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Summary
- When my PS5 was taken out of action, I was forced to return to my PS4 in order to play video games instead.
- The PS4 is a perfectly serviceable gaming console in 2025 thanks to its vast library of great games, new releases, and gameplay and graphics that still hold up even when compared to modern PS5 titles.
- It has never been more affordable to own a PS4 thanks to cheap consoles and the used game market, making it a solid choice for gamers on a budget.
Everyone, including Sony, is moving away from the PlayStation 4, and for good reason—it’s old. But an “incident” with my PS5 caused me to revisit this last-gen console, and I discovered it has plenty of life left in 2025 and beyond.
How My PS5 Bit the Dust
It was a very rainy day, and I thought I’d cozy up on the couch and play some Final Fantasy XVI. That’s when lightning caused a power surge that not only tripped the main breaker, cutting power to the entire house but also caused something to explode in the direction of the PS5.
When I flipped the breaker back on, everything worked except for the PS5. I was really hoping it was the TV, router, or anything else plugged in at the time that exploded instead. I probably should have invested in a quality surge protector, but hindsight’s 20-20.
After a few days of stressing over the end of my PlayStation career, I remembered I still had my old PS4. It felt like such a downgrade at the time, but I thought that I would use it while I looked for someone to fix the PS5. After booting up my PS4, I realized just how much life the old dog had left in it. I’ve been playing it ever since.
My Favorite Games Run on the PS4 Just Fine
To not feel the sting of losing the PS5, I started playing games I love that would not benefit from fast load times or 60 frames per second. So I played Persona 5 Royal (I had only finished the vanilla version), Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Batman: Arkham City, Nex Machina, Shadow Tactics, and Darksiders. I even beat Bloodborne and Dark Souls after attempting them and failing to get into them multiple times.
This was a wise choice because while I was playing them, I didn’t miss the PS5. Darksiders and Dark Souls ran at 60 FPS, which was great. I even purchased some of my favorite games from the PS2 and PSP era like Max Payne, Jak and Daxter, and Patapon to play when I didn’t feel like playing a 20+ hour game.
And I did it all on a console that had been sitting dormant since I upgraded to its more expensive successor.
The PS4 Has Tons of Games (And Still Gets New Ones)
Without the PS5 blinding me with its new releases, I went to the PlayStation Store to see if there were any PS4 games that I could get into. After looking for a while, I realized that even if I had not upgraded to the PS5, the PS4 has a vast library of games that could last me for years.
I started asking myself how I had never played games of the era like Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon’s Dogma, The Witness, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, or Yakuza Zero.
Even though the PS4 isn’t getting a ton of new and upcoming high-profile releases, it does have several that have caught my eye. I can’t wait to get my hands on Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, Freedom Wars Remastered, Tales of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, and Little Nightmares 3.
While development is slowing down as more developers move to the PS5, the PS4 still has more unreleased games to be excited about.
PS4 Graphics Are Still Impressive
There’s no doubt that the PS5 offers better visuals and frame rates than its predecessor. But the PS4 is still capable of rendering games with impressive detail. Graphically speaking, some games hold up perfectly well to this day, including Batman: Arkham Knight, Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain, Red Dead Redemption 2, and The Last of Us: Part II.
Sometimes art direction is what makes a game look great. Heavily stylized titles like Ghost of Tsushima never fail to impress, even if they are worth playing again on the PS5.
The graphical upgrade between the PS4 and PS5 wasn’t as dramatic as the one between PS1 and PS2. I can’t really say I miss the PS5’s graphics all that much.
Gameplay Hasn’t Evolved That Much Either
Over the past few years, I can’t remember the number of times I’ve watched a gameplay trailer and walked away feeling like I’ve played that game before. In my opinion, we reached peak gameplay in the PS4 era, especially regarding mechanics, immersion, and storytelling. Because of this, I’ve found that even PS4 games made in 2014 are as fun to play as the latest PS5 games.
It’s Never Been Cheaper to Own a PS4
Due to its old age and the availability of the PS5, you can get a new or used PS4 for around $100 and up. If you’re looking for an affordable console with an incredible library o games, the PS4 is a great place to start. Considering the console has been out for a while, the games are bound to be cheaper, especially if you’re purchasing physical copies on eBay.
Furthermore, there is PlayStation Plus, which not only offers two free monthly games but also a catalog with hundreds of titles to download (if you get the Extra or Premium plan). You can even get several good discounts throughout the year because of PS Plus.
As for my PS5? I got that fixed. Thankfully, it was just the power supply unit that got fried—everything else was fine. Despite this, I’m still using the PS4 until a game worthy of firing up the PS5 comes along.
Take this as a lesson to not be too hasty in getting rid of your last-gen console just because you’ve upgraded to the current gen. I’d also say that surge protectors are very important—seriously, use them on any device you think is precious.