GoPro HERO puts core features in a familiar package for $199

The new 2018 GoPro HERO

GoPro has been the go-to consumer-level action camera pretty much since the HERO2 launched in 2011. Other cameras have been around in the same time frame, but no brand has become synonymous with the term ‘action camera’ like GoPro.

Mind you, in recent times, as the HERO series has become smarter, sharper and gathered features, the prices have been creeping up. The current model HERO6 Black retails for $399, which is a fair chunk of change to stick on top of gear costs for your action sport of choice.

Hence this. Simply called the HERO, GoPro’s newest offering is a simple and capable action cam built to a price point of $199 in the United States. This replaces the previous HERO5 Session which had previously occupied the entry level price.

Max video quality is a very usable 1440p/60 fps (1920×1440), with 10-megapixel still shooting. It’s also got a two-inch touch display on the back, voice control to power on/off & start/stop recording, and Wifi to connect to your smartphone.

The GoPro HERO continues the same look as the current HERO6.

Out of the box without a cover, it’s waterproof to depths of up to 33ft, making it suitable for beach shenanigans and scuba diving. Naturally, it fits with the full range of GoPro mount accessories.

If you want full 4K video, slow motion and the very best imaging available at this point, you’ll still have to step up to the HERO6 (or at least the HERO5). But at around half the price, the new HERO will likely be more than adequate for the vast majority of non-professional users – and you can spend that spare couple of hundred on another skydive, shark wrestle, or whatever the heck is it you’re doing.

Check out GoPro’s release video for the HERO below.