Do You Have a PS4?
Let’s start off nice and simple. Do you have a PS4 already? Whether you’re normally an Xbox, Nintendo, or PC player, or just haven’t made the jump from the PS3 to Sony’s latest hardware yet, the PS4 offers a range of features and benefits including some of the best games as exclusive experiences. On the other hand, you may well be a PS4 owner and looking to upgrade for a number of different reasons. Maybe your PS4 has been on the fritz for a while, or maybe those beautiful visuals shown off during Sony’s PlayStation Meeting are what you want in your own living room.
Regardless of which camp you fall into, there’s plenty of reasons to pick up or not pick up the new system. Your answer here and to the questions that follow will help you to determine whether upgrading to the PS4 Pro is really going to be right for you. Simply click the Yes or No at the bottom of each page to answer that question, and follow it right until the end. Ignore the arrows just above the title of each page… let your answers guide you to your PS4 Pro fate!
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Do You Want a PS4?
For whatever reason, you don’t have a PS4 already, and that’s completely fine. The next real question, however, is whether or not you actually want one. It’s not uncommon to feel like you want a piece of new tech as soon as you see it because… well… it’s new. But you need to ask yourself whether you’re really going to use it, or whether the games on offer really appeal to you.
While the PS4 sports titles like Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, No Man’s Sky, Until Dawn, and many more exclusives on the Horizon (see what we did there?), these games aren’t always for everyone. If you find that Xbox’s exclusive offerings speak to you more, then maybe that’s the console you should look into.
Yes
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Do You Have a 4K TV?
So you already have a PS4 system and are enjoying the many benefits of being part of the PlayStation family. The PS4 Pro has piqued your interest, but you’re not sure whether its additional power is going to truly be enjoyed with your current gaming setup. What differentiates the Pro from its predecessor and slimmer sibling is the fact it’s able to display in a 4K resolution. While HDR is also another feature of the Pro, an HDR is set to come as an update to all existing PS4s and will be baked-in to every PS4 Slim, too.
Therefore, it largely comes down to whether or not you have a 4K TV or display. If you do, then you’re going to see a difference when upgrading to the Pro. If you don’t, however, you may not see as much of an improvement as you’d have hoped for.
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Do You Have the Money for a PS4 Pro?
You’ve arrived here because you don’t have a PS4 yet, but you’re interested in joining in on the fun, and that’s great news. Now, here’s a question that only you can answer: Do you have the money to afford the PS4 Pro? The latest and greatest in tech isn’t always affordable, and throwing down $400 on a new console isn’t always practical, nor possible.
An important thing to remember here is that coming in new to the PS4 requires you to make a couple of additional purchases in the form of games. While we’ve yet to see if the Pro will receive any sort of bundle, you may want a few games to try out on your shiny new system. PlayStation Plus will also cost you an additional chunk of money too, so remember to factor all of this into your budget before you buy.
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Are You Getting PSVR?
While the bulk of the PS4 Pro’s additional benefits come in the form of enhanced 4K visuals and extra horsepower under the hood, it will also improve your experience if you’re going to be picking up Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) hardware. Releasing a month before the Pro in October, PSVR will allow players to immerse themselves even further in the action and virtually interact with the worlds around them. It will also feature a cinema mode, letting users experience their current games on a giant virtual cinema screen.
Though it wasn’t discussed all that much during Sony’s PlayStation Meeting, the Pro will improve the framerate and enhance the resolution of games on the PSVR hardware. Though we don’t know just how much it will improve it by, if you’re wanting the very best VR experience on your PS4, the Pro is probably going to be something you want to invest in.
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Does Your TV Have HDR Technology?
Your TV is capable of displaying in a 4K resolution, and you may have already tried it out with content on the likes of YouTube or Netflix if your TV has smart functionality, too. Having seen what 4K is capable of in this media, you’re ready to dive into the world of 4K gaming. But are you prepared for HDR?
While having an HDR capable TV isn’t a huge deal, it will help to make colors pop a little more. Essentially, HDR technology allows for your TV to display a far wider range of colors and contrast. To put this into context, the latest home consoles from Sony and Microsoft run on an 8-bit color process and are capable of displaying 16 million colors. In comparison, HDR technology runs on a 10-bit process and can display 1 billion colors. That means you’re getting a much greater range of shades of all different kinds of colors, making the image on your screen more realistic. While HDR is also coming to the standard PS4s, combining this with 4K is going to be the best way to experience games on your PS4, and that can only be done on the Pro.
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No
You Don’t Need No PS4
You were curious as to what the PS4 Pro actually was, or maybe you just came here to confirm what you already knew. You don’t own a PS4, and you don’t care for picking one up either. You don’t need to pick up a PS4 Pro. In fact, you don’t need to pick up any sort of PS4 at all. Now go forth and enjoy games on whatever platform you like, or take the quiz again!
I wanna go again!
The Slim is a Good Option
You’ve arrived here because you’re interested in picking up a PS4 and getting in on all of the action, but you haven’t quite got the cash to splash on a PS4 Pro. While that would normally mean you’d miss out or have to wait on this console generation for a little while longer, Sony has an alternative system that you can pick up. The PS4 Slim is the new base model going forward. It comes with the new DualShock 4 controller, and as you may have guessed from the name, comes in a smaller package than its predecessor.
It will also come with HDR functionality, the only downside is you won’t be picking up the additional benefits of the 4K resolution, or the enhanced VR experience that comes with the PS4 Pro. The Slim will be made available Sept. 15 and will be available for $299. That $100 you save can go a long way towards either games, your PS+ subscription, or maybe just to save for other financial priorities.
I wanna go again!
Join the PS4 Family with the Pro
That image above right there, that’ll be you come Nov. 10 when the PS4 Pro launches and you’ve joined the PlayStation family. Whether you’ve been saving up to pick up the new system or just waiting for the right time to jump in, your patience has paid off. While you may not necessarily have a 4K TV with HDR technology now, you’re not technically spending any more than you would have had you picked up the console at launch.
You’ll benefit from the latest and greatest games coming at you with incredibly fine detail, enjoy the future of 4K resolution, and will get the best VR experience if you choose to pick up PSVR. Welcome to the family.
I wanna go again!
The Pro (Probably) Isn’t Worth It
We hate to burst your bubble if you were excited about the PS4 Pro, but paying out all of that extra cash probably isn’t worth it for you. You’ve arrived here because you’ve already got a PS4 and its been doing everything just as it should be. Your gaming setup doesn’t include a 4K TV yet, and the idea of VR doesn’t interest you. That’s all completely fine, but the PS4 Pro’s benefits to you are severely limited because of this. Yes, the Pro will enhance your gaming experience in 1080P, with increased framerates, smoother visuals, and additional character and environmental detail, but are they worth $399?
Probably not. If your PS4 happens to die and you need to pick up a new one, by all means, go for the Pro and enjoy. If you love having the very latest tech and want to see every improvement no matter how small they may be, again, go ahead. But when weighing up its benefits against the price tag, you’re probably best sticking with your working PS4.
I wanna go again!
Maybe… Depends How Much You Like VR
Your choices have landed you in the rare gray area. You already own a system, don’t have a 4K TV, but do want to pick up PSVR. While the PS4 Pro’s headline feature of 4K resolution won’t apply to you, its improved PSVR performance is what makes you a tough one to place.
It all comes down to a couple of things. Do you care enough about having the very best VR experience on your PS4 that you’re willing to pay another $400 on top of what you’re already paying to pick up PSVR and its games? For some people, this is a no-brainer considering the cost of the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. On the other hand, the PSVR will run fine on your standard PS4, it’ll just look prettier and smoother on the Pro. The improved 1080p gaming performance is also a benefit you’ll receive, although again, it comes down to whether or not these small changes are worth the price tag.
I wanna go again!
The Pro Is Right for You
Even though you have a PS4 already, the Pro is right for you. You’ve got a 4K TV with that HDR technology to fully support its technological upgrades. While the Pro will also enhance a VR experience if you choose to dive into the world of virtual reality, the Pro’s big main features are its stunning visuals when displayed on a great-looking TV.
Head down to your local retailer or your favorite website, it’s time to do some pre-ordering!
I wanna go again!
Maybe… depends how much you like 4K
You’ve reached this rare grey area because you’ve got a PS4 already, own a 4K TV, but one that lacks HDR. Ultimately, HDR is going to make the picture quality better by providing a wider range of colors and contrast, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to notice the difference on a normal 4K display. If you haven’t already, try checking out the Horizon: Zero Dawn gameplay in 4K on your display and enjoy its beauty.
If you’ve been considering PSVR as well, it will enjoy better framerate and visual detail on the Pro compared to the original PS4. An added bonus all the same.
If those 4K visuals impress you, and you’ve accepted the lack of HDR in your life, let’s get your new unit secured with a pre-order.
I wanna go again!
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