PS4 Pro releases Nov. 10, and there’s little denying this high-spec PlayStation seems suited for a very specific kind of consumer. Earlier this week we recapped five reasons to avoid the console, but there are certain groups of people that might benefit from it too. If any of these applies to you, it may not be a bad idea to shell out $400 next month.
1) You Have A 4K/HDR TV Already: The biggest selling point of the PS4 Pro is its ability to produce upscaled 4K games. The vast majority of us still haven’t made the jump to 4K, but, if you have, this console suddenly carries a lot more value. While others are shelling out $1,000 or more on expensive sets, you can spend that extra cash on games. $400 is still a lot, but hands-on impressions do tell us that the image quality upgrade is pretty substantial with the right display.
2) You’re A PlayStation VR Evangelist Or Owner: Sony stopped short of saying the PS4 Pro would offer significant performance benefits in terms of framerate for standard games, but it was briefly mentioned that VR experiences might play a bit smoother on the premium PS4.
When it comes to PlayStation VR or any virtual reality gear, having a high, consistent framerate is probably twice as important as it is on a standard display. Steady frames in VR reduce dizziness and make high-octane sequences easier for the brain and eyes to handle. If you want to play a ton of PS VR games while keeping nausea in check, PS4 Pro seems like an obvious product to fill that void.
3) You Don’t Have a PS4 Now: More than 40 million gamers have invested in a PS4 since its release, but there are plenty of folks that still haven’t made the plunge. While $400 is a big ask for a half-step upgrade to a system you already own, entering the ecosystem with the Pro is a lot more feasible if joining team Sony is something you truly want to do.
In my previous article we recommended the $299 standard PS4 in most cases, but, at the end of the day, the extra $100 isn’t all that bad. While the benefit won’t be as readily apparent, the small improvement that’s visible even on a 1080p screen might be worth it in the long run.
4) Future Proofing: Speaking of being worth it in the long run, there are plenty of tech consumers that like to buy future-proof products so they can immediately start having the best experiences as soon as they’re ready. In other words, you may not have a 4K TV on the PS4 Pro’s release date, but are you pretty sure you’ll get one in 2017? If the answer to that question is yes, then investing in a Pro early may not be a bad idea if the disposable income is available now.
Because 4K is only in a fraction of U.S. homes right now, the whole purpose of the PS4 Pro for many people is that it’s future proof. Just make sure you really do buy that 4K TV soon, or you’ll have wasted the money if you’re still on 1080p when the first price drop comes along.
5) You Really Love Sony Games: In our previous piece we mentioned that Sony’s high-spec offering isn’t being openly supported by a ton of third-party developers, and we still stand by that claim. That being said, there are quite a few studios that will assuredly take advantage of the PS4 Pro due to ownership or relationships with Sony.
There are a solid number of PS4-exclusive games coming out in the reasonably near future like Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone, Detroit: Become Human and God Of War. Every single name on that list will likely get Pro consideration. If you’re a big fan of the likes of Sony Bend or Naughty Dog and want to play their games the best way possible, it’s going to be on PlayStation 4 Pro.
PS4 Pro comes to retail on Nov. 10.
Do you play on buying the PS4 Pro on its release date? Are the high specs worth it? Tell us in the comments section!
