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Sony's new PlayStation 4 Pro can't play 4K Blu-rays

Sony's new PlayStation 4 Pro can't play 4K Blu-rays

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Sony took Blu-ray mainstream with the PS3, but it's no longer a priority

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Well here's something pretty baffling: Sony's just-announced $400 PlayStation 4 Pro game console, an upgraded and more powerful version of the original PS4, won't be able to play 4K Blu-rays when it ships this November. Reporters from Engadget and BBC News have apparently confirmed the news with Sony directly. Instead, the PlayStation Pro will only support 4K playback from streaming services. That's a perplexing decision from a company that has been a strong proponent of Blu-ray from the beginning. Sony reasons that consumers won't mind because the PS4 Pro is "primarily for gaming."

Microsoft's Xbox One S is also "primarily for gaming" and it plays Ultra HD Blu-rays just fine. Presumably the same will be true of Project Scorpio when it's released next fall. Aside from streaming 4K video, the PlayStation 4 Pro also supports 4K gaming thanks to its beefed up graphics and faster processor. Sony's even going so far as to bring HDR support to existing PS4 consoles in homes right now.

It's bizarre mixed messaging; Sony's getting on board with some home theater advancements like HDR — but completely ignoring the physical format that offers consumers the highest quality experience. Depending on what kind of optical drive is inside the console, ideally this is something the company can (and will) change its mind on with a future firmware update. For now, it's just a very stupid decision that detracts some from the PlayStation 4 Pro.