PS4 Pro vs. PS4PS4 

  • Thread starter BSKemp29
  • 70 comments
  • 8,002 views
Good thing being at the peak of visual technology is low on my priority list. It gets to a point that I just can't tell the difference and even if I do it's not marginal enough to matter to me. My next TV will definitely be something 4K though. Who knows what the next console comes out, or maybe I'll get a gaming PC instead.
 
I’m kind of in a similar dilemma; currently using a PS4 Slim and a 32” Samsung HDTV with 1080p. I’m aware games look and run better on Pro/4K, so what do I look into first. My inclination would be the TV since 4K’s are absurdly cheap right now, but to drop another $400 on a Pro which may be in it’s last years seems like throwing money away. Maybe spend the extra money and think long term by going PC instead? It seems there’s a lot more flexibility with PC anyway.
 
I rather doubt that we won't have at least one more racing game generation on PS4, so the need for a PS5 seems a good 4 or so years away. I expect, with racing games as my only real gaming choice, that my PS4Pro is good for at LEAST that long. You also don't count the trade in value (or sale) of your Slim towards the Pro, reducing that cost maybe $150 or more. I've seen the new Pro go for $350 a couple of times this year.

I guess it depends on how bad you need a new TV! If your 4K is going to be mostly for watching TV, perhaps get it before the PS4Pro. If it is going in your gaming room and you still watch TV on a 1080, maybe the Pro first is the way to do it. You'll see an improvement in gaming even on the 1080P, but the 4K on the slim won't help much.

As I said earlier though, a big, cheap 4K HDR will allow you to comfortably sit MUCH closer to the TV than a 32" 1080 and allow a HUGE increase in FoV. And, if you like cockpit view, that makes all the difference in the world...
 
I had a regular PS4 with a 46" 1080p TV.

When I noticed AC had heavy framerates drops when the race starts, I upgraded to a PRO. I play lots of other games so I saw a considerable advantage in framerates in all games and especially AC.
During that period I got PC2 and I always considered AC to look much better than PC2 on my PS4 pro and my 1080p TV. Not graphics effects wise, but more like graphics quality, AA, sharpness, clarity, readability etc....

Last week, I got a 55" 4K HDR TV. I now see another considerable improvement in graphics fidelity, in all games, especially PC2. PC2 now looks much better (with the enhanced resolution mode) and I dare to say it now looks better than AC in most areas.

Moral of the story: PS4 PRO and 4K TV are worth it. It's no myth.
 
Georgeagea
graphics quality, AA, sharpness, clarity, readability etc....
Click to expand...
This is what you're paying for. To me I don't care about that stuff too much meaning I can look past it and not let it ruin a game for me. That's why I'm in no rush. I still remember playing N64 games regularly and they look like crap so I'm not a graphics whore :)
 
DesertPenguin
This is what you're paying for. To me I don't care about that stuff too much meaning I can look past it and not let it ruin a game for me. That's why I'm in no rush. I still remember playing N64 games regularly and they look like crap so I'm not a graphics whore :)
Click to expand...
But they looked fantastic back in the day!
 
Believe me I know. My memories of how they looked vs what they actually look like when going back to them is night and day.
 
I hooked my N64 up to my 55" plasma not too long ago and it looked awful. Really need an old CRT to play on as the resolution of today's screens make old consoles look a bit nasty. Some things are best left to memory indeed
 
DesertPenguin
This is what you're paying for. To me I don't care about that stuff too much meaning I can look past it and not let it ruin a game for me. That's why I'm in no rush. I still remember playing N64 games regularly and they look like crap so I'm not a graphics whore :)
Click to expand...

I'm not either trust me, when it's consistent and working fine. Yet in PC2, it's all over the place with edges bleeding, AA issues, details of cars popping out when you get closer to it, sometimes looking good and sometimes looking a PS2 game, etc... If it was a consistent 480p experience but running well as it should, I would have been fine with it!
But being a guy who has AC and GTS, I could not but passively and unwillingly notice how bad PC2 looks in comparison! I've never compared graphics of games, until I saw PC2...

(PS: Oh and all of that on a PS4 pro, which in theory should provide even better graphics).
 
Georgeagea
I'm not either trust me, when it's consistent and working fine. Yet in PC2, it's all over the place with edges bleeding, AA issues, details of cars popping out when you get closer to it, sometimes looking good and sometimes looking a PS2 game, etc... If it was a consistent 480p experience but running well as it should, I would have been fine with it!
But being a guy who has AC and GTS, I could not but passively and unwillingly notice how bad PC2 looks in comparison! I've never compared graphics of games, until I saw PC2...

(PS: Oh and all of that on a PS4 pro, which in theory should provide even better graphics).
Click to expand...

I did a race on Daytona speedway oval track 29 cars, night time, clear skies, and the graphics took such a hit i thought i was looking at a PS1 game no lie. Of course its my fault for being on original hardware and not having money to upgrade to a pro and 4k tv. :(
 
When you see poor AA on the interiors of the cars you know you're in for a bad time. It's quite distracting to see a big jagged white line just below your line of sight across the bottom of the windscreen, or even up along the bottom edge of the windscreen decal.

And then you look ahead on the road and see the white lines...

I'm tempted to get a Pro to see the difference but can't really justify it at the mo, not this deep into the current gen's lifespan. Is the AA truly better on Pro?
 
Chikane
I did a race on Daytona speedway oval track 29 cars, night time, clear skies, and the graphics took such a hit i thought i was looking at a PS1 game no lie. Of course its my fault for being on original hardware and not having money to upgrade to a pro and 4k tv. :(
Click to expand...

Don't be pressed by it man; yes Pro+4K make a bit of difference but it's not day and time difference! At best it's a slight increase of clarity/sharpness/resolution! AA and other stuff CAN remain as bad as it can get in some situations while looking better in general!

bleeder
When you see poor AA on the interiors of the cars you know you're in for a bad time. It's quite distracting to see a big jagged white line just below your line of sight across the bottom of the windscreen, or even up along the bottom edge of the windscreen decal.

And then you look ahead on the road and see the white lines...

I'm tempted to get a Pro to see the difference but can't really justify it at the mo, not this deep into the current gen's lifespan. Is the AA truly better on Pro?
Click to expand...

Refer to above reply mate; some improvements I saw only when I switched to the 4K TV! The PS4 pro on 1080p still looked bad; it seems this game was made to look best at 4k! Dunno why or how, coz down-scaling should remain so good even better than a 1080p Assetto; but unfortunately it's not the case..
As I said above, I invested mainly in a PRO to fight the framerates drops on Assetto. I also gained in Battlefield 1 and some other games some minor performance improvements.
Besides, getting a PS4 pro last year seemed feasible to me because PS5 will not come before at least 2020 IMO. Anything before that wouldn't make sense. 3 years seems a decent time frame. Besides, even if PS5 launches in 2020, the PS4 pro will still be fully supported and relevant maybe up until 2024 at least! Getting a PS5 in here when it launches will cost me 800 to 1000$! So I'll have to wait some years anyways!

EDIT: And besides I sold my old PS4 for 200$ and got a new Pro for 400$; so ended up paying only 200$. It's not bad if you ask me for all the upgrades I got (500GB vs 1TB; better CPU, better GPU, better for PSVR, etc...)
 
Last edited:
If you are on 1080P, the Pro still makes sense... Framerates. You can look past resolution (if far enough away from the TV), but framerates are critical. Even a Pro struggles in some situations (day/night transitions, some corners with lots of trackside detail, weather sometimes, high grid counts). I can only imagine how much worse a vanilla PS4 is under the same circumstances.

I agree that, especially if racing games are your main thing, the likelihood of migrating to a PS5 any time soon seems remote. Trade up now (while your vanilla still has value)... You should get at least three years out of it before racing games for PS5 are available, and probably another two years or so before the servers for these PS4 racing games go dark.

PS4 launched at the end of 2013. It was early 2018 before the GT6 servers went dark, ending online racing for PS3 (which launched late 2006). I think you are worrying too much about PS4 obsolescence...
 
simsimsheree
If you are on 1080P, the Pro still makes sense... Framerates. You can look past resolution (if far enough away from the TV), but framerates are critical. Even a Pro struggles in some situations (day/night transitions, some corners with lots of trackside detail, weather sometimes, high grid counts). I can only imagine how much worse a vanilla PS4 is under the same circumstances.

I agree that, especially if racing games are your main thing, the likelihood of migrating to a PS5 any time soon seems remote. Trade up now (while your vanilla still has value)... You should get at least three years out of it before racing games for PS5 are available, and probably another two years or so before the servers for these PS4 racing games go dark.

PS4 launched at the end of 2013. It was early 2018 before the GT6 servers went dark, ending online racing for PS3 (which launched late 2006). I think you are worrying too much about PS4 obsolescence...
Click to expand...

I agree here. Unless you want to always have latest and shiniest, or be at the cutting edge of technology.

I completely missed Drive Club and didn’t start DiRT Rally and PC1 until two years after they released, and I don’t feel I missed out. Still got to enjoy them regardless. There was plenty to do on PS3 until then for me, but I suppose I started the PS3 era kind of late...it’s here nor there...

Just got my PS4 Pro this weekend, and although I don’t see a major difference compared to the Slim (yet), I’ve got time to get a 4k TV where I believe most of the graphical improvements will show. Not concerned about PS5’s any time soon.
 
Set to Enhanced Framerates would probably be best on a 1080P...

Try a 25+ car AI grid, some weather. Pretty sure you'll soon see a difference. And (somebody with a Pro and 1080P correct me if wrong) set Boost Mode on in the Pro. I thought I read that this helps things if running a 1080P.

The latest and shiniest seldom matters much in racing games. They always seem to trail the bleeding edge quite a bit compared to other types of games. Took PD four years to bring out a PS4 game... :dunce: :rolleyes: :banghead:
 
I can now attest that PC2 looks and runs far better on the Pro. The frame rate, the graphics and especially the weather are leaps and bounds better than the Slim.

I was running a race at Classic Spa today and the rain effects were no short of amazing, especially when it transitioned from clear to cloudy to light rain. No comparison between the consoles. And on a 1080p no less!
 
That sounds nice :)

But compare to a gaming pc i just don't see how the pro is worth it which is why i will continue to save for a gaming pc and get the full gaming experience.
 
Chikane
That sounds nice :)

But compare to a gaming pc i just don't see how the pro is worth it which is why i will continue to save for a gaming pc and get the full gaming experience.
Click to expand...
You can't really compare it to a gaming PC. My Pro cost less than just the GPU on my gaming PC.

Pro is just the best way to experience PlayStation. Whether people want to splash the cash to do that is up to them. It's nice to have choices.
 
Daz555
You can't really compare it to a gaming PC. My Pro cost less than just the GPU on my gaming PC.

Pro is just the best way to experience PlayStation. Whether people want to splash the cash to do that is up to them. It's nice to have choices.
Click to expand...
I was saying that instead of me upgrading from my og ps4 to a pro i rather save up for a gaming pc which yeah a gaming pc kinda makes the pro pointless.
 
For me the PS4 Pro was worth the upgrade over the base model. Assetto Corsa profits from boost mode, and Project Cars 2 looks and runs much better on it as well.

Not plunging my money into a modern gaming PC is also a time issue for me. All my gaming is happening on consoles in the past years since I can sit down and play within seconds. The time spent maintaining a PC and fiddling with drivers and configurations would eat away too much of my limited play time.
 
zuqbu
The time spent maintaining a PC and fiddling with drivers and configurations would eat away too much of my limited play time.
Click to expand...

My PC arrived from Amazon via UPS on a Tuesday around noon.

Remove PC from box
Place on desk
Plugin power supply, keyboard, mouse, and cat5
Turn computer on, windows 10 says Hi
Plugin wheel, download driver
Download steam, buy game
Download game
Drive.

It took me longer to setup a PlayStation account.
 
Corsa
My PC arrived from Amazon via UPS on a Tuesday around noon.

Remove PC from box
Place on desk
Plugin power supply, keyboard, mouse, and cat5
Turn computer on, windows 10 says Hi
Plugin wheel, download driver
Download steam, buy game
Download game
Drive.

It took me longer to setup a PlayStation account.
Click to expand...
Well, that’s obviously a best case scenario.

I have to maintain three different operating systems on my work laptop already – maybe I‘m simply tired of it :D

I have set up my T300RS once on one of my Bootcamp Volumes, and the fact that I can tinker with things such as FFB drivers will make me do it.
I will also start modifying .ini files and whatnot. God forbid the game allows for custum HUDs like Automobilista.

So it‘s less of a necessity but more of a personality trait ;) Having less options is a time management feature for me.
 
Corsa
My PC arrived from Amazon via UPS on a Tuesday around noon.

Remove PC from box
Place on desk
Plugin power supply, keyboard, mouse, and cat5
Turn computer on, windows 10 says Hi
Plugin wheel, download driver
Download steam, buy game
Download game
Drive.

It took me longer to setup a PlayStation account.
Click to expand...

Be interesting to ask how much MORE time you have spent on it since then...

Sure, the game MIGHT work, and the wheel might work, but can you honestly say you haven't spent a bunch of time fiddling since then to get the game to run better, to get the FFB to work better, etc.?
 
I bought a Pro last week, I haven't had a chance to fire up PCars yet though because I've just moved house and my rig is still in boxes.

The difference it's made to Destiny and Fallout has been amazing though, I can't wait to see the difference the better framerate makes for racing.
 
simsimsheree
Be interesting to ask how much MORE time you have spent on it since then...

Sure, the game MIGHT work, and the wheel might work, but can you honestly say you haven't spent a bunch of time fiddling since then to get the game to run better, to get the FFB to work better, etc.?
Click to expand...

Nothing really interesting or different than setting up a wheel on console.
We all go through the same game settings, only difference on PC is the control panel which is a once and done thing.

Now performance settings are an entirely different story given everything is adjustable to optimize the GPU.
Out of the box most games default to your GPU recommended settings, and are very playable without touching.
But, I can honestly say that I've spent a TON of time tinkering with settings, because strangely I enjoy it....getting every last FPS or just appreciating the sheer beauty of your efforts with titles like PC2.
 
Ive noticed most PC wheel users use the Jack Spade FFB config files. I keep up with the PC side of SMS's forum, and it seems a LOT of players tinker constantly to eke a bit more performance out of their graphic card/CPU setup, as well.

Not options for us console users. That's kind of the beauty of consoles... next to nothing to do to set it up! Time not spent tinkering with settings is seat time in a car. Given the cost differential, I'm pretty content with the console. Next generation? Probably not so much...

Time to go VR!
 

Similar threads

PGodia10
GT7 output on PS4 PRO - 1440p monitor??
Replies
10
Views
3K
PGodia10
PGodia10
rj5992
Project Cars 2 on PS4 Pro
Replies
26
Views
4K
Daz555
D
C
Project Cars 2 on PS4 Pro
2
Replies
34
Views
13K
simsimsheree
S
Leggacy
Frame skipping/judder on PS4 & Pro
2
Replies
46
Views
6K
Stakado
Stakado
cartuxo99
Ps4 pro Performance stuttering
Replies
13
Views
6K
EmSixTeen
EmSixTeen

Latest Posts

Back