The PS4 Pro: 2 years later

David from GameRevolution writes: As the first mid-gen console refresh, Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro had little competition at the time of its release. Sure, the PC exists, but some could argue they’re not competing for the same demographic. Since the Xbox One X’s launch, Sony’s upgrade no longer holds the title as the most powerful console. With that said, how has the PS4 Pro upgrade fared over the past two years from a console gamer’s perspective?

[CP_Company]

i can just say best things about Pro. very happy with this machine.

[bluefox755]

I'm pretty happy with mine. It's the best way to play the best games, what's not to love?

[starchild]

Sure, because none of the best games are multiplats right? All the best games are made by Sony in your mind huh?

Nah, plenty of the best games I've played are multiplats or exclusives on other platforms. Sony definitely does an amazing job with their exclusives and I've enjoyed a number of them on my PS4 Pro. But in terms of overall numbers more of my favorite games of the generation have been multiplats and those play best on my PC.

[Razzer]

"All the best games are made by Sony in your mind huh? "

And what if he believes that to be true? So what? I agree with you on PC games, but opinions are opinions.

[cliveo32]

Had mine from day one still great glad I picked one up with vr aswell

[Chexs1990]

I love the Pro, no doubt about that. However, I absolutely f*****g hate, having that airport simulator in my living room -_-

[pyroxxx]

I love PS4Pro as well,.. still don't use down-sampling/4K most of the time,.. (unless I am using a headset),.. It is worth it sometimes,.. Sometimes I just want to play the game and chill,..

[Youngindy21]

My PS4 Pro isn't noisy at all, but then again I have one of the special edition ones so maybe they fixed that issue. Do you own one of the launch Pros?

[jukins]

I do and its sooo loud. But I rarely play without headphones

[Razzer]

I think it depends on the model Pro. Mine is quiet but others say theirs are loud.

[Chexs1990]

I know that Sony recently applied for a patent for some silent cooling/fanning system or something.
But yeah, I bought mine at launch, so it's a first generation model.

[paintedgamer1984]

The rdr2 version is worth the extra $ alone

[dekke]

tbh nope ..HDR is still fcked up

[OpenGL]

HDR is fucked up in all versions unfortunately

[OpenGL]

The only real advantage in RDR2 is performance, the "4K" mode is screwed up and looks worse than the Pro's 1080p mode.

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

They haven't patched that yet???

[isarai]

Don't get why everyone always disagrees with that, it's a fact, digital foundry proved it's a fact, R* admitted it's a fact, IT'S A FACT!

[LemyAtom]

I only have a 1080p set without HDR so for me the upgrade isn't worth it. But, if I had HDR or 4k I totally would (we have a 4k set but that's the main living room set for TV programmes.

[seanpitt23]

I have the pro and a regular ps4 and only a 1080p TV and you can tell a massive difference with playing,especially RDR2 the picture is so much clearer going back to my normal ps4 hurts my eyes

[LemyAtom]

Why due to super sampling?

[OpenGL]

Due to placebo, the 4K implementation in RDR2 on the PS4 Pro is awful and looks worse than the 1080p mode because the entire image is blurred significantly. TAA doesn't work right with their reconstruction solution, Pro owners are better just playing the game in 1080p for better image quality and performance.

[ILostMyMind]

You don't need a Pro for HDR. The PS4 Fat have It.

[pinkcrocodile75]

our favourite looking game on the ps4 pro was god of war until we fell in love with Assassins Creed Odyssey on a 55" 4K HDR TV. Beautiful!!!

[ninerguy1608]

Odyssey is amazing. Was standing on a rock looking at the ocean. Wife said what are you doing?said just looking at the ocean right now. She said i could get you photos of the ocean a lot cheaper. I said true. But cant do this with ocean photos. Proceeded to chop up a enemy soldier. Lol. 27.99 well spent. Yeah on pro with 4k.

[pinkcrocodile75]

Yeah we took our time getting the best 4k TV we could and picked up odyssey for the ps4 pro a day later. The difference with 4K AND HDR is stunning and that game is just beautiful.

[Immorals]

I've enjoyed mine for the exclusives, didn't experience any loud fans like people were saying.

Having to sell as my wife is ill though :(

[King_Noctis]

Best wishes to her. Also I hope you can afford another PS4 soon.

[Switch4One]

I hope your wife gets well soon.

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

Oh wow. I'm truly sorry to hear that man. Hope she makes a full recovery.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better quickly.

[ClayRules2012]

I’m so sorry to hear that bud. Prayers for your wife to have healing, comfort, strength, during this difficult time for her. May she make a full recovery. God bless your family.

[saint_seya]

Hope she gets better, and you can enjoy games back, and/or in the worst case, at least that she gets well.

[kayoss]

Best wishes to you and your wife. You should start a GoFundme to help with your financial needs. I would donate to this to save a life.

[AHMADMX9]

the same crappy cpu that you can find in the PS4 !

[Dragonscale]

Same story with the x as it's only a small upgrade over base xbone and apparently devs say its a bottleneck lol.

[kayoss]

Before you criticize, maybe look at the xbox first. This ladies and gentlemen is a good example of, "talking out of your @$$." Dont be a Trump.

[S2Killinit]

Its been great, especially for a measly $100 more. I get better VR which is the cherry on top.

[Skankinruby]

I think mid gen upgrades are a weasel move but I still dont regret buying mine. Only wish it would have had the 4k blu ray player in it but after the disrespect they got with blu ray in the ps3 I can understand why they cut that corner.

[Bronxs15]

I agreed with you. But what disrespect didnthey get for Blu Ray?

[Skankinruby]

They saw the tech as the future and invested in it at their own expense, losing around 260 dollars per console even at 600 dollars. Their reputation AND bank account took a huge hit over it. Initially the only response they got was condescending insults labeling ps3 as an 'overpriced media machine' and countless 'we dont need blu ray for games' type implications. Or people like those idiots who made that 'how you killed your brand' song.

It's so insanely laughable that Microsoft is now trying to make those same moves when they mocked Sony for doing it last gen. Big difference being Sony never stopped delivering the games. And what do you know, blu ray did end up being the standard thanks to Sony. After games like FF13, L.A. Noire, and others exposing just how weak the 360 really was.

[ninerguy1608]

Agreed. I bought an xbox one s for movies. And play a couple of games on it online with friends. But my pro gets the most play time.

[Youngindy21]

Do people actually still buy blu-rays?

[Skankinruby]

I do, only physical media I still buy. Only for collectors purposes like steelbooks/limited edition. But I dont even actually watch them I just redeem the digital code and watch that

[ninerguy1608]

Yes. Go out in public to like a store that sells them. You will see them being sold. Public is cool.

[jaymacx]

Overall I am happy with it. I do however feel Sony could have stepped it up a bit with the hardware. It is a minor set back that PS5 releasing will remedy. If Sony does a Mid gen upgrade for ps5, I hope they do the best they can.

[OpenGL]

I got the Spider-Man version and it's okay overall, the level of improvement really depends on the game.

[NarutoFox]

For me it's the exclusive games and VR. Astro Bot is fantastic

[Bane35]

Yeah i love my psvr

[Wotbot]

No point

[saint_seya]

In your comment? we can agree.

OT: its nice to have upgrades for those who want more high end graphics, hope next generation gets em too.

[lio_convoy]

Glad I picked up a pro. The base PS4 was nice, but having reduced load times, smoother frame rates, the ability to stream a 1080p signal straight from the PS4 (instead being limited to 720p) when I'm feeling too lazy to setup my stream box, and the higher resolutions makes it worthwhile. Some games also support better graphics, and that's decent too. Two years on, no regrets buying one and I feel like it was totally worth it. So as a consumer, that's a good thing. No loud fan noises to complain about here.

I think the one thing that sorta sums up how well it's held up is even with the talk of PS5, XBox One Two and that other console that's supposedly being developed by another company, Im not really excited and jumping at the bit to get one. It feels like my Pro is still current, with good looking games like Spider-Man, God of War, and Devil May Cry 5.

If the PS5 comes out and Sony let's us have access to our digital games for free that we've bought on PSN, I'll probably be a day one buyer. But if they don't, then I'll hold off on getting one. The only thing I'm not happy with is how backwards compatibility has been handled. So, yeah, this is long, but it was a good buy for me and a reasonable price for the pro, so I'm happy.

[LeeFender]

This system was a waste and a half assed attempt at 4k.

[StormSnooper]

It’s been great so far for me. I’m loving the games and the VR benefits. Playing Firewall alone has been worth the investment. Probably one of the standout moments of this generation.

[XtaZ]

It was just a rushed reaction to the early rumors of Scorpio

[StormSnooper]

Not really. They wanted a system to handle VR. I think the x and it’s price was a last ditch attempt by MS to save this generation from mediocrity. We know how that turned out for them though.

[rainslacker]

Early rumors of mid-gens, Scorpio or otherwise, were a few months before the reveal of the PS4P. Are you suggesting that Sony designed, sourced, and was already manufacturing a whole new console in such a short time frame. If so, it's probably the most remarkable showing of business ingenuity that has ever been seen.

It's more likely that MS reacted to early rumors, as they came out a year later, and weren't ready to state their final specs until after the reveal.

[Razzer]

"All reports say that One X is selling well "

lol....oh good. Please post links to these "reports".

[XtaZ]

@Razzer

https://www.trustedreviews....
https://www.windowscentral....
https://wccftech.com/ihs-ma...
https://www.forbes.com/site...

Need a tissue?

[Razzer]

lol....show me a link that says Xbox One X has propelled the brand out of third place. Your links talk about "growth" and "forecasts". 2017 was an abysmal year for Xbox One. There was no place to go but up. So yeah....nice "growth". Still in last place. All that "power".....did not make a difference.

Keep the tissues. I think you need them a lot more than me.

[_LarZen_]

Disagree. On exclusive games the difference on a 4K TV is real. And absolutely worth it. But it's no denying that for all other games it is lacking both power and support from developers to push it seeing game after game usually just bumping to 1440p....

[isarai]

Was a tad underwhelmed till games REALLY started to show what this thing can do with the likes of Okami(seriously this game in 4k/hdr looks flawless), God of War, Spiderman, Assassins creed origins/odyssey, and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Only annoyance i've had is the state of RDR2s 4K checkerboard implementation, looks clearer in 1080p.

[DrumBeat]

HZD is the game I feel that TRULY makes the case for Pro. Then again, Guerilla could make games look good on a SodaStream.

[Youngindy21]

I love my PS4 Pro. I don't regret buying it one bit. Xbox One X was too expensive and it lacked great exclusive AAA games and VR support so I was never gonna buy it. Honestly I'd probably buy a Nintendo Switch before buying a Xbox One X.

[ILostMyMind]

Mine is working fine. Thank you, Sony!

[Bane35]

I agree with most of what the article said im glad i got both ps4 pro and xbox one x

[NotanotherReboot]

It was beneficial for GOW, Spider-man and even RDR2; the HDR worked well for me.

[Stanjara]

I'm happy with my Pro. Playing on 1080p screen and I don't experience fan noise. That being said...I find it odd that fan spins on a certain games when you enter their menu and map. What the hell is system doing for showing 2d menus. Games are GTS, GOW, and Uncharted 4. Those games are supersapmpleing but still...in menus? Love increased performance in fps and loading.

[DrumBeat]

God of War's map makes my Pro psychotic.

[_LarZen_]

Many games have a unlocked fps in menus and pause screens etc. So the console pushes out as much as it can. Hence why the fans goes overdrive to keep up with the extra heat being generated.

[Stanjara]

Yeah I know, but I can't believe that the best devs on the planet...like Santa Monica... gorgeous graphics...PS4 pro silent...and they leave map to run at 300fps? Let's leave the map to use 100%apu.

[rainslacker]

The reason that this kind of thing happens sometimes is that when you are on a 2D screen, you have to limit the frame draws or else it will try to produce as many frames as possible. It'll still be outputting at whatever the frame rate is, but it could theoretically draw a couple hundred frames a second. It's basically using all the power from the GPU, which will cause it to heat up, thus kicking on the fan.

It's really odd that devs don't implement a limiter, since it's fairly easy to do, but I think it just goes overlooked, because dev kits don't have noisy fans.

I get this same effect in the XMB menu, and oddly enough, the fan itself will slow down once I go back to the game, regardless of how advanced the graphics are.

[_LarZen_]

I agree with the article that the PS4Pro has been a disappointment on so many games with lackluster support from developers. And that the Pro is best used to play exclusives.

The XboxOneX is getting so much better support making so many games look and perform so much better that the Pro is best used only for exclusives if you have the choice today.

[Pantz]

It's better than the base PS4 for sure. They didn't support it very much after the initial launch though

[Razzer]

lol....yes they did.

[Pantz]

They initially wanted to have all 3rd parties utilize it to it's full extent but then they gave up on that.

[Razzer]

Sony does not control 3rd party support. Neither does MS. There was no "giving up" on anything. You just made that shit up.

[Pricey]

"The PS4 Pro added an additional terabyte of DDR 3 RAM" seems a little excessive

[MajorLazer]

Just a tad

[Darkwatchman]

Crap. That was a typo. Meant Gigabyte.

[Donjune]

White special edition pro is quiet as a mouse. And the extra bread is well worth it for this beast..#facts

[Elda]

Love my Pro the upgrade was well worth it for me.

[Latex74]

Very happy with my pro had the launch pro was very noisy gave that one to my son and got the 50 million pro it is silent good upgrade as far as I concerned love my vr too

[Playbey0nd]

Received the RDR2 bundle for Christmas. Gotta say I’m loving the system personally. Very quiet and can see difference in performance

[EmperorDalek]

Loud, games don't look much better, ugly. Not much to like.

[kayoss]

I thought the PS4 to PS4 Pro was not that great...until i used VR. The pro was a game changer for VR.

[starchild]

You must be imperceptive. I could easily see a difference in my games between my original PS4 and my PS4 Pro. It always blows me away how undiscerning some people are.

[tmisellati]

If you are a fan of Sony's exclusives , you won't regret buying it. And that why I m happy ps4pro owner.

[BenRC01]

Way too noisy. What were they thinking?

[BenRC01]

Shame any native 4k is ruined by LCD tech. Looks great when still but 99% of TVs don't have the motion handling to cope with a beautiful 4k image. (Cue "my tv is way more awesomer bro")

[Wotbot]

Leading the generation only to release a product they didn’t need to.