Sony Playstation 4 Pro 1TB Console

Picked up my PS4 Pro earlier today and finished up the transfer from my original PS4 purchased on launch day and tested out a handful of games listed below. Read on for my thoughts on why I think the PS4 Pro is definitely worth the upgrade whether you have a 4K tv and/or VR set or not. *Note, all testing done on a 70'' 4K Sony XBR television & 50'' Samsung 1080p plasma with the PS4 Pro connected to both my 4K HDMI 2.0/HDR capable Onkyo Receiver and directly to the TV both w/ and w/o connections via the playstation VR connection box. *TLDR at the bottom Games Tested: Uncharted 4, The Last of Us, Deus Ex, Shadow of Mordor, Robinson the Journey, PS VR Worlds, CoD Infinite Warfare, VR Playroom Pros: + Simple process to transfer data from an older PS4 (literally took me 2 minutes to set up the transfer process) + Fast new wifi that works great (if you've got the right ISP provider & plan) with netflix and amazon 4k streams that never stuttered + Greatly improved "sharpness" and "crispness" with overall resolution increase with checkerboard up-scaling that is visibly superior on a technical and visual level to even Sony's XBR 4K TV internal upscaling quality and that of my high end ($800+) Onkyo receiver (will be updating with close-up pictures detailing the differences) + Nice boost in visual quality even at 1080p thanks to super-sampling and more aggressive anti-aliasing that is easily noticeable + Very quiet, not nearly as loud as my original PS4 or Xbox One original + Redesigned controller with stiffer thumb-stick grips that feel more durable (hopefully won't start flaking off like some early ones did for peopl) + Allows you to use remote-play with higher resolution support + Reasonably priced for what it offers, and even cheaper if you can sell off your old PS4 or perhaps donate it to some kids who could use some holiday cheer this Christmas + Sterling Archer/Maverick approved as it definitely satisfies you when you feel the need, the need for speed Mixed: ~ Not exactly a very inspiring design, but I mean this is a box that's quickly going to go into my AV cabinet so not a big deal ~ It's got an extra USB port in the back that makes setting up PS VR easier, but it wouldn't hurt to have a few more on there (why so stingy Sony?) ~ The controller actually isn't pure black, it has dark grey trigger buttons and an overall duller finish than the original PS4 controller (personally I like the full black design of the original controller but I do like those new thumb-sticks) ~ Most of the big holiday titles have a PS4 Pro update, but it's kind of hard to tell which games have the update out and which ones don't yet Cons: - Unable to play 4K UHD blu-ray discs. Seriously Sony? I know it's to save money, but frankly I wish Sony just took a look at the original PS4 and thought to themselves they could rebuild it (with a 4K UHD blu-ray drive), they have the technology. I estimate it would probably only cost them about 6 million dollars - Not all games work out of the box with 4K/PS4 Pro support so you need to play the waiting game for now, and some games that have been patched don't look notably better (looking at you Deus Ex) - Not all games come with a 4K 30fps vs 1080p supersampling with 60fps option so you'll still overall benefit more if you have a 4K TV with HDR - Does not support HDR when connected to the PS VR box, meaning it's kind of a big pain to switch cables if you want 4K with HDR and want to use the PS VR. I plan to test further to see if maybe using an AV receiver can help get around this but it's probably wishful thinking - Not "true" 4K, but well consider a GTX 1080 can't pump out 60fps at 4k I'd say the PS4 Pro more than holds its own given its price bracket For Playstation VR Owners - will update my PS VR update for more detailed info + Some PS VR games like Robinson the Journey are visually more impressive thanks to higher resolution textures + Developer support promised for improved PS4 Pro support with VR with future titles like Farpoint ~ No immediate benefit in terms of frame-rate or latency, but this isn't a big issue on PS VR on the original PS4 - Still has some room to improve in terms of anti-aliasing with some titles that are supposedly PS4 Pro patched like PS VR worlds Final Thoughts: Overall I would argue that though this isn't a "new console generation" as has been repeatedly stated by Sony officials, it almost feels like this is the way the future of consoles is going to go. For better or worse this means that there will be generational improvements with backwards support for several years with eventual dropping of support for older devices (similar to what Apple does with their iphones/ipads but with much less frequency of upgrades). Personally I welcome this if only so we never have the issue of old PS2 or PS3 games not working and having to buy "remastered" editions of games every generation when you want to play an older game. It's like PC gaming, except without any of the issues of drivers, tech support and troubleshooting and simple plug-and-play support. You'll of course get much better visual quality, performance, and overall mods and tweaks than you ever could on console but this is still a $400 box that's giving you excellent performance with some fantastic Sony exclusives. I've always found Sony to be more my style when it comes to first-party titles with games like Uncharted, Bloodborne, and Horizon Zero Dawn being very polished and just plain unique with excellent story-telling (though I do love my Halo too). If you want something a bit more "future proof" and want it today - go for the PS4 Pro. As for the pundits that say the Xbox One S can do 4K too, it's an excellent buy for a 4K blu-ray player but you'd be very mistaken to think it offers nearly the same quality of 4k upscaling in games. Sorry, have to wait for the Scorpio next year for that (which I'm interested in checking out too). You can't go wrong with either console, but for a little bit extra I'd recommend going with Sony. There's a reason most gamers this time around went with Sony. Unlike for Microsoft with the Xbox, the PS4 is the main money maker for Sony and not just a side business they can just sink money into. I'd argue there's some advantages to picking the company with much more at stake to impress their customers. TLDR: If you want to enjoy notably better looking games than ever before on a console and have the means, the PS4 Pro is the system to get this holiday season. You will see a difference whether you have a 4K TV with HDR or just a regular old 1080p TV (though you'll get more for your money with a 4K tv). Sell off/donate your old PS4 and pick up a PS4 Pro on the cheap, or if you're new to playstation this is a great package to jump in from. Additional Buyer Scenarios If you like more unique varied action adventure games like Uncharted and Bloodborne and don't have a PC or a console and want to get something this holiday - get a PS4 Pro If you have a gaming PC and want to enjoy console exclusives like Uncharted and Bloodborne - get a PS4 Pro and skip the Xbox entirely since all future Xbox console exclusives are all coming to PC now If you like more traditional action shooter games like Gears of War, don't have a gaming PC or don't care for PS4 exclusives, and/or must have 4k blu-ray support - stick with Xbox One S (or just wait for the Scorpio next year actually) Great time to be a gamer whatever you choose. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll update with more tests.