After 13 years of dominance, the PlayStation 4 prepares to take its final bow as Sony itself shifts focus entirely to the PS5.
Sony’s PlayStation 4, the gaming console that defined an age, is about to end its run. By January 2026, only a few big publishers, including Sony, will still support the PS4. This is because everyone is focusing on the PlayStation 5.
HoYoverse just announced that Genshin Impact will stop PS4 support from next year, which is a very big sign that PS4’s run is coming to an end. There were several reports on the internet, and people who work in the industry say that other big online and live-service games also plan to stop using PS4 in 2026.
Sony’s plan supports this change. Starting in January 2026, PlayStation Plus will have almost no PS4 material and will focus only on PS5 games. During calls with investors, the company has been very clear: subscription services are at the heart of their long-term plan, and the PS5 is the tool that will make it happen.
Things have gone really well for the PS4. When it first came out in 2013 for $400, it sold more than 117 million pieces and is now home to some of the most famous games ever made. By 2026, it will have been in use for 13 years, which is a very long time in a business where things change quickly.
The PS4 has been the best for a long time, and it will be missed. The people who have been here since the beginning of PS2 or PS3 know how PS4 changed the gaming industry and raised people’s expectations. The PS4 didn’t just fight; it won. It had exclusive games that changed genres and a thriving online community.
The PS5 is in charge of the next step. The PS4’s reign will be known not only for how long it lasted, but also for how it changed what a console generation could be.
