With the PS5 expected to arrive this holiday season, there seems to be a debate going on between the PS4 and the PS5. PlayStation fans who already own a PS4 or PS4 Pro are faced with the difficult decision of whether to keep their current console or upgrade to the next generation. Then new buyers who have never owned a PlayStation console will have to decide whether the PS5 is worth the extra cash or whether the PS4 Pro meets their gaming needs.
Whichever console you choose, you are sure to have countless hours of gaming fun. But you have to decide what is more important to you: save money or enjoy an improved gaming experience. Take a look at the key differences between the consoles to help you decide which route to take.
Check out: Sony PlayStation 5: price, alleged release date and more
PS4 vs PS4 Pro vs PS5 specs
Compared to the PS4, the PS4 Pro offers upgrades in GPU and CPU and can be displayed in 4K resolution. Both consoles now come with a 1TB hard drive, and while the PS4 Pro has more storage, that's not significantly more. The main thing that makes the PS4 Pro $ 100 more expensive than the PS4 is the updated GPU and CPU. Games can run smoother and faster with these upgrades.
While the PS5 is upgraded by the PS4 Pro in almost every way, the upgrade I look forward to most is the hard drive to SSD switch. The 825 GB SSD has less storage space in both the PS4 and PS4 Pro than the 1 TB hard drive. However, developers may be able to reduce the download size of games and pull up more from short-term memory to load things.
Because of the speed at which worlds in games can load on the PS5, developers don't need to incorporate static elements into a large first download. Instead, things can load as you progress through the game and you won't even notice it. Although the PS5 has less storage space, gamers will most likely not fill up their SSD as quickly. At least they fill it up at the same pace as the 1TB hard drive on the PS4 or PS4 Pro.
For a closer look at how impressive the PS5 specs are, click here.
PS4 vs PS4 Pro vs PS5 Price
One of the biggest differences between these PlayStation consoles is of course the price. Currently, you can get a PlayStation 4 (1TB) for $ 299.99 and a PlayStation 4 Pro (1TB) for $ 399.99. And while the price of the PS5 is not yet known, it is widely speculated that the normal version will start at $ 499.99. The digital version is believed to cost a little less at around $ 449.99.
For $ 100 less, you can still get a great console with the PS4 Pro and a huge library of games. For $ 200 less, you can get a PS4 console with improved storage and the same extensive game library. With the extra money you save on the console, you can buy a few games to get started.
With that in mind, a console is an investment. You don't pay hundreds of dollars for a new console just to play a game on it and then be done. You're buying a console that will last you for years. So if you've owned a console for 3-5 years or even more, is a $ 100-200 price difference really that important to you?
If you have the option to spend the extra cash on a PS5, or you can wait for the price of the PS5 to drop in a year or two, I'd go that route. The PS5 has made such drastic hardware changes; Your games run better, look better, and feel better on the PS5. To me, that's worth the $ 100 to $ 200 additional investment. Then there are the exclusive PS5 games that will be released after the PS4 and PS4 Pro are phased out.
PS4 vs PS5 games
The PS4 has a large game library with fan favorites such as God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn. You can of course play all of these games on both the PS4 and PS4 Pro. And while some of the release titles for the PS5 may also be released for the PS4 / PS4 Pro, they will ultimately be exclusive to the PS5.
Check out: Best upcoming PS5 games - release dates, latest trailers, and more
Sony doesn't want to immediately alienate its dedicated PS4 / PS4 Pro fan base or those unable to upgrade to the PS5. But at the end of the day, Sony wants to make a profit. And the best way for them to do this is to give you an incentive. In other words, if you want to play this awesome looking game, you have to buy our new console.
The great thing about the PS5 is backward compatibility. You can play any new games that will ultimately be exclusive to the PS5 AND almost any games that will be exclusive to the PS4. If you've already purchased PS4 games and updated them to PS5, you can still play them. The first time you buy a PlayStation console, you can easily add PS4 games to your library and test them out on updated hardware.
connected: Is the PS5 backwards compatible with PS2, PS3 and PS4 games?
If I'm a new buyer, should I buy a PS4 Pro or wait for the PS5?
If you are completely new to the world of PlayStation consoles, I would personally recommend buying the PS5. For an extra few hundred dollars, you can get a console with all of the updated hardware and a backlog of PS4-generation games.
Even if you don't see any PS5 games you want to play right now, all you want to do is play PS4 games. I think the PS5 is still worth buying. There might be PS5 games coming out later down the line that you end up wanting. In addition, many PS4 games for the PS5 are being expanded with a free update for download.
And if you don't want or can't pay an additional $ 100, then wait to buy the PS5. In the past, the price would typically go down a few years after the console was first released. Then you can potentially pay the same amount that you would have paid for the PS4 Pro.
It is also worth mentioning that after the launch of the PS5, a price decline for the PS4 and PS4 Pro can be expected. This is especially true for used models that will flood the market as players upgrade. So if you're looking to save money and don't want to buy the PS5 until a little later, this is another possible option.
If I already have a PS4 or PS4 Pro, should I upgrade to the PS5?
This is rather a difficult situation. If you already own a PS4 or PS4 Pro, you can sell your current console and offset the price of the PS5. The upgrade gives you improved graphics and faster loading times.
If you don't want to spend the money, you can just stick with the PS4 or PS4 Pro you currently have and wait for the PS5 price to drop. This also helps you avoid some of the nasty problems associated with working out kinks when starting the console.
At least at the beginning of the PS5's life, most of the games (I hope) will be released on both consoles. I'm not sure how much longer Sony would do this for gaming. But for the first few at least, you can probably snag them for any console. You might plan on just sticking to your console until a game comes out on the PS5 that you can't live without. Then you could sell your old generation console and invest in the next generation.
Packing
In the battle between PS4 and PS5, there really is no real option.
The PS4 and PS4 Pro are by no means bad consoles. The PS5 is just better. You have an even more intense gaming experience with ray tracing, haptic feedback on the DualSense controller, a lightning-fast SSD and much more. If you have the option to go for the PS5, that would be my recommendation.
But waiting is not the end of the world either. Console launches aren't always all they have to offer. So, you can avoid this while playing peacefully on your PS4 or PS4 Pro. And you will likely save some money while you're at it.
Next: PS5 and Xbox Series X look great, but you might want to wait to buy one
