The PS4 Slim was first announced in a New York event early this month and it is now out in the market. Together with the high-end PS4 Pro, it purportedly embodies Sony's vision for the future of gaming. As more information emerges, we have collected what the gaming world has to say regarding the Slim's design, features and performance to determine whether that is really the case.
Design
In terms of design, the reviews have been mixed so far. Pocket-lint, for instance, noted that it is analogous to subjecting PS4 to an Atkins diet. It went to say that the change led the console to look a tad cheaper. Digital Trends opted to take the more functional approach to its evaluation, citing that the PS4 Slim constitutes just over two-thirds of the PS4's size and considerably lighter with its 4.6-pound weight. Its review with respect to the aesthetics is also quite favorable citing that the changes made the console more fun.
"While each change feels slight individually, together they make the PS4 feel less self-serious than the original model," Digital Trends' Mike Epstein said. "You get the sense that this product, while a substantial piece of technology, is meant for play, not business."
Features
In terms of features, the consensus is that it is the same as the original PS4.
"It has no new features that haven't also come to the original PS4 via software," according to IGN. Folks at Metro also held the same view, arguing that while there are minor improvements, it is not superior to the original version and mostly dominated by same specifications under the hood.
"The most important elements — its processing power, the feel of its controller in your hand, the library of games available on the PlayStation Store — have not changed," Epstein stressed.
Performance
Given that PS4 Slim has roughly the same hardware specifications, reviewers argue that users should expect no performance boost. IGN stressed this issue as it exhorted current PS4 owners that there are no big reasons to trade their consoles. Digital Trends, with its more favorable take on the Slim, also agreed.
"While it looks nice, and may be better at connecting to the internet, there's a good chance that whatever you've been doing since you bought the first PS4 has been working fine," Digital Trends explained.
Conclusion
It is clear that if you already own a PS4, there is really no compelling reason to buy the PS4 Slim except if you really want a smaller form factor. The story is, of course, different if you own an older console model. The Slim promises to work as hard as the original PS4 but it will do so with significantly trimmed aesthetics and the same $299.99 price.
