A Sony representative has revealed that the company will not charge PlayStation 4 owners for High Dynamic Range (HDR) patches. Nevertheless, it seems that the company has not clarified if the same case will apply to third-party publishers.
The said Sony representative was in an interview with Polygon when he disclosed the information. The interview was conducted in Japanese and later translated in English, something that may have led to the loss of some details.
All the same, the central communication from Sony as per now is that the HDR patches will not cost consumers their money. But since the company has not clarified the case for third-party publishers, patches that update existing PlayStation 4 games with 4k and HDR support may end up costing some money.
According to Sony Interactive Entertainment Executive Masayasu Ito's statement in an interview with Game Impress Watch, third-party publishers may decide to charge money for the HDR patches. This is because of the different thinking of each licensee and the disparity in game titles.
Ito also suggested that whether the HDR patches will be monetized "will vary" for each of Sony's titles. When the interviewer addressed the issue of third-party publishers, Ito indicated that there will be titles that will apply a fee for the patch, while others might be free.
Many existing PlayStation 4 games are set to get patched so as to add support for the PlaySsation 4 Pro's increased power and HDR color features. There are at least two first-party games scheduled to be patched with PS$ Pro support at the launch of the console on Nov. 10.
They are Naughty dog's "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" and Sucker Punch's "Infamous: First Light." The interviewed Sony representative also mentioned that first-party PS$ games, coming in 2017 or later, will support the PS4 Pro.
As for third-party titles, Thekla's "The Witness," Square Enix's "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided," Activision's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered" and "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" and Bethesda Softworks' "The Elder Scrolls Online" are among the games to be included in PS4 Pro's launch. Nevertheless, only an official announcement from Bethesda has noted that the game's PS4 Pro patch will be free.
Until Sony communicates more information, PS4 owners should know that they might dig into their pockets for the HDR patches. Have a look at PS4 Pro 4K and HDR gaming: