game improvement.

So it was not the Scorpio (obviously because development for the Neo probably started before Scorpion existed), not the 4K TVs and not VR.
It was the PC migration that happened last gen that pressured Sony to launch a mid-gen console.

This had been briefly discussed here, but that thread was closed in the meantime.

Another thing to notice is the fact that he doesn't put aside the possibility of yet another PS4 coming up (e.g. with UHD Bluray support).

 

[Deleted member 11852]

He said this months ago. This is not "news". This is "olds".

 

[McHuj]

I think that's maybe a secondary reason, people who are migrating to PC aren't necessarily interested in the same performance with basically low/medium settings just at a higher resolution.

One of the reasons to move to PC is to get increased frame rate performance, higher per pixel quality, and maybe resolution as well. Seems the Pro is only really tackling the resolution, with minimal boosts to the other two.

Yeah I preordered one, but that's mainly for multiplayer shooters like BF1 as I prefer a controller in my old age.

 

[BRiT]

Another partial reasons some console users could be migrating to PCs is to play titles from the Microsoft Xbox ecosystem that are available as a bonus or to play games with MOD support in addition to all the unique PC only games.

If thats the situation I don't see PS4Pro stopping any of that. Sony still won't allow MODs for Fallout4 on the Playstation ecosystem, be it PS4, PS4S or PS4P.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Another partial reasons some console users could be migrating to PCs is to play titles from the Microsoft Xbox ecosystem that are available as a bonus or to play games with MOD support in addition to all the unique PC only games.

Yup, I mod very few games but Fallout 3, New Vegas and 4 are games I do enjoy with the aspects I disliked modded out. The same will be true with the remastered Skyrim. I simply don't know how people can play Skyrim without modding out the dragons, swords, mountains and rivers and modding in machine guns and terrorists, but people are weird.

 

[Rikimaru]

Mods are allowed if devs have technical ability to support it.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I'd like to see this data. 'Migration' seems unlikely to me. Console is a different market, different experience. Only a small percentage will give up their console gaming on their TV to buy a PC and play FPS with KB+M at a desk, IMO. Is there even evidence that software sales start to decrease for long-term users of a platform?

 

[BRiT]

Mods are allowed if devs have technical ability to support it.

I suggest everyone read the following thread before taking that statement at face value, as there seems to be more aspects involved than technical ability: https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/...-bethusda-fallout4-and-skyrim-remaster.59630/

 

[BRiT]

I'd like to see this data. 'Migration' seems unlikely to me.

To add more to this point, I too dont see it as full scale migration but as augmentation.

I suspect most console owners to keep their console while having their PC gaming system and buying the games on which platform is better suited for it. For your multiplayer focused titles that would be which platform has more friends playing on. For your single player games it depends on the experience. If its a platformer title with running and jumping and puzzle solver, they'd pick it up on a console. If it has hundreds of hours of playability and creative content extensions MODs then thats more likely to be on PC.

 

[Rikimaru]

I suggest you read the following thread: https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/...-bethusda-fallout4-and-skyrim-remaster.59630/

I did

 

[BRiT]

I did

I see you're participating in it. Which is good, so i edited my post to be more inclusive.

 

[Cyan]

I'd like to see this data. 'Migration' seems unlikely to me. Console is a different market, different experience. Only a small percentage will give up their console gaming on their TV to buy a PC and play FPS with KB+M at a desk, IMO. Is there even evidence that software sales start to decrease for long-term users of a platform?

when consoles start showing its age then perhaps.., but in "normal" console cycles sales increase when a new model is launched with a few tweaks here and there, and the masses go along with the sales. People go where there are people. This has been the worst consoles generation yet, with 3 kind of failed products. PS4 sold a lot but it was born outdated, X1...what to say, the fans suffered like they never did, and WiiU....is no remarkable at all.

He said this months ago. This is not "news". This is "olds".

what about VR? Andrew House doesn't mention it though

 

[MrFox]

That's pretty much what I think every generation. When there's a new console launch, my PC is used only for MMOs and things unavailable on consoles. But around mid-gen I upgrade my PC, and the differences make me consider buying some third party games on PC despite the inconvenience in a home-theater environment. The mid-gen upgrade takes care of that itch.

Thinking anyone would ditch their console for a PC, because the graphics are better, is quite a stretch. But maybe sales shift in software because of gamers who have both.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

That's pretty much what I think every generation. When there's a new console launch, my PC is used only for MMOs and things unavailable on consoles. But around mid-gen I upgrade my PC, and the differences make me consider buying some third party games on PC despite the inconvenience in a home-theater environment. The mid-gen upgrade takes care of that itch.

I don't get this. You can just connect your pc to your tv by hdmi and together with a wireless controller and steam big picture mode you'll have a perfect couch gaming experience. If your pc is too far away you can use in home streaming (or wire a long hdmi cable to your tv).

I've been using the former for about a year now and it works great. I use controller companion and a xbox controller to switch output from monitor to tv and then boot into big picture mode using the xbox button on the controller. The whole process takes about 5 seconds.

 

[rockaman]

I don't think it's about he fears migration away to PC. Honestly I don't notice casuals immediately around me moving this way, if anything they move more towards consoles generally, but this is anecdotal.

But NEO and Scorpio I think are about bringing one benefit of PC gaming to consoles, and that is more frequent refreshes.

8 years, or 7 years, of the last generation was a LONG time, and in today's ravenous consumer technology group, that is simply too long to just release one device these days.

NEO acknowledges that is simply too long in today's market. It's just adapting to the time we're in. I think it is the right move personally to have mid-gen refreshes. It also provides people with a more entry level choice, and for those who want it, the premium-er choice.

People want something newer faster. This is a good way to provide the newer product, but without carrying the same risk of making a completely new generation only after 3 years (which would be stupid).

 

[MrFox]

I don't get this. You can just connect your pc to your tv by hdmi and together with a wireless controller and steam big picture mode you'll have a perfect couch gaming experience. If your pc is too far away you can use in home streaming (or wire a long hdmi cable to your tv).

I've been using the former for about a year now and it works great. I use controller companion and a xbox controller to switch output from monitor to tv and then boot into big picture mode using the xbox button on the controller. The whole process takes about 5 seconds.

Spoiler

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I don't get this. You can just connect your pc to your tv by hdmi and together with a wireless controller and steam big picture mode you'll have a perfect couch gaming experience.

It's s LONG way from perfect. Lots of games still don't support just a controller (and even some of those that do, have no onscreen keyboard so expect a real one to be connected) and plenty still run some kind of launcher before the game runs, meaning you need a keyboard and mouse to navigate it.

I've been trying to get my setup close to console functionality for a while and it's s long way off. If you have suggestions, I'd be very grateful because my PC-on-TV setup is real clunky. Also a way to run Steam updates in the background would be great.

 

[goonergaz]

I'd like to see this data. 'Migration' seems unlikely to me. Console is a different market, different experience. Only a small percentage will give up their console gaming on their TV to buy a PC and play FPS with KB+M at a desk, IMO. Is there even evidence that software sales start to decrease for long-term users of a platform?

'Migrate' is a strong word - but every (med)gen I end upgrading my PC and playing some multi platforms on PC (with a controller). A great example was Bioshock Infinite which was struggling on consoles (well, PS3) but looked very nice on a reasonable PC.

That's pretty much what I think every generation. When there's a new console launch, my PC is used only for MMOs and things unavailable on consoles. But around mid-gen I upgrade my PC, and the differences make me consider buying some third party games on PC despite the inconvenience in a home-theater environment. The mid-gen upgrade takes care of that itch.

Thinking anyone would ditch their console for a PC, because the graphics are better, is quite a stretch. But maybe sales shift in software because of gamers who have both.

This.

 

[antic604]

I think that's maybe a secondary reason, people who are migrating to PC aren't necessarily interested in the same performance with basically low/medium settings just at a higher resolution.
One of the reasons to move to PC is to get increased frame rate performance, higher per pixel quality, and maybe resolution as well. Seems the Pro is only really tackling the resolution, with minimal boosts to the other two.

I think one of the misconceptions about House's quote is people assuming they want to prevent ALL hardcore console gamers to migrate to PCs, which is NOT the case. Obviously those that want the best graphics, resolutions and frame-rates will still get that only on the PC, but there's vast pool of people who only want to see improvement so they don't feel left out, but at the same time don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it or give away simplicity of the console (yes, even now with Steam, automated driver updates, etc. gaming on PC requires much more knowledge and dedication). In other words they want to SLOW DOWN the migration of hardcore users to PC.

Also, it's funny how "reacting to something" is seen as a negative - all companies do what they do in reaction to external world, i.e. the actions of their competition or changes in (in this case) tech environment, i.e. wider availability of 4K TVs. That's how they make money.

Lastly, I think House's comment has - how we say in Polish - a "second bottom", i.e. Sony knows that where MS is going is Xbox as a Windows gaming platform, where gamers will be able to choose between buying a Win10 PC or a Win10 console, i.e. X1(S) or Scorpio and enjoy the same games, just with varying level of performance. So in that sense, reacting to PCs is also a reaction to Microsoft's actions

 

[babcat]

The problem is that consoles are lagging further and further behind PC hardware. This is going going to get worse since NVIDIA is outperforming AMD watt per watt. Right now, an NVIDIA 1080 is capable of around 9TFlops and each of those flops is worth significantly more than an AMD TFlop. The PS4 Pro is only 4.2 TFlops. By the time the PS5 comes around -- probably when 7nm is mature -- NVIDIA will be at around 20TFlop for their flagship card.

If Sony was serious about countering the threat from PC gaming, they would start work immediately on an NVIDIA based console that would launch as soon as the 7nm process becomes mature.