Sony Quietly Revs the PlayStation 4 Pro
- Paul Thurrott
- Nov 08, 2018
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Sony has quietly released a quieter new version of its PlayStation 4 Pro video game console. But there’s a catch: You can only obtain it as part of a single console bundle right now.
“This is quietest, most discreet Pro yet, completely banishing the ‘jet engine’ effect commonly associated with launch models,” The Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter explains. “The new design improves once again on the machine’s perennial noise problem.”
Sony launched the PS4 Pro in September 2016 alongside a cost-reduced version of the PlayStation 4. The PS4 Pro has always featured better performance, but it has since proven to be underpowered compared to the superior Xbox One X, which was released a year later.
Since then, Sony has quietly revved the PS4 Pro twice, but none of these releases have improved the performance or put the console on better footing against the Xbox One X.
Last year, it released a version with a different RAM cooling system that seemed to help a bit with the fan noise. But this most recent change is apparently more dramatic, according to The Digital Foundry. It uses a new and more efficient power supply and provides even better noise reduction.
The caveat is that the only way to acquire this new version of the PS4 Pro is to buy a Red Dead Redemption 2 Bundle, which is available in various forms (some with additional games). I assume it will become more broadly available as the current stock sells out.
You can learn more in this YouTube video by Digital Foundry.