PS4 Pro
The PS4 Pro is Sony’s upgraded version of their latest home console that has been given some beefier hardware in order to provide more options to developers. Of course, it happens to be a bit larger than both the standard and Slim models, but still manages to not be too big. Hidden within the larger form factor is a more powerful CPU and a substantially improved GPU that is more than twice as powerful. You’ll also notice that the Pro has an extra 1GB of RAM which is there to allow developers to utilize the full 8GB of GDDR5 RAM for gaming. The size of the console also allowed Sony to fit an extra USB port onto the machine, meaning you can connect one extra thing (huzzah).
Naturally, this increase in power means that it will have to be more expensive. The PS4 Pro costs $100 more than its weaker counterparts. That’s a fair exchange for the capabilities which include 4K gaming and media streaming on top of the HDR compatibility. Also, the extra power allows for developers to improve games even if the console isn’t connected to a 4K screen. The horsepower under the hood allows for improved framerates, more textures, better visuals, reduced load times, and more. It can even improve the fidelity of the PSVR headset (although it can’t bump that up to 4K).
The one downside at the moment is that not every developer has taken full advantage of the PS4 Pro’s abilities. Sony has left how the hardware is approached entirely up to developers leading to a bit of inconsistency in the early months of the machine’s life cycle. Still, some developers have put it to use, and the fact that it’s even possible may be worth it to some.
Price
- $400
Differences with the PS4 Pro
Dimensions
- 12.9 in x 11.6 in x 2.17 in
Weight
- 7.3 lbs
Ports
- Same as before, just with 3x USB 3.1 and HDMI 2.0 this time around
CPU
- 2.1GHz 8-core AMD Jaguar
GPU
- 4.2 TFLOP AMD Radeon (36CU, 911MHz)
Memory
- 8GB GDDR5 RAM, but plus an extra 1GB RAM for non-gaming processes
HDD
- 1TB (upgradeable)
