Sony PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console - Black (PS4 Pro)

Sony's mid-generational upgraded console, their first to actually offer a significant improvement to the actual hardware for gaming is a bit of a mixed beast at the moment. Visually it conforms to the new design elements we first saw with the PS4 Slim and whether you prefer this to the original and much sharper PS4 is down to personal taste. The on/off and eject buttons we saw on the slim are replaced by a long 'rocker' bar type design just under the middle section. Both are proper switches though. The overall size is bigger than the PS4 and the new XB1s - although not quite as big as the Original XB1. The one area that is bigger though is the depth and the sloping design only adds to this. It only just fits onto my AV unit. The feet are also just hard moulded plastic - not rubber or cushioned and therefore can add to the volume of this in operation when the disc or fans are operating.Of course the aesthetics are not that important overall - its what it can offer us a gamers that's most important. As someone with a 4k HDR (HDR10 UHD Premium) TV, theoretically I should benefit more than those with a 1080p TV. Not only should games offer enhanced resolution for improved clarity and sharpness, I also benefit from HDR. I both the standard spec PS4's and of course the XB1s offer HDR too but only 4k TV's can offer HDR and those consoles can't offer anything more than a native 1080p resolution. The increased resolution along with the benefits of HDR should offer more detail in both the dark and light areas.A lot has been said about the PS4 Pro not offering a native 4k - at least not for modern AAA games in general. There are a few full native 4k releases, including the recent Fifa 17 which runs natively at 4k and maintains a 60fps too. 'Checkerboard rendering' does a fantastic job of delivering a 4k image. Whilst it may only draw half - two thirds of the pixels natively, it makes up the rest of the image by using the previous frame to fill in the gaps more accurately so we get a 'near perfect' 4k presentation. Far better than drawing the same number of pixels every frame and the stretching the image up to fit the screen size as we see with most upscaling. Games are a lot sharper generally than film anyway but the difference the Pro makes is obvious in most of the 'Pro' enhanced games.Its still very early days for the Pro, and I do feel that some of the enhancements have been 'rushed' to meet the release of the console. Rise of the Tomb Raider though is an exception - maybe because the game has been out for a year and Crystal Dynamix had time to spend on these enhancements. Other developers were no doubt busy on trying to get the game finished for release let alone consider the options for Pro. As a result, most of these offer nothing more than a resolution boost - which does look great. However not everything is scaled up to match - for example they appear to be using 1080p designed textures which look a bit soft by comparison or only foliage has increased draw distances but shadows, lighting etc are still at 'PS4' levels. No doubt we will see a more consistent enhanced mode, more options in more games as per Tomb Raider but right now, the enhancements are good in general but not necessarily great in every game that has them.One of the things that disappointed me the most though was the way the PS4 Pro runs non-patched games that have unlocked frame rates and/or dynamic scaling. I fully understand Sony's decision to switch off half of the GPU to keep the same number of shaders etc. What I don't understand though is Sony's decision to downclock the CPU/GPU to the same level as the base unit and therefore suffer the same bottlenecking and performance drops in these games. If you had hoped that games that run inconsistently to run better immediately, then you will be disappointed (unless that game is patched). The XB1s has a 7% boost and as a result sees games run around 7% better (not much I know) so was expecting the higher clockspeed of the CPU/GPU and higher bandwidth RAM to make a difference - not as much as when patched so not above 1080p or above the maximum capped frame rate - but certainly enough to run more consistently. I expected the Pro to be the console to improve these games too - not just the ones that developers decide to improve. This generation has seen increasing number of games running with dynamic scaling and unlocked frame rates and therefore I cannot see why Sony opted to nerf the console this much when running these games!As I said its still early days and no doubt we will see more games utilise the power over the rest of this generation.I understand the omission of a 4k HDR Bluray player - not only does it keep the cost down, it will no doubt help Sony with selling it own dedicated 4k HDR Bluray player too. Sony opted to focus on the gaming side for its mid-generational upgrade whilst MS concentrated on media - not criticising either as both have something to offer. 4K HDR streaming is irrelevant to me as my 4k HDR TV was offering this anyway and more of a circumstantial bonus because of XB1s and its 4k HDR player and PS4 Pro's 4k HDR gaming.The Pro is easily the best console available right now if you own a 4k HDR TV and visuals are important. Its still going to offer more games at 60fps than the base PS4 too but it is still disappointing that ONLY patched games will offer any improvement at all. At the moment those games are still quite few and the enhancements also vary in terms of quality and benefits. Its clear that the potential is there and also clear its a 'half way' step between the 'older' HD gaming of the PS4 and the future of 4k HDR gaming.In 6 months time, it could be a 5star console but right now, with only a handful (comparatively - less than 5%) of games that offer any benefit at all, its difficult to recommend if you already have a standard PS4 and/or a 1080p TV. The majority of the games run no differently at all - including all those that have inconsistent performance. If you have (or are considering) a 4k HDR TV and/or considering buying a PS4 for he first time, then the Pro is an obvious choice.

♦ Introduction ♦With the latest Pro model introduced into the PS4 family, this leaves consumers with three versions of the PS4 to choose from (not including the different storage options):  Original  (Soon to be discontinued) |  Slim  | Pro .For people who are looking to buy a PS4 for the first time, the original model is roughly the same price as the slim (both available in 500GB & 1TB models). The slim, as the title suggests is a much slimmer and lighter version of the original PS4; it offers much better power management as well as improves to certain components as the WiFi module etc... Downside is the slim does not have an optical/digital out (a port a lot of wireless PS4 headsets require for connection).The Pro on the other-hand is larger than the original PS4, has all original ports; an extra USB port for the rear; improved components and twice the GPU power! The benefits for going with the Pro will make certain games optimised for faster frame rates & less dips (smoother gameplay) and even look better; even more so, play in 4K resolution (some up-scaled and others in native).The benefits for having a pro will be more noticeable when newer games come out with the extra support for the Pro; meanwhile Sony have announced a whole load of games that have been patched to utilise the extra power in the Pro.Those who aren't interested in spending extra to buy/upgrade to the pro, need not worry as EVERY PS4 game will work on all PS4 models, it's just you'll be able to get better performance from the Pro; just imagine playing a PC game and having the option to choose from medium or high graphics settings, it's basically the same thing.♦ Box Contents ♦∙ PlayStation 4 Pro Console.∙  DualShock 4 Controller (Ver.2) .∙ Mono In-Ear Headset.∙ Micro USB Cable (Charging the DS4).∙ HDMI Cable (Capable of transmitting 4K).∙ Power Cable.∙ Instruction Manual.♦ Tech Specs ♦∙ Dimensions: 295(W)×55(H)×327(L) mm.∙ Weight: 3.3 kg.∙ Disc drive: BD×6 CAV / DVD×8 CAV.∙ Networking: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth® 4.0 (LE).∙ Ports: 3x USB 3.1 Ports (2 front, 1 Rear) | HDMI Out | AUX (For PS4 Camera) | Digital/Optical Out | Ethernet.♦ Additional Purchases ♦- Required Extras:If you plan on playing online games, then a  PlayStation Plus Membership  is a MUST. You can buy a code to redeem from Amazon, or do it directly on the PS4 through the PlayStation Network Store. You can choose to pay in monthly or three monthly instalments, or pay for the full 12 months upfront, the latter works out the best value. Other benefits of PlayStation Plus is receiving two free PS4 games every month from the PSN Store.If you own an older PS4 model and want to transfer everything over to the pro, you will need an  Ethernet cable  if you don't have one spare already.- Optional Extras:∙  Vertical Stand (PS4 Pro/Slim) : I have this stand and would highly recommend this.∙  DualShock 4 Controller (Ver.2) .∙  DualShock 4 Charging Station : Great charging dock that can charge two controllers simultaneously.∙  Sony PlayStation Wireless Stereo Headset 2.0 : Quality over-ear headset for decent price.∙  4 Camera : Would only recommend this if you're getting PSVR, otherwise there's not much to it.♦ Set-Up ♦I don't think Sony could make it any easier to set the console up:1) Insert HDMI cable to the "HDMI OUT" port of the PS4 and into the "HDMI IN" of your HDTV.2) Insert the power cable into the PS4 and the other end into a powered socket (i.e. wall socket).3) Insert the USB cable into the USB port of the PS4 and the micro end into the controller (just below the light bar).4) Make sure your TV is on and is on the corresponding HDMI source.5) Turn on the PS4 by pressing the power button (It's a little hard to see, but once you know where it is it's simple; there's a plastic strip, it's to the left, or up the top if mounted on a vertical stand).6) Follow on-screen instructions.Once connected to your home network, it's always best to update to the latest software update: "Settings" - "System Software Update".♦ Old PS4 Transfer to Pro ♦I had the original model PS4 (from launch) and was dreading transferring files over, but Sony have your back!With the PS4 Pro all connected and ready to set-up, link the pro to your old console via the Ethernet cable and have the old console powered up and logged into your account (old PS4 doesn't need to be hooked up to a TV, however I did anyway).Follow the set-up instructions above and when you sign into your primary account, you will get a pop-up asking whether you would like to transfer storage from the old PS4 to the new one, accept this and it will take you through some very simple instructions.I had around 370GB worth of files and it took roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to fully transfer. The transfer included all my accounts, all game downloads & installs, game saves, organised folders... Everything! Gave me a piece of mind once done that I don't have to reinstall everything, fantastic!♦ PRO Performance ♦The PlayStation 4 Pro isn't just for people with 4K or 4K HDR televisions, sure whilst they will benefit the most from the extra capabilities this console has to offer in terms of performance and quality, normal HDTV owners will also benefit from supported games.As a normal HDTV owner, I had been playing  Battlefield 1  before the Pro came out, and I have to say I noticed a huge difference when switching to the Pro. BF1 when updated to the latest patch will tap into the extra power the Pro has to offer, this will result in a boost in graphic levels (especially lighting) and smoother gameplay. So pleased about this!My friend and I also updated  The Last of Us: Remastered  (one of my favourite games of all time) and this also felt smoother.Other improvements to the console in general was just how quiet it ran compared to the older PS4, it's almost silent.If you're one for sharing gameplay, the PS4 Pro can also capture gameplay in 1080p in addition to the previous 720p quality.♦ Final Thoughts ♦The PS4 Pro is an absolute beast when it comes to console gaming and is a welcomed upgrade for those who want that extra boost in quality to their gaming experience.Whilst the pro isn't a necessary purchase as all future PS4 games will work on the original and slims PS4 models, it's definitely a model I would recommend over the rest as you're getting more for your money and future proofing yourself should you ever want more from your games or end up buy a 4KTV and wanting to play in 4K quality.Long story short, is it worth the upgrade? Absolutely.Would highly recommend!

Received the Play station in good working order . Very happy with my purchase.😃Please ignore negative review written that was for a broken picture frame🙄