Things are looking up when it comes to getting hold of a PS5.
For a while, it was difficult to obtain Sony’s next-gen machine due to supply shortages, the COVID-19 pandemic, and scalpers snapping up all of the consoles as soon as they went on sale.
Now, though, the supply issues are easing, and it’s pretty much possible to walk into nearly any electronics store and pick up a PS5 with no problems.
If you’re a PS4 devotee, you’re probably wondering whether that means you should ditch your PS4 and upgrade, but we’re here to tell you to hold that thought, at least for now. Here are 9 reasons not to ditch your PS4 just yet.
1. The PS4 has a web browser
One undisputed advantage the PS4 holds over the PS5 is that the former has an accessible web browser and the latter doesn’t.
This means you can access web content on your PS4; you can watch videos, browse the internet, and even play a casino online such as Novibet if you want to.
These things aren’t possible on the PS5; although you have access to apps like YouTube, you can’t head to whichever video site you like and start streaming content at your leisure unless you’re on PS4.
2. Not all PS4 games work with PS5
The vast, vast majority of the PS4’s library is fully compatible with the PS5.
However, there are a small amount of games that won’t work with the PS5, including Hitman Go: Definitive Edition and We Sing.
It’s fair to say that the list of PS4 games that are incompatible with PS5 isn’t likely to contain your favourite game ever, but it might still be a consideration if one of those games is in hard rotation in your house, unlikely as it may be.
3. Many PS4 games might throw up errors on PS5
Even many of the PS4 games that do work on PS5 may throw up error messages if you play them on Sony’s new console.
Unlike the former list, there are some big hitters here too, including Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, LittleBigPlanet 3, and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, among many others.
The PS4, meanwhile, can play these games without issue, as it’s the native console on which the games were intended to be played. Bear that in mind if you’re looking to upgrade anytime soon.
4. Some PS4 peripherals might not work on PS5
Much like the software library, Sony has worked to ensure that many PS4 peripherals, including official and third-party offerings, will also work on PS5.
However, there’s no guarantee that any particularly arcane peripherals you might have for PS4 will work on PS5, so if you’re particularly fond of a certain charger or third-party controller, you might want to hang onto your PS4 for a little longer.
There’s every chance that your accessories might function perfectly fine, but if they don’t, you’ll be left out in the cold.
5. Games are still being released for PS4
The software landscape for the PS4 isn’t looking anywhere near as dire as many worried it might, and we’re three years into the current-gen console life cycle (at time of writing).
Major releases like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the Resident Evil 4 remake, and Dead Island 2 made their way to PS4 this year, and games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are also due to receive last-gen ports.
To put it simply, the PS4 isn’t dead just yet, and that’s evidenced by the fact that developers are still eagerly releasing games for the last-gen machine.
6. Sony intends to support the PS4 for a while yet
According to a Sony investor presentation in 2022, the company intends to provide long-term support for the PlayStation 4 until 2025, which means that we’ve got a good couple of years before the PS4 is technically obsolete.
Even beyond that point, we may well still see smaller indie releases and the occasional larger game heading to PS4, so hanging onto your console is a sound proposition.
If you’re worried about having nothing to play on PS4 next year or the year after, it looks like that worry might be unfounded.
7. The PS5 is more expensive than it was
In August last year, Sony’s Jim Ryan announced that the company would be raising the prices of the PS5 owing to the “challenge” of the “global economic environment”.
This saw the PS5’s price jump to £479.99 for the disc version and £389.99 for the digital-only version last year, making it a slightly more difficult proposition for cash-strapped gamers.
Obviously, buying nothing is cheaper than buying something, but suffice it to say that not picking up a PS5 makes sense if you want to save your pennies.
8. The PS4 Pro is still a powerful machine
Many PS4 games released in the last few years still run like a dream on PS4 Pro. The aforementioned Resident Evil 4 Remake, for instance, runs at 4k and 30fps in Resolution mode, with Framerate mode offering 1080p at 60fps.
Even current-gen games like Hogwarts Legacy run extremely well on PS4, and if you’re happy to “settle” for 30fps, you can still have an incredible time playing games on PS4 Pro.
While the PS5 can certainly offer sharper visuals and bonuses like ray tracing, that doesn’t mean the PS4 can’t still make your jaw drop with its graphics.
9. The PS5’s promise of 60fps gaming is flawed
Don’t get us wrong; we love our PS5s, and we’ve had countless great gaming experiences on them already.
However, one of the biggest draws for this gaming generation appeared to be 60fps gaming, and that’s something that many current-gen games simply aren’t able to offer flawlessly.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for instance, runs woefully on PS5, and games like Final Fantasy XVI suffer regular stutters and performance drops, even in their performance-oriented modes.
The PS5 still offers superior loading times and other benefits, but many games feel surprisingly similar across the two consoles, so the PS5 might not be the upgrade you’d hope it would be for some titles.
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