The decline of PS4: Why this console stuck around for so long

Why isn’t Assassin's Creed Shadows coming to PS4?

Back in 2022, Ubisoft announced that Shadows wouldn’t be released on previous-gen consoles. “Starting with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, games will be built specifically for current-gen consoles; the extra time in between allows the development teams to improve their Anvil engine to deliver a more polished experience”, the company said.

Shadows promises some great new features like changing seasons and dynamic weather that’ll be hard to realise when you also need to consider the limits of older consoles. The decision to switch to current-gen consoles allows the developers to focus on optimising gameplay possibilities.

The death of PS4

The PS4 was released in 2013, which means it lasted for nearly 12 years! Way longer than the usual lifespan of a gaming console, which is between 5 and 8 years. During all this time, it didn’t really lose its popularity. In May 2024, PlayStation reported that of its 118 million user base, almost 60 million players were still using the PS4. But with Assassin’s Creed Shadows and other big upcoming games like GTA 6 confirming that they’re not coming to the PS4, it seems like this console is nearing the end of its life. Will this player base make the switch to PS5?

The long run of the PS4

What made the PS4 so special? We think the success of the PlayStation 4 is mostly due to 3 reasons: the popularity of free-to-play live-service games, the difficult launch of the PS5, and the great library of games on the PS4 (and lack thereof on the PS5).

1. The rise of free-to-play live-service games

A big part in the long lifecycle of the PS4 is also due to the rise of free-to-play live-service games like Fortnite and Warzone. The former came out in 2017, which was right in the sweet spot for the PS4. By then, most people left the PS3 behind, but the PS5 had not come out yet. Lots of people got familiar with these games on the PS4, and they’re still very well-supported on this console. Players who are really into these titles might not see the need to switch to a PS5.

2. The difficult launch of the PS5

In 2020 PlayStation launched their brand-new console, but things did not go very smoothly. First of all, the PS5 was released amidst the pandemic when everything and everyone was going into lockdown. On the one hand, the new console might be great for people stuck at home looking for something to do, but it also complicated the manufacturing process. 

However, that wasn’t the only issue PlayStation ran into. There was also a shortage of the vital chip necessary for this new console. All this led to PlayStation not being able to keep up with the demand for the PS5 and resulted in a shortage for the console.

Lots of players couldn’t get their hands on a PS5 when it first released and therefore put more effort into upgrading their PS4. This also meant that developers working on new games had to keep the previous console in the loop, because they knew most gamers didn’t switch to a PlayStation 5 yet. 

3. The great PS4 library 

Due to the PS5 shortage, more people played on the PS4, which meant gaming companies kept releasing titles for this console. AAA titles like The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok and Resident Evil 4 that perhaps would’ve carried the PS5, also run great on a PS4. Combined with an already impressive library featuring titles like Spider-Man, Death Stranding, and Ghost of Tsushima, the PS4 boasts an outstanding collection of games.

On the other hand, the PlayStation 5 truly outstanding exclusives, since released on this console, can also be played on the PS4 (albeit with an upgrade). This could start to change with big titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows not releasing on the PS4.

When is PS6 coming?

So, where’s this all going? Perhaps players that are still on the PS4 will skip the PS5 console altogether. Especially since the PS6 might not be that far away. If PlayStation follows the same release cycle from previous generations, we may see a next-gen console within 2 or 3 years. Does that mean it’s too late for the PS5? With titles like Assassin’s Creed and GTA 6 making their way to the PS5, we might see this console live up to its full potential soon. Hopefully, some groundbreaking titles are on the horizon that fully harness the power of the PS5.

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