It’s been more than a year since Sony changed the game for consoles and decided to release a half-upgrade to its PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 Pro is a more powerful PS4. It plays every standard PS4 game there is, but has added horsepower to enable high-resolution 4K HDR output for high-end TVs—practically, that translates to prettier visual effects and frame rates.
Before we go on, maybe I should answer the biggest question you may have. If you’re wondering whether you should own a PS4 at all, the answer is yes. Out of all the consoles this generation, including the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4 is the one I play most. More people (70+ million) own a PS4 console than any of the others, which means more of your friends likely own it, and there are a ton of fantastic games available, many of them must-play exclusives.
Now that we’ve answered that question, it's important you understand the full Pro proposition.
The Pro promises to be a guilt-free upgrade. It has a 1-terabyte hard drive (double what you'd get in the base PS4), plays every standard PS4 game, and is supposed to enhance a lot of them with higher resolutions, prettier colors, and other visual niceties. A year after release, this finally starting to come true. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn look absolutely stunning on the Pro. The world is filled with more detailed textures, better lighting, and more detail all around. The cutscenes and gameplay are so sharp on a 4K TV that they legitimately felt like a next generation title—I easily noticed how much clearer it was. Even the remake of Shadow of the Colossus looks breathtaking on the Pro despite its origins as a PS2 title.
Sony has a list of other enhanced games, though the type of enhancement does vary by title. Some, like Zero Dawn are in 4K resolution (or use techniques that mimic 4K at slightly lower resolutions). Other games look better in standard HD, with smoother textures and more realistic effects—details like dripping water, enhanced lighting and shadows grabbed my attention. And frame rates, Wi-Fi speeds (thanks to greatly improved 5GHz Wi-Fi), and game loading times are improved, though not always noticeably .
Still, outside of a few games, the benefits of the PS4 Pro are sometimes hard to notice. The PS4 Pro menus, for example, are pretty much identical even though they render more clearly on a 4K TV, and PlayStation VR content still looks fairly similar regardless which console you use. I wish a higher percentage of games really took advantage of the system’s added power. Theoretically they will, given more time.
Streaming video apps are also hit or miss. Netflix supports 4K on the console (though the app kept giving me a false warning saying it wouldn’t), but Amazon Prime is still stuck in HD, despite supporting 4K on other platforms like Roku. The PS4 Pro also doesn’t support 4K Blu-ray movies, which is disappointing for a supposed 4K console.
Overall, the system still feels like a half-step toward a true 4K console. More of a half step than Microsoft’s Xbox One X, which can at least do things like play 4K Blu-rays.
The build quality of the PS4 Pro is mostly what you’d expect—it’s an even thicker, taller box of black plastic than the previous PS4s. This isn’t really a problem, but I do prefer the touch buttons on my standard PS4 to the somewhat flimsy, hard-to-find power and eject buttons on the Pro. These gripes don't ruin the experience to any measurable degree, thankfully.
Despite the PS4 Pro's graphical enhancements, one thing that stays the same is the DualShock 4. Sony really needs to do something about the battery life of the standard PlayStation controller. The Pro does come with a slightly spiffier version than came with the original PS4 (with an LED light strip that’s visible on the top of the controller) but you’ll still need to recharge it after every game session or two. I recommend picking up a second controller so one is always charged and ready to go.
Sony’s PS4 Pro is a fantastic system, like its peers. If you don’t yet own a PlayStation 4, and want to treat yourself, this is the version to buy, no matter what TV you own. Spend the extra money—it’s speedier and will render many games with more detail. In the years to come, it’s likely that standard and PSVR games will look better on Pro as developers better tap into its extra power.
On the other hand, If you already own a PlayStation 4, there is no reason you should spend $400 for a PS4 Pro unless you’re buying a 4K TV. And even if you are upgrading your TV, try your standard PS4 on it first. See how it looks. If the clarity doesn’t bother you, just sit tight and save your money. In a few years there will likely be a PlayStation 5 ready and willing to snatch up those Benjamins. If the PS4 Pro is any indication of where Sony's headed, that console will be a doozy.
