Best PS4 Pro Games For $20 or Less
The PS4 Pro has been around for a while now, so we’re starting to see discounts, refurbs, and open-box deals pop up regularly. It obviously can’t live up to the performance of a high-end PC, but it’s a very affordable way to give your 4K TV a workout on the cheap. Even better, plenty of Pro-enabled games are already quite affordable.
It’s safe to assume that new full-priced games will take advantage of the additional graphical power in the Pro, but there’s a surprisingly wide selection of titles that received excellent post-release Pro patches as well. From relatively small indies to beloved Sony exclusives to third-party best sellers, there’s a lot of high-res enjoyment to be had for $20 or less.
Firewatch Firewatch has always been a looker, but the Pro patch makes it even more enjoyable. The core gameplay now runs at 1440p, and the user interface is rendered at a native 2160p for additional clarity. If you're still on a 1080p TV, you'll enjoy improved LOD at longer distances and a handful of superior effects. And thanks to the addition of a post-release commentary track and a free-roam mode, you're getting even more bang for your buck. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
Mass Effect: Andromeda Andromeda received a lot of criticism last year, and much of that is entirely fair. It's disappointing for many long-time fans, but that doesn't mean that it's out-and-out bad. Much of what makes for a good Mass Effect game is still in there, but the fit and finish leaves something to be desired. So the fact that it's available at a significant discount now, and it runs at a checkerboarded 1800p on the Pro, it's absolutely worth your consideration. (Buy on Amazon)
Thumper Rhythm violence – that's how Thumper is described by the dev team at Drool. Mix together Wipeout, Guitar Hero, and an intense acid trip, and Thumper will fall out fully formed. This is a standout title regardless of your platform, but the PS4 Pro version is particularly excellent. Enjoy native 2160p rendering, 60fps gameplay, and superior anti-aliasing when playing in VR. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Serving as a slimmed-down follow-up to the critically acclaimed Dishonored 2, Death of the Outsider puts you in the shoes of Billie Lurk – an important NPC from previous installments. It's shorter and more-focused than the first two games, and it's available now at a very appealing price point. The tech seems pretty much identical to what Dishonored 2 was packing, so performance and resolution is on par with the 1440p30 PS4 Pro expectations. (Buy on Amazon)
Bound Smooth and precise movement is a major part of what makes an action-adventure game stand out, so it's not really surprising that someone had the idea to marry the genre with dance. The team at Plastic has created a unique and stylish game exclusively for the PS4, and it's even better on a Pro. It uses a clever trick, much like the one used in Gravity Rush 2, to render the geometry at a native 4K to provide clean edges while everything else is being up-rezed from 1080p. And as a bonus, resolution in the PSVR is boosted as well. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
The Last Of Us Remastered Originally released at the tail end of the previous generation, The Last of Us ranks among the very best that Naughty Dog has to offer. Early on in the PS4's life, a 1080p remastered version was released to great acclaim, and we were overjoyed when it received even more TLC when the PS4 Pro was released. Now you have the option to play the game in glorious 2160p with high dynamic range to boot – making it well worth a replay. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
inFamous: Second Son As one of the first major releases on the PS4, Second Son has always been something of a looker. And with the latest update in place, it's even more impressive. Not only does the HDR implementation make the mutant powers look much more vivid, it also has the ability to reach resolutions upwards of 1800p. And if you're jonesing for even more inFamous, the stand-alone DLC "First Light" has all the same visual improvements for just $15. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
Abzu As an underwater adventure game inspired by the likes of Journey, Abzu was a huge success in 2016. With a higher resolution, a more dense population of sea critters, and an improved frame rate, the PS4 Pro version is absolutely the best way to play on consoles. If you or your family love sea life, this absolutely cannot be missed. (Buy on Amazon)
Ratchet & Clank The relatively recent Ratchet reboot delivered top-notch cartoon characters and environments – even on the vanilla PS4. And while the PS4 Pro version doesn't have the 60fps bump we hoped for, it does output at an effective 2160p thanks to some really clever behind-the-scenes sorcery. Add in HDR on top, and this is a perfect PS4 Pro showpiece for households with kids. (Buy on Amazon)
Darksiders: Warmastered Edition If a demonic Zelda game sounds appealing, this remastered version of 2010's Darksiders is well worth a couple Hamiltons. With a 60fps target, high-quality textures, much-improved post-processing, and a native resolution that beats the pants off of the PS3 and Xbox 360 original, Darksiders holds up surprisingly well for such an aged title. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition While not quite as fleshed out as its sequel, the series' first release is highly discounted now, and truly worth (re)playing on the Pro. If you're on a 4K TV, you can enjoy dynamic scaling up to a full 4K, or simply drop it down to 1080p with visual enhancements if you're still running on an HDTV. Either way, this is a noticeable improvement over the original 2014 release. (Buy on the PlayStation Store)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided While this most recent Deus Ex release had some performance hurdles early on, numerous patches have smoothed out the issues. As such, we're left with a much more polished experience – especially on the PS4 Pro. Not only does the dynamic checkerboard rendering reach up to 2160p, but we get HDR and improved reflections to boot. (Buy on Amazon)
Note: Prices and stock may fluctuate.
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