Earlier this year, Microsoft shuttered production of the Xbox One, leading to questions about what Sony was going to do with their own entry in the 8th console generation. Since the PlayStation 4’s launch on November 15, 2013, it’s been a huge success for Sony. The console has sold more than 116 million units as of July 2021. That kind of staying power is kind of uncommon among gaming consoles, putting the PS4 into the slot of the 4th best-selling game console ever.
Sony did previously announce that the PS4 would remain in production for some time. But it would seem that the console giant is retracting a bit on that. This would likely be in a bit of a departure compared to previous generations. In 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment President Ken Kutaragi stated their intentions for the PS3 to last a decade. We will likely see a similar trend with the PS4, but not further beyond that.
When will the PS4 retire?
Though the PlayStation 4 will remain on the market for a bit longer, there are signs of trouble brewing. Sony has already revealed that things are not all rosy for the PlayStation 5’s older brother. While we don’t have confirmation of an end-of-life date for the console, it can’t be too far off. Eventually, the PS4 will be phased out over the next couple of years as AAA titles have to switch to the current-gen, avoiding being hamstrung by older hardware.
This year, Sony confirmed that no first-party games will release on the PS4 in 2025. That would mean that 2023-2024 would be the last year that we see much support for the console. Sony will likely continue to support repairs for a short time, but maybe not much longer. The supply chain issues that have negatively affected all current-gen consoles have forced both Sony and Microsoft to adjust their production to focus on their newer hardware.
The outcome is likely that the focus on the PS4 just isn’t profitable enough to support much longer. Sony has made it clear that they wish users to purchase PS5s instead. Obviously, older consoles like the PS3 and PS VIta have gone the way of the dodo. The company previously announced that they were ending production on certain PS4 consoles last year.
