tl;dr We definitely need to get the word out to people who are buying new Pros to use ROTTR (Rise of the Tomb Raider) as a benchmark to test if you got a bad Pro or not.

I don't want to repeat what others have said about the system. It's awesome. If you are reading this, you probably already know if you want one or not. With "Boost Mode" (Firmware 4.5) incoming, it's almost a no-brainer for an avid gamer. What I do want to share is my experience to save as many headaches as possible.

I originally purchased a used PS4 Pro on Warehouse Deals and saved myself $60. Yay! Until I started playing. I soon discovered why it was used - It would crash all the time on Pro-patched games. So, back it went. I still wanted one and decided to buy new this time to avoid anymore hassle. I didn't want to risk losing my 1-year warranty either, which I would soon need.

Long story short, my next brand spanking new PS4 Pro started crashing as well. I was convinced it was software related and Sony just working the bugs out. Nope! After doing a lot of research, all the games that were crashing on me (Diablo 3 and ROTTR were the biggest culprits) were being played without hitch by most PS4 Pro owners. I was outside my return window so I had no choice but to send mine to Sony for repair. This was a hard decision as most games still ran just fine (including most PS4 Pro patched games - Skyrim SE, FFXV, AC Syndicate, Shadow of Mordor, Uncharted 4, etc), and I didn't want to replaced a perfectly working system with a refurbished one, but what choice was left? So many others were playing these games without crashing.

Well, I got my warranty repair back. Credit to Sony, they sent me a brand new one! Couldn't be happier about that, but the important thing - No more crashing on ROTTR, Diablo 3, or anything else! The fan sounded much quieter and less erratic as well. Without a doubt, the crashing was definitely hardware related as many people had suggested in forums. It happens, I understand. What is surprising to me is how many people this is happening to in the forums. I think most people are okay, but I wonder how many people have defective Pros and haven't realized it yet.

If I had to guess (and this is just pure speculation on my part) I would say the problem stems from a very large batch of bad PS4 Pro GPU's. Half of the GPU is always being used. The other half is completely dedicated to Pro-enhanced/patched games only to be used in tandem with the other half (which some games might not fully make use of). This explains why you can play plenty of 4k games without crashing.

Whatever the problem, it's definitely hardware related - A patch isn't going to fix it. I know no one wants to hear that their brand new console is defective, but if you are experiencing the same, it's true. Early adopter problems I guess. The good news is you can test to see if yours is defective. Very simply, if you have Rise of the Tomb Raider, play it the second you get your Pro. If you experience crashes, congratulations you won the lottery (you should experience crashes within 15 minutes if it is). Take it back immediately and replace it. If you are outside of your return period, you can still warranty replace it with Sony. If you have to use Sony's warranty repair, I will add they are excellent! It was very hassle free, and they straight-up sent me a new one.

For reference, below is my timeline for Playstation repair:

1/25/17: Requested Warranty Repair
1/30/17: Received Return Box and shipped
2/2/17: Delivered to Sony Repair in Laredo TX
2/8/17: Received an email stating my product was shipped
2/14/17: Received brand new PS4 Pro

After this experience, I'm definitely buying the PS4 Pro insurance if it becomes available (be aware the regular Playstation Protection Plan currently doesn't cover the Pro). Good luck, I hope this helps!!

Minor upgrade but worth it for the extra hard drive space the better WiFi antenna. If your hard-lined and have an external hard drive I wouldn't have done it

My new baby!!! So far I have no problems with it except that when I play Diablo 3 (it might be the game), the system gets really hot. I bought an external cooling fan, but it doesn't seem to help. It does have a graphic enhancement. I noticed the graphics are smoother and colors are vibrant. Good price and came on time in excellent condition.

I already loved my old PS4 but moving onto a pro made a huge difference on my 4k Hisense tv, the extra power the console has helps with more than just fps and 4k res, I have been able to process videos and trim faster for online sharing and posting as well. Overall it was a great upgrade from the PS4 slim for newer games and features. ( I don't have ps vr so no info there )

Worked like a charm, had no problems setting up to my LG he tv and no problems transferring all of my previous data from my old PS4 to it either.

upgraded my old PS4 and this is an awesome console with great games. It plays well on my Samsung 4K TV which is why i got the pro. no issue with this since launch. The graphics are another step up when games are enhanced to take advantage of the extra processor power.

PS4 Pro has had no issues since its arrival, and came with two free games as well! We were very surprised, and happy with this purchase. This console is used daily. Thank you!

The upscaling on the PlayStation 4 Pro is gorgeous. I have a 4K TV and the PlayStation really shines. The games that really shine are those that have HDR specially worked around the game. I had the vanilla Playstation 4, but with my 4K TV I wanted to use the HDR more. I also stream on Twitch so streaming 1080p is also nice. I think if you’re looking to upgrade from the originally PlayStation 4 I think it’s totally worth it. You get the bigger and beefer GPU it also come standard with a 1TB HDD (easily upgrade for all PS4s). It comes with the newest generation controllers which is a big plus for the usb playthrough. I love the matte finish on the Pro so you’re not just staring at nasty scratches on the gloss finish of the original.

With great positives always comes a negative. I do have some HDMI issues when upscaling (“4K”). The screen will randomly go black when playing games which is fine, but when you’re in an intense Fortnite battle it’s terrifying. I don’t like the power cord because it easily slips out - no big deal but if someone accidentally bumps it you’re in trouble. Those are the only two big issues or any issues I have experienced so far.

Overall I really enjoyed upgrading to the Pro and for those who are debating buying it, DO IT!