I've reached the point where I'm seriously considering trading in my launch PS4 for a Pro. Partly because my PS4 is starting to feel like it's teetering on the edge. It has started to run very loud and occasionally soft crashes back to the XMB. (Thankfully it never closes the game, but annoying all the same.) But it's also starting to feel like more games are being developed with the Pro in mind, and the original as kind of an afterthought. That might be a misguided perception though.

My main hesitation is that I don't have a 4k TV, and probably won't be getting one anytime soon, so I will not be able to take advantage of one of its biggest selling points. But I do know a lot of games also support increased performance and framerates, which is still appealing.

For those that have had the Pro for awhile, was it worth it? Even if you didn't/don't have 4k? Am I super crazy for wanting to upgrade now or just a little crazy?

I don't really enjoy the thought of spending hundreds of dollars on something I already own and is still reasonably functional, but if I'm going to bite the bullet I feel like now is the time.

I second this thread topic with the caveat being I’m in the midst of purchasing one of those LG OLED that a lot of the crew has. Just wondering if the pro really makes things as pretty as they say.

@andythemez: Is that GameStop trade in credit for a new pro or a used/refurbished one? I was probably going to trade into GameStop anyway, just for convenience and they're doing an extra $30 promotion right now. But if I could get $200 toward a new one that is a better deal. (I don't feel comfortable buying used consoles from them.)

From my limited understanding, it was the older launch models of the pro that have the loud fans and newer models are quieter, but I could be mistaken. I will make sure to look into it more carefully, thanks.

I'd be interested in hearing some PS4 Pro experiences, especially from 1080p folks, as well. My local GameStop has an offer where I could trade in my 2013 PS4 for a Pro for about 150 euros.

Lately I was considering upgrading my Xbox One S to an X, but I've started to think that the Pro upgrade might make more sense. I play my Xbox exclusives on a relatively powerful PC and the S already has a UHD-drive for when I eventually buckle and get myself that 4K-TV.

So does the Pro make sense for a HD-TV owner, who's interested in a better experience with upcoming Sony exclusives and Red Dead Redemption 2? Are the fans a problem, because my 2013 model is certainly too loud already? And what is the rumor situation regarding perhaps a slimmer Pro to be announced in the near future?

Fans are a lottery, it seems Sony is using 2 different ones, but sadly most PS4s, be it OG, slim, pro can be super loud, sometimes like a jet engine unless you lucked out and got a quiet one. It's definitely not a case of newer/older models. I have a slim and in some games it can get super loud, one of my friends has a pro and his can also get loud AF, while my 2nd friend's Pro is generally more quiet. I've read horror stories/luck stories in loads of threads about PS4 fans on other forums. It's really a lottery, chances are whatever you purchase is still going to be loud AF in some games, that's just how PS4s are and hopefully Sony will do something with this next-gen.

If you care super much about graphical fidelity I'd say the Pro is still kinda worth it, but if you're not super crazy about it then the Slim is totally fine, especially when it comes to exclusives, Sony games still look insanely good even on the regular/slim.

I've had a PS4 Pro since it launched and I've been very happy with it. Zero issues.

However, I cannot fully recommend if you don't have a 4K TV. Better performance is certainly a great thing but more than half the reason to get a pro is to make games as nice as they can possibly look on a 4K TV. Up to you.

@frostyryan said:

The thing is, whenever I hear the GB crew discuss playing games on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, the comments usually go something like "I haven't really used the 4K mode, because I always opt for the higher frame-rate".

Considering that, and that I too prefer frame-rate to higher resolution, I guess that the benefits of the Pro would be similar to me whether I own a 4K TV or not. Just higher, or at least more stable, frame-rates and perhaps some visual upgrades to most games.

The game I'm kind of looking at regarding this is Red Dead Redemption 2. I'm guessing it's going to be a 30fps game on base consoles, but could be bumped up to 60fps on the X and Pro.

You can't rely on any particular game offering a 60fps mode. On PS4 Pro, very few games that claim to run in 4K are actually doing full 2160p, and the "performance" mode doesn't usually maintain a steady 60fps.

I usually go with with "4K" mode (somewhere between 1600p and 1800p in reality) because I like pretty pictures and prefer steady 30fps to a variable frame rate.

@isomeri:

I had a 2013 PS4 then bought a used PS4 Pro and a controller for $300 and sold my PS4 with a few games for $240, so the upgrade cost me the same a new full-priced game. Let that frame my opinion.

I split my time on my Pro between a 4K TV in the living room and a 1080 TV in the spare room depending on who's home when I'm playing.

For first party games like God of War and Horizon, I see little benefit over the base PS4 when playing on a 1080 display. The 4k checkerboard rendering totally floored me when I first saw it. Playing them on a 1080 screen is the same experience with a lower resolution and the same 30fps cap. I can't tell the difference between the base PS4 and Pro in that instance. (God of War might be uncapped but it's not consistent enough for me.)

Games like Nioh are great on 1080 screens where it hits 1080p 60fps and on base PS4 it's only like 900p 60 or something. (This game was the catalyst that really got me itching for a Pro.)

Battlefield 1 is the rare exception where the framerate and resolution are both improved on Pro. You'll notice big improvements on a 1080p screen (downsampling and improved texture filtering give you a much better image quality on 1080 along with a better framerate) but bigger improvements on a 4k screen.

Can't really speak to the fan noise—I always play with a headset so it doesn't bother me. They seem the same as my old PS4.

But as for getting one just for PS4 exclusives on a 1080 display: I'd say don't. Most other games have performance improvements that are good enough that I would recommend it even for somebody with just a 1080 display. Especially at the price I got mine.

I wouldn't bother if you don't have a 4k set or monitor. You can't depend on a game having a performance or 60 fps mode, and even when they do, they often don't play as well as being locked at 30fps. The 4k visuals and hdr are the things I noticed most when upgrading to the pro, though I guess the OG model got updated to hdr as well? Still doesn't matter though if you don't have an HDR set.

Also I got the bad fans apparently because mine is louder than my PC's gtx 1080 under load which sits right beside me on my desk.

I pretty much agree with this, though i do enjoy when ever a developer drops in a performance mode, I'll take that any day over resolution bump. But sadly it's not every game that gets that attention.

Personally i have zero interest in 4K on the current systems, in my opinion the performance is nowhere near where where it should be on any of the current "4K" consoles.

@zeik: I got my original PS4 in December 2013 and my Pro in December 2017. I also use a 60' 4K LED TV. Performance options are a big plus for me, and with how PS4 games are beginning to look and run increasingly better on Pro, I couldn't recommend it more. This isn't true all the time, some games are just better optimized than others. But boost mode helps with games with minor issues like frame stuttering.

Yeah I forgot about boost mode. Has helped me in Bloodborne and gives some games slightly better load times. Still a tough pill to swallow if they're still going for $400 and you can't benefit from resolutions over 1080p

@isomeri: I highly doubt RDR 2 will be a stable 60, just judging by the game's visual fidelity

OK, thanks for cooling my jets on this one I guess. I think I'll just spend the money on festival tickets instead.

You do benefit from higher resolutions on a 1080p screen imo. Some games look way better downsampled, like rise of tombraider. Really surprised me. I sit almost Jeff-close to my tv when playing games though. On the smaller tv we have in the livingroom sitting twice as far away Its not really noticeable anymore, but neither is the difference between 720p/1080p at that point. I kept my launch ps4 and have it hooked up to the tv in the livingroom but I just cant stand using it for anything other than browsing/youtube anymore because of that jet engine fan engaging within 10 minutes of play.The pro isnt quiet but I dont have to turn the sound way up to still hear everything properly. Games usually run better than on base ps4 but still not always perfect. And with psvr it almost feels like a generational leap for some games. I could totally immagine that not being worth it for you though.

The eyecandy can be better, especially if you have a nice 4K TV to go with the system, but performance-wise the update really isn’t necessary. Snake Pass and Hellblade are maybe the only two games I can think of, which offered a stable (I recall) 60FPS in comparison to the locked 30 on base PS4.

Seeing how we’re probably 3-4 years away from the next gen, I doubt we’ll see any big AAA releases having that big of a gap between base and Pro versions anymore, which is a shame for me personally, since I own the thing. Or *maybe* something comes out during it’s last year, when some tech wizards on the level of Naughty Dog put something out.

I go back and forth on wanting to upgrade to a pro but I honestly can't justify it since I barely ever touch my PS4. I wanted it for Spiderman but I can't just get a pro for one game.

Hopefully, someone sees this post and replies because I really don't want to make the umpteenth 'should I upgrade to a Pro' thread, but now that it's 2019 and we're ever closer to the new generation of consoles, I'm curious if the jump is still worth it (or if it ever was)? There are many cons and few pros to getting one for me, but I am still hankering to get one despite everything against it. As said, I already have the base console, so I can still play and have played all the games worth playing on there in my opinion. The thing is, I could replay all the previous games and future titles that will be upgraded on the Pro. What I'm most worried about is whether The Last of Us: Part II is even coming out this generation, or if it'll make its initial release on next-gen.

If it merely comes to next-gen, that'd be disappointing if I ended up getting a Pro because that's in large part why I contemplate getting one, and if the game was cross-gen, I wouldn't want it on the Pro probably. There's also the problem of cross-console games; I'd probably play every game on the Xbox One X. The PS4 Pro would be only for updated exclusive Sony games, and I don't know if that's worth it. Then the big issue, will next-gen really have back compat, and how close are we really to the next generation of Sony consoles? If I only have a year from now to experience the Pro until the next iteration of console, is that really worth the money? I don't know. The good things would be that obviously, I'd have a more powerful console to play with, and another is how I can give my brother the base console since he doesn't have a PS4. That would allow him to play exclusive games on there.

The last good thing would be that I could possibly get my brother (not the one I'd give the base console to), to chip in on some of it so I wouldn't pay for the entire thing (just most of it). Oh, and yes I'm playing on a 4K screen. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but with recent news, it feels like the next-gen consoles are coming mid to late 2020 to early 2021.

i'm in the exact same position. last of us pt. II is going to sell me a sony console- it's just a matter of which. my guess is ps5 gets announced before a release date for TLOU2- it almost assuredly will be split gen (kinda sorta like the first game was). we'll get a ps5 launch window, then a TLOU2 release date (maybe 6 months before ps5 launch), and then the actual ps5 release with TLOU2 day-1ish support...that's my best guess.

the ps4-or-wait-for-ps5 decision gets a little easier if they knock a hundo off ps4 around the time of TLOU2 coming out, but i'm doubtful.

My opinion probably isn't going to help since my primary platform is PC, I mainly bought a PS4 Pro last January for Kingdom Hearts III, I strongly believe that speculation and hype are bullshit, and my attitude towards console games is mild interest in that I'm not edging for The Last of Us 2 or for a PlayStation 5 that may or may not have multi-generational backwards compatibility, but I'll add a few PlayStation exclusives to a wishlist.

With that said, it's the beginning of March. The PlayStation 5 hasn't even been formally announced yet. So I'm basically suggesting getting a PS4 and enjoy it for however long until the PS5 gets a few decent games, instead of being held up by rumors, speculation, and hype since doing that results in being anxious and bored waiting for "the next best thing" which might not be all that great, which seems pretty counterintuitive when deciding to spend your money for entertainment. But of course, that's easy for me to say since I broke out of the console ecosystem.

I just went through Uncharted 4 on crushing, finally completing it after all this time. Now I'm replaying Lost Legacy. Even in 1080p on a 4K screen, the game looks fantastic, and while the PS4 Pro doesn't push out 4K for either game, it does make the jump to 1440p. Has anyone here tried these games out on the Pro on a 4K screen? How was it?

I might buy a Pro today. I'm going to go to Target and if it's really there, I might get it. It's not a good idea probably, but it may be just to get it out of my mind... Ha ha.

Edit - Eh, okay I bought one. Have to set it up.

@mellotronrules: Hey, just an update: I went ahead and bought a Pro, mainly so I don't have it in the back of my mind whether that was a smart idea or not. I've only played Uncharted: Lost Legacy (since it was what was installed), and now I'm playing Spider-Man. Considering that neither of these games is 4K, I am still pleasantly surprised at how good they look. In Spider-Man especially so far, the immersion is much heightened in my opinion. I am not dissatisfied with it. That said, unfortunately, I use wifi and my connection is having fits. I also had to turn off the 5 GHz and simply revert to 2.4 which isn't that bad mind you. So yeah, despite everything that tells me I shouldn't have gotten it, I am not disappointed by it. A plus is that I feel very compelled to try many old games out on it, which gives me a lot of playtime. Even a game I thought I'd probably never go back to, like Watch Dogs 2.