The PlayStation Meeting 2016 featured the official annoucements of the remodeled PS4 and the brand new PS4 Pro along with one big Mass Effect-shaped suprise.

The worst kept secret in gaming is finally revealed.

The slimmer version will replace the standard PS4 model. The sleeker PS4 will have a new Dualshock 4 controller with a light bar in front above the touch screen. The power and reset buttons will actually be buttons. The hard drive will be even easier to swap out for something more beefy in case 1TB isn’t enough for you.

The slimmer model PS4  releases next week September 15 at $299.

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The PS4 Neo is no more, say hello to the PS4 Pro

The news we were all waiting for; price and release date for the PS4 Pro. The 4K ready console will be more powerful and will also feature HDR (High Dynamic Range) which basically means blacker black and more vibrant colors. The PS4 Pro upgrade GPU will have almost double the graphical fidelity of the standard PS4 and will come with a 1TB hard drive.

The PlayStation 4 Pro will arrive November 10, costing $399 in the US.
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Anyone streaming the meeting might have experienced some difficulty actually seeing the improvements that 4k and HDR which didn’t translate well on video. It reminded me of the time where Nintendo first unveiled the 3DS. The only way to really appreciate the upgraded fidelity would have to be in person.  It was finally good get to answers

Actual Mass Effect Andromeda Gameplay

The biggest surprise of the meeting was the exclusive gameplay reveal of Mass Effect Andromeda showing off the main character, Ryder, his companions and a new alien menace.

Other Highlights

  • We saw a quick glimpse of Insomniac Games’s new Spider-Man game which still looks amazing.
  • HDR Imaging is heading to all PS4 consoles starting next week via firmware update.
  • There’s no support for a 4K Blu-ray player, my guessing it was to keep the console cost at a competitive $399.
  • PSVR games will run better on PS4 Pro
  • No mention of PS Vita, in case anyone cared. I’m sure there are a few of you.
  • PS4 and PS4 Pro will both play the same discs.
  • Some already existing PS4 games like Shadow of Mordor, Deus Ex and Uncharted 4 will be able to take advantage of the Pro’s new hardware.

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