The stuff Hacker News actually recommends.

Consoles and handhelds · Sony PlayStation

Sony PlayStation PS4 Pro

7owners with an opinion
43%of verdicts positive
3/4positive/negative since 2024
0happy after 3+ years

Praised for reliability and ease of use; criticized for performance and noise.

What owners wrote

Likes it
For context, I purchased physical PS4 copies of: RDR2, GTA5, Fortnight, and 2077 – for about Steam's online price for just RDR2 – all "used," from Game$top . They play perfectly, hopefully forever ... Steam is the entire reason I even bought an offline PS4Pro in the first place! . Years ago, they required an update from Win7 to Win10 (in order to keep playing my therapeutic GTA5, which for some reason required an online connection for single player gameplay?!?!). After some rageful months without Trevor'ing, I bought my first-ever gaming console – love it. Stays offline, just in case Sony wants to brick my PS4, too (fucking hypothetical corporate bullies!) ... Imagine a day where Sony drives around with trucks broadcasting WiFi signals instructing rogue, ostensibly-"offline" PS5s to self-destruct, via backdoor GHz ... ---- Welcome to /hn/ – I've appreciated many of your varied contributions (keep it up!).
Neutral
I have a PS4pro; technically I also already own a PS5 (kid-brother arrangement; not currently in my possession). When he gets his PS6, I'll get my PS5 back... then still keep the PS4 (always been offline: RDR2; GTA5; &c). If Sony doesn't offer GTA6 on disc, offline: I'll sell the PS5, too. I just got a 5070Ti, so it's probably back to PC-MasterRace I'll go... Reasons like this [Sony's 2028 disc-stop] are exactly why I won't be purchasing a PS6 . At least (in Sony's defense) they're telling us oldtimers about this now , as opposed to on the day of [stopping disc retail sales] .
Likes it
I don’t see what the point is for consoles that aren’t PCs. Pair an XBOX ONE controller with a decent PC and install Steam and it is not the sweaty experience that PC gaming was in the 1990s, but a lean-back “just works” experience, you can play the same games with the same controller. Instead of waiting for the upgrade cycle you can get the latest hardware from AMD, Intel or even Apple. If you want to spend more and get a top flight graphics card you can get high frame rates at 4k. And it’s a PC, you can hook up a keyboard and a mouse and do all your PC stuff too so it better justifies the price. The PS5 has sold a respectable number of units but when I needed a mostly media box to sit next to a TV I got a used PS4 Pro because the PS5 was much more expensive, I have Steam on a few machines. There are only 15 exclusives for the PS 5, one is a remake of my favorite game from the early 2010s but that’s not worth it to me. Microsoft should come out with XBOX gaming PCs, whether it is own-brand like the Surface or are licensed through partners like ASUS and Dell.
Doesn’t like it
Yup, my AppleTV is the only device that gets CEC right. Even my LG TV and LG soundbar get confused. And don’t get me started on the PS4 Pro’s garbage implementation. I’m sad that Logitech killed Harmony because CEC was supposed to make universal remotes obsolete — they’re still the only way my full home theater can function without juggling a dozen remotes.
Likes it
As a Plex user I'd recommend a used last-gen game console as a TV source. In my AV room upstairs I've had an XBOX ONE S for a long time and more recently I got a PS4 Pro for the spare room downstairs -- both at Gamestop. I have some games for both of them but I am more likely to game on Steam, Steam Deck or mobile. Every Android-based media player I've had tried just plain sucks, the NVIDIA Shield wasn't too bad but at some point the controller quit charging. You can still get a game console with a built-in Blu-Ray player too and it's nice to have one box that does that as well as being an overpowered for streaming. I have a HDHomeRun hooked up to a small antenna pointed at Syracuse which does pretty well except for ABC, sometimes I think about going up on the roof and pointing the small one at Binghamton and pointing a large one at Syracuse but I am not watching as much OTA as I used to. It's nice though being able to watch OTA TV on either TV, any computer, tablets, phones, as well as the Plex Pass paying for the metadata for a really good DVR side-by-side with all my other media. As for TVs I go to the local reuse center and get what catches my eye, my "monitor" I am using right now is a curved Samsung 55 inch, I just brought home a plasma that was $45 because I always wanted a plasma. I went through a long phase where people just kept dropping off cheap TVs at my home, some of which I really appreciated (a Vizio that was beautifully value engineered) and some o…
Likes it
I would totally buy it, if it's not silly expensive. I am not a power gamer or whatever, at all. I absolutely do not want gaming mingled with my primary PC usage, work and stuff. For reasons of OS choice, data integrity, security and distraction management/work-play-separation. Can't over-emphasize the importance of this. But to me there is no question PC gaming is superior. However, I can't justify building a full-blown "gaming PC" just for gaming. Some years ago, I got a PS4 Pro just to satisfy my occasional gaming urge and I love the console form factor, no tweaking and press power to play ergonomics. I wish I could install some mods for old games, tho, and the PS4 library is super limited compared to Steam. I also feel sad, the PS lock-down means unnecessary hardware obsolescence. And I hate Sony's rent seeking for online services and would never buy PS Plus. I know quite a few people in my social sphere who are exactly in the same spot I am, who would love exactly what's shown with the Steam thingy. It will all depend on the price.
Doesn’t like it
> PS5 did not have any novel approach that was consequently adopted by others DualSense haptics are terrific, though the Switch kind of did them first with the Joy-Cons. I'd say haptics and adaptive triggers are two features that should become standard. Once you have them you never want to go back. PS5's fast SSD was a bit of a game changer in terms of load time and texture streaming, and everyone except Nintendo has gone for fast m.2/nvme storage. PS5 also finally delivered the full remote play experience that PS3 and PS4 had teased but not completed. Original PS5 also had superior thermals vs. PS4 pro, while PS5 pro does solid 4K gaming while costing less than most game PCs (and is still quieter than PS4 pro.) Fast loading, solid remote play, solid 4K, low-ish noise are all things I don't want to give up in any console or game PC. My favorite PS5 feature however is fast game updates (vs. PS4's interminable "copying" stage.) Switch and Switch 2 also seem to have fairly fast game updates, but slower flash storage.
Doesn’t like it
The Article forgot to mention that Counter Strike started as a Half Life Mod. And I remember friends playing UT mods more than the base game. I’m not very happy with gaming in 2025. I’m more a console gamer because the whole custom configuration to get the best FPS/visuals is distracting me from playing. I mean I’m the problem there. So I liked to stick to consoles with their easy setup. But with the PS4 Pro that changed. Now I had to choose again: Performance vs Visuals. My answer was always: I want both! I went back to a PC in 2020 and hated it. I spend an arm and leg for the parts and never had the feeling I got much out of the machine (that’s what you get if you try to build a workstation/gaming rig hybrid) So it’s mostly my fault why PC gaming sucks for me. But there is one huge reason why I went this route: Cost. I refuse to pay north of $3000 for a high end gaming rig to play games on it. Just that. I mean what else would a 3800/4800 do in my PC. And consoles? Well they’re heading the same way. I payed the 500 for the PS5 and also XBox Series X. Both together were cheaper as a GPU at the time. But the PS5 Pro feels like a ripoff. And I understand that I could built a more cost effective mid range PC that smokes these newer consoles. But my joy in gaming is not building the hardware or checking latest test on gamers nexus etc. I want to play games.