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Will you buy the PlayStation 4 Pro?
We weigh in on Sony's newest console.
The PlayStation 4 I'm not buying a PS4 Pro because of two things -- one that I have and one that I don't have. Thing One: I have a PS4. Beyond that, I'm extremely happy with my PS4. It runs my games beautifully and streams all the terrible reality television I could ask for. The PS4 is my default living room console; I also own an Xbox One, but my hands automatically reach for the DualShock 4 when I plop down on the couch. It simply isn't time for me to upgrade yet, and honestly, this is entirely Sony's fault. If it had made a crappier launch console, maybe I'd be interested in the PS4 Pro. Thing Two: I don't have a 4K television. Sony claims that the PS4 Pro will benefit people without 4K TVs as well, smoothing out some games' jagged edges, but the difference should be minimal and it's simply not enough to lure me in. If I had a 4K TV, I might consider the Pro, but I probably wouldn't jump on it on day one (see Thing One). While the PS4 Pro demos I tried at Sony's event were pretty spectacular, I won't be upgrading to the company's newest console yet. Mostly that's because I don't have a 4K TV (or the time to devote to playing games as much as I'd like anymore). That said, there's no doubt in my mind that Sony stuck it to Microsoft, big time. The direct competition to the PS4 Pro is Microsoft's Project Scorpio, which still has no price point or release date. A comparison of the PS4 Pro to the One S comes out strongly in Sony's favor, and that'll be a big deal over the holiday season (unless you're a gamer who wants to play 4K Blu-rays, that is). I won't be buying a PlayStation 4 Pro. At least, not right now. It's a marginal hardware upgrade, offering few benefits for people with 1080p TVs. Slightly prettier graphics? I'll take them, sure, but not for another $400. You see, I never felt the PlayStation 4 was particularly underpowered. Video games like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End are gorgeous, and I find myself appreciating stylized graphics, like those found in Firewatch and Abzu, more and more these days. I would rather wait and see how Microsoft's Project Scorpio shakes out. By then, I'll probably have a 4K TV, so I'll be in a better position to benefit from the upgrade. With an extra $400 in my pocket, I'm also better positioned to buy a PSVR headset this fall or even Nintendo's mysterious NX console next March. If you don't have a PlayStation 4 yet or you're desperate to own the best console graphics, then sure, buy this new box. But if you already own a PS4, there are smarter ways to spend your money. An Xbox One S, for instance, will give you access to Microsoft's exclusives and a 4K Blu-ray player. Oh, and a product that looks sublime too. To my shame, I'm still rocking an Xbox 360 from 2008 that has remained unbroken for the better part of a decade. I'd always planned to join this console generation, but neither device seemed to be compelling enough to make the splash. Public opinion skewed heavily toward the PS4 immediately after that E3, which made me sad, as I wanted to see Microsoft's cloud-based vision for the future of video games. But since the PS4 seems to have won this generation, it's probably the right time to make a splash. That's why I'm probably going to buy a PS4 Pro when it launches, since it'll be the best hardware I can get at the time of launch. Add in the fact that it'll work with PlayStation VR and I know that, should that become a hit in a few years' time, I can access it right away. Admittedly, my freshly bought HDTV won't do much with the Pro's newly minted 4K processing power, but again, I'm prepared for the moment when those displays become affordable. Of course, it might be a bit of a waste, since all I'll probably play are Rocket League and FIFA, but that's never stopped me before. Am I going to buy a PlayStation 4 Pro? Yes. When it launches? Definitely not. But that doesn't mean it isn't the best console option -- at least between Microsoft and Sony -- for the foreseeable future. I already own a PlayStation 4, and I'm on the hook for a PSVR headset. Put simply, I don't want to be spending upward of £700 in the space of a month. Given that my five-year-old LG plasma is on its way out and needs replacing, it makes sense to grab a new 4K set and then purchase a PS4 Pro to cater to my gaming needs and the endless amount of streaming I intend do between Netflix and Amazon. The lack of UHD Blu-ray support doesn't phase me; I can't remember the last time I watched a movie on a disk. With Scorpio unlikely to launch until 2017, Sony has clear waters ahead of it. VR and 4K gaming will only grow in popularity, and Sony will have the console market largely to itself until Microsoft debuts the faster and more powerful Scorpio a few months later. I had already decided I wouldn't be purchasing a PlayStation 4 Pro at launch far before I ever saw what Sony had to offer at its PlayStation event. It's $400. Do you know how many Kylie Lip Kits I can buy with that money? I'm a collector, and since I own nearly every console from every generation (lacking a 64DD, sadly), every instinct within me is screaming for a PS4 Pro for the sake of completeness. But I don't think it's actually necessary. I'm not concerned as much with HD gaming nor 4K as a general rule because I'm not in the market to purchase a new TV anytime soon. But I am looking to outfit my gaming setup with PlayStation VR specifically for Rez Infinite, and that'll likely be the excuse I need to drop the cash on a PS4 Pro at some point. Plus, with Microsoft's Project Scorpio on the horizon, any extra cash I can scare up will end up being a boon for my eventual entertainment center upgrade. Stacking games on top of one another and stepping over piles on the floor isn't working out for me anymore, and I'll need to finally make the jump to 2016 and improve that entire situation. That means a better TV and all. Then it might finally be time to make the investment. As someone who's drifted toward PC gaming over the past few years, I'm looking forward to having a console that can push out more pixels. While I'm intrigued by the PlayStation 4 Pro (check out my impressions here), I won't be buying one at launch. Mostly that's because I haven't upgraded to a 4K, HDR-ready TV yet. And quite honestly, I also haven't used my PlayStation 4 much. When I want to play console games with friends, I power up my Xbox One. And when I want to be engrossed in AAA games with the best graphics possible, I head to my PC. Given that it's only been three years since the PlayStation 4 launched, the Pro doesn't seem like a worthy upgrade yet. But if you've been holding out on this console generation, it's clearly the smart choice this holiday season, especially if you want to dabble with PlayStation VR. Sure, I'm also looking forward to Microsoft's Project Scorpio, but it's hard to get too excited about something that's so far off. My biggest disappointment with the PlayStation 4 Pro? It doesn't have a 4K Blu-ray drive, which would make it a far more practical purchase. Curiously, that's something the Xbox One S does include. Sony reps say the company is focusing on 4K streaming, but that argument is surprising when you consider that Sony is one of the big 4K Blu-ray backers. I've argued that 4K Blu-ray was dead from the start because of streaming, and it's hard to deny that's the case when the format's creator can't even get behind it. I'm perfectly happy with my Panasonic VT60 plasma, so I don't plan on upgrading my TV anytime soon. But I still want a PS4 Pro. Why? Because it's supposed to help PlayStation VR games look better and I don't have a monster PC rig to power an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. A $400 console is a lot easier to swallow for me than sinking over $1,000 into a VR-capable PC build. More than that, Sony made it pretty clear that the Pro's added horsepower will benefit folks like me, too. Better frame rate and more detailed graphics? To quote Liz Lemon, I want to go to there. The PlayStation 3 in my living room is used exclusively as Blu-ray and Netflix machine, so I was hoping that'd carry over to the Pro and physical 4K media. That bizarrely isn't the case here with Sony's decision to not include a UHD Blu-ray drive in the machine. Eventually the price of 4K LG OLED screens will drop to normal-person levels, and when that happens, I'll need something to play the UHD Blu-rays I've been buying. The prospect of going for a standalone player and adding yet another remote to my coffee table (and box under my TV) isn't all that appealing, but at least I have a few years to figure out what move I'll make. I just wish Sony hadn't put that decision in my lap this time around.Neo Pro has finally been revealed, and it packs an intriguing amount of power and features unforeseen in the console world. But given that it's only been three years since the PS4's original debut, is it worth upgrading for the system's existing owners? With Microsoft's Project Scorpio, which is even more powerful on paper, coming next year, it might be worth waiting a bit before pulling the trigger. Engadget's editors have opinions.
Jessica Conditt, Senior Editor
Nathan Ingraham, Senior Editor
Nick Summers, Associate Editor
