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PS4 FPS drops: why do they happen?

August 26, 2019 by Max

You’ve just wrapped up a rough day and all you want to do is kick back with your PS4.

Whether you’re into single player games or prefer chasing frustration online, you probably want the best looking and performing experience possible.

And then it happens – your frames start dropping.

There’s no escaping the constant stuttering and dipping, and more importantly, it’s driving you absolutely insane.

Why does the PS4 suffer from FPS drops?

There’s a multitude of reasons why the PS4 suffers hits to performance, but the biggest by far are:

Poor optimization
Relatively weak hardware
Network performance

Relative to its age, Sony’s console is capable of producing some incredible looking games, but there’s a reason the company opted to introduce the Pro revision this generation.

Can PS4 friends see what website you’re on?

August 22, 2019 by Max

Whether you’re in an endless stream of researching a new topic you’re obsessed with, or something a little less savory, you may have wondered what your PS4 friends can and cannot see when using the system’s browser.

Since privacy is worth more than gold, getting a grip on what you’re PS4 is broadcasting to the world is worth looking into.

Which brings us to the main concern – can your PS4 friends see what website you’re looking at?

The short of it?

No, nobody outside of the immediate proximity of your console will be able to know what you’re using the (limited) browser for.

There is, however, some privacy upkeep to consider when using your console to go online.

Can the normal PS4 run at 60 FPS?

August 18, 2019August 15, 2019 by Max

It wasn’t all that long that the FPS of games was a foreign concept to the majority of gamers, but after the overwhelming success of titles like Call of Duty on consoles it’s become a mainstay in discussions.

If you play games on a regular or Slim PS4, you might have noticed that Sony is doing things a little differently this time around. For those that want it, a new, more powerful console is offered with the PS4 Pro.

And with all of the new marketing buzzwords since its inception (HDR, 4K, Ultra HD, and so forth), it’s sometimes hard to know what the original model is truly capable of.

Can the normal PS4 run 60 FPS? Does the Pro really offer a significant boost?

It turns out Sony’s aging console still has a lot to offer on the performance front.

Does PS4 support gigabit ethernet?

August 15, 2019 by Max

As the graphical prowess and overall complexity of PS4 games grows, install sizes continue to soar. It’s not unheard of for games to push 60 gigabytes, and with constant patches, it can feel like you’re downloading more than playing.

Internet speeds are more relevant than ever, with more and more individuals investing in higher tier plans from ISP’s to support a constant influx of downloads, Spotify, Netflix, and online multiplayer.

Some have even gone so far as buying into gigabit internet with providers like Google Fiber and Verizon Fios.

Which brings us to the crux of console networking:

Does the PS4 support gigabit ethernet? Can it fully take advantage of a lightning fast fiber connection?

Technically, each model supports the standard but there is a catch.

The PS4 4K experience

July 22, 2019 by Max

You’ve just come home from Best Buy with a brand new 4K TV and your PS4 is still hooked up to your legacy 1080p set.

Or maybe you’ve been holding off on the latest Samsung, Sony, Vizio, or TCL.

The million dollar question is this – how does the PS4 look on a 4k TV? Is it really that big of an upgrade?

It’s going to depend on multiple factors (more on this below), but this is what you need to know:

The jump to 4k is less impressive than the move to HD resolutions
The regular PS4 and Slim revision will be upscaled and have the potential to look better
TVs with poor upscalers can worsen the overall image quality
The PS4 Pro won’t look as good as native 4K content (Netflix, Blu-rays, etc.), but will appear very sharp or “clean”

The man who designed the look of the PS4

July 16, 2019July 15, 2019 by Max

From its sleek angles to minimalist footprint, the original PS4 was largely championed for its design while the Xbox One drew comparisons to the VCRs of yesterday.

Further revisions to Sony’s next-gen console took a bit of a different approach – the Slim sliding into the background and Pro opting for a stacked approach – but its design ethos largely remained intact.

A couple standout special editions like the 20th Anniversary Edition and Destiny 2 PS4 Pro Bundle added some flare to the otherwise conservative console lineup and, as a whole, Sony has continued to prioritize its gaming first mantra.

Whether high end Bluetooth headphones or 4K TVs, the importance of elegance is something that can be seen across most of Sony’s consumer electronics, and in the case of its latest consoles, the principle falls in the hands of Tetsu Sumii.

Is 4K gaming worth it without HDR?

July 14, 2019 by Max

While the amount of households with a 4K TV has soared over the past few years, the process of upgrading is hardly cut and dry.

With technical jargon like Ultra HD, HDR, local dimming, and 10 bit color depth, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, and whether or not the TV you’re about to buy is the right fit for your needs.

HDR, 4K’s partner in crime, makes things particularly puzzling for home theater setups – many TVs on the market lack HDR and those that do offer the new color standard often miss the mark.

If you’re someone just venturing into the land of higher fidelity, you might be wondering whether 4K, on its own, carries the same punch independent of all the developing TV tech.

Keep reading for a dive into what makes the jump in resolution worth it and whether it should be considered for gaming without HDR.

Does PS4 have dual monitor support?

July 11, 2019 by Max

One of the biggest draws to PC gaming is flexibility, and among a player’s options to configure the display output is the ability to game on a dual monitor setup.

Monitors are essentially stacked side by side in order to create a much wider, and subsequently more immersive, field of view. It’s features like this that make the PC landscape one ripe with possibility for tech enthusiasts.

Slowly but surely PC gaming features have been sliding into the scene of console gaming, but for the most part, PC is far and away the place to be for the cutting edge.

If you’re playing on the PS4, you might be wondering – does the PS4 support dual monitors?

In short, Sony’s console lacks dual monitor capability (as do the Switch and Xbox One). If you want true dual monitor support, then you’ll need to buy a gaming PC.

Read on to learn about PS4 features that are similar to dual monitors and how you can integrate the console into an already existing setup.