PS4 vs PS4 Pro: What's The Difference And Which One Should You Buy?

PS4 Pro (left) and PS4 (right)
PS4 Pro (left) and PS4 (right)

The PS4 Pro, released in late 2016, is an upgrade to the earlier model of the PS4. While it is most definitely not the much-awaited PS5, there were some hardware upgrades among others. There are no PS4 Pro exclusive games and games released for the PS4 are compatible on both models. The PS4 has undergone three different hardware revisions, with PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro being the two latest.

There are, however, quite a few differences from the two models. The distinction is enough to confuse consumers who end up asking themselves, which one should I buy? The PS4 Pro was a more recent release and offers some new additional features such as 4K display rendering, an extra set of hardware which gives it a slightly bulkier look.

They have also changed up the ports and tweaked the experience in PlayStation VR (albeit, not too much of a difference). The extra features that the PS4 Pro offers also mean that the price is also a little extra, but it could be worth it depending on your setup.

Also, read PS4 vs PS4 Slim: Why You Should Buy PS4 Original?

Let's take a look at a few of the differences between the PS4 and PS4 Pro and we'll give you our thoughts based on your setup and the differences between these two versions.


#1. Size

PS4 Pro is bulkier than the original PS4, due to adding of new hardware components. Take a look at the dimensions below, along with the weight

  • PS4 - 305 x 275 x 53 mm (12 x 10.8 x 2.09 in) and 2.8 Kg
  • PS4 Pro - 327 x 295 x 55 mm (12.9 x 11.6 x 2.17 in) and 3.3 Kg

Also, read Top 5 Free PS4 Games To Play In December 2018

#2. Ports

All the PS4 models have the same Blu Ray and DVD optical drives. The PS4 Pro upgraded their USB port to 3.1 and the new layer in the PS4 Pro offers additional USB ports. The PS4 Pro also upgraded the HDMI port from 1.4 to 2.0

  • PS4 - 2x USB 3.0, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x PS Camera, Optical Audio output, HDMI 1.4
  • PS4 Pro - 3x USB 3.1, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x PS Camera, Optical Audio output, HDMI 2.0

#3. Price and Storage

Although users can add bigger hard drives in the PS4, the storage that comes with it by default is now 1 TB. PS4 has not yet gotten around to implementing SSDs in any of their models.

  • PS4 - $300 / ₹27,990 - 500GB HDD (default)
  • PS4 Pro - $400 / ₹38,990 - 1TB HDD (default)

Also, read PS4 vs Xbox One: 8 Point Comparison To Determine Which Console Is Better For You?

#4. 4K HDR Support and Performance

The biggest feature in the PS4 Pro, by far, is the 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) support that was added for the device. PS4 has a max rendering of 1080p. This is quite a big deal as gaming take its leaps into better graphics and gameplay. The 2.1 HDMI port was specifically built to support 4K, although any HDMI port will suffice.

Though you will need a 4K supported television in order to enable this feature, you will be able to stream Netflix, Youtube and Amazon Prime titles in 4K as well as 4K optimized games such as Marvel's Spiderman by Insomniac Games.

There are also some hardware changes and the 4.2 TFLOP graphics card enables better performance and supports 4K resolutions.

  • PS4 - CPU: 1.6GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar; 1.84 TFLOP AMD Radeon (18CU, 800MHz); 8GB GDDR5 RAM
  • PS4 Pro - CPU: 2.1GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar; GPU: 4.2 TFLOP AMD Radeon (36CU, 911MHz); 8GB GDDR5 + 1GB RAM

Also, read The 10 Best Open World Games on PS4


Conclusion

So there are clearly some big differences between the PS4 and PS4 Pro. Which is suitable for you? The PS4 Pro is a must buy only if you have a native 4K television and you would like to stream content as well as play games in 4K and a faster device. If you don't have a 4K device and don't plan on getting on.

It is only a question of whether you want 4K. The PS4 is still a very lively and powerful entertainment console, getting frequent updates and a lot of high rated exclusives being released for it. But for the gamer who wants to be immersed in the world of 4K crisp resolutions, you probably want the PS4 Pro.

Also, read Top 5 PS4 Horror Games That Will Actually Scare You

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