Here Are The Pros and Cons of The New Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
Thinking of buying Sony’s flagship console? Here’s everything you need to know…
Exactly two months ago, we announced Sony’s sleek new PS4 Pro. And now we’re just two days away from its official launch. So, should you snag one?
As great a console as it appears to be, answering that question isn’t so simple. Your desire for one of these souped-up systems will depend on several factors, as we elaborate on below…
If You Have a 4K TV and Want a PlayStation, Yes
This is the easiest call. You got that fancy ultra high def TV (presumably with HDR capabilities) for a reason, right? If you somehow don’t already have a PS4 and yet know you’re on board the PlayStation train, this is the console for you. It doesn’t seem like Sony will refresh this line for a while, so go for it.
If You Don’t Want to Wait for the Next Xbox, Yes
Codenamed Project Scorpio, the next (and possibly last) Xbox promises to outdo even the PS4 Pro. But it supposedly won’t be out for another year. So if you’re the impatient type—and flexible about your choice of gaming platform—you might as well go for gorgeous peacock in hand rather than the gorgeouser one in the bush.
If You’re Really Stoked About Virtual Reality, Yes
Can’t wait to strap on a PSVR headset? Then it’s another no-brainer. The PS4 Pro can produce more than twice the teraflops of the PS4—which is just a really geeky way of saying it’s got a ton of processing power, put to good use by pumping out graphics-intense virtual reality environments.
If You’re Looking to Play 4K Blu-rays, No
As Polygon notes, unfortunately the PS4 Pro won’t be able to play UHD Blu-ray discs. So it doesn’t offer the same compelling justification that PlayStation 2 did for bringing you both games and DVDs (at the time, the highest quality video format).
If You Already Have a PS4 and No Plans to Buy a 4K TV, No
On the one hand, the PS4 Pro is capable of “downsampling,” which means it can take all that extra information from certain optimized games (such as Uncharted 4) and actually make them look better on your still not-too-bad looking regular HD TV. But unless you’re a humongous fan of those particular games, you could probably better spend your $400 elsewhere, like starting a 4K TV fund.
If You’re a Casual Gamer Who Doesn’t Care About Graphics, No
This seem obvious. But hey, some folks get taken in by all the hype. So yeah, if having the very latest, fastest console that (at least for now) produces the best possible graphics isn’t on your bucket list, either save $100 by getting a regular PS4, or go even cheaper by grabbing an NES Classic and/or its Sega Genesis equivalent.
So there you have it. Did that help? If it made you want to pre-order it, cool. If not, so be it. If you’re totally confused, sorry! But at least now you’ve got more than just fancy trailers (like the one above, which you can watch at 4K if your monitor supports it) to go on.
h/t: Polygon