According to an analysis video by Digital Foundry, the results are mixed but show some real promise.
What you may not have heard of however, is the PS4 Pro Boost Mode – a setting designed to improve the performance of all games available on the system and not restricted to just the ones that received a patch for the upgraded console. If you're a PlayStation fan, chances are you've heard about the changes that the PS4 Pro is bringing to the gaming experience. We've compared the PS4 and PS5 in more detail if you need help making that decision.The new PS4 Pro Boost Mode claims to be able to improve performance of all older, non-patched games on the system. In the meantime, you might consider trying a few games using PS Now on your PC. It doesn't make much sense to spend $300 on a PS4 now, only to spend $500 on a PS5 shortly after. If you see yourself buying a PS5 in the next year, we'd recommend waiting for that instead. But you're mostly buying access to older titles with the PS4, as few new games will launch over the next year or two.
Plus, you can take most of your games with you when you upgrade to a PS5 (either through backward compatibility or free upgrade offers). With a PS4, you can still enjoy cross-play with PS5 players in many games. Consider buying a second-hand model from a reputable seller to bring the cost down (which will soon be your only option anyway). The PS4 Pro is more future-proofed, but since its price is close to a PS5, we'd recommend sticking to a PS4 Slim if you do buy a PS4. If you want to play a lot of titles that are only available on PS4 and you don't have another game console, then the PS4 is still a decent buy. Looking at all these considerations, is the PS4 worth buying in late 2021? Probably not, but it depends on your situation. For example, 2015's Call of Duty: Black Ops III was the last Call of Duty title released for the system, though it was a watered-down version with no campaign mode. It received cross-generation titles until the end of its life.
The PlayStation 3 was released in 2006 and discontinued in 2016 in North America. A discontinued console will soon stop receiving games, and Sony likely won't offer hardware support for it much longer either.īut if you do get a PS4 in 2021, how long should you expect game support to last? To estimate, we can look back at the last console generation. Sony dropping support for the console is a sign that you probably shouldn't buy it. Once the existing supply dries up, it will be difficult to find one, and you'll likely have to pay more for it. This means that if you want to buy a new PS4, you should do so quickly. This was unexpected, since the company had earlier claimed it would support the PS4 for several more years.
In January 2021, Sony Japan confirmed that it was ceasing production of almost all PS4 models. And if you're mostly interested in multiplatform games, a PS4 doesn't offer the best value (more on this below).
So if you already have a PC and just want to try a few exclusive games, a PS4 might not be worth it for you. Additionally, PlayStation Now is available on PC, allowing you to stream many top PS4 (and earlier) titles to your computer, as long as you have a decent PC and internet connection. A few games that were once exclusive to the PS4, such as Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War, are now available on PC via Steam. If you need more space on your PS5, you can run PS4 games via an external USB drive or an M.2 SSD, but both of these incur an additional cost.Īs it turns out, PlayStation consoles aren't the only place to play PlayStation titles. Just keep in mind that the PS5 comes with a limited 825GB of storage, so those PS4 games will add up quickly. PS4 games run faster on PS5, thanks to its built-in SSD.
Related: What Is PlayStation Plus and What Are the Benefits? But if you want to play a lot of these titles, waiting for a PS5 and subscribing to Plus is more cost-effective than getting a PS4 and buying them individually. PlayStation Plus costs $60 per year, making it an additional cost to consider.