The Tried and True – Half of PSN Users are Still Playing on PlayStation 4 Consoles

One aspect of this current generation of consoles is how cross-generation efforts are still releasing. Only within the past year or so have there been PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S only releases. For many gamers, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are enough.

And according to recent data, the number of people holding onto their last-gen consoles is still very high.

PlayStation 4 Still Has Thousands of Players

As reported by Kotaku, they have stated the following;

According to Sony, PlayStation Network had 118 million active users as of March 31, 2024. As Game File’s Stephen Totilo points out, the PlayStation 5 install base accounts for exactly half of that total, meaning the other 59 million must still be using the PlayStation 4. It takes time for people to adopt new console hardware (and the PS5 suffering from a supply shortage early on didn’t help), but laying out the divide between PS4 and PS5 users in such clear numbers, during what Sony calls the “latter stage” of the PS5’s life cycle, puts things into perspective.

To put things in perspective, major exclusives like Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and even Spider-Man 2 did little to push people off their PlayStation 4’s.

And that’s not counting major third-party releases like Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Buldars Gate 3, and Tekken 8. All the mentioned games received commercial success on both PS5 and Series consoles, without the PS4 and Xbox One.

Why Aren’t People Upgrading?

This is a multi-pronged answer, with some answers making more sense than others.

The Next-Gen Factor Isn’t It

Let’s make no mistake, the leap between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to these new platforms is noticeable. Faster load times across every title, even games running under backward compatibility, are appreciated.

In addition, the performance leap is also felt for many titles. Going from the 30FPS cap that was present in games like Spider-Man and Fallout 4 to a smooth 60FPS is amazing.

And X-Factors, as some would call it, such as graphics settings and many performance mode options are nice to see on the console after much of that being exclusive to PC players for many generations. But for the casual consumer? Most don’t even notice the difference between 30 and 60FPS.

So all these features, while nice, aren’t enough to warrant the $300 or $500 upgrade.

The Switch Factor

For many casual gamers, joining their PlayStation or Xbox, is the Nintendo Switch. That platform not only sees great success from Nintendo’s first-party releases but many third-party ones and a majority of the time, they run at subpar quality.

Recent examples include the Batman Arkham Trilogy, running well below performance targets in the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports. Another example is the delayed conversion of 2023’s unspoken success, Hogwarts Legacy, on Nintendo Switch.

That version did not match the performance targets of the PlayStation 4/Xbox One versions either, but it was ‘fine’ enough for most. Even Nintendo’s games have been struggling lately in this regard, with an infamous example being Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Frequently hitting sub-20FPS at points and looking quite dated, not to mention bug-ridden at launch… It did not meet Nintendo’s quality standards. But it still sold millions of copies. So does performance matter for most casual consumers?

The Big Games

What are gaming’s biggest titans? If you said God of War, Halo, Last of Us, and Zelda… Many wouldn’t argue with you. But the real answer is the following games.

• Fortnite
• Roblox
• Minecraft
• Call of Duty
• Destiny 2
• Genshin Impact

While some are more successful than others, those listed games are what the latest generation of gamers play. A simple look at the insane player counts and how much money they make speaks for itself. And with games like Fortnite expanding with full-on games within its launcher, they will continue to get bigger.

Those games can all run on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. One doesn’t need a current-generation console to access those games, even if said console could run them at far higher frame rates and resolutions. Many younger gamers use their phone or PC to play these games, with the latter likely not having high or mid-range specs.

What Needs to Happen?

More next-generation exclusives are a start, but specifically, the landmark third-party IP’s need to make the generation jump. And with the launch of both GTAVI on the horizon and the Nintendo Switch 2 matching the specs of a Series S, the needle could be moved to push people off their last-generation platforms.

But as long as the ‘big six’ are still playable on last-generation consoles, I doubt the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will ever fully be retired.

Overall Thoughts on PlayStation 4 Sticking Around

Personally speaking, I find this situation to be quite interesting. I come from an era where you can see the generation jump quite easily. Going from a PlayStation 2 to a PlayStation 3 was a massive leap for me as a kid.

Ratchet and Clank was the franchise that helped me tell when a generation began. Going from Up Your Arsenal to Future Tools of Destruction was a massive jump visually and most impressive, the performance from the PS2 games was maintained.

This happened again this generation with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart where loading times, performance, and visual fidelity hit their apex. The game looked like a moving Pixar Animated Film. Sure, the game could run on a low-spec device but the visual leap when pushed was noticeable.

Hopefully, as this generation enters its twilight years, more and more games utilize the powerful tech these $500 boxes sold us all. But what are your thoughts on this situation? Are you still rocking that Xbox One or PlayStation 5? Let us know in the comments below!