Introduction
Which PlayStation 4 model should you choose? Sony has already switched to the PS5, although some consumers may still be debating PS4 vs PS4 Pro, the latter being more powerful but also more expensive.
It can be complicated to decide between the two. It doesn’t always follow that the product you should purchase is the one with the “Pro” mark. Particularly if you need clarification on the precise enhancements Sony made compared to the primary PS4. It and the PS4 Pro both support the same game selection, and the PS4 Pro’s ability to play games at 4K resolutions is its primary distinction.
First, the PS4 Pro is less powerful than Sony’s PS5, the company’s current-generation gaming machine. Get the PS5 since it is backwards compatible with practically all PS4 games if you want the highest power and performance and are ready to pay a premium. Despite this, the PS4 Pro is a significant upgrade over the primary PS4, providing superior performance and graphics.
However, more expensive gear comes with a higher price. Those who prioritize affordability may think more than the Pro enhancements are required to warrant this price rise. It thus depends on you and your priorities. Are you interested in the mid-generation PS4 Pro console? Is the regular version more appropriate? Or should you put these two outdated systems out of your mind entirely and start saving for the PS5?
The pricing, design, specifications, graphics, PSVR performance, and other characteristics will all be discussed in this article to help you decide between the PS4 and PS4 Pro that is ideal for you. In case you’d prefer to choose the most recent and best system instead, we’ve also detailed what you’ll get with the PS5.
Price comparison between PS4 and PS4 Pro PS4 offers
There are some clear improvements between the Pro and the original PS4, but there are still many reasons to choose the latter, not the least of which is the reduced cost. Check out the list of current discounts that were compiled below from the best online merchants.
You’re in for a treat if you decide a PS4 Pro is more your style, particularly if you have a 4K HDR display to play it on. The PlayStation 4 Pro’s lowest pricing may be seen farther down this page.
Knowing the differences between the two PS4 versions might be crucial during discounts since you’ll be better able to recognize a real deal. Just bear in mind that Sony will continue to produce PS4 until 2022, while PS4 Pro has been discontinued and is thus harder to locate.
Critical differences between PS4 and PS4 Pro
Resolution is one of the critical distinctions between the PS4 and PS4 Pro: the former can only go as high as 1080p, while the latter can reach 2160p, or 4K, as it is more popularly known. To make use of the PS4 Pro, games must have been expressly upgraded; you can see a complete list of already improved PS4 Pro titles here.
Making the most of the more powerful PS4 Pro hardware ultimately falls to the game creators. You can’t achieve actual 4K resolutions if the game doesn’t include a PS4 Pro mode.
The good news is that since the Pro’s release, every new PS4 game has been required to feature a “Pro Mode,” allowing users to fully use the Pro’s upgraded power. It’s also worth noting that the same logic that makes games run better on the PS4 Pro also applies to the PS5, even if a patch hasn’t been issued for the older game yet, because of the PS4 Pro’s superior hardware.
Remember that a 4K HDR TV is required to enjoy the PlayStation 4 Pro’s 4K HDR visuals in full splendour. The only real advantage for an older 1080p screen will be super-sampling a more consistent frame rate.
But if you get a PS4 Pro and have a 4K TV handy, be ready for an eye-candy extravaganza since games on the PS4 Pro look fantastic. Spider-textures Man on PS4 Pro is much crisper than on a standard PS4. Although the game’s creator, Insomniac, did an excellent job of optimizing it for the PS4, playing it on a Pro is the best experience (see the video attached above).
PS4 VS PS4 PRO: OUTFIT PS4 Pro vs. PS4
The additional layer on top of the PS4 Pro is the most evident visual difference between it and the original PS4 in terms of appearance. The PS4 Pro features three layers, unlike the original PS4, which has two layers with a space between them for the disc drive and two USB ports.
Fortunately, this has stayed the same size. The PS4 Pro is larger than the regular PS4, which measures 295 x 327 x 55 mm. This indicates that it is more significant, 2 cm broader and more profound, but intriguingly, it has around the same height.
It weighs an additional half a kilogram, or slightly over a pound, but you should only notice this if you often carry it from one area to another.
Connections between PS4 AND PS4 PRO
Except for an additional USB 3.0 connection, the PS4 Pro’s back connectors are similar to the original PS4. It could be useful if you wish to connect a PlayStation VR since the device plugs into a USB port.
The PSVR brings back the Move Controllers, each of which needs a USB port to be charged; thus, adding an additional USB port is a great addition. The PS4 Pro could be the best option if you want to make a move into virtual reality.
PS4 back vs PS4 Pro
The PS4 Pro, unlike the more compact PS4, has an optical audio output on the back, much like the 2013 PS4 launch model.
The HDMI port is the last distinction between the rear console connectors. The PS4 Pro contains an HDMI 2.0 connector instead of the original PS4’s HDMI 1.4 port, enabling it to output at 4K resolutions (more on that later).
Contrary to what Sony asserts in its official FAQ, you do not need to update your HDMI cable to benefit from 4K. (opens in new tab). Any HDMI cable that supports 1080p will work just fine with 4K.
Optical Drive in PS4 vs PS4 Pro
This is where Sony’s most recent system really struggles. Contrary to earlier conjecture, the PS4 Pro can play Full HD 1080p Blu-ray discs precisely like the regular PS4, and it does not come with an Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
Given that Blu-ray capability was one of the critical advantages of the PS3, Sony’s choice to remove an Ultra-HD Blu-ray drive on the device seems perplexing. Sony kept it for its most recent system, but because Microsoft’s Xbox One S already has a top-tier disc drive, it would have been wise for Sony to include one with the Pro as well.
Specs of the PS4 vs PS4 Pro
Some of the most significant distinctions between these two PS4 versions may be found within. The AMD Jaguar x86-64 8-core CPU included in both consoles boasts an increase in clock speed of 30% from its predecessor’s 1.6GHz to 2.1GHz.
On PS4 Pro, the GPU’s performance improvement has been significantly more significant. Its clock speed has been increased from 800MHz to 911MHz, and its power has been increased by half. The GPU has increased overall from 1.84 TFLOP in the PS4 launch model to 4.2 TFLOP in the Pro, and this increase is necessary to support the new 4K capabilities.
The Pro’s Bluetooth was also updated from v2.1 to v4.0 and now supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Additionally, the new thin PS4 had both of these improvements. To free up the faster GDDR5 RAM for gaming performance, the Pro also features an extra 1GB of DDR3 RAM for non-gaming applications.
Performance of 4K TVs on PS4 vs PS4 Pro
The significant benefit of upgrading to the PS4 Pro from the original hardware is that it’s the big one. In contrast to the Full HD 1080p resolution of the PS4 standard, the PS4 Pro allows 4K output.
This means that the system can play movies and TV series in their highest quality when using streaming services like Netflix, but sadly the absence of an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive means that the console will not be able to play actual 4K material.
In contrast to the Full HD 1080p resolution of the ordinary PS4, the PS4 Pro offers 4K output.
Games are more complicated since it’s up to the creators how they want to make use of the PS4 Pro’s additional power. Now that the hacked console has been available for some time, we are beginning to see more results.
For instance, we discovered that the PS4 Pro version of God of War had two distinct graphics modes: one that prioritizes resolution, displaying the game at checkerboard 2160p (or 4K), and another that prioritizes performance, lowering the resolution to 1080p but displaying at a frame rate that’s closer to 60fps.
Obviously, the one you choose will depend on your particular preferences. Although there is a significant loss of visual quality in performance mode, it is far smoother camera movement, particularly in games where the degree of detail viewed at 4K is excellent.
For those who own TVs that support the format, HDR is accessible as well, and we can tell that it significantly improves the viewing experience, especially when it comes to lighting and shadows.
Google of War (PS4)
However, rumours suggest that the upscaling method utilized is more intelligent than merely extending the picture across a more considerable number of pixels. Other games, like Days Gone, are upscaled to reach a 4K output, and other games, like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, are reportedly far less effective at scaling up.
The conclusion appears that to get a high 4K performance, developers must strike a careful balance between the native rendering resolution and the upscaling algorithms used.
If you’re choosing between these two systems during the Christmas promotions, keep in mind that the PS4 Pro’s 4K HDR quality truly pops out on games like Horizon Zero Dawn (or at any other time of year). In conclusion, although the PS4 Pro lacks the horsepower to run a game at 4K with all the graphical bells and whistles engaged, the results may still be remarkable when certain concessions are made.
Although HDR capability is new for the PS4 Pro, it has already been added to the base PS4 models through a software update. For more information on what it implies for the visual quality of your games, see our complete guide to HDR. The PS4 Pro delivers a slight improvement over the PS4 in terms of loading times. However, if you replace your PS4 with an SSD, you’ll significantly improve loading times.
Performance of 1080p TV on PS4 vs. PS4 Pro
Although the PS4 Pro is primarily designed to work with 4K TVs, it will also improve graphics with a 1080p display. While some of these improvements, such as employing super-sampling to increase the level of detail in a particular image, are deliberate, others are not.
The much-delayed video game The Last Guardian from Team Ico eventually went on sale, but it did so with some framerate difficulties that affected both the PS4 at 1080p and the PS4 Pro at 4K. However, performance research showed that if you force the game to run in 1080p mode on a PS4 Pro by altering the system settings, these problems almost vanish.
Although this is not an intended feature of the Pro, if this development persists, users of 1080p TVs may find the Pro a much more compelling upgrade.
‘Boost Mode’ on PS4 vs PS4 PRO
The “boost mode” function, which was included in PS4 firmware 4.50, enables PS4 titles without a PS4 Pro patch to run more smoothly on the new platform. Despite the specific benefits being unclear, a Digital Foundry analysis(opens in new tab) has shown performance gains of up to 38%.
Despite the lack of a Pro patch, the games tested, such as Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Battlefield 4, and Project Cars, exhibited notable performance improvements when played on the Pro.
PlayStation VR (PSVR) headgear with a PS Camera and PS Move controllers.
Although there were speculations that the PlayStation VR would perform “terribly” on launch platforms before it was actually released, the difference now that the gear out seems to be much more modest.
In fact, according to a recent investigation by Digital Foundry (opens in new tab), it may be difficult to tell certain games apart between the PS4 and the PS4 Pro. You are not excluded from VR just because you have a less expensive console. Because the creators used super-sampling methods, which essentially display games at a higher resolution to boost detail levels, other games seem more evident on the Pro.
For instance, graphics in Robinson: The Journey benefit from a greater degree of texture filtering and details are considerably sharper. The PlayStation VR’s biggest drawback is that the differences between the two systems are too small to definitively suggest the Pro based only on VR performance.
This may change if developers get more familiar with the PS4 Pro in the future, so we’ll update our opinions.
How does the PS5 fare?
You may have a good reason for being limited to the PS4 or PS4 Pro, but most people should consider the upcoming PS5 system when making their choice if they can afford it.
This is due to the PS5 really being a terrific system. This is a truly next-gen gaming experience, not just a little step up from the PS4 (we’re looking at you, PS4 Pro). One that will only grow better when more PS5 games are released.
The console is robust and improves performance compared to the PS4 and PS4 Pro. The PS5 is a technically remarkable system in terms of specifications. Both the octa-core AMD Zen 2-based CPU and the new proprietary RDNA 2 GPU can push 4K resolution at 120 frames per second.
The NVMe SSD and the additional 16GB of GDDR6 RAM make this a computer with some truly impressive specifications.
Furthermore, Sony has wholly redesigned practically every essential aspect of the gaming experience, including the setup process, the user interface, the innovative controller, and the extra benefits for PS Plus subscribers. The end result is a system that has left us really pleased.
Conclusion
The PS4 Pro is clearly an improvement over the PS4, but it struggles to provide “real” 4K gaming without making trade-offs.
Including an additional layer is the leading cosmetic difference between it and the ordinary PS4, although the internals was significantly improved. Although the CPU and GPU have a similar architectural design, the GPU is much quicker.
Therefore, should you upgrade from your current PS4? The answer primarily depends on whether you already own a 4K TV or have plans to do so. If so, the PS4 Pro will provide a variety of visual advantages. If not, nothing on the PS4 Pro will make the additional cost worthwhile.
You can save money for this next-generation increase in power and capacity now that the PS5 has been released. However, even if they seem a little dated in comparison, you should find some fantastic deals on the PS4 and PS4 Pro.
