Is PS4 still a relevant platform in 2024?

The PS4, at the time of writing this article, is more than a decade old, even though it might not feel like so. Despite the console's now archaic internals, the PlayStation 4 still holds up quite well, even against its immediate successor, the PS5. For a short while, it has felt like publishers and developers have now finally moved on from developing games for Xbox One and PS4; 2023 and even the first half of 2024 have been dominated by current-gen-only games.

However, it seems the PS4 is far from being obsolete, with the next Call of Duty installment being rumored to arrive on both current-gen and last-gen consoles. Cross-generation games are nothing new and have been a thing since the early PS2 and Xbox days. However, it does feel a bit surprising to see new AAA titles coming out for the PS4, despite the PS5 nearing half a decade of its life cycle.

The Call of Duty situation has led me to think whether the PlayStation 4 is still a relevant platform for gaming in 2024, or maybe even beyond. While I do think I have a definitive answer for that, it's not as straightforward, as many might think.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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PS4 is a capable console, but is it really relevant as a gaming platform in 2024?

The PS4, by all metrics, is an extremely dated console, purely in terms of its hardware. The biggest bottleneck for the PlayStation 4 is its CPU - a custom AMD Jaguar APU, that is vastly inferior to the PS5's Zen-2 CPU. Additionally, another major hurdle that holds the PlayStation 4 back against its current-generation counterpart is its HDD storage.

Most games don't make use of SSDs, especially third-party titles. However, the 5400RPM HDD that the PlayStation 4 ships with is still quite slow, so much so that it was the primary bottleneck for games during the tail-end of its official life-cycle.

If you look at the lowest tier of the current-gen console, the Xbox Series S, it still outclasses the PS4 in terms of its hardware. As such, if you're looking at the PlayStation 4 in terms of technical specifications, it sure doesn't make much sense to own it, especially if you're keen on playing the latest AAA titles and even some AA ones as well.

However, what makes a console relevant is not only its hardware, but also the kind of experiences it offers. The Nintendo Switch is an extremely dated system with specifications that are easily outclassed by mid-range mobile phones nowadays. However, what's still keeping Nintendo's console alive, and dare I say thriving, is the games and experiences it has to offer.

And if you're looking at the PlayStation 4 in terms of the games, you can still play on that console - it very much feels like a relevant platform in 2024. Not only do you get access to the massive library of exclusives to play through on the PlayStation 4, but you also get to play some of the recent third-party releases.

However, if you're in the market to grab a new console to work as your primary gaming system, I don't really recommend getting a PlayStation 4. You're better off getting a PS5. This not only allows you to play all the PS4 games via backwards compatibility, but also guarantees that you won't be missing out on any future games.