GoPro Hero 4K 2024: Tech Review

GoPro's 2024 Hero, often referred to as Hero 4K in promotional materials, is the smallest and lightest camera they have released to date. But has too much been compromised to create this budget-friendly action cam?

In this tech review, we'll cover the Hero's form factor, controls and shooting modes, as well as the overall user experience so you can determine if this product is right for you.

Form Factor

The GoPro Hero measures 47.7 millimetres in height, 56.6 millimetres in width, and 29.4 millimetres in thickness, and weighs only 86 grams. This makes it barely noticeable when worn on a helmet or chest mount.

With a waterproof rating of up to 16 feet, the 2024 Hero is well-suited for water sports—no surprise coming from the biggest name in the action camera market. However, it's worth noting that this is lower than the 33-foot rating found on most of its previous higher-end models.

One notable sacrifice GoPro made to accommodate the compact size—and to save costs—was removing the forward-facing selfie camera. This makes the device less suitable for bloggers or users who want to film with a selfie stick. While this wasn't a major issue for me, it could be a deciding factor for some potential buyers.

The tiny 1.76-inch display is perfectly usable, even in bright light, and provides an accurate representation of the colours you'll see in your footage.

Controls, Shooting Modes, and Settings

The GoPro Hero is operated with two buttons: one that quickly starts recording and another for turning the device on and off. All other functions are controlled via the touchscreen or voice commands.

The Hero's focus on the beginner demographic is reflected in its menu system, which features only three shooting modes:

• 4K at 60 frames per second in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios

• Slow motion (50% speed)

• Photo mode

There's also an option for 1080p, which can be unlocked by using the camera in battery-saving mode.

The settings are quite limited: they include voice control (which I didn’t find particularly useful), screen lock, and orientation lock. Beyond that, there aren't many customisation options—no sharpening or bit rate controls, with the camera limited to 8-bit recording.

Experienced users might be disappointed by this lack of flexibility, especially if they're accustomed to higher-end models. Conversely, those seeking a simple, straightforward experience might find it perfectly sufficient.

Video Quality

The 2024 Hero features a 1/2.8-inch, 12-megapixel sensor, which is smaller and lower resolution than previous models that used a 1/1.9-inch, 27-megapixel sensor. This, coupled with the limited 8-bit video, results in footage that’s less impressive than many of its competitors.

On the plus side, the tall 4:3 aspect ratio makes the device more adaptable for multi-platform media. It provides plenty of height for cropped TikTok or Instagram stories while still maintaining a wide enough frame for YouTube. This versatility makes it appealing for social media use, where the smaller sensor's limitations are less noticeable.

A key point to note is the absence of in-body stabilisation. The footage must be stabilised in the Quick app, which significantly slows down the editing process—especially if you primarily edit on a PC or Mac, since GoPro discontinued support for their desktop software years ago.

Overall, I would say the footage produced by the GoPro Hero is just about okay. While it performs adequately, there is noticeable noise and reduced clarity, especially in low-light conditions. However, considering its price point, this is understandable.

Visit their website for a full list of specifications: Link

User Experience

The 2024 Hero came with a charging cable, mounting bracket, stickers, and easy-to-follow instructions.

The simplified menu system makes the GoPro Hero 4K accessible to users of all experience levels. Setup is straightforward, though I found the touchscreen occasionally a bit fiddly and not very responsive. Once everything is configured, you can rely on the physical buttons for operation.

Mounting the device is easy, with support for a wide variety of mounts—helmet, chest, necklace, selfie sticks, bike mounts, suction mounts, and more—this is one of GoPro’s strongest selling points.

GoPro states that the battery can last just over 90 minutes in 4K and up to 140 minutes in battery-saving mode. I found these advertised times to be accurate and sufficient for my use case. It’s a bit disappointing, though, that you can't swap out the battery for longer recording sessions. This may also reduce the lifespan of the device.

I personally found the camera particularly useful for filming POV shots for my YouTube channel. You can find the footage here: Link

App

The integrated Quik app is a key part of the user experience. It’s necessary for transferring stabilised files to your phone and offers some basic editing options, which can be handy for quick social media uploads.

Connecting to the app is usually a smooth experience, with a successful connection about nine out of ten times.

However, exporting videos to your phone—necessary for using the app’s stabilisation features—can be painfully slow. Saving high-quality videos can take hours, especially on non-high-end phones, making it almost impossible to work efficiently with 4K footage. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that GoPro discontinued support for their desktop processing/editing software years ago, forcing users to rely solely on mobile stabilisation, which is much less efficient.

Long recordings are split into eight-minute clips that need to be processed separately and then stitched together later on, adding further steps and processing time.

Because of these limitations, I couldn't recommend the 2024 Hero to buyers who primarily have a desktop workflow. While alternative stabilisation software exists, they still can't quite match GoPro’s own technology.

Uploading 1080p footage is quicker, but still painful. At least the middle-of-the-road video quality makes the difference in resolution a bit of a non-issue. Still, it’s frustrating that GoPro actively removes features from their ecosystem.

They offer a subscription service for automatic uploads and cloud storage, but I’m not interested in paying monthly fees.

Who Is This Device For?

GoPro clearly targets the budget-conscious and entry-level market with the 2024 Hero. It’s suitable for beginners who want to dip their toes into action cameras without too large of an investment.

Would I Recommend It?

I find it difficult to recommend the GoPro Hero 4K 2024 to anyone who wants to produce more than basic social media content. Its compact size is a major plus, and it works well for time-lapses. However, the lack of in-body stabilisation is a significant drawback.

Spending a little more on the higher-end numbers models—or even buying pre-owned—will generally provide much better value in the long run.