PS4 Pro

[DeaGLe^]

With the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony looks to step into new territory by offering a mid-cycle, higher-power version of its successful PlayStation 4. On paper, the PS4 Pro certainly has the credentials to significantly enhance some existing and future PlayStation 4 games, but in practice, the results range from good to underwhelming depending on what game you’re playing and what kind of screen you’re playing on.
Physically, the PS4 Pro packs a lot of potential in a relatively efficient space. The additional 1GB of DRAM, the second GPU, and the extra power required to feed it don’t add as much bulk as you’d imagine, or from how it looks in pictures. At 11.6 inches wide, 2.2 inches high, and 12.9 inches long, it can fit into practically all the same spaces your launch PS4 can, unless it was a really snug fit already. It is significantly heavier though, by around 30%.

In terms of inputs and outputs, the PS4 Pro sports two USB ports close together in the front and one more on the back. That third one in the rear is great for PSVR owners, since it allows them to hook it up to the PS4 Pro without using up a front facing USB. This both prevents you from having an unsightly cord constantly sticking out the front of your entertainment center, and keeps the front USB slots free for hooking up controllers or other peripherals. And unlike the recent slimmed-down PS4 revision, the PS4 Pro thankfully has an optical audio port. Dolby Digital headset users rejoice!
Overall, its weight, curved lines, and glossy-finished PlayStation logo give the PS4 Pro a substantial, premium feel, but the cheap-feeling and comically tiny physical eject and power buttons betray the aesthetic just a bit. They’re also a little tough to find until you get used to their odd placement at either side of the Pro’s middle “blade.”

In terms of UI and software features, this is mostly the same PS4 you know and love, which sadly means there’s no support for 4K blu-ray playback. On the upside though, the PS4 Pro supports the higher-speed 802.11ac wi-fi band (which is also on the revised PS4) and the faster SATA III hard drive interface. The latter will potentially allow you to pull much more performance out of a solid-state drive should you decide to replace the stock 1TB hard drive the PS4 Pro comes with. The swap is just a tiny bit trickier on the PS4 Pro than it is on the launch PS4 though, thanks to the somewhat finicky-to-remove panel that guards the access screw.