Question Opinions please - Get a PS4 or PS4 Pro or wait?

[UberNeuman]

I've got a few gift cards stacked up over the last year and was thinking about getting a game system. I have a fair PC, so most of the Microsoft games that I'd want to play have been ported over, and the Nintendo Switch has nothing I'm really interested in - and both the Switch and Xbox systems are great so it's not a slam against them.

Now the PS4 has a few games I'd like to get, Last of Us, the Uncharted series, RDR2 - and what really has my attention is Days Gone. I'm a sucker for a good zombie game, and this looks like one I'd want to play. So here's where I stand - get a PS4 with the gift cards or shell out an extra 100.00 with the gift cards for the PS4 Pro. I have a tv that does HDR, but really haven't been blown away by it.

The PS4 Pro does have more power, but, as late as I come to buy and PS5 might be out in another year, is a PS4 Pro really worth the extra cash?

Thanks for your time, gents.

 

[NTMBK]

Definitely go for the PS4, if you can get a good deal on it. Either get it second hand, or bundled with a bunch of games you want to play.

It's still probably going to be about 18 months until the PS5 launches, and it's going to be expensive at launch. PS4 can tide you over until the first big PS5 price drop.

 

[purbeast0]

It really is a very simple equation.

Do you want to play PS4 games now? If so, get one. If not, don't.

If I were to get a PS4 now, there is no way I would ever buy a non-Pro version.

 

[Muadib]

I agree with purbeast0. You have a 4k tv!! USE IT!!!

 

[SteveGrabowski]

With PS4 at $300 and PS4 Pro at $400 as they're currently priced I'd go PS4 Pro easily. Now when PS4 goes on sale to $200 with a game (like we saw on Black Friday) then it's the better option for the money IMO, as the PS4 Pro and XBox One X are both badly cpu bottlenecked and most of you're paying for with the better versions of the consoles is higher resolution rendering. One thing to note is Mark Cerny has officially said the PS5 will have backwards compatibility for the PS4, so your console is going to have absolutely lousy resale value in a year and a half when the PS5 is likely launching.

Another thing if money is tight is there will likely be a Days of Play Sale at the end of May or beginning of June. In this sale you can expect some kind of discount on hardware. Last year PS4 Pro went to $350 MSRP, the year before there was a gold PS4 Slim for $250 MSRP in the Days of Play Sale. In that sale I'd expect nice price drops on Sony exclusives like God of War, Days Gone, Spiderman, Horizon Zero Dawn, etc (physical discs). Not all but some of those will likely go on sale. Sony also usually does a good E3 sale in June for digital games, but maybe that doesn't happen this year since they're not going to E3. Also there is a very good digital game sale in July every year called The Midyear Sale where you can often pick up older PS4 exclusives for $5 to $10. It's probably a good bet to pick up games like The Last of Us, Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection (eg 1080p60 remasters of UC1-3), Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank, God of War III, etc for bargain basement prices.

I also wouldn't expect any of the big three PS4 exclusives shown off at last year's E3 to launch this year. Eg The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Death Stranding. I can't believe Sony would skip E3 this year if any of those were coming in 2019.

 

[Aikouka]

I also wouldn't expect any of the big three PS4 exclusives shown off at last year's E3 to launch this year. Eg The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Death Stranding. I can't believe Sony would skip E3 this year if any of those were coming in 2019.

I think stating that Sony is skipping E3 might be slightly off. Sony seems to be taking Nintendo's approach and avoiding large, expensive press conferences for the simpler video approach. Actually, Sony has already been doing this with their "State of Play" videos, and in fact, the second one is supposed to air tomorrow (May 9th @ 3PM PST) with a focus on Medievil. There are also rumors that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be shown off again, but those are still just rumors. Anyway, the point is that Sony will still be presenting things around the E3 timeframe with a State of Play video similar to how Nintendo has a Nintendo Direct video during E3. They just will be spending far less money to do it, and honestly, I think it's a smart move.

 

[zinfamous]

yeah, with the news of backwards compatibility, I'm just waiting for the PS5, when I can get old games like GoW4 and Last of Us remaster all that stuff for cheap.

I was very close to getting a PS4 pro last year, but to me it loses functionality without having a UHD BD drive. I didn't want to pay $100 more for that on an XBOX, which is a console that has no games that I can't play on my much better PC.


...of course, I assume that PS5 will have UHD BD playback, right? I guess that could change my thinking

 

[Aikouka]

...of course, I assume that PS5 will have UHD BD playback, right? I guess that could change my thinking

Given that neither PlayStation console does it right now... it's completely up in the air. It's also fair less likely given the decline of physical media sales and a number of manufacturers leaving the market. The real issue for Sony probably comes in regard to development costs of the media playback capability and the licensing costs for the codecs and other features. Why do that if only ~5% of all disc sales are UHD?

 

[SteveGrabowski]

yeah, with the news of backwards compatibility, I'm just waiting for the PS5, when I can get old games like GoW4 and Last of Us remaster all that stuff for cheap.

PS4 games already get cheap really quickly. I bought TLOU Remastered for $8 off PSN something like a year ago. God of War I paid $25 for at Best Buy in January, but it was as cheap as $17 around Black Friday. Horizon Zero Dawn's complete edition has been as low as $10 a few times and even MSRP has been $20 for at least 6-8 months. I see the complete edition of Bloodborne go on sale all the time on PSN for around $15 to $18, and that's the game of the century IMO. Persona 5 is IMO the best turn based RPG since the PS2 era and it's $20 MSRP (though there is a new supposedly greatly expanded version coming west in 2020). Even recent stuff like RDR2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 are pretty easy to find for $30 in sales these days.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

From the State of Play video Sony released a couple of days ago it looks like the Days of Play Sale's hardware deal will be some limited edition PS4 Slim in a dark metallic color. So probably no PS4 Pro discount for the sale.

 

[UberNeuman]

It's too late, lads. I've done the deed and just came back from the store with a PS4 Pro and a copy of Days Gone. You may never see me again. lol.

thanks all for the opinions and comments.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

It's too late, lads. I've done the deed and just came back from the store with a PS4 Pro and a copy of Days Gone. You may never see me again. lol.

thanks all for the opinions and comments.

Since you're a zombie game fan I'd like to hear how you like Days Gone in comparison to Dying Light. Dying Light is my gold standard for zombie games and I can't wait for the sequel.

 

[zinfamous]

Given that neither PlayStation console does it right now... it's completely up in the air. It's also fair less likely given the decline of physical media sales and a number of manufacturers leaving the market. The real issue for Sony probably comes in regard to development costs of the media playback capability and the licensing costs for the codecs and other features. Why do that if only ~5% of all disc sales are UHD?

that makes sense from a market standpoint...but man streaming absolutely sucks compared to quality media.

 

[zinfamous]

It's too late, lads. I've done the deed and just came back from the store with a PS4 Pro and a copy of Days Gone. You may never see me again. lol.

thanks all for the opinions and comments.

not to worry. AT recently failed me much, much, much harder when I sought aid in preventing me from making a stupid purchase.

 

[WhiteNoise]

yeah, with the news of backwards compatibility, I'm just waiting for the PS5, when I can get old games like GoW4 and Last of Us remaster all that stuff for cheap.

I was very close to getting a PS4 pro last year, but to me it loses functionality without having a UHD BD drive. I didn't want to pay $100 more for that on an XBOX, which is a console that has no games that I can't play on my much better PC.


...of course, I assume that PS5 will have UHD BD playback, right? I guess that could change my thinking

Personally I'd rather buy a UHD player than use the xbox or PS. I mean why make that a requirement when you can buy a stand alone player for a lot less money and get better performance and quality? UHD players do not cost a lot any more.

Sure it's yet another device but I don't see that as an issue.

I only care about exclusives and 4k so the PS4 Pro is the ticket for now. The PS5 I may skip. It would be the first time I skipped a new PS but I honestly don't use my consoles enough to justify release prices and it has just become another platform to buy games for that I don't have time to play.


I may buy a PS5 though but it would be maybe a year after release this time. Only for The Last of Us 3 or something...or another Uncharted game...or GTA VI

 

[zinfamous]

Personally I'd rather buy a UHD player than use the xbox or PS. I mean why make that a requirement when you can buy a stand alone player for a lot less money and get better performance and quality? UHD players do not cost a lot any more.

Sure it's yet another device but I don't see that as an issue.

I only care about exclusives and 4k so the PS4 Pro is the ticket for now. The PS5 I may skip. It would be the first time I skipped a new PS but I honestly don't use my consoles enough to justify release prices and it has just become another platform to buy games for that I don't have time to play.


I may buy a PS5 though but it would be maybe a year after release this time. Only for The Last of Us 3 or something...or another Uncharted game...or GTA VI

All good points. For me, when I was going through this process, I certainly did consider a standalone UHD player, but at that time they were still in the ~$250 range. It didn't make any sense for me and, yes, I would rather have one less unit, capabilities being relatively similar. I look at as an additional feature now more than something I *need,* which is unlike my decision to purchase the PS3 many years ago (last console...oh wait, I did pick up a Switch recently, but before that....that I purchases), after my only DVD player crapped out. I had just picked up a new bomb 720p gorgeous plasma, and of course I wasn't going to settle for DVD. ...the PS3 @ $350 or whatever I paid at the time made a lot of sense, and was the only good option in the infancy of HD media, when the BD/HD DVD wars were still going on. PS3 was the best player at that time, because it was easy to update and not brickable like many of the spendy standalones. anyway, that's a different issue, even though that same thought process influences my current thinking.

Since that time, I have less and less depended on my physical media, even though I prefer it, so I realize that upgrading my player with my currently ~mediocre 4k TV isn't really worth it, unless it's an added feature. ...also considering I'm not sure if I will play enough games to justify it. There are at least 4 games that I will certainly play, which is maybe one more than I played on my PS3, haha.

So regarding my post and my thinking process at that time, It was more of a cost/do I really need it issue, which makes it easier for me to hold off, if I decide that I will care enough. I still probably prefer the idea of UHD as an added feature, because I'm just not sure that I would get back into buying physical media to the point that I can justify that unit doing it's one thing. For me, that gets into the realm of a dedicated home theater where I really need that commitment, and that isn't in my future any time soon. My standalone BD player is fine as it is for now, getting the ~0 use that it gets. I just like the idea of added UHD in a console, if I choose to use it.

 

[Aikouka]

Personally I'd rather buy a UHD player than use the xbox or PS. I mean why make that a requirement when you can buy a stand alone player for a lot less money and get better performance and quality? UHD players do not cost a lot any more.

At Best Buy, a stand-alone UHD player will cost you at least $180, and that doesn't even have Dolby Vision support. UHD players will likely remain at a decent price due to other manufacturers pulling out of the market.

 

[Kaido]

At Best Buy, a stand-alone UHD player will cost you at least $180, and that doesn't even have Dolby Vision support. UHD players will likely remain at a decent price due to other manufacturers pulling out of the market.

Does Playstation have Atmos support? Planning on building an Atmos "micro" 5.1.4 basement theater this summer, can't seem to find a straight answer on support.

 

[Aikouka]

Does Playstation have Atmos support? Planning on building an Atmos "micro" 5.1.4 basement theater this summer, can't seem to find a straight answer on support.

Found an article on CNET that says PlayStation does not support Atmos for streaming. This Forbes article seems to suggest the reason is that Sony has its own object-based 3D audio solution. (Is that really a surprise? )

 

[Kaido]

Found an article on CNET that says PlayStation does not support Atmos for streaming. This Forbes article seems to suggest the reason is that Sony has its own object-based 3D audio solution. (Is that really a surprise? )

Roku Ultra it is! Haha.

Building the 135" acoustically-transparent screen tonight! Once I get all the Atmos stuff tested in figured out next month, I'll have to hop on the Playstation bandwagon...been jonesing for that Spiderman game!

 

[WhiteNoise]

At Best Buy, a stand-alone UHD player will cost you at least $180, and that doesn't even have Dolby Vision support. UHD players will likely remain at a decent price due to other manufacturers pulling out of the market.

Funny...I paid $79.99 for my stand alone UHD player (a Sony) at Best Buy last year.

 

[WhiteNoise]

So regarding my post and my thinking process at that time, It was more of a cost/do I really need it issue, which makes it easier for me to hold off, if I decide that I will care enough. I still probably prefer the idea of UHD as an added feature, because I'm just not sure that I would get back into buying physical media to the point that I can justify that unit doing it's one thing. For me, that gets into the realm of a dedicated home theater where I really need that commitment, and that isn't in my future any time soon. My standalone BD player is fine as it is for now, getting the ~0 use that it gets. I just like the idea of added UHD in a console, if I choose to use it.

Makes sense. I'm still big on physical discs (4K movies) so the standalone player is a must for me. Plus I have a dedicated home theater and watching movies with the projector and player looks so much better than streaming HD and even 4K streaming....god knows I stream just about everything except in the theater room. Yeah it makes sense from your perspective then. I get it for sure.

 

[zinfamous]

Makes sense. I'm still big on physical discs (4K movies) so the standalone player is a must for me. Plus I have a dedicated home theater and watching movies with the projector and player looks so much better than streaming HD and even 4K streaming....god knows I stream just about everything except in the theater room. Yeah it makes sense from your perspective then. I get it for sure.

yeah if I had that setup it would be a no-brainer. Even though I never owned one, I was a bit disappointed when Oppo folded, because "if I ever had a theater setup, sometime in the whatever future" it would be their player that I would purchase for that, heh.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Even though I never owned one, I was a bit disappointed when Oppo folded, because "if I ever had a theater setup, sometime in the whatever future" it would be their player that I would purchase for that, heh.

Funny you mention it. Before I built my home theater I dreamed of owning one of their players. By the time I was ready to buy the oppo, they closed down. I ended up going with a sony player but I also went with Darbee stand-alone unit. I can't describe the difference this makes to any video source and this was one of the key features I wanted from the oppo unit.

 

[Aikouka]

Funny you mention it. Before I built my home theater I dreamed of owning one of their players. By the time I was ready to buy the oppo, they closed down. I ended up going with a sony player but I also went with Darbee stand-alone unit. I can't describe the difference this makes to any video source and this was one of the key features I wanted from the oppo unit.

I originally owned a Sony player (X800), but its lack of Dolby Vision made me look for an alternative player. I ended up picking up a refurbished Oppo UBP-203, which was about $100 less than the brand new variant, but came with the same warranty. I was really sheepish about paying that much for a player, but I was convinced after seeing that even the older Blu-ray players were selling for around $200 on eBay. In other words, unlike other items that depreciate rapidly, they kept their value well... kind of like an Apple product. Of course, little did I know that they'd stop making the player, and what would actually happen is that the eBay price would quite literally double over what I paid.

For most people, I recommend the LG UBK90, which has Dolby Vision support. It's not necessarily the cheapest, but after hearing about how Sony required you to turn Dolby Vision on and off manually, it's kind of hard to support them. (That might have changed since I read about it though.)