Review round-up: The PlayStation 4 Pro delivers excellent visuals, better performance in games, and more, but is it worth the money?

Although it doesn't release until November 10th, some members of the press got their hands on Sony's upcoming controversial console, the PlayStation 4 Pro. The console has been criticised for being "unnecessary" and that it offers no real noticeable differences over the standard PS4, but that opinion is starting to shift.

The console had a rough reveal mostly due to the fact that no one really knew what the point of it was and there was some mixed messaging. Sure, the games on it look nice but is it worth dropping $400 on? Most reviewers tend to lean towards no if you already own a PS4 but the general consensus is, if you don't own one, this is the version you must purchase. While there's no way to really show readers the full potential of the console due to the fact you'd need some sort of 4K display and then you have to account for compression, most reviewers seem to be head over heels with the console.

You can read some excerpts from reviews below discussing how worthwhile it is but I highly recommend reading the entire review if you're on the verge of buying one. The reviews go through specs, the performance of individual games, and much more. They're very detailed and worth checking out.

GameSpot

"The PlayStation 4 Pro can indeed make games look better–that is, if they’re patched to take advantage of the extra processing power. From what I’ve seen thus far, it seems to offer better anti-aliasing, which makes the overall image look cleaner, and depending on the game, you occasionally get more vibrant, realistic colors.

Should you buy a PlayStation 4 Pro? If you have a 4K HDR TV and are looking to buy a console, I’d definitely recommend the PS4 Pro. Even if you have a 1080p TV and are looking to buy a PlayStation, I’d still lean more toward the Pro. Yes, it does cost $100 more than the Slim model, but you get more ports, twice the storage space, more future-proof hardware in the event that you ever decide to get a 4K TV, and some games can look slightly better at 1080p.

If you already have a PS4, however, I wouldn’t make the upgrade unless you have a 4K HDR TV and the extra cash lying around. Graphics enthusiasts may appreciate the improved anti-aliasing and more vibrant colors, but the differences likely won’t blow most people away."

Engadget

"So who is the PlayStation 4 Pro actually meant for? After testing it out for the past week, I'd say it's for people who haven't yet bought a PS4 and want to show off their fancy new 4K/HDR sets. And of course, there are the hardcore gamers who will snap up any piece of hardware that promises to be faster. Most consumers are better off waiting until more games get patched for the new system, and until Sony figures out its 4K media strategy."

CNET

"From what we can tell at this stage in the PS4 Pro's life cycle, only a very limited number of consumers should even consider buying one. If you already own a PS4, a recommendation is even harder to make.

If you own or plan to own a 4K HDR TV and don't yet own a PS4, the $100 on top of the standard PS4's US price is an easier pill to swallow.

You can obsess over resolution specs all you want, but the fact remains that we did not see a real world difference that blew us away. Of course, our sampling was only a slice of the games that will offer Pro enhancements out of the gate, so it's entirely possible that more noticeable improvements will come out down the road, especially with games that have been developed with the PS4 Pro in mind from the start."

Game Informer

"Neither the PS4 Pro or Xbox One S delivers a full 4K experience, and both have their own advantages and weaknesses. Pro is, however, the better option for games, and it looks like it is getting the support from developers and publishers to make it a sound investment if you greatly appreciate visuals in games. I have to stress the “greatly” here, as the enhancements, while apparent, are not a generational leap. In the larger picture, the PS4 Pro is a small step forward. It’s a nice step for people who have embraced the latest and greatest in display technology, but isn’t a difference maker in the world of games."

Eurogamer/Digital Foundry

"If you don't already own a PlayStation console and you're looking to invest, the Pro is a no-brainer. You're getting over twice the GPU power, a faster CPU, future-proofed display and streaming media support – and twice the hard drive space. The price-point is keen enough that it's going to take some seriously aggressive bundling deals to make the standard PlayStation 4 look appealing.

But if you already own a PS4, the choice of whether to upgrade is a tricky one. There are no system exclusives, the library is the same, and existing games will only run better if developers go back and patch them. If you own a 4K screen or are considering a purchase, the upgrade will be highly worthwhile, but what's clear is that there's little here likely to make your existing console obsolete. With an installed base rapidly approaching 50m users, that's probably a very good thing. But with that said, if you read Digital Foundry, if you appreciate image quality and performance as we do, it's really difficult to overlook the fact that there's a system out there that's better than what you have now – and if more titles follow the approach to enhancement seen in the likes of Rise of the Tomb Raider, PlayStation 4 Pro becomes an essential purchase."

USGamer

"The PlayStation 4 Pro is for those gamers who want just a little bit more performance from their games. It's the same folks who likely have gaming PCs, but realize that games like Uncharted 4, The Last of Us, and Horizon: Zero Dawn aren't ever making the jump to PC. The Pro is for the folks who quibble about things like checkerboard 4K not being real 4K or spend hours messing with color calibration. Those tweakers who hunt for the right presentation on PC. This is your option on home consoles.

Whether or not the Pro resonates with you depends on the type of gamer you are. I like the PlayStation 4 Pro and outside of this review unit, I will probably buy one at some point. That's the best recommendation I can make. "

Time

"Sony's $399 PlayStation 4 Pro is an achievement worth celebrating — but it's only worth it if you've got a 4K TV and demand the best graphics possible."