Here’s How To Force PS4 Pro Games To Run At 1080p On 4K TVs

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If you’re not already aware of the problem, PS4 Pro games such as The Last Guardian provide users two different performance profiles, but they fail to provide a choice of which one to access. If you boot one of these games up with the Pro set at 2160p output, you get a higher resolution. However, if you have the output set to 1080p, you get access to a much more consistent and smoother frame rate. So in this article, we’re going to tell you how to switch your PS4 Pro games over to 1080p even though you’re using a 4K TV.

4K to 1080p

Games that support 4K will auto-detect if your TV is compatible. For the most part, you won’t get a choice to switch resolutions. However, for many games, 1080p users see an improvement in performance, not just in frame rates but system performance too. Although I pointed out one specific game at the beginning of this article, you should be aware that all games are different, and you won’t be able to tell what options they will offer until after purchase.

However, the reason we chose The Last Guardian is because it has been tested at both 4K and 1080p resolutions. Again, it’s not indicative of most PS4 Pro games, but it is one of the latest. And when testing at 4K with the Pro, we found it lags at a slow 23fps. However, when played in 1080p, the performance increased to 30fps.

What does this mean? For some games, the Pro’s higher resolution can result in games becoming less stable. However, what you need to remember is that at no point during game setup are you informed of the two resolution options. This problem does not affect users with 1080p TVs, as they can’t access the higher frame rates.

PS4 PRO games the last guardian
Image Source: YouTube

How to switch from 4K to 1080p for PS4 Pro games

If you have a 4K TV and are trying to get the best out of some PS4 Pro games and failing, maybe you should consider downgrading the resolution for an improved experience. We realize that’s not the point of owning the Pro, but isn’t the point in the first place to be able to game well?

If you don’t care so much about 4K graphics or if the shaky frame rates are giving you a headache, here’s how you can force your PS4 Pro games into 1080p mode on a 4K TV. Please follow these instructions to the letter and do not enact them if you don’t understand them.

  1. Go to Settings –> Sound and Screen.
  2. Look for the Video Output Settings; underneath them, select 1080p.
  3. Boot your chosen game, which will boot up in 1080p mode.
  4. While in the game, it is possible to switch back to 4K. You can do this by pressing the PlayStation button on the Dualshock 4 controller and then following step one again but selecting 2160p as the output instead.
  5. Once you have restarted the game, the resolution will return to 2160p, although if you don’t restart it, the resolution will remain at 1080p.

So that’s how to force PS4 Pro games to run at 1080p on a 4K TV. As for what the results will be for each and every game, we can’t say. But the folks over at Digital Foundry have put a few games through their paces.

Do you have an insight into this serious frame rate issues affecting some PS4 PRO games? Share your thoughts, experience and opinions with us in the comments section below.

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