PS4:Buying Guide

The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in Europe, South America and Australia, and on February 22, 2014 in Japan.

All PS4 models and revisions can be jailbroken, the only requirement being the firmware version. While PS4 model availability can vary from region to region, some models may have fewer internal issues.

PlayStation 4 / Original / Fat/Phat

 * The first model of the PS4, which had 3 revisions: CUH-10xxA, CUH-11xxA/B and CUH-12xxA/B. Being a first model, it is the least power efficient, least powerful and quite noisy.
 * All CUH-10xxA and CUH-11xxA/B models have a separate daughterboard tied to the Blu-Ray drive via a Renesas IC Chip. As a result, in a case of a faulty BD Drive, the user needs to order a replacement and desolder the Renesas IC chip from the original daughterboard to the new one. In case the chip and the BD drive is broken, the BD drive is forever unfixable.
 * If a BD Drive is broken, the PS4 cannot be updated because of a firmware update restriction enforced by Sony started with firmware version 4.00. On a exploited firmware, users may consult the noBD drive updater to another exploited firmware.
 * If a BD Drive, Renesas IC Chip and the HDD is faulty, the PS4 is permanently bricked! If you have these models and a dead BD Drive but a working HDD, be sure to backup your HDD by making a raw HDD clone immediately!
 * If you decide to buy the original PS4, be sure to look for CUH-12xxA/B revision, as that fixes the daughterboard brick, by containing a universal Plug-n-Play drive with KEM-496AAA laser. No daughterboard switch required.
 * A easy way to tell between CUH-12xxA/B models and the older ones is the HDD Bay Cover is matté on the new models, compared to the shiny ones on older.

Firmware guide for original PS4
'''Please note that this guide is meant for sealed/new/unopened PS4s! Finding these models used or refurbished will almost always mean it's going to be updated to the latest or close to the latest firmware! Make sure to ask the seller, if buying used, what firmware the PS4 is on before purchasing!''' The following table will show minimum and maximum firmware for each revision, do note the maximum is ONLY for sealed PS4s.

PlayStation 4 Slim

 * The second model of the PS4, which also had 3 revisions: CUH-20xxA/B, CUH-21xxA/B and CUH-22xxA/B. The Slim, as the name suggests, is a slimmer, smaller and lighter console, with improved power efficiency, improved Wi-Fi (supports 5GHz Wi-Fi) and quieter (especially the later revisions). It does not offer any performance boost compared to the original/fat PS4.
 * All Slim models don't have a daughterboard switch.
 * This model is what you should aim for, if you decide to go to the cheaper route.

Firmware guide for PS4 Slim
'''Please note that this guide is meant for sealed/new/unopened PS4s! Finding these models used or refurbished will almost always mean it's going to be updated to the latest or close to the latest firmware! Make sure to ask the seller, if buying used, what firmware the PS4 is on before purchasing!''' The following table will show minimum and maximum firmware for each revision, do note the maximum is ONLY for sealed PS4s.

PlayStation 4 Pro

 * The third model of the PS4, which also had 3 revisions: CUH-70xxB, CUH-71xxB and CUH-72xxB. The Pro, is a mid-cycle upgrade console to the original and slim PS4, offering a boost in performance by having a overclocked CPU, improved GPU, a extra 1GB of DDR3 RAM, 1 additional USB port, a higher HDMI specification, improved Bluetooth specification. This model works the best with PSVR.
 * All Pro models don't have a daughterboard switch.
 * This model is what you should aim for, if you decide get the most powerful PS4 and if you have a 4K TV/monitor and/or if you want the best experience with PSVR.
 * Try to aim for later revisions, as launch models are known to be VERY loud.
 * Mods such as 60FPS patches or resolution patches will work better on the PS4 Pro, thanks to its added power.

Firmware guide for PS4 Pro
'''Please note that this guide is meant for sealed/new/unopened PS4s! Finding these models used or refurbished will almost always mean it's going to be updated to the latest or close to the latest firmware! Make sure to ask the seller, if buying used, what firmware the PS4 is on before purchasing!''' The following table will show minimum and maximum firmware for each revision, do note the maximum is ONLY for sealed PS4s.

'''
 * '''All PS4 Pro models have been officially discontinued by Sony on January 5th, 2021, meaning if you decide to look for a sealed/new/unopened PS4 Pro all will be under firmware version 9.00!