Why does the FPS drop when playing standard PS4 through 4k tv?

[mehmet.dogu.ozel]

Hello guys, I recently bought a 70 inch 4k LG TV (70UK69) and when I connected my ps4 (not pro, 2013 model) to play blackops4, I immediately realized a difference as the image felt sluggish and it felt like it was not 60 FPS. What is the reason of this problem and how can I solve it?

Do I have to play with a ps4 PRO with a 4k tv to obtain 60 fps? I am so devastated as I spent a lot of money on this tv.. Any pieces of advice would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[multiversemeep]

The ps4 can only run 1080p, and in most games, only 30fps. You either have to upgrade to a ps4 pro, or get a pc (which is honestly a way better option). If you need help getting or building a PC, I can help with that.

 

[captaincharisma]

the basic PS4 won't give you high FPS like that no matter what kinfd of TV or monitor you use with it. you will need the PS4 Pro to do what you want with your TV. or like was already said get a PC but that would depend on what kind of money you have to build or buy an expensive PC that would be capable of playing at 4K with high FPS

 

[mehmet.dogu.ozel]

Thanks for the replies. I'm a 15-year console player and I want to stick to console... I understand but actually there wasn't any problem when playing through my old full HD tv and I was playing Call of Duty with 60fps on that tv... At least it was better than this one... Is this what happens when you combine a standard ps4 with a 4k tv? Thanks

 

[finitekosmos]

The PS4 Pro is also incapable of native 4K rendering outside of a few titles (the simpler the geometry and processing the more likely it can run it in 4K). It uses a form of upscaling called Checkerboard rendering (this is utilised in games with complex geometry and scenes) to enable it to at least output a sub-native 4k frame. The PS4 Pro will render at a lower resolution then upscale that for 4K output, this is no different from how current consoles use dynamic resolution scaling to improve frame rates by rendering some frames at a much lower resolution in busy scenes. However the system the PS4 Pro uses for upscaling is actually really quite good. I mention this because I have one and really enjoy it.

Basically it takes significant compute performance and memory capacity to render 4K at 60FPS. Unlike 1080p which has around 2 million pixels of screen real estate to render, 4K displays have 8.3Million pixels. This is around 4 times the display capacity and yet the PS4 Pro has almost (an extra half gb for development purposes) the same amount of RAM as the PS4 and only around 2.3x the processing capacity around 4.1TFLOP/s at 32Bit Precision.

This is why Microsoft's XBox One X has not only more RAM but a much higher total compute performance of around 6TFLOP/s at 32Bit Precision. Of all the consoles it gets the closest to realising full 4K native rendering at 60FPS (it frequently achieves it with a number of titles, but not all). But PC's designed and/or built for 4K performance have even more raw compute available to them for the task and often by several orders of magnitude more than an XBox One X.

To truly drive 4K natively at 60+FPS you need processing power, and presently there is only one platform available that can deliver it in abundance, and you'll need to pay for it.

 

[finitekosmos]

Thanks for the replies. I'm a 15-year console player and I want to stick to console... I understand but actually there wasn't any problem when playing through my old full HD tv and I was playing Call of Duty with 60fps on that tv... At least it was better than this one... Is this what happens when you combine a standard ps4 with a 4k tv? Thanks

Not exactly, I think that what you are seeing is the normal resolution of a PS4 being up-scaled by the TV. The PS4 will still be outputting a 1080p frame but the tv itself will upscale this to 4K. However the PS4 does not manage to play many titles as it stands beyond 30FPS, and it can seriously struggle with some titles even at 30. So when things get busy on screen and the resolution is dropping to try and keep up the framerate, with 4 times as many pixels to drive, the shortcomings of the PS4 become more apparent.

It's not likely that the PS4 is performing any worse, its just that its shortcomings may be more apparent with such a large display with its higher refresh rate.

 

[mehmet.dogu.ozel]

Thanks for the replies. I'm a 15-year console player and I want to stick to console... I understand but actually there wasn't any problem when playing through my old full HD tv and I was playing Call of Duty with 60fps on that tv... At least it was better than this one... Is this what happens when you combine a standard ps4 with a 4k tv? Thanks

Not exactly, I think that what you are seeing is the normal resolution of a PS4 being up-scaled by the TV. The PS4 will still be outputting a 1080p frame but the tv itself will upscale this to 4K. However the PS4 does not manage to play many titles as it stands beyond 30FPS, and it can seriously struggle with some titles even at 30. So when things get busy on screen and the resolution is dropping to try and keep up the framerate, with 4 times as many pixels to drive, the shortcomings of the PS4 become more apparent.

It's not likely that the PS4 is performing any worse, its just that its shortcomings may be more apparent with such a large display with its higher refresh rate.

Thanks man, I really appreciate your detailed explanation... One more question though, instead of paying more on the ps4 pro or Xbox One X, I can solve the problem by buying a monitor which has a decent response time and refresh rate and play the ps through the monitor, right?

 

[drivinfast247]

The PS4 is going to output the same frame rate no matter what monitor/TV you use.

As far as your current situation, make sure you enable "Game Mode" for the input of your PS4 on the TV. If no such thing be sure ALL forms of picture processing is turned off for that input on your TV.

 

[finitekomos]

Thanks man, I really appreciate your detailed explanation... One more question though, instead of paying more on the ps4 pro or Xbox One X, I can solve the problem by buying a monitor which has a decent response time and refresh rate and play the ps through the monitor, right?

Unfortunately, the PS4 like all computing devices, really is a product of its time, though much improved over the PS3, the limitations of the PS4 are really brought home when you use it on large format high resolution displays. In my case I have a PS4 sitting upstairs in my media room hooked up to a Sony 1080p tv. Which is a perfect partnership for the PS4.

Unfortunately there is not much a display can really do to make up for the shortcomings of the device attached to it. Sure it can upscale, sharpen and alias but those techniques have their limits. Displays and the devices they connect to go hand-in-hand, If you connect a high performing PC with a great GPU like a 1080Ti or 2080Ti to a low refresh rate 1080p display, you'll be limiting its capability because those cards are capable of so much more.

However, the PS4 is at its limits generating a full 1080p frame, and it cant manage that when things are really busy (like a high action sequence). Given that the display limitation of the PS4 is 1080p its best to pair it with that kind of display. It's just not possible for modern displays to extrapolate the 4 fold increase in image detail required to drive a 4K panel from a 1080p signal. In fact even some older PC's have problems with this if they do not support the later versions of HDMI and the HDCP protocols. Running games at 4K 60 FPS requires a huge amount of visual data to be exchanged with the display (typically around 1-2Gbyte/min) and that speed isn't possible on the earlier standard. The PS4 just doesn't have the hardware support to do this. Connecting a PS4 to a 4K display would be like driving a Maclaren 570S in rush hour, sure you can try it but you wont get anywhere fast.

However the PS4 Pro is pretty great, its compatible with your older library, and if you pair it with a 4k screen you are seated a couple of meters away from you'll not notice the upscaling that much, and in some titles it runs native 4K. Just bear in mind that the PS4 Pro does not support 4K blu-ray playback if you decide to grab one. Remember, the best results always come from properly matching your devices to their capabilities.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Please do not rehash old threads. If you have a similar issue, please start a new thread.

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Wolfshadw
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