Upgrading from a PS4 Pro to a PlayStation 5 can sometimes be a difficult decision. Some gamers take a long time to decide whether they want to upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5.
In my own case, I also found it to be a difficult decision when I was first faced with the option. I didn’t make the change then, but I eventually decided to upgrade my PS4 Pro to a PS5. However, it was not a straightforward decision due to many factors.
In this article, I’ll be discussing my findings regarding the changes made to improve the PS5, as well as the differences between the two consoles, to help give you a better understanding of what you’re buying.
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What are the Main Differences Between the PS4 Pro and PlayStation 5?
The main difference between the two consoles would be their different colours. The PlayStation 5 is white, and the PS4 Pro is black, but that isn’t the only difference between the two consoles, or else why would Sony be selling you a console for $500? The PS5 and PS4 are like night and day, and it is very easy to tell the two consoles apart from each other. There are several differences between the two consoles, and here are a few of them:
Appearance
The PS5 looks like a rocket ship about to be launched into outer space, while the PS4 Pro looks more like a traditional console that can slip into any entertainment set-up and could be mistaken for a DVD player. However, that is not the case with the PS5. Its gargantuan size and huge fins give it this larger-than-life attitude, which makes it the biggest attention seeker in the room.
Howe There is no mistaking a PS5 for anything else; it screams, “I am made for gaming, and you must notice me.” If you can’t tell, I like this design. While some may agree with me, others do not, and Sony’s design team made a bold choice.
The PS5 is significantly larger than its PS4 counterparts, both in terms of specs and size. It measures 15.4 x 10.2 x 4.1-inches, while the PS4 Pro comes in at 29.5 x 32.7 x 5.5cm (W x L x H). This makes the PS5 Sony’s largest console ever released.
However, its large size has some significant advantages. Because of its size, it can cool and output a lot more power because there is simply a lot more space to put in more components. While the PS4 Pro makes a racket when playing certain games, it is also known for occasionally overheating.
Controllers
The Dual-Sense controllers for the PS5 are also a significant departure for PlayStation, and they are very easily the best controllers I have ever seen. It is very different from most controllers I have ever seen. It is larger, has more features, and feels significantly better to the touch.
I also love the addition of the PlayStation buttons all over the console. It gives it a very nice and solid feel. Unlike the PS4 Pro, which is smaller and while it has DualShock capabilities, it also doesn’t have the new haptic feedback feature the PS5 controller has.
Haptic feedback is a new feature introduced by PlayStation that simulates various types of experiences and tensions on the left and right triggers to give the feel of drawing a bow or pulling the trigger for various types of guns in Call of Duty.
When properly implemented, the triggers feel like you are doing the same thing as the guy in the game, and that always seems to add to the immersion. When done incorrectly, it can feel a little unnecessarily hard to push and a little hard to control.
Thankfully, you can adjust the haptic feedback settings to get it to feel just the way you want it to or not at all. All in all, the PS5 controller feels like the most next-gen thing about gaming on a next-gen console. It just feels right.
Specs
The PlayStation 5 has some very impressive specs for a console. It has an AMD Zen 2-based CPU and a custom RDNA 2 GPU that produces over 10.28 TFLOPs of gaming power, which is more than twice as powerful as the PS4 Pro, which only has 4.2 TFLOPS of computing power.
The CPU can also be overclocked to hit an impressive 3.5GHz, while the PS4 Pro can only hit 2.1GHz. It also comes with 16GB of DDR6 RAM, which is far superior to the PS4 Pro’s 8GB of DDR5 RAM.
While it may not have a 1 TB HDD, it has a custom-built 825GB SSD with a raw speed of 5.5 GB/s and a typical speed of 8–9 GB/s when compressed.
This allows for the incredible load speeds found on the PS5, and even if you upgrade your HDD to an SSD on your PS4 Pro, you still won’t get the speeds found on the PS5. It also has an expandable NVMe SSD slot as well as a USB HDD storage option for PS4 games.
Which has better Graphics?
The PS5 undoubtedly has the better graphics of the two consoles. It can add ray tracing to most games when playing. Ray tracing is a graphically intensive visual technique that produces realistic lighting and particle waves.
This is possible through an AI-assisted rendering process that produces real-life sunlight and light rays on images as well as real interactions between the light, reflections, and 3D models, all working simultaneously to produce almost realistic images.
The old process required the developers to practically simulate all visible lighting and shadow effects one at a time. The PS4 Pro doesn’t even have the power to simulate ray tracing on low settings.
The PS4 also offers players an 8K option and can implement 4K graphics with smoother frame rates and improved graphical fidelity. 8K resolutions may not be mainstream yet, but the fact that the PS5 can hit such impressive graphical resolutions is truly a testament to the amount of power the PlayStation 5 has.
As PlayStation has stated, it won’t be implemented until it is sent as a firmware update, so it doesn’t exist yet. If you don’t believe me, play Spiderman PS4 on both consoles and see the difference.
Which is More Powerful?
The PS5 is the more powerful of the two consoles. When you look at the specifications, we can see that PlayStation has significantly improved its performance. It has a more powerful CPU, overclocked at 3.5GHz, and the GPU is light years ahead of the PlayStation 4 Pro.
The GPU can hit an impressive 10.28 TFLOPS of computing power as compared to the 4.2 TFLOPS of power. However, it doesn’t stop there, as the PS5 also has 16GB of DDR6 RAM, whereas the PS4 Pro still has 8GB of DDR5 RAM.
The fact that the PS5 can implement ray tracing, particle effects, a superior power boost in graphics and frame rates, and 8K gaming should completely prove the PS5 is way more powerful than the PS4 Pro. The PS5 can outpace the PS4 Pro on several fronts, and the difference is only made wider when playing the same game on both consoles at 4K with no other effects like ray tracing and particle effects active.
The PlayStation 5 looks sharper and even more detailed than the PS4 Pro. It gets even better when the PS5 has particle effects and ray-tracing active. The competition is not even there anymore. However, the frame rates on any game take a slight dip when all effects are active, but that is a happy tradeoff for the graphical fidelity given in return.
What are the differences in pricing?
The price of the PS5 is still $500 for the disc drive model and $400 for the diskless model as of launch. According to a recent announcement from Sony about price increases, the PS5 is anticipated to cost between $100 and $150 more in the majority of countries outside the US.
That most people still find it difficult to purchase a Sony PlayStation 5 due to scalpers’ buying them all up and reselling them for twice as much doesn’t help. The cost of the PS4 Pro has also gone up; it is now listed on several storefronts for anywhere between $350-450.
Which Console is More User-friendly?
The PS5 has the best user interface I have ever seen. It is smoother and has way more accessibility options than the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro’s user interface feels very cluttered and clustered.
It is easy to use, but all the apps are clustered together instead of being separated, but you can put things into one folder. The PS5 has a button to switch between specific sets of apps, which makes switching between media and gaming apps much easier on the PS5.
Which Has More Features?
The PS5 has a lot more features than the PS4 Pro. While the PS4 Pro can play games in 4K, the PS5 can run games in 8K. It also has a Blu-ray optical drive, which was a welcomed addition since the PS4 Pro did not have it. It was good to see. Another fantastic addition to the PS5’s feature set is the controller’s haptic feedback.
The Sony PlayStation 5 can also implement ray tracing and particle effects for improved graphical fidelity. It also has faster load times than the PS4 Pro. The PS5 is the far superior console when it comes to features and performance.
Conclusion
Telling the difference between the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro and the PlayStation 5 should be very simple. The PS5 has more features; it is more powerful, and, at least to me, it looks way better than the PS4 Pro. I enjoy the design’s absurd and ridiculous aesthetic; to me, it screams next-gen gaming.
There is a reason why they call it next-gen gaming, and the PlayStation 5 is truly the epitome of what it means to be a next-gen console. I feel the PS4 Pro was a solid console back then, but when compared to its big brother, the PS4 Pro looks a bit dated and should be considered the inferior console. I hope you found this article helpful in choosing which console you want to buy. Thanks for reading.
Image Gallery – The Difference Between the PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5
References: Sony Playstation.
