Sony has finally confirmed six month old rumors that they are releasing an upgraded version of their popular PlayStation 4 console. Dubbed the PS4 Pro, the more powerful hardware will be out November 10 at the attractive price of $399. While it’s good to see Sony taking the proactive step of upgrading their popular PlayStation 4 console and firmly jumping into the world of 4K gaming, based on what’s been shown so far, the PS4 Pro is a largely pointless upgrade that Sony will have a hard time convincing consumers to buy. Many were hoping that Sony would introduce some surprising new features beyond 4K and HDR (High Dynamic Range) capabilities, but it appears that the PS4 Pro is little more than a stopgap solution to a problem nobody had. Will the PS4 Pro objectively be the most full-featured console on the market when it’s released in November? Undoubtedly. Is it worth a purchase? It sure doesn’t seem like it.
Here’s why the PS4 Pro is a totally unnecessary upgrade.
10. Sony Already Has A Huge Lead
Although it certainly makes sense that Sony would want the PS4 to be able to output games in 4K resolution — since that is where the market is headed — the current PS4 model’s lack of 4K support doesn’t feel like a significant enough reason to launch a whole new product, especially when the PS4 still holds a commanding lead over the Xbox One. Sure, the release of the Xbox One S has helped Microsoft gain some ground on Sony, but isn’t that why Sony is coming out with the PS4 Slim? If the Pro wasn’t coming out in November and all Sony had was the Slim, it would almost surely be enough to help reinvigorate console sales, especially leading into the holiday season.
Sony should have taken a page out of Microsoft’s book and waited to release an upgraded PS4 that actually justifies its existence because now they’re taking a risk that consumers will either be turned off by the confusing messaging surrounding the PS4 Pro and opt for the Xbox One S instead, or just ignore the Pro completely and go for the PS4 Slim. There’s simply no need for Sony to take a gamble like this when they’ve had so much success with the PS4 already, but we’ll have to wait for the dust to settle on this holiday season to see whether or not they made the right call with introducing the Pro.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/12/20/the-christmas-question-ps4-or-xbox-one/#357a595939e1 Via Forbes.com