Between Horizon and Persona (and Injustice 2 seemingly not coming to PC, to a lesser extent), I looking into buying my first current-gen system with the PS4. And while I tend to always go with whatever is the most powerful version of any device, I also do not own a 4K TV, nor do I have any desire to shop for a new TV unless my current 2012-model spontaneously catches fire.

Is there any advantage to having a PS4 Pro over a Slim other than 4K/HDR support, or would I be just as well served going with the cheaper Slim option?

I got a slim because the difference didn't seem that big plus the PS4 isn't my main console.

Bought a Slim last fall, very happy with it. It doesn't take up very much space and is quiet. Retailers seem to have great deals on it regularly. I don't have any experience with the Pro but the Slim works just fine for me.

I have a Pro. The Pro has 'boost mode', so I would watch Digital Foundry's tests on Boost Mode so you can decide if it's worth the extra $100 for that. Other than that there's not much difference between the two unless you have a 4k HDR tv and/or PSVR as far as I know.

Edit: Some games also have a 'pro' patch, but I haven't encountered any 'pro' patched game that wowed me or anything. I'm sure you can find comparisons on DF.

Slim doesn't have optical audio, which most gaming headsets use it, and receivers too. Pro does have optical audio, yet it's obviously more expensive.

Though you'd hypothetically get more frames and higher levels of anti-aliasing running things on a Pro in 1080p, the differences are just subtle in most cases. OG and Slim PS4s seem to be just fine. Spending the extra $100 doesn't seem to be worth it.

if i had the choice to buy either right now if i didn't have a ps4 currently, i'd just go with the pro. The added horsepower does help for 1080p gaming somewhat(ex: Nioh stays at a higher resolution while running 60fps mode while the normal ps4 will drop it down to 720p more often to keep that 60fps)

In the same exact boat. If there's a good bundle on a slim by June (when I plan on playing through P5 with the gf), i'll pick that up. Otherwise just gonna go with the pro.

I'd definitely get a Pro, but I'm also considering replacing my OG PS4 with a Pro, so maybe I'm just silly.

Pro. Think longevity.

If you haven't had a ps4 yet, and if you don't have a 4k tv, pro is pointless.

Pro, the performance and boost mode is a big difference.

@crazybagman: huh? That's 100% wrong. I have a 4K TV and play all games on the pro in peformance mode if available which most have. 1080p with a steady frame rate or 60 FPS beats 4k30 every time.

I don't have a 4k, and have enjoyed the pro. If 100 is something you have to think about, get the slim. The difference isn't huge, and you'll have a good time either way.

Pro simply runs games better. There's no reason not to get that over the slim.

Is the added cost of the Pro really worth the marginal performance bump in games like Horizon?

Oh wow I never realized this. I have my original PS4 hooked up to my sound bar using an optical cable so I guess I'm getting a pro if I ever do get a new one.

How much are you going to use this thing? Is it a thing you'll have on the side or will it be your primary gaming platform?

@toopopplio said:

This is why I went with a Pro. Also, Having most things run crazy smooth at 1080p is totally worth it. I've been playing Horizon in performance mode and there's barely been a single hiccup and that game looks insanely good.

Invest for the future over short term value. As long as it's something you can afford, get a pro. You waited this long to get a next gen console, so why not get the most robust version of it?

Pro if you are getting a new console, base ps4 is getting pretty long in the tooth.

Well hey this thread got more replies than I thought it would.

I should add: I do have a fairly powerful PC, so this would probably be a way to play mostly 1st party exclusives and the occasional 3rd party game so I can play with my buddies who don't have gaming PCs.

If you have a robust PC, that tells me you might have a 4k display of some kind. If that's the case, get a Pro. To the people saying "think longevity", I'm of the mindset that its a thing of the past. The PS4 Pro and Xbox One S have set what we should expect is the new standard moving forward. That is, hardware revisions every couple of years. I now am going to treat consoles as phones - buy a new one when I need it, but not every time a new version comes out.

So, I'll ask the question I don't hear most people ask: I have a 4K TV, so is PS4 Pro a no brainer, or is it still oddly compromised like I heard it was for it's first several months? I moved late last year and therefore recently bought a TV, meaning it was 4K without paying that much for it. I already built my first ever PC last year so I'd be mostly playing PS4 to reconnect with friends back home, which is why I'm not buying the vastly more powerful Xbox Scorpio. What do y'all think?

Just bought a Pro. Very happy with it. Unfortunately, I don't have much to offer to the conversation ,other than to say it runs Persona 5 very well!

The price difference is so small and if you've ever watched a bluray of a CGI movie on your 1080p TV, you understand where high quality computer rendering makes a difference, even when downscaled to 1080p output (anyone saying a Pro doesn't make any difference unless you also have a 4K TV is just ignoring reality or finding edge case games which didn't get much of a boost from Pro mode - just as you can find some games that look identical on PS4 base or XB1 but generally the PS4 looks better because of course it does with that extra performance).

@brendan: The Pro is only slightly behind the Scorpio from the spec sheet. They're both aiming for 4K. If you're only buying 1, I think which exclusives you want is the biggest factor (and if you already own a new Windows 10 PC then xbox have basically no exclusives if they continue to push Play Anywhere). If you're buying both and are tempted to buy a non-Pro PS4 then why not spend slightly more and get the model that's much closer to giving your TV a proper run. Recent examples like Horizon make it very clear what that hardware is capable of when doing 4K output.

I don't see any reason to not buy a Pro at this point. Price difference is negligible, and quite a few games have 1080p60 options even if you don't have 4k. Base PS4 does HDR so its a moot point there.

Horizon was the first game where I actually noticed a marked difference. I bought a Pro (and don't have a 4k set) to replace my regular PS4 about a month ago and as someone who's been primarily a PC gamer for the last decade it has definitely softened the blow between a console exclusive and a decent gaming PC getting all 60fps/Ultra.

My original PS4 is one of the Destiny ltd edition ones and I couldn't bear to sell it, so I've made a few totally unscientific comparisons with games running on the two consoles and the same 1080p TV. Horizon on a standard PS4 is a fantastic looking game but the difference between that and both graphics modes on a Pro is pretty stark. Enough to spend the extra for a Pro?

I definitely think so.

Just get a Pro. The price difference isn't all that much in the long run but the difference in what you get is pretty significant nowadays.

If you have a 4K monitor or plan to upgrade at some point, do the Pro. If you want the most top notch graphics possible and have "the best" graphics possible, do the Pro. If you have extra money to blow, do the Pro. If not, the Slim will do you perfectly fine.

If you don't have a 4K tv the Pro really has very little benefit to you. And when I say very little I mean minute. There are deals for the slim that are around $150 cheaper than the pro and come with a game. I say go with the slim and get games with the money you save.

But most games still target 30 FPS (often with drops) and downscale higher resolutions to 1080P, not exactly super smooth or impressive at all.

I'd say I regret buying the Pro but as a new buyer it made more sense as I plan to go OLED this year, not that I'm expecting upscaled "4k" to make a big difference.

If you are buying a PS4 now, you should just get the Pro. Saving $99 now is just not a smart plan. Your are buying it so you can play games now AND in the future. So why blow $300 on an old model PS4 when for $100 more and get all the benefits of Pro that will be useful in the future?

Hell, if you just need a cheap PS4 for yourself or someone else; buy them a used PS4; you'll save even more and be no worse off. You can buy a "use" PS4 [in box] from their own wearhouse from Amazon.com or B&H.com for $220-$240.

I bought a slim, and am more than happy with it. While I totally get the logic of "just get the best at the time" similarly to you, I bought it just to play a few games. (Still just playing Horizon on it and it plays fantastically. I haven't had any issues)

I also have a beefy PC as my main machine that I play most things on. If I didn't have that, I probably would have gone for the Pro but it wasn't needed. If you have that, I would take that into consideration.

@relenus: For the game's that have supersampling, the extra cash was completely worth it, especially if you have no interest in buying a Scorpio.

If you have a PC and go for a PS4 only (or foremost) for its exclusive titles I would suggest going for a slim. Especially in case you don't plan to purchase a 4k TV anytime soon.

On the other side if the PS4 is supposed to become your primary gaming platform you might go for the Pro in case the benefits games get out of the boost mode sound compelling enough.

I am perfectly happy with my base PS4 but if you are going to buy a PS4 at this point in time and you can afford the extra money then I would say go for the pro.

I recall hearing people (including Giant Bomb) say that some games didn't run that smoothly on the Pro at 1080 at launch. Is that still a thing? I'm considering it myself since I have PSVR and want the best experience for it, but I have a 1080 tv and am wondering if I'll run into any hiccups that would make me regret not just going with a newer slim and its larger HD.

I say go for whatever's cheapest. Even if it's an og ps4, go for that if the price is right. Haven't used a pro, but it doesn't seem like a good enough upgrade over the base system. My og is still doing good by me.

If you're on GB, probably pro. Even if you don't have a 4K TV today.

How many hours are you going to spend playing games on PS4? Now divide $100 by that number. That's how much extra you're paying to have better graphical fidelity. It's probably worth it if you game a reasonable amount.

Heck people pay more than $100 for an Xbox Elite controller.

@j_unit2008: are you sure your TV does not have an audio out optical Jack? That way it doesn't matter what output a device has if it's pluged into the TV.

I got the slim for half the price of the pro so there was no question about it. I am happy with it. I play most games on PC anyway. Just play exclusives on the PS4.

Been playing everything on the pc, but a few console exclusives make me want to just have a ps4. I see people saying the pro will justify itself in the future. I just dont see how.

Whatever my purchase is it feels like its gonna end up living in a closet fast. I don't know maybe its just me but just not interested in having the device. Feels like a hassle. The more expensive version isn't any more enticing.