PlayStation 4 Pro can’t play 4K Blu-ray (update)

Sony announced a couple of new features that its newest console, the PlayStation 4 Pro, will come with, but neglected to mention some of the ones it would be without.

Based on specifications released by Sony in a press release, it looked like the PlayStation 4 Pro will not have a 4K Blu-ray player, but will instead just support regular HD Blu-rays and DVDs. Polygon spoke to a Sony representative for clarification and they confirmed that the PlayStation 4 Pro will not have a 4K-supported Blu-ray player.

In comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox One S does come with a player that does support 4K Blu-rays, and according to a Microsoft representative, the company's upcoming 4K-supported console, Scorpio, will have a 4K Blu-ray player.

"Both we and Sony are investing in 4K as the future of the industry," said Albert Penello, Senior Director of Product Management and Planning at Xbox told Polygon. "Xbox has a history of adding features to hardware revisions as part of our strategy."

Earlier in the day, Microsoft addressed the PlayStation Pro's lack of a 4K Blu-Ray player in a tweet, pointing to the fact that the Xbox One S has one.

Sony Interactive Entertainment president Andrew House did specify that PlayStation 4 Pro users would be able to stream 4K content from a variety of services, including Netflix and YouTube, but never addressed the lack of an actual player. The Netflix app will be available at launch while the YouTube app will come a little later.

The PlayStation 4 Pro will be available to purchase on Nov. 10 for $399.

Brian Crecente and Arthur Gies contributed to this report.

Update: Microsoft confirmed in an interview with Polygon that Scorpio will have an 4K Blu-ray player. The story has been changed to reflect the new information.