A few months back, rumors swirled that Sony had been working on a so-called PlayStation 4.5 — Codename: Neo. And three years after first unveiling the Sony PlayStation 4, two new versions of the current generation console were revealed on September 7. The PlayStation 4 Neo, now known as the PlayStation 4 Pro, that has a faster processor, better graphics, and support for 4K resolution and a slimmer version of the console: The New PlayStation 4 aka the PlayStation 4 Slim. With the PlayStation 4 Pro’s release on the horizon, should PlayStation 4 owners trade in their current units to free up a bit of shelf space?
Read: Sony’s 4K-capable Playstation Pro Now Official
Read: Sony’s PS4 Slim Hits Stores On September With $300 Price Tag
Slimmer Bod, Better Cooling
If you’ve watched our Unboxing video for the New PlayStation 4, you can definitely tell the drastic change in its dimensions; the biggest and most telling being its height.The previous release of the console came in at 275 x 53 x 305 mm and weighed in at 2.8 kg. While the new slimmer version  of the PlayStation 4 comes in at 265 x 39 x 275 mm with a weight of 2.1 kg. In reality it’s not going to free up a ton of space on your desk, but the lower profile means that it has more headroom if you want to tuck it under a monitor riser.
Despite its smaller frame, a handful of YouTubers we follow have confirmed that it runs a few degrees cooler than the older model; meaning you can worry a little less about marathon gaming sessions that will go with less annoying fan noise as well.
There are, of course, a few changes to its layout as well. Gone is the removable plate to access the unit’s HDD, instead there’s now a bit of plastic that you can pop off to access the HDD tray for future upgrades.
Sony has, finally, changed up the layout of the units power and eject button. The first release of the PS4 had touch-sensitive buttons that were prone to unwanted power ups if you brushed along side it and even had well-documented cases of having an auto-eject issue. This was solved by the release prior to the slim that changed it to physical buttons, but you still had to be careful if you had to give the console a wipe down. The PS4 Slim now has the power button and eject button, also now differentiated in size, tucked away in its recess right by the blu-ray drive.
One thing that will be missed by audiophiles is the port for optical audio. If you’ve invested in a good audio system to enjoy your games more, you’re going to have to find a different way to hook up your console to your sweet rig.
There’s a slight change to the DualShock 4 Controller. The buttons now have a nice matte feel to them. The touch pad has also been made translucent for a bit of the new light bar under it to shine through. We imagine that this will soon be used for future titles as an option.
Trade-In Your Older Model? Or wait for the Pro?
Short answer: Wait for the Pro. Sony has gone on record to say that the slim model isn’t a replacement for older version of the current gen console and, honestly, we agree. It definitely looks a lot nicer than the previous model, but since it only runs 2 to 3 degrees cooler it really isn’t worth the upgrade. In fact, if you’re planning to buy a PlayStation 4 for the first first time, you may even want to wait for the release of the PlayStation 4 Pro.
The 500GB version of the New PlayStation 4 has an SRP of PHP 17,300, the 1TB version at PHP 18,900 (SRP from Sony Philippines), and the price given for the PlayStation 4 Pro at its unveiling was $399.99, or roughly around PHP 19,352; which will be adjusted when it lands on Philippine shores. Even with the bump up in price, it makes more sense to pony up for the Pro version given the bigger bump in performance. So unless you’re tied to a tight budget, you may want to wait and see if the PlayStation 4 Pro is deserving of all the hype it’s getting before making your purchase.
Read:Â Datablitz Starts Selling New Sony PlayStation 4 Slim, Prices Start At Php 16,995
