The PlayStation 4 Pro is the pinnacle of console gaming as it stands. It is pricier than its sibling but well worth considering by those with 4K TVs.

That's because it has been designed to run the same PlayStation 4 games as the other consoles in the stable, but with big enhancements. That includes higher resolutions - to 4K Ultra HD - and high dynamic range (HDR) for 2D games, better draw distances and detail for PSVR titles.

All new PS4 games will be playable on an original PS4 or PS4 Slim, but will be beefed up for PS4 Pro. That includes a whole stack of existing titles too.

So here are a few details on the sort of improvements you can expect for PS4 Pro versions of games, and a growing list of the games that feature 4K resolutions, HDR tech or both.

what ps4 pro games are 4k hdr ready the complete list of optimised games image 2
Pocket-lint

What is 4K?

The term 4K, or Ultra high definition (Ultra HD), refers to the resolution of a screen and/or the content. At 3840 x 2160 it offers four times the amount of pixels as Full HD (1080p) TVs and video. That equates to much more detail and far sharper images. It also takes a hell of a lot more processing power to shift that much data.

What is HDR?

High dynamic range (HDR) is video parlance for greater brightness, better contrast (between the black and white areas of an image) and a wider colour gamut.

HDR televisions are capable of much higher brightness levels, deeper blacks or a combination of both. The amount of colours they are able to present on screen is far greater than before, with the end result being more natural looking pictures with very bright areas and great lighting effects. The darker areas remain deep but without loss of detail.

What is the PS4 Pro capable of?

Because of some clever processing power, including improved graphics architecture, the PS4 Pro is capable of rendering games at 4K resolutions, with HDR implemented and at up to 60 frames per second. You won't get that in all games - more likely 4K at 30fps for the vast majority - but there are some, such as the forthcoming Gran Turismo Sport - that claim to run in Ultra HD and 60p.

Many games will use checkerboard 4K rendering, which is more effective than upscaling but gets around data processing limits by rendering small blocks of pixels rather than each individually. But there will also be some that have full, native 4K graphics.

Several PS4 Pro games give you the option to either have super smooth 60fps gameplay at 1080p or run at a higher resolution but cap the frame rate to 30fps. One or two stick with 1080p but give you higher frame rates than when played on a standard PS4.

what ps4 pro games are 4k hdr ready the complete list of optimised games image 3
Pocket-lint

What PS4 games are optimised for PS4 Pro?

We have a list of all the games so far announced to be enhanced for PS4 Pro, both available now and yet to be released.

Remember, all PS4 games will work on the PS4 Pro. These are just the ones that have confirmed that they support HDR, higher resolutions or, in the case of PSVR titles, utilise the greater graphical processing power to present a better experience.

We will update this list as more appear, but these are the ones with PS4 Pro-specific improvements that we currently know about (as of 27 January 2017):

  • Abzu
  • Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection
  • Assassin's Creed Syndicate
  • Batman: Return to Arkham
  • Battlefield 1
  • Battlezone
  • Bound
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
  • Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
  • Darksiders Warmastered Edition
  • Days Gone
  • Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
  • Diablo III
  • Dishonored 2
  • DriveClub VR
  • Fallout 4
  • Farming Simulator 17
  • Farpoint
  • FIFA 17
  • Final Fantasy XV
  • Firewatch
  • For Honor
  • Forma8
  • Futuridium EP Deluxe
  • Ghost Recon: Wildlands
  • Gran Turismo Sport
  • Gravity Rush 2
  • Helldivers
  • Hitman
  • Horizon Zero Dawn
  • Hustle Kings
  • inFamous First Light
  • inFamous Second Son
  • Killing Floor 2
  • Knack
  • Let it Die
  • Mafia III
  • Mantis Burn Racing
  • Mass Effect: Andromeda
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
  • NBA 2K17
  • Neon Chrome
  • Nioh
  • Overwatch
  • Paragon
  • PlayStation VR Worlds
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2017
  • Ratchet & Clank
  • Resident Evil 7 biohazard
  • Resogun
  • Rez Infinite
  • Ride 2
  • RIGS Mechanized Combat League
  • Rise Of The Tomb Raider
  • Robinson: The Journey
  • Smite
  • Spider-Man
  • Steep
  • Super Stardust Ultra
  • The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
  • The Last Guardian
  • The Last Of Us Remastered
  • The Last Of Us: Left Behind
  • The Playroom VR
  • The Witness
  • Thumper
  • Titanfall 2
  • Tumble
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
  • Viking Squad
  • Watch Dogs 2
  • Wheels of Aurelia
  • World Of Tanks
  • XCOM 2