I've read a lot of comments from people who do not even own this device yet. To those people I say get a life. I purchased this about 2 weeks ago and here are my impressions thus far: a.
GameStop: Buy PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB System, GameStop, PlayStation 4, Find release dates, customer reviews, previews and screenshots. Nov 10, 2016. PlayStation 4 Pro Console, Read customer reviews and buy online at Best Buy.
Physically: if you had the original PS4 the size difference is not that much of an issue but if you had the slim model. Its at least 1/2 - 3/4 ' taller and a bit deeper. (still smaller than the original xbox one though) b. Game play: FIRST I DO NOT OWN A 4K TV!!! I'm speaking from a decent 1080P HD TV. I've tried several different games and modes and I'm comparing to my XBox one in regards to speed.
I played Dishonored (definitive edition) on both systems. Game play seems smoother on the PS4 Pro, and screens load A LOT faster. Visually I cant tell a difference ON THIS GAME mainly because its not optimized for the improved PS4 Pro. Smite: I played on both systems (if you don't know Smite is an online MOBA style game similar to League of Legends) Game play wise both systems play about the same.
Visually video is slightly better on the Pro than Xone. (lines are sharper, color gradation is much better) Rise of the Tomb Raider.
I have about an hour or so on both systems but THIS game made me glad I choose to pick up a PS Pro. Even though its a 1080 TV the graphics and frame rate are SOOOOOO much better. Its almost like watching a tv show. Game play is smooth as silk, lines are crisp and sharp, textures and colors Pop and all those little details like snow and rain make this a cut WAY above the other machine.
Possible problems I haven't checked yet: I read that there may be an issue with textures and frame rate dropping (from 60 fps to 55-58fps) in games like Skyrim and The last of us. I read that its not necessarily a HARDWARE issue so much as a developer issue. IF this is true I believe a patch down the line would correct this issue. (remember this system was only released 2 weeks ago. Updates will be coming) Seeing as how these are the only two games that I've heard of this happening to, I wouldn't stress it too much. The work around is if you drop the video to 30fps you won't have this issue at all.
Other down side, if your playing at higher frame rates. The fan kicks on and although not as loud as previous Playstations it can be noticeable. Basic stuff: the controller is very comfortable to hold and maintains its charge for a good many hours. (I average about 2-3 hours a night and may have to charge it by the 3 or 4 th night.) I have Turtle Beach Stealth 400 headset from my previous PS4 works even better because I don't need the Optical cable.
True Bluetooth. The increase processing power and larger hard drive alone makes the extra 100 bucks worth it.
If you have any intention of doing the VR thing you have to get this version. Oh the Blue ray player. Some people are complaining about the Pro not having a 4K blue ray. Me personally I don't care.
I watch most of my movies via streaming anyway. However to those that do watch blue ray, 4k resolution will only affect 4k blue rays. Any non 4k blue rays will still look the same. For me this was not a deal breaker but thats just me. Thats about all I can think of.
I tried to keep it very factual and straight forward. I would definitely recommend this device to any and anyone wanting a Playstation.
This console exist solely for the hardcore gamer. This is an advanced version of the console with an overclocked GPU and 4K and HDR that is something to behold if you witnesses it in person. Everyone who is complaining about the UHD player not included in the console. Here's the reason, the number of consumers who have used the PS4 and PS3 when it picked up traction using NETFLIX was the #1 streaming device for all content. This is exactly why they didn't include the UHD on the PS4 PRO. YOU consumers clearly made it so, MORE people are streaming watching there content than they are buying $30 UHD Blurays to watch one movie.
It makes sense across the board, this console is future proofing moving forward with the technology of 4K and HDR and enhancing future game titles with improving everything developers can do with. If you all want a UHD player for $300 get the Xbox One S, clearly that is what many of you are interested in and less on games having 4K support as well. This is a VIDEO GAME platform first and a multimedia entertainment system second. Sony did an excellent job with the PS4 Pro. Videos on the internet don't do it justice for just how much better the graphics look. For the price of this console, it exceeeded my expectations.
The games that support the Pro are noticeably better. They may not run in native 4K, but there are boosts to the resolution and frame rate. Textures also look much better. If you have a 4K tv, this is a great opportunity to show it off a bit. 1080p tv owners will still benefit from better visuals due to super sampling.
I cannot say enough good things about how much better the enhanced visuals are. If you have the extra money on hand and are deciding between the PS4 and PS4 Pro, get the Pro and future-proof yourself. I really just bought this because my old Ps4 was overheating and running extremely loud so it was just time to replace in my mind. I do have a 9500 series 55' 4k HDR Samsung and the difference in quality with the games being supported is noticeable and amazing.
NBA 2k17, Rise of the Tomb Raider, TLOU Remastered, and even The Elder Scrolls Online look fantastic. Really looking forward to playing Final Fantasy XV and Horizon Zero Dawn on the Ps4 Pro and if you have a quality 4k tv I would recommend the Ps4 Pro even if you already have a regular Ps4. Now if you don't have a 4k tv I would hold off unless this is you're first Ps4 then this is a much better buy then the ps4 slim. I want to start off saying I am an Xbox guy through and through, from 6th grade all the way through college I have played Xbox and have only had the same complaints as the rest of us do with Xbox and I love it.
That being said my favorite system today is the PS 4 Pro, the picture quality is beautiful, flawless frame rate and a much easier interface to use when not in game but rather surfing around what else the console has to offer. I bought call of duty infinite warfare legacy edition and played the modern warfare and was blown away at the quality of the remastered game. Then I played Infinite warfare and could believe the console was only 400 bucks, most beautiful game I have ever played graphically! At first I was super skeptical about buying this console because my brother had a PS 3 in the past and I really never liked it, but I am a graphics fanatic and couldn't pass up the idea of a '4K' gaming console for 400 bucks. Granted there are games where it is not 4K and even the ones that claim to be but aren't true 4K still blow everything else out of the water (to complain about 90% 4k when the human eye cant pick up the actual pixel resolution of 4k for 20/20 vision its pretty dumb to complain about 'not 4K')! Also there is the issue of no 4K blue ray player in the system which for me isn't a problem, the 4K blue rays are more expensive and I just buy digital now anyway or watch Netflix which is crazy good. If you plan on using a Vizio tv you might run into problems BUT, it is an easy fix just go to YouTube, it takes like 3 minutes.
I am fully aware the new Xbox Scorpio is going to be released in the fall 2017 but this system is remarkable and if you are like me and love high quality graphics and just remarkable everything then this console is for you! (coming from a die hard Xbox fan) If you look at most reviews lower than a 3 the complaint is about the lack of a 4K blue ray player and if that is their biggest/only complaint about a 4k (even if in some cases not 'True 4k' but 90%) and thats not a real concern for you then I believe this will be the best console choice you have ever made (to date) if you appreciate graphics. This review could go on and on but chances are you need to do research on it more instead of hear my opinion if you are on the edge, but I personally love this machine its sleek beautiful fast and easy and I recommend it highly! (3 friends came over saw me playing Call of Duty Infinite and Modern Warfare and went out and bought their own after live real in person game play for only 2 hours. Just saying).
I'm a true gamer. I've been gaming since I had the ability to game. The ps4 pro is amazing for GAMERS. It is 2 to 3 times the power of the normal ps4 and it's only 399!
It's only 100 dollars more then the normal ps4 (slim) and for those who are upset about it not having a 4K Blu Ray movie player built in.I get it.but to give it a low score because of that makes no since. PlayStation is for gaming! It's in the title.PLAYstation! The price of the ps4 pro would be 600 to 800 dollars if it did and no one would buy it (just like when PS3 came out for 600 bucks, people were upset and it didn't sell well) plus hardly anyone has 4K tvs yet and there's only like 50 movies in 4K! PLEASE understand that this is for gamers.
Plus you don't need a 4K HDR tv to benefit. The ps4 pro also improves on 1080p TVs like better graphics and faster frame rates and further viewing distance and overall much better performance. Having a 4K HDR tv is the cherry on top. If you have a 4K HDR tv then you can play games in 4K HDR. At the end of the day if your fan of tech and performance get the ps4 pro.
I have had the original PS4 since launch day and at the time was to totally content with its capabilities. Just last year purchased a 4K UHD tv and pretty bummed out my beloved PS4 could not support any of these features I just paid so much for. The PS4 Pro allows me to play the same games that I already own in much higher resolution I and colors depth.
I could tell a vert significant improvement in Uncharted 4 and Tomb Raiider Origins. The frame rate was faster and more consistent, The image looked much sharper andn the HDR made the colors look SIGNIFICANTLY better, but not the kind of extreme improvement you see between console generations. If you are like me, and have spent a significant amount on a TV that is 4K and/or HDR supported the PS4 PRO is a no brainer.
I am excited to see some upcoming releases that were developed for the new system rather than patched long after their release date. If you have or plan on upgrading your tv in the near future this consol will future proof you for the foreseeable future. PS4 Pro is coming in at launch PS4 price, and packing in an upgraded GPU, upclocked CPU, larger HDD, and some nice software enhancements that make a comparable PC build push above its weight.
PS4 is really not powerful enough on paper to do true native 4K for big games, and is using software tricks and algorithms to get there. If you've seen it in person, wow, I don't think the average gamer would tell the difference, and you most certainly won't if you are playing on 1080p displays. On top of that, less graphically intensive games like Rez or TLOU:R will support 4K in Native.
Digital Foundry does a good job highlighting how close Sony has come to 4K and how hard it is to tell the difference. Really impressive they were able to get this into a $400 box. If you have a PS4, I'd say, Pro is kinda a no-brainer upgrade. Its a beefier PS4, that will make your games look/run better, your PSVR games look/run better, and if you get a 4K set, make them look MUCH better. I haven't bought a Blu-ray in, 5-7 years, (Avatar was my last one) and regular Blu-ray playback suits me just fine, I think people online giving bad reviews over a non UBR-player are being extremely disingenuous. What Sony has done here, for $400, is really incredible value.
Design One of the first things you’ll notice about the PS4 Pro is that its 11.6x2.1x12-inches chassis is big. At 7.2 pounds, it’s also quite heavy. In terms of aesthetics, it maintains the PlayStation 4’s slanted design but opts to use the PS4 Slim's more rounded corners as opposed to the ’s sharper edges.
It also uses the Slim’s matte black finish. The console has a new power LED light bar on the front, which starts on the left and trails off to the right. Coupled with the light bar are physical power and eject buttons. The Pro sort of looks like a PS4 Slim stacked on top of the original PS4, and it has two slits that go around the chassis. The optical drive is located on the top slit, and speaking of it, despite being a 4K-capable system, the Pro doesn’t support 4K Blu-ray discs.
This is an odd, unfortunate omission, which slightly detracts from the package. Luckily, the PS4 Pro will be able to stream 4K HDR video from apps like Netflix and YouTube. One of the first things you’ll notice about the PS4 Pro is that its 11.6x2.1x12-inches chassis is big. In terms of ports, the Pro brings back the optical S/PDIF, which was removed from the PS4 Slim. In addition to the two USB 3.1 ports on the front, the Pro offers a third USB 3.1 port on the back, which pairs well with, since the separately available headset takes up a port.
Other inputs on the back include HDMI, AUX, and Ethernet. The Pro also exhausts heat through vents on the back. Like the original PS4 and PS4 Slim before it, the Pro model has an integrated power supply, which saves you the trouble of figuring out where to position a bulky external power brick.
On top of the unit is a reflective silver PlayStation logo, and tucked underneath the console are little rubber feet modeled after the PlayStation button logos. The Pro doesn’t support 4K Blu-ray discs. This is an odd, unfortunate omission. Specs Underneath the hood, the PlayStation 4 Pro features the following tech specs: • CPU: x86-64 AMD 'Jaguar,' 8 cores clocked at 2.1GHz • GPU: 4.2 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon-based graphics clocked at 911MHz with 36 compute units • Memory: GDDR5 8GB + 1GB DRAM • Storage size: 1TB hard drive • External dimensions: Approx. 295x55x327 mm/11.6x2.1x12.8 in (width x height x length) • Blu-ray/DVD Drive: Blu-ray × 6 CAV, DVD × 8 CAV • Input/Output: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.1 Gen.1) port × 3, AUX port × 1 • Networking: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)×1, IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) • Power: AC 100V, 50/60Hz • Power consumption: Max. 310W • AV Output: HDMI out port (supports 4K/HDR), optical port The faster graphics processing unit is arguably the most significant boost the PS4 Pro offers. The GPU is based on AMD’s new Polaris microarchitecture, which the graphics-card manufacturer debuted with its GPU.
Its 911MHz frequency is 14 percent higher than the original model's equivalent. It also offers twice the number of compute units with 36 CUs and features 4.2 teraflops of performance, which is 2.28 times as much as the original PS4. The console itself still offers 8GB of GDDR5 memory, which it shares with the CPU, but Sony has also added 1GB of DRAM for the CPU. This allows the x86-based processor to run the operating system and streaming video applications at 4K. This extra DRAM also frees up some of the faster GDDR5 memory for the GPU. The CPU is still an eight-core Jaguar AMD processor, but its frequency has been raised from 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz, which amounts to a 31 percent boost.
The PS4 Pro also comes with a larger 1TB hard drive--though it’s unfortunately still the slower 5,400rpm variety as opposed to the slightly faster 7,200rpm equivalent. Luckily, you can still swap out the HDD for a solid-state drive, and because the Pro supports the SATA III interface, SSDs installed in the console can now reach up to 6Gbps speeds. This is double the frequency of the original PS4’s SATA II interface. Graphical Enhancements The main reason to get excited about the PS4 Pro is the prospect of better graphics. The new console is completely backward-compatible with the existing library of PS4 games, and some titles will receive graphical enhancements on the Pro. Some games may use the extra processing power to bolster frame rates, while others may render at a higher resolution. Some games may run natively at 4K, but Sony says the majority of games will use a 4K upscaling technique the company calls, essentially a 4K rendering shortcut that isn’t as taxing on hardware.
It’s not quite as sharp as native 4K, but it does look surprisingly close. Checkerboard rendering is not quite as sharp as native 4K, but it does look surprisingly close. PS4 games will not receive Pro enhancements out of the box, however. Developers will have to patch their games to take advantage of the Pro’s extra processing power. Sony asserts that patching a title to implement checkerboard rendering isn’t too time-intensive, but it’s unclear how many titles will support the upscaling technique moving forward, since Sony doesn’t require developers to implement the feature. Developers can actually use the extra power as they see fit. Instead of cranking up the resolution, developers may choose to increase graphical fidelity, offer improved frame rates, or use better anti-aliasing techniques.
This means the Pro could bolster visuals at 1080p. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, for instance, uses super-sampling anti-aliasing to mitigate jaggy edges on regular HD displays.
Visual Analysis To analyze the visual enhancements that the PS4 Pro offers, I compared it against a PS4 Slim. The Slim replaces the original PS4, and while it might look a little different from the 2013 model, it carries the same GPU and CPU horsepower. I hooked up both PlayStations to different HDMI inputs on the same TV: a 55-inch 4K (HDR) display. I gathered two copies of every PS4 Pro-enhanced game that I could get copies of and quickly switched between the two inputs to conduct visual A/B tests. Both HDMI inputs were calibrated to look exactly the same. Because the PS4 Pro can also bolster 1080p graphics, I also connected both systems to a 55-inch 1080p TV and similarly analyzed the visual differences there. While the PS4 Pro will support 4K HDR video streaming via apps like Netflix and Youtube, 4K HDR versions of these PlayStation apps won’t release until the console launches on November 10.
At the time of this writing, only a handful of games support PS4 Pro enhancements. The games I tested included Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, The Last of Us, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, and Infamous: Second Son.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered You sometimes have to stand still and look for these visual differences, since they aren't huge graphical improvements, but the main takeaway here is that the PS4 Pro offers a clearer image overall. With both PlayStations hooked up to the 4K TV, I noticed that the Pro offered slightly better textures in the remastered version of Modern Warfare. Frontech Keyboard Driver Jil 1656 more. The Pro made it a bit easier to make out the individual hair follicles on an NPC’s beard, for instance. The Pro also allows the game to support a dynamic resolution that scales up to 4K, which helps mitigate some aliasing issues. Flickering fences on the Slim looked clean and stable on the Pro, for instance. Text on distant posters strewn about the game’s opening training area were also unreadable on the Slim, but were legible on the Pro.
You sometimes have to stand still and look for these visual differences, since they aren't huge graphical improvements, but the main takeaway here is that the PS4 Pro offers a clearer image overall. When I hooked up both consoles to our 1080p TV, I couldn’t tell much of a difference, unfortunately. Since the PS4 Slim already runs the game at 60 frames per second, it’s already hitting the TV’s 60Hz refresh rate limit, so I wasn’t able to gauge any frame-rate improvements. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare With both systems hooked up to the 4K TV, I noticed slightly richer textures on the Pro. For instance, I could more easily see fibrous textures on clothing. The game also has better anti-aliasing with edges that look less pixelated.
They’re not huge improvements, but the Pro once again offers more clarity and less noise than the Slim on the 4K TV. When I hooked up both systems to our 1080p TV, I was able to see better AA and slightly sharper textures from the Pro, but they weren’t as noticeable at this resolution. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Shadow of Mordor offers different graphical enhancement options with the Pro. One option allows you to favor resolution. This dynamically scales the game’s resolution up to 4K and smooths out unwanted jaggies. Once again, the Pro’s video quality looked clearer at 4K as a result. When the Pro runs Shadow of Mordor on a 1080p TV with resolution favored, it switches to a super-sampling anti-aliasing mode to render the game at a higher-than-1080p resolution and then shrinks the image down to 1080p.
This does a decent job of making a regular HD display appear sharper than it actually is. Alternatively, Shadow of Mordor also has a setting that allows you to favor quality. This forces the game to run at 1080p, regardless of the display, but it increases graphical fidelity.
Unfortunately, outside of extra wrinkles on faces, I couldn’t notice any other visual enhancements. The Last of Us The Last of Us has been updated to support HDR, and while the original via a recent firmware update, the PS4 Pro still made the game’s colors look much richer and lusher.
As the game opens, it takes place in a dimly lit bedroom at night. Playing the game on the PS4 Pro, you can clearly see a green poster on one of the walls with legible words written on it. On the Slim, it’s hard to even see the green poster, let alone the words--it's completely blanketed in darkness.
The Pro made the game’s colors look much richer and lusher. Textures also look much sharper with the Pro. For instance, the small text on book spines is easily readable, whereas it looks like illegible smudge stains on the Slim.
The Pro also offers slightly better anti-aliasing; characters’ hair look slightly less jagged here. The Pro also mitigates some aliasing issues at 1080p as well, though it isn’t as prominent on the HD display. Call of Duty: Black Ops III Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 offers the most disappointing visual enhancements out of my A/B tests.
It offers marginally better AA at 4K, and even then, you have you really get up right in front of the TV to notice. The effects were even less impressive at 1080p. Infamous: Second Son Infamous Second Son is the last title that I analyzed. The game supports HDR, and color is the most notable difference here. Hues on the PS4 Pro version looked much more realistic and lifelike.
Colors on the Slim, in comparison, looked a little too exaggerated and cartoony. It appears that the Pro’s ability to produce a wider color gamut allows the game to offer more subtle, granular tones. Looking up at the sky in the Pro version of the game, I noticed pink streaks of light fill out the clouds. This beautiful effect wasn’t as prominent on the Slim. Hues on the PS4 Pro version looked much more realistic and lifelike.
Second Son’s black levels also look much darker on the Pro--almost too dark. For instance, protagonist Delsin Rowe often fades into blackness in dimly lit walkways. In general, playing through Second Son on the Pro makes it seem like you’re playing the game at a slightly later time of day. This color difference surprisingly crossed over to our non-HDR 1080p TV as well. The Pro again made colors look much more lifelike and warm here, but details and textures once again were lost in ultra-dark shadows. Noise, Heat, Power Consumption, and Boot Times The original PS4 featured a very loud optical disc drive. While the PS4 Pro’s ODD is certainly audible, it’s not obnoxiously loud.
The system, in general, is pretty quiet. The heat signature was captured with a Flir One thermal imaging camera. It can get warm, however. Firing up the Last of Us, the Pro’s temperature rose to 46.1 degrees Celsius (114.9 degrees Fahrenheit), which puts it in line with the original PS4 model’s temperatures.
Interestingly, judging from our thermal imaging scan below, most of the heat is segmented to the back half of the console. It gets particularly warm right above the PlayStation logo. In terms of power draw, the console draws around 75 watts sitting in the operating system. When I booted up The Last of Us, it went up to the mid 140s.
This again puts it inline with the original PS4 and is pretty impressive, considering the Pro is more powerful and has a PSU that’s rated up to 310 watts. The PS4 booted up in roughly 24 seconds, which is on par with the original model. Interestingly enough, waking up from sleep took only five seconds--14 seconds faster than the original design. Conclusion The PlayStation 4 Pro can indeed make games look better--that is, if they’re patched to take advantage of the extra processing power. From what I’ve seen thus far, it seems to offer better anti-aliasing, which makes the overall image look cleaner, and depending on the game, you occasionally get more vibrant, realistic colors. Should you buy a PlayStation 4 Pro? If you have a 4K HDR TV and are looking to buy a console, I’d definitely recommend the PS4 Pro.
Even if you have a 1080p TV and are looking to buy a PlayStation, I’d still lean more toward the Pro. Yes, it does cost $100 more than the Slim model, but you get more ports, twice the storage space, more future-proof hardware in the event that you ever decide to get a 4K TV, and some games can look slightly better at 1080p. If you already have a PS4, however, I wouldn’t make the upgrade unless you have a 4K HDR TV and the extra cash lying around. Graphics enthusiasts may appreciate the improved anti-aliasing and more vibrant colors, but the differences likely won’t blow most people away.
Regardless, the PS4 Pro is priced fairly, offers a plethora of features, and is the most powerful console you can buy today.