I have an original PS4. Should I upgrade to a PS4 Pro, get an Xbox One X, or Save for a gaming PC?

[cinnabun814]

I feel like i'm missing out by having a 4K HDR TV and not playing in 4k. I'm debating what I should do. I could also get/build a pc. I used to build pc's 8 years ago but i've been a Mac user since and have loved every single minute of it. They just run run run. Anyway PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or PC. Someone with experience with PC gaming and the new 4K Consoles would be of huge help. Thanks!

 

[Akrapovic]

PC Gamer here. I'm slowly moving towards console gaming. We own an Xbox One S (granted, not the X you're asking about) and I have a gaming PC. I'm going the opposite way - I'm moving towards consoles.

PC Gaming has some lovely advantages. Things like Steam Sales and humble bundles means games are CHEAP. But I now have a collection of 200 Steam games (and many have much more than that), about 175 of which I've never played, and only about 10 of which I do play. So all these cheap games...was it worth it? Eh, probably not. I'd prefer a handful of good games. High end gaming PCs also look spectacular, so that's a positive too.

But I've moved away from it, because once your PC begins to age, it gets REALLY expensive. I'm now at the point where my PC needs a new graphics card, RAM, CPU and motherboard. So I can spend £800 upgrading that, or buy a Xbox One X for half the price. And the One X will never need touched again, whilst the PC will need more upgrades before the generation is done.

Then there's the tech issues. I seem to spend more time debugging games than playing them. It's amazing that the Steam Workshop allows easy modding. Like for X-Com 2 and Cities Skylines I can install mods so much easier than I used to do back in the day. However, most of them are broken. Or did work and the game has been updated and now they don't work, so I need to read documentation and forum posts to find out what works with what...and then I get annoyed and go back the base game anyway. I consider myself a modder, but even I got bored with the mess things are in.

If you like tinkering, if you have the money, if you like customisation and if you have no problem with the fact you'll have to upgrade the PC every 3 years or so, then go for it. There are a lot of advantages. However, console gaming has caught up with PC gaming big time, and the gap is smaller than ever. The Xbox One X now supports a mouse and keyboard (it's game specific if specific for in-game support though).

I personally have been a PC gamer since I was 5 or so. I've had consoles the whole time as well but always preferred the PC. Now, I'm moving the other way. I'm moving towards consoles because they're so good that the gap is smaller than ever, and it's easier.

 

[cyclingplatypus]

The One X is a beast that has one real flaw, the controller that should come with it you have to buy separately. The One X with the Elite controller is a phenomenal combination. Even the standard controller is a better experience in my opinion than the PS controller - not to mention that they are finally bringing keyboard/mouse support to the XB and Microsoft seems to be taking a more friendly stance on crossplay gaming - and XBOX Anywhere - sure it isn't a massive selection but it is a nice feature.

I have absolutely no regrets buying my X. I have a regular PS4 and other than the occasional exclusive I never turn it on. I just don't find it as fun as the X.

 

[gkarris]

It is all about the games.

Do you have what it takes to play the games you want, do you want something better? Do you want something else?

 

[c8rlo]

I have both the 1X and recently bought the Pro. I have an 4k HDR enabled tv so graphics wise games on both consoles look amazing but I give the 1X the slight advantage. I have friends that play on one or both, I bought the 1X because most of my friends play on XB. I do have friends that play PSN exclusively, my decision was either play where most of ur friends play or buy the one that offered the games that YOU would enjoy doing single play or multiplayer.

Another factor obviously is the titles that are exclusive to their perspective platforms. I have the resources to afford both so I favored XB initially due where most of my friends played not even considering game title exclusives, I bought the Pro recently because of some titles but do have friends that play on PSN as well.

I imagine I'll be doing PC sometime in the future but for now as @Akrapovic commented consoles fit MY needs. To the OP, good luck with whatever choice you decide to fit YOUR needs.

 

[cinnabun814]

I decided on the Xbox One X. For $399 on Black Friday you simply can't beat that. I thought about it deep last night and the thought of running Windows again almost induced me into a panic! LOL

 

[Akrapovic]

I think an Xbox One X for you is a good idea. You already have a PS4, and whilst it isn't a Pro, you now have your foot in both sides, so can get either consoles exclusives. I do think you made the right call.

I'm a Windows user (can't afford a MacBook yet), and whilst Windows 10 isn't bad, the recent updates have been a buggy slow mess. My PC has had nothing new added to it, so it's not being bloated up, and yet it runs slower than 6 months ago. Much slower. The only difference is a lot of Windows updates.

 

[gkarris]

I decided on the Xbox One X. For $399 on Black Friday you simply can't beat that. I thought about it deep last night and the thought of running Windows again almost induced me into a panic! LOL

PC prices are still a bit high for what you get..

An Xbox One X at $400 over the holidays this year is an awesome deal...

 

[Akrapovic]

I'd love a new gaming PC but you'd struggle to get a high-end graphics card for the same price as the most expensive console currently on the market. Times are changing in that regard.

 

[IscariotJ]

Like Akrapovic, I used to be a big PC gamer, and wouldn't touch a console, but the hours spent trying to get games running due to driver issues ( presumably things are better in this respect today ) instead of playing them, and the cost of keeping the thing up to date eventually wore me down, and I embraced consoles.

I've a PS4 Pro ( RROD and scratched disks kept me away from Xbox ), and a Switch. I don't think I've ever regretted leaving PC gaming behind.

 

[-aggie-]

Personally, I dont care so much about having 4K, since I can't really distinguish the difference visually. I care more about the games. So, I'd buy an external hard drive for $100 or so, which would allow you to increase your space to 4 TB's. I have a PS4 and Xbox One. The good thing about Xbox is being able to play old Xbox games, since Microsoft allows for porting many of the popular ones.

 

[IscariotJ]

Personally, I dont care so much about having 4K, since I can't really distinguish the difference visually. I care more about the games. So, I'd buy an external hard drive for $100 or so, which would allow you to increase your space to 4 TB's. I have a PS4 and Xbox One. The good thing about Xbox is being able to play old Xbox games, since Microsoft allows for porting many of the popular ones.

This. My Pro is connected to a HD TV, and I tend to run games faster / prettier....

Backwards compatibility is a huge deal, I wish Sony could / would add that to the PS4....

 

[Wek]

I'm a PC gamer, also moving to PS4 Pro. I'm just getting older, and have used too much time on pc hardware, mods in games and stuff. Now I just want to start the PS4 and play - and that works great. I buy fewer games, but play them more. Someday I guess I buy a Xbox to, but atm I have enough on the PS4 Pro.

 

[gkarris]

I'm a Windows user (can't afford a MacBook yet), and whilst Windows 10 isn't bad, the recent updates have been a buggy slow mess. My PC has had nothing new added to it, so it's not being bloated up, and yet it runs slower than 6 months ago. Much slower. The only difference is a lot of Windows updates.

just FYI - my gaming PC in Windows 10 latest updates was constantly accessing the hard drive - why I don't know. That also made loading games much much longer.

I switched from one internal drive to an internal SSD only for Windows and put all the games on a USB 3.0 laptop external drive.

EVERYTHING is so, so much faster....

The drive is still constantly being accessed but since it is an SSD, it's much faster.

Plus loading games, now that it really doesn't have to compete with Windows 10 access on the same drive is much faster (cut times in half).

I got the 240 Gig SSD was only like $40.

I had enough space left over to put Star Citizen and No Man's Sky on the SSD which increased framerates and loading times even further...

 

[Hustler1337]

I decided on the Xbox One X. For $399 on Black Friday you simply can't beat that. I thought about it deep last night and the thought of running Windows again almost induced me into a panic! LOL

Just wondering how you're finding the XBOX One X? Do you think it's a keeper or are you starting to get itchy for PC (or PS4) gaming?

Would be great to hear an update.

 

[cinnabun814]

Just wondering how you're finding the XBOX One X? Do you think it's a keeper or are you starting to get itchy for PC (or PS4) gaming?

Would be great to hear an update.

Hi! I absolutely love the One X. So much in fact I sold my og PS4 for a Nintendo switch because it was sort of pointless having both. I already beat Spider-Man and god of war. The 4K visuals are noticeable but not as much as you’d think. I’m really enjoying playing the new smash bros haha. Thanks for checking in!

 

[Hustler1337]

Hi! I absolutely love the One X. So much in fact I sold my og PS4 for a Nintendo switch because it was sort of pointless having both. I already beat Spider-Man and god of war. The 4K visuals are noticeable but not as much as you’d think. I’m really enjoying playing the new smash bros haha. Thanks for checking in!

Great to hear, felt like a cliffhanger without an update. I'll be ordering the X soon and personally would have done the same as you trading in the PS4 for a Switch (if I had one) because it makes sense

 

[gkarris]

Hi! I absolutely love the One X. So much in fact I sold my og PS4 for a Nintendo switch because it was sort of pointless having both. I already beat Spider-Man and god of war. The 4K visuals are noticeable but not as much as you’d think. I’m really enjoying playing the new smash bros haha. Thanks for checking in!

For kicks I hooked up my PS4 Pro to my 40" 4K TV I use as my PC Gaming monitor and can tell the "checkerboarding"... (I am sitting 1.5 feet from the screen though).

I played a game on my PC in native 4K (with slow framerates since I only have an RX 470) and Native 4K looks so much better...

The Xbox One X has many native 4K games on it...

 

[trillionaire]

Congrats on the purchase! The console purchased depends on the games you want to play, so that's a personal choice. PC gaming definitely gets expensive since you're always wanting to upgrade and components are refreshed way more often than consoles.

Which brings me to my next point; I was going to say if you want to wait another 2 years for a new generation console then do that. You already had the PS4, for me that would have been enough as I don't think the difference would be super noticeable with the upgrade, but I guess you couldn't wait that long and I don't blame you because 2 years is a long time to wait.

Hope you enjoy the new console!

 

[Sensamic]

Hey guys.

Just bought a 4K TV, a Samsung 55Q9FN. Great TV.

I have the PS4 slim. I can get the Pro for 169€ plus giving in the PS4.

Is the Pro really that worth it?

I saw some YouTube videos of Spider-Man in PS4 Pro and it looked amazing, but I'm really happy with the slim and next year we'll probably have the next generation with BR 4K drive in the PS5, but I probably wouldn't upgrade right away.

Can't decide what to do. The offer is only this week.

 

[gkarris]

Hey guys.

Just bought a 4K TV, a Samsung 55Q9FN. Great TV.

I have the PS4 slim. I can get the Pro for 169€ plus giving in the PS4.

Is the Pro really that worth it?

I saw some YouTube videos of Spider-Man in PS4 Pro and it looked amazing, but I'm really happy with the slim and next year we'll probably have the next generation with BR 4K drive in the PS5, but I probably wouldn't upgrade right away.

Can't decide what to do. The offer is only this week.

did you see this thread

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-upgrade-from-ps4-to-ps4-pro-worth-it.2056522/

 

[apolloa]

Hey guys.

Just bought a 4K TV, a Samsung 55Q9FN. Great TV.

I have the PS4 slim. I can get the Pro for 169€ plus giving in the PS4.

Is the Pro really that worth it?

I saw some YouTube videos of Spider-Man in PS4 Pro and it looked amazing, but I'm really happy with the slim and next year we'll probably have the next generation with BR 4K drive in the PS5, but I probably wouldn't upgrade right away.

Can't decide what to do. The offer is only this week.

If your a Sony fan, I’d wait now for the PS5.

 

[CrockettGTO]

It sounds like you already made the decision and seem happy with it. Congratulations!!

I’ll share my experience. Recently traded in my PS4 Pro for a 1X about 2 months ago when GameStop was running an extra credit trade in deal. Was able to walk away with paying 50 out of pocket after getting about a years worth of play time out of the PS4 Pro.
A number of reasons for switching between platforms

1. Sick of waiting for the next Last of Us. I’ve been sticking to the PS platform for 6 years just because of the original. I’ve replayed that game end to end upwards of 6 times. It’s that good. But Sony has been teasing the next release since the PS4 Pro was released. It was supposed to be a launch title.

2. Last fall, I bought a 75” Samsung NU8000 and wanted a 4K DVD player and wanted to get native 4K gaming and to build up my star wars & marvel movie collection in 4K

3. Agree with what’s been said about PC Gaming revolving costs. I built a mid tier gaming PC in January with a Ryzen 2600 & RX 580 8GB, yada yada invested about 900 bucks and played it maybe 5 times in 4 months. Sold it last week for 650 on offerup. People were offering me 300. Confirmation that there’s little to no value retention in gaming PCs.

4. My laptop I use for video/photo hobby is a GS65 with a 1070 MAX Q and is pretty capable for the occasional Diablo 3 online season sessions.

My only complaint about console gaming (regardless of platform) is its no longer the case that you can simply throw a disk in and start playing. You’ve got to install the game (30GB+) download a game update (often another 20GB+) and then you can play. Also, if it sits for a few weeks between play sessions, there’s often game updates that prevent just turning on and playing. For someone who has kids/busy life. It’d be nice to just power on and start playing when you have maybe 30-45 min free.

 

[apolloa]

It sounds like you already made the decision and seem happy with it. Congratulations!!

I’ll share my experience. Recently traded in my PS4 Pro for a 1X about 2 months ago when GameStop was running an extra credit trade in deal. Was able to walk away with paying 50 out of pocket after getting about a years worth of play time out of the PS4 Pro.
A number of reasons for switching between platforms

1. Sick of waiting for the next Last of Us. I’ve been sticking to the PS platform for 6 years just because of the original. I’ve replayed that game end to end upwards of 6 times. It’s that good. But Sony has been teasing the next release since the PS4 Pro was released. It was supposed to be a launch title.

2. Last fall, I bought a 75” Samsung NU8000 and wanted a 4K DVD player and wanted to get native 4K gaming and to build up my star wars & marvel movie collection in 4K

3. Agree with what’s been said about PC Gaming revolving costs. I built a mid tier gaming PC in January with a Ryzen 2600 & RX 580 8GB, yada yada invested about 900 bucks and played it maybe 5 times in 4 months. Sold it last week for 650 on offerup. People were offering me 300. Confirmation that there’s little to no value retention in gaming PCs.

4. My laptop I use for video/photo hobby is a GS65 with a 1070 MAX Q and is pretty capable for the occasional Diablo 3 online season sessions.

My only complaint about console gaming (regardless of platform) is its no longer the case that you can simply throw a disk in and start playing. You’ve got to install the game (30GB+) download a game update (often another 20GB+) and then you can play. Also, if it sits for a few weeks between play sessions, there’s often game updates that prevent just turning on and playing. For someone who has kids/busy life. It’d be nice to just power on and start playing when you have maybe 30-45 min free.

With both Xbox and PlayStation if you connect them via Ethernet, you Dan put them into sleep mode as opposed to totally off and they will automatically download any game updates overnight. This feature doesn’t work over wireless though unfortunately, maybe next gen for that?