CONSOLE PS4 1To PRO G BLACK Review: a solid 4K-ready PS4 if you know what you’re buying

I’ve been using this PS4 Pro 1 To Black for a bit now, and I’ll be straight: it’s not the latest thing on the market, but it still does the job if you mainly want to play PS4 games in decent conditions. I came from a classic PS4 (the fat launch model), so I wasn’t expecting a revolution, just something a bit quieter and a bit smoother on a 4K TV. That’s more or less what I got.

The first thing I noticed when I plugged it in is the noise level. On my old PS4, as soon as a big game launched, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner. Here, the fan is clearly more controlled. It’s not totally silent, but compared to my previous console it’s a relief. One of the Amazon reviews said “Fan is so quiet”, and honestly, I agree: for a used or reconditioned PS4 Pro, it’s pretty solid on that point.

On the other hand, reading the other Amazon reviews, you can see the big catch with this product: a lot depends on where you buy it and in what condition. Several people mention missing power cables, no HDMI, controller issues, scratched shell, even a console that doesn’t boot because of the hard drive. So you’re not just judging the PS4 Pro as a machine, you’re also betting a bit on the seller’s seriousness and how carefully the console has been checked.

If you’re thinking about it in 2024, you’re probably hesitating with a PS5 or maybe an Xbox. In my opinion, this PS4 Pro still makes sense if you mainly want to catch up on the PS4 catalog, you’re on a budget, and you don’t care about the latest features. It’s not perfect, there’s some risk with used/warehouse units, but once you get a good one, it plays games smoothly and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

On value, it really depends on the price you find this PS4 Pro 1 To at and what you expect from it. The product has a 4/5 average rating on Amazon, which matches my feeling: it’s a solid console, but with a few annoyances. If you grab it at a good discount compared to a PS5, it can be a good deal to access the whole PS4 library, which is still huge and often cheaper now. For single‑player games and local multiplayer, it still does the job without any problem.

However, you have to factor in the potential hidden costs: maybe you’ll need to buy an HDMI cable, a power cable, or even another controller if the one included is in bad shape. Some warehouse deals look cheap on paper, but once you add missing parts and the time spent sorting out returns, the value drops. That’s why I’d say: if the price difference between this and a new or clearly refurbished console from a serious seller is small, I’d pay a bit more for peace of mind.

Compared to a PS5, obviously you don’t get the same performance, no ultra‑fast SSD, no new exclusives, but you also don’t pay the same price. If your budget is tight and you mostly want to catch up on PS4 hits, the PS4 Pro is still a reasonable compromise. It runs games better than the base PS4 and takes advantage of a 4K TV a bit, even if it’s not native 4K most of the time.

So, in terms of value, I’d call it "good but with conditions". Good if you: find it at a fair price, check the condition description, and are ready to test everything as soon as it arrives. Less good if you’re unlucky and get a half‑checked warehouse unit with missing parts. The console itself is fine for the money; it’s the variability of what you receive that makes the value a bit shaky.

The PS4 Pro design is not exactly fresh anymore, but it still looks decent next to a TV. It’s the version with three stacked layers, all matte black, with the PlayStation logo on top. Compared to my old fat PS4, it looks a bit more modern and less glossy, which I like because the glossy plastic on the first models got scratched and dusty really fast. Here the matte finish hides dust and fingerprints better, even if it’s not magic.

In terms of size, the product dimensions listed are 43.3 x 35.7 x 10.6 cm and around 1.42 kg, but that feels more like the boxed size. On the TV cabinet, it’s clearly bulkier than a PS4 Slim. You feel the extra thickness and width. If you already had a PS4 Slim tucked in a narrow spot, you’ll probably have to reorganize things a bit. For me, it still fit under the TV, but it takes up most of the shelf. It’s not very discreet, but once it’s in place, you don’t think about it much.

What I appreciate is the port layout: two USB ports on the front, one on the back, HDMI, Ethernet, power, optical audio (useful if you have an older sound system). Compared to the base PS4, having that extra USB at the back is handy for an external drive or a dongle you don’t want to see. The power and eject buttons are small but still usable. It’s not the most intuitive design ever, but you get used to it after a few days.

Visually, it’s not going to impress anyone in 2024, but it doesn’t look cheap either. It’s just a black box that does its job. If you like flashy RGB stuff, forget it. If you want something that blends in with your other gear, it works. My only real complaint: the corners and edges collect dust pretty fast, and if your unit is refurbished and not cleaned properly, you’ll see it right away in the gaps between the layers. That’s a good indicator of how seriously the refurb was done, by the way.

The console itself runs on mains power, so the "battery" topic is really about the DualShock 4 controller. Officially, the listing says "1 Lithium Polymer batteries required (included)", which is just the built‑in battery in the controller. That’s standard. On my side, the controller behaved like every other DualShock 4 I’ve owned: battery life is decent but not great. After a few evenings of 2–3 hours each, you start to see the low battery icon. If you’re used to controllers that last forever, this one will feel a bit weak.

In practice, I play with the controller wired most of the time, with the USB cable plugged into the front port. That way I don’t worry about the battery, and it charges while I play. The problem is that some buyers report that the USB cable is missing in the box, which is pretty annoying because you need it to pair and charge the controller. One review mentions “no controller cable, had to bring another one instead”. So again, the hardware itself is fine, but the way it’s delivered can cause hassle.

One thing I always do with a used or warehouse console: I fully charge the controller, then play until it dies to see how long it really lasts. If it’s dropping after 2–3 hours max, the battery is probably tired. On my unit, I get roughly 5–6 hours with vibration on and headphones sometimes plugged into the controller jack. It’s not great, not terrible, just standard for a DualShock 4 that hasn’t been abused.

If you plan long sessions, I’d say: keep a long USB cable handy or buy a second controller. Don’t expect miracles from the built‑in battery, especially on a console that’s already a few years old. The product page doesn’t say anything about the controller being new or refurbished, so you might get a controller that has already lived a bit. That’s something to keep in mind when you look at the price.

The packaging experience here is pretty basic. The official dimensions listed (43.3 x 35.7 x 10.6 cm, 1.42 kg) clearly refer to the boxed product, and you can feel that when it arrives: it’s a fairly big, light-ish box for what it is. In my case, the outer box from the seller was fine, no major damage, and inside the console box was a bit dented but still intact. Nothing alarming, but it doesn’t give the premium feeling of a brand‑new console either.

Several Amazon reviews highlight the weak spots: one mentions a “damaged box” but that was expected, another talks about manuals only in German and Italian, which is weird for a UK listing. It doesn’t change how the console runs, but it shows that the stock is probably mixed from different regions and not repackaged with much care. For someone who wants a clean, tidy product with proper documentation, that’s a bit sloppy.

The bigger issue is missing accessories. Some buyers report: no power cable, no HDMI, no USB cable. That’s not a small detail; without the power cable, you literally can’t use the console. In my case, everything was there, but I checked immediately because of those reviews. So if you buy this model, first thing you do when you open the box is take inventory: console, controller, power cable, HDMI, USB. Don’t wait a week to notice that something’s missing.

Overall, the packaging gets the job done, but it doesn’t inspire much confidence. You feel like the priority is to move stock rather than to deliver a clean, well‑checked product. If you’re not picky and you’re ready to send it back if needed, it’s manageable. If you want a perfect unboxing and zero hassle, this listing is not ideal.

Durability is where things get a bit tricky with this product. The PS4 Pro itself is known to be pretty solid if it’s been treated normally: no crazy overheating, no cigarette smoke, no constant moving around. The shell is thick, the ports hold up well, and mine doesn’t have any play or weird noises. But the Amazon reviews for this particular listing show another side: a console that doesn’t boot because of a hard drive issue, missing power cable, scratched casing, dead controller. That screams poor quality control on some warehouse or "like new" units.

One buyer said it was "advertised as brand new condition with a damaged box" but clearly hadn’t been checked: faulty hard disk, missing power cable. Another one says "like new" but got a scratched console and a controller that didn’t work. That’s exactly the kind of stuff that makes you doubt how these units are inspected. The PS4 Pro itself isn’t the problem; it’s how it’s been handled before it reaches you.

In my case, the console arrived with some very light marks, but nothing dramatic. No big scratches, no cracks, all ports functional. After several long gaming sessions (3–4 hours in a row), no shutdowns, no error messages, no crazy fan spikes. So my unit seems healthy. Still, when you buy this model in 2024, you have to assume the console has already had a previous life, even if the seller calls it "like new" or "warehouse deal".

If you want to be safe long term, I’d say: as soon as you receive it, check everything the same day. Test the power cable, HDMI, USB ports, controller, disc drive if you still use discs. Look closely for deep scratches and signs of a fall. If something feels off, don’t hesitate to return it quickly. The PS4 Pro can last years, but only if you start with a unit that hasn’t been abused. The hardware is fine, but the variability between copies for this particular listing is clearly a weak point.

On the performance side, the PS4 Pro still has some life in it. The 1 TB hard drive is standard now, but it’s enough for a normal player. In my case, after installing a bunch of big titles (Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part II, a few Call of Duty and some indies), I hit the limit pretty fast and had to uninstall things. So 1 TB is okay, but don’t expect miracles, especially when some games eat 80–100 GB with updates.

Compared to my old base PS4, I noticed two main things: slightly shorter loading times on some games and more stable framerates in titles that support PS4 Pro enhancements. It’s not night and day, but on a 4K TV, games look sharper and sometimes smoother. Some games offer “Performance” vs “Resolution” modes. On performance mode, you feel fewer drops and less stutter. It’s still a PS4, not a PS5, so don’t expect ultra-fast loading or 60 fps everywhere, but for the PS4 library, it’s decent.

One user review mentioned a console that wouldn’t boot because of a faulty hard drive. That’s the risk with older hardware and especially warehouse stock. In my case, the console started without trouble, system update went fine, and games ran as expected. If you get one that crashes, doesn’t reset, or makes weird clicking noises, that’s a sign the drive or internals are damaged. Personally, if I bought a used PS4 Pro today, I’d test it hard in the first week: install several big games, play for a few hours in a row, and see if it freezes or overheats.

For online play and streaming, the Wi‑Fi is okay but not crazy. I still recommend plugging it in with an Ethernet cable if you can, especially for big downloads. But overall, for its age and price range, the performance is pretty solid for what it is: a last‑gen console that still runs big PS4 titles in good conditions, without the comfort of PS5 speed.

On paper, this product is a Sony PlayStation 4 Pro with a 1 TB hard drive, black color, Wi‑Fi, and it’s still officially rated for ages 3 and up. The model number listed is 152889, made in China, and it’s not marked as discontinued. The listing itself is pretty vague: outside of the basic description, there’s not much detail, which is a bit annoying in 2024 when you want to know exactly what version you’re buying (firmware, included accessories, etc.).

In theory, a new PS4 Pro package should include: the console, one DualShock 4 controller, HDMI cable, power cable, USB cable for the controller, and a basic headset. In practice, based on my unit and several Amazon reviews, the content of the box can vary a lot, especially if it’s Amazon Warehouse or "like new". Some users report:

• Missing power cable
• No HDMI cable
• No controller cable
• Damaged or foreign language manuals (German/Italian)

When I opened mine, the box was a bit tired but still closed properly. Inside, the console was wrapped in foam and plastic, the controller in a plastic bag, and all the cables were there. No fancy extras, no game bundled, nothing special. It’s the kind of package that says: "Here’s the console, you deal with the rest." For me that’s fine, but if you expect a nice unboxing experience, branded inserts, etc., this is pretty barebones.

Overall, I’d say the presentation is functional but not very reassuring. The product page doesn’t clearly say if it’s new, refurbished, or warehouse stock for every offer, and that’s where issues start. If you get a good copy, you plug it in and you’re playing in 10 minutes. If you get a bad one, you might be chasing missing parts or a faulty console. So the PS4 Pro itself is solid, but the way it’s sold and presented here is a bit messy.