11 years after launch, 49M people still use their PS4s, matching the PS5

Hey, if it ain't broke...

Is the new CFB game going to be released on PS4? I still have mine, but I’ve switched to PC gaming the last couple of years. But NCAA 25 isn’t going to be released on PC right away, and I heard GTA6 was going to be the same. Those games are probably what get me to finally upgrade to the PS5
- My buddy is a big CFB guy and was complaining he’d have to buy a new gen console to play it

high price, availability issues, no games...

And a disappointing slim model too... (I was waiting for the slim one).
- whats wrong with the slim version?

as other's have said, console makes pretty good all purpose media center unless you are a high end electronic waste snob.

The article states that the PS5 is responsible for significantly more gaming hours, so a large number of PS4 users are likely mainly using their device for streaming or similar. Hell, I still have my PS2 and 3 in my closet since they're my only dvd and blu ray players.

the PS5 also has reletively low game ownership rate, so the hours on PS5 are either games given for free/part of subscription, or free to play.
- No wonder either, there are strangely few games meant just for the new system, and it's been out for several years.
- I have yet to buy a PS5 because there isn’t a game I want yet. Also, Sony tends to release improved consoles with lower price points and smaller footprints after a few years.
- For some reason that doesn't surprise me. When I got a PS4 there were like at least 10 exclusives I wanted. This gen seems it's mostly remasters and remakes. So ignoring that Sony games come to PC now it doesn't even meet my criteria of number of exclusives to justify picking one up.

If any of you guys have a PS4 lying around gathering dust, consider jailbreaking it. Depending on the firmware, it is pretty easy to do and opens up a lot of possibilities. Surely better than being neglected :)

Edit: Firmwares up to 11.00 are jailbreakable as of recently. 11.00 is from around late 2022, so if you have a console that hasn't been in use since then, there's a good chance you can jailbreak it. Base model, Slim, or Pro - doesn't matter

What kind of possibilities?
- Well, obviously piracy if you're into that. Apart from that, using cheats for games, dumping your physical games and having a permanent copy you can use without the CD and an active license (probably possible with a digital game too I assume? not sure), applying patches like a 60fps patch for Bloodborne, emulation of PS1, PS2, PSP and a bunch of other consoles etc etc.
  
  Running Linux if you're that kind of person :P
Best uses of a jailbroken one?
- Well, obviously piracy if you're into that. Apart from that, using cheats for games, dumping your physical games and having a permanent copy you can use without the CD and an active license (probably possible with a digital game too I assume? not sure), applying patches like a 60fps patch for Bloodborne, emulation of PS1, PS2, PSP and a bunch of other consoles etc etc.
  
  Running Linux if you're that kind of person :P
- Bloodborne 60fps
It requires an old-as-hell 9.0 firmware or below, right?
- Actually not anymore. There's been a recent breakthrough that led to a new exploit up to 11.00 being possible now. 11.00 is from, like, late 2022 I think? Obviously not an option if your PS4 has been in regular use recently, but I lucked out and got an 11.00 console from a friend of mine who hadn't been using the PS4 for a while.
  
  If you're on a newer firmware, there is no way of reverting back to 11.00, unfortunately, unless you're up for some soldering.

It feels weird to phrase it like this. I didn't buy my PS4 11 years ago. I bought it 5 years ago.

I use mine to stream TV shows 🤣

I just recently bought a PS4 for $150. So being able to play most modern games (with the exception of any new games 2025 or later) is a pretty good deal :)

Yeah, I'm planning to get a PS4 or maybe PS4 Pro as well. It's a great deal considering the large library of games, many of which can be bought physically for relatively cheap.

There's only a handful of games who really need the PS5, no surprise.

I'm over here in the corner enjoying the metal gear collection on my PS3

Why oh why is MGS4 the only one not on any other system? It can't even be streamed on PS4 or 5. 😩
- iirc it's a "fault" of the PS3 architecture which makes it practically impossible to emulate. We'll have to see if the second part of the remastered MSG collection will eventually port it.

Something to keep in mind: Official support for the PS2 was only 12 years. The PS4 is now at 11 years.
It will most likely have a longer officially supported life than the PS2.

It's definitely easier to have that degree of support when you've got a common architecture now. There has never been a console generation before this where you had literal years of overlap with games releasing on previous and current gen, because it didn't require much extra work to maintain additional versions. They were already doing that with the "Pro" consoles before anyways.

Hell, PS4 players are even still going to get the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring in a few weeks.

I use both. I have the PS5 upstairs, and the PS4 down in the family room. I can remote play the PS5 from downstairs, which is nice. And the PS Portal is nice when I'm taking a sh....

I sure do. A lot of it is Beat Saber, but it is quite a lot.

I'll get a PS5 in like, 4 years. Maybe. If I find something I absolutely need on it.

I really don’t regret buying my ps5, but I could totally still be on ps4 as I’m mostly playing games from the previous generation or available on it.

But at one point, there’ll be quite a few games which wouldn’t be able to run on ps4. The question is when.

I also feel like we don’t need to have more beautiful games than Last of Us 2, so I hope one day we’ll stop focusing so much on better looking games.

I also feel like we don’t need to have more beautiful games than Last of Us 2

Remember when FarCry was released, and people were compairing the ingame screenshots with real photos? We all thought "Man, this is it. It can't get any better than this".
- I remember feeling this way about the cut scenes in Dante's Inferno on Xb360.
- Well I’m not against games becoming more impressive visually per se, but against the fact that because of this games are becoming way more expensive to produce and companies are now risk averse.
  
  But yeah I might have said « this is it » in front of quite a few games 😅
- I certainly did that with Gran Turismo 6 on the PS3
GTA 6 is looking to be the first title that will need the newer hardware. That's all I can think of off top.
- Yeah probably. Cyberpunk was another example even if it came way earlier in the lifecycle.

Been horsing around in rdr2 for the last couple years here. No real need to up it

I don't support a company that decided to increase price instead of reducing it. Also PS games are expensive. Then there was also non available and you had to put yourself on a year long waiting list, when at then end I said "nah, I don't need it". It's Sony's own fault I don't have a PS5 yet.

To be fair on the price increase thing, this is the first time in the history of video games that the cost to produce the hardware went up over time.
- And inflation is insane nowadays.
  
  Personally I'm gonna stick with my desktop and Deck
- Yeah and don’t forget that even with the inflated price, a ps5 is cheap compared to a pc as powerful.

I have a PC for all my games except one, Bloodborne. I have a PS4 and that's the only thing I've used it for.

I have a PS5 and I still do because I can’t afford $500 for the PSVR2 upgrade and I like playing Beat Saber.

PS2 and PS3 get use. PS4 had nothing that interested me. PS5, same. Maybe when something good comes out ill get a PS17