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Title: Engadget review recap: Two new Macs, the PS5 Pro and more

Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2024 15:00:04 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-reca...

Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the
month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile
reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from
Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet
another VR headset and more ereaders for the bookworms. Read on to catch up
on all of this week's reviews and for a tease of what's coming next.

Apple MacBook Pro (2024) review

Our Mac expert Devindra Hardawar had a busy week. Publishing four reviews in
total, he primarily focused on an Apple double dip. He put the new M4-powered
MacBook Pro through its paces in both 14- and 16-inch sizes. Unsurprisingly,
the new chips offer a speed boost, but there are also updates to the display,
webcam and battery life. Spec upgrades remain pricey, but if you opt for a
machine with M4 Pro or M4 Max power, you'll also gain Thunderbolt 5 support.

"If you're running an M1 MacBook Pro, or still trucking along with an Intel
model, you'll definitely see some notable performance gains from these
machines," he explained. "But if you've got an M2 or M3 MacBook Pro, the M4
hardware is less of a qualitative leap."

Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro, 2024) review

The second part of Devindra's double-header was the new Mac mini, which is
also now powered by Apple's M4 chips. You'll notice the biggest speed boost
with the M4 Pro here and 16GB RAM is now standard. Of course, a key change is
the smaller size, and the front-mounted USB-C and headphone ports will come
in handy.

"The Mac mini was the fastest computer I've reviewed this year, at least when
it comes to CPU benchmarks," he wrote. "I've grown used to being impressed by
Apple Silicon, but the M4 Pro in our review unit (which was also equipped
with 48GB of RAM) was still a bigger leap ahead than I expected."

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro review

Devindra also assisted senior gaming reporter Jessica Conditt with the highly
anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro review this week. It's no surprise the duo
confirmed that the PS5 Pro is the most powerful console ever, powered by a
faster GPU that unlocks 4K/60 fps action. There are new ray tracing features
too, and the console comes with a 2TB SSD. But, you'll pay a high price for
this one, and not every game has Pro-level enhancements for you to enjoy.

"There's no doubt that the PS5 Pro is a niche product, not an upgrade
targeted at all PS5 owners," they said. "It's meant for the Sony devotees who
want the absolute best PlayStation experience, and who will never upgrade to
a gaming PC."

HTC Vive Focus Vision review

Devindra finished up his marathon week with latest HTC Vive VR headset.
Unfortunately, great design is hampered by a high price, limited gaming
library and older components. Simply put, "it still delivers decent
standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses," he explained. "But for
a $999 headset, itΓÇÖs a shame HTC Vive didnΓÇÖt try harder to make the Focus
Vision stand out."

Kindle Paperwhite Signature (2024) review

Commerce editor Amy Skorheim reviewed both the new Kindle Paperwhite
Signature Edition and the new standard Kindle this week, pitting them against
each other in a direct face off. While the OG is still a workhorse, the more
premium option offers more features. But, as Amy found, you might not need
them.

"It comes down to whether you think a heightened experience will make you
read more," she said. "If so, then itΓÇÖs probably worth the price jump in
the long run. But if youΓÇÖre just looking for a no-frills way to read books,
go for the base Kindle."

The next round of reviews

I know I teased the Sonos Arc Ultra review for this week, but our audio
expert (hi!) needed a little more testing time with the soundbar. I doubly
promise that one is coming early next week for your Veterans Day reading. We
still have one new Mac on the horizon, and we're expecting to wrap up the
iMac (2024) review next week too. And there's yet another Amazon review
coming soon with the updated Fire HD 8.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-reca...
more-150004732.html?src=rss

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