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No 4K?Watch Honest Thief Online No problem. But you might want to upgrade your PlayStation.

The upcoming God of War, perhaps the most anticipated PS4 game this spring, if not the whole year, will have a "performance mode" that "makes the game run so so smooth," according to the title's creative director Cory Barlog. But there's a catch: The mode is specifically geared toward PS4 Pro owners.

During a Q&A on Twitter Thursday, a God of Warfan asked if it was necessary to upgrade to the console's "Pro" version, which costs $100 more and features more powerful hardware than the "normal" PS4. The Pro's biggest selling point is 4K video: On compatible televisions, you get a more detailed, crisp visual experience on the Pro than you would with the less expensive PS4.

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A "performance mode" for Pro consoles means there's an extra incentive for consumers to shell out for the upgrade, even if they don't have a TV that supports the marquee visual features. Sony, of course, is selling a special version of the PS4 Pro that comes bundled with the game.

"So so smooth" likely refers to the game's frame rate. Generally, 60 frames-per-second is considered ideal for gameplay, though games will often run at 30 frames-per-second. Think of it this way: Movement on your screen is really a series of images. With "60 FPS," 60 images appear in the span of one second, resulting in basically seamless motion. If you're paying close attention, you'd notice that "30 FPS" footage, which displays 30 images in a second, is jerkier and less lifelike.

Here's a comparison from some recent games:

Though Barlog said the game's "performance mode" would make God of War super-smooth, he demurred when asked if that meant it would display in 60 FPS:

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... Which probably means the motion will be less than perfect, even on the most expensive PlayStation 4 hardware. Womp.

Still, chances are a lot of people will take advantage of the setting. Not many people own 4K TVs, though the number is rising. Last year, a survey from the Consumer Technology Association found that 16 percent of American households own a 4K, "ultra-high-definition" TV.

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