Will Ps4 Download In Background

TechRadar Verdict

An excellent all-round console with a fantastic catalog of AAA games, the slimmed down PS4 is meliorate in nearly every way compared to the original – disallowment one notable exception.

Pros

+
Great games
+
Good value
+
Improved ability efficiency
+
PS Plus nevertheless a great bargain
+
DualShock iv better than always

Cons

-
Optical audio removed
-
No 4K Blu-ray player

Right now, the 'PS4 Slim' is the PS4 panel that y'all'll pick upward make new. Information technology offers the same insides as the original 2013 PS4 but benefits from a sleeker blueprint. It's still a fantastic console – and we say that knowing full well what the premium capabilities of the 4K-enabled PS4 Pro and the new, ultra-powerful PS5 tin can do.

Many PS4 models have been discontinued since the launch of the PS5, only the PS4 Slim is still being stocked. Sony intends to continue production going across 2022, so you might merely find some very reasonably priced PS4 bundles in the sales. Of course, for the sake of hereafter-proofing and 4K gaming, you might actually be better off trying to become your hands on a PS5 packet.

As well as being the smallest PlayStation panel on the marketplace, the PS4 Slim is besides the almost affordable. At that place are compromises – there'due south no 4K resolution and no optical sound output – but if you can piece of work within those limitations, the PlayStation 4 Slim offers a lot of bang for your buck. PS4 Slim'southward meaty size makes it a better fit in nigh rooms. It'south quieter and uses less power than the original PS4, too.

With all this in mind, is the PlayStation 4 Slim still a console that's worth picking up or would those looking to game with Sony be better opting for a PS5? That console does offer a massive spring in power over the PS4 and, though there are shortages, it's going to be easier to find than the now discontinued mid-gen upgrade PS4 Pro.

Overall, the PS5 is the smart option to salvage for if y'all really want to future-proof for the adjacent few years of PlayStation games. Yes, plenty of the latest releases are existence released across the generations, so if you pick upward a PS4 yous won't immediately be left backside.

Still, yous might discover that some new games aren't quite up to scratch on the older hardware. Plus, the PS5 is backwards compatible with the best PS4 games, so y'all won't miss out on the back catalogue. if you're truly looking to weigh upwardly the best pick for you, nosotros've got you covered in our head-to-head guide: PS5 vs PS4: should you lot buy a PlayStation v in 2022?

If, however, you aren't all that interested in the latest hardware with its 4K bells and whistles and y'all just want a machine that'll help you take hold of upwardly with the PS4's fantastic library of games, so the PS4 Slim is an pick that might just suit you. Read on for more detailed thoughts on the panel.

Sony PS4 (Slim): quick questions answered

What's the divergence between the PS4 Slim and the PS4 Pro? The PS4 Slim is essentially a slimmer, cheaper and better-looking version of the original PS4. In contrast, the PS4 Pro is more premium and can play games in 4K

If you want to dig deeper into the differences between the ii PS4 consoles, and so check out our head-to-head guide: PS4 Pro vs PS4: what'southward the difference? Do exist aware, though, that the PS4 Pro is no longer widely available.

Is the PS4 Slim better than the PS4 Pro? When it comes to specs, no. It's the PS4 Pro that'due south the superior console. It offers you 'truthful' 4K gaming, which is difficult to become on other devices without compromising. It's too bulkier on the exterior and on the within, the GPU is a great deal faster. Although the CPU is architecturally similar, it's been clocked at a faster speed.

But that doesn't necessarily mean you should buy one. The PS4 Pro is better for those who want a premium gaming experience and take a 4K Tv set. If you don't have a 4K TV or money to spare, the PS4 Slim might exist better for you.

Is the PS4 Slim 4K? No information technology's not. Yous won't get 4K with the PS4 Slim, so if you lot're interested in 4K gaming and a 4K Blu-ray player, you'll demand to set your sights on the PS4 Pro or PS5 instead.

PS4 Slim: design

PS4 Slim review — Image credit: TechRadar

Cast your mind back to when the original PlayStation iv hit the scene, and you lot may think that its unconventional shape drew quite a bit of attention when it was showtime revealed. The slimmed downwardly PS4 that debuted in 2016 more-or-less retained the cadre visual identity of the beginning PlayStation 4, simply made the parallelogram package fifty-fifty more compact, smoothing off some of the edges.

The showtime PlayStation 4 measured 27.v x xxx x 5.iii cm, whereas the latest PS4 Slim cuts that downwards to 26.v x 26.five x 3.8 cm, roughly a 3rd smaller. The overall weight is comparably lighter besides.

The first PS4 mixed shiny and matte plastics, but the PS4 Slim extends the matte blackness finish all over the console. The peak-mounted colored light bar indicator – showing sleep, wake and off statuses – gets dropped in favor of small illuminated dots over the power button (which are actually harder to see, and then take care before unplugging the unit).

As before, the disk drive slot is a front-facing thing, to a higher place small power and squirt buttons. More contempo revisions of the PS4 also featured concrete buttons on the console, just the launch edition PS4 favored bear on-sensitive controls instead. 2 USB ports sit on the front end of the PlayStation 4 Slim, every bit was the case on before PS4 models, but they're now much further apart and slightly easier to plug into.

Both 500GB and 1TB versions of the PS4 Slim are available, though the quondam is much rarer. If you opt for the smaller of the two you might find your difficult drive fills up surprisingly rapidly with the console's reliance on mandatory game installs, but thankfully information technology's adequately easy to upgrade the internal hard drive or install games to an external difficult bulldoze.

Around the back is the ability plug socket (no need for an external power brick), a HDMI port, the PlayStation Camera'due south expansion port (essential for the PlayStation VR) and an Ethernet network jack socket.

The only major casualty of the slimmed-downwardly design is the Optical Out port on the rear: HDMI will conform the needs of many gamers for carrying audio signals, just the Optical Out port will be missed by those hooking upwards older home movie house receivers, or souped-upwardly gaming headsets.

The PS4 Slim has enough of nice design touches dotted around its chassis though. The iconic Foursquare, Triangle, Circumvolve and Cross symbols of the PlayStation brand are stamped into the side of the console (with the Circle acting as a fixture for those wishing to stand up the console upright with a base accessory).

The aforementioned symbols are constitute stuck to the bottom too, acting as feet to raise the machine off a surface for improved airflow. All in, it'southward a well-considered design, markedly justifying its "Slim" street name.

PS4 Slim: setup

Setting up the slim PlayStation 4 is very piece of cake – especially if you're upgrading from the original PS4 (or even a PS3), because y'all can utilize all the same cables, so no need to stretch behind your TV.

But plug in the included HDMI and ability cables and connect to the internet to download the panel'south various patches and updates. Alternatively, you're able to skip Wi-Fi or Ethernet altogether and simply popular in a game. Different the Xbox One, you can get to the homescreen without initially connecting to the web and patching get-go.

Once yous do connect to the cyberspace, you'll need to let the PS4 update earlier yous can make purchases from the store or play online.

PS4 Slim: media

Netflix — (Prototype credit: Shutterstock)

Since the very first PlayStation, Sony'southward abode consoles have led the charge when it comes to media playback support. The PS I made for a groovy CD player, the PS2 was many gamers' starting time DVD thespian, and the PS3 introduced a Blu-ray deck and USB playback.

The PS4, while not introducing a new format of its own, picked up the billy passed by the PS3, offer wide-ranging streaming service support, Blu-ray and DVD playback, USB media functionality and even banging out the tunes with its own Spotify histrion. That's been carried over to the PS4 Slim.

What the PS4 Slim doesn't exercise, however, is offer an answer to the Xbox 1 Due south's 4K Blu-ray player, instead sticking with the original PS4's standard total HD Blu-ray histrion. It'southward still a stiff deck, but anyone looking to show off their 4K TVs with the PS4 Slim volition be disappointed (and information technology'due south notably absent-minded from the PS4 Pro too).

You could contend that with streaming increasingly used to sentinel media content, it's not a desperately needed feature, peculiarly if it keeps the overall cost down. But it will age the PS4 Slim console, preventing it from existence fully time to come-proofed. What's perhaps more annoying is the consummate removal of the optical out audio socket, which could crusade headaches for those with older AV equipment.

However, ane upgrade that applies to the entire range of PS4s, the PS4 Slim included, is HDR support. This adds greater item to lite sources in an paradigm, and is pretty much a staple in TV tech these days.

All the other streaming services and apps featured on the PS4 return for the PS4 Slim, including (but not limited to) Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as BBC iPlayer and TV from Sky in the UK, and HBO Go and Hulu in the Usa.

Sony'south own movie rental platform is bachelor too if you're looking for the latest Hollywood releases. YouTube is here, as is Twitch game streaming, and a Spotify Connect-enabled version of the popular music streaming service, letting you control tunes on your tv from the comfort of your phone.

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Vic is TechRadar Gaming's Associate Editor. An accolade-winning games journalist, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer and more to the TechRadar tabular array. You may have fifty-fifty heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's too an gorging mental health abet who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to hash out mental health sensation. Make certain to follow her on Twitter for more than.