PlayStation 4

The PlayStation 4 is one of the most successful consoles ever made. Sony sold about 117 million PS4 systems between 2013 and 2023, second only to the PS2 among Sony consoles, and its library includes The Last of Us Part II, God of War (2018), Marvel’s Spider-Man, Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2. In 2026 a used PlayStation 4 is still one of the cheapest ways to play a huge library of great games, but there are trade-offs you should know before buying one.

PlayStation 4 release date and models

The original PS4 launched on November 15, 2013 in North America at $399, two weeks before Europe and three months before Japan. It was $100 cheaper than the Xbox One at the time and more powerful, which helped it take a big early lead. Sony then released two important revisions in 2016.

Model	Released	Launch price	Notes
PS4 (original)	Nov 15, 2013	$399	500GB, light bar on top, touch-sensitive buttons on early units
Sony PlayStation 4 Slim	Sep 15, 2016	$299	Smaller, quieter, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, no optical audio port
PS4 Pro	Nov 10, 2016	$399	4.2 teraflops, 4K output, Boost Mode

The Sony PlayStation 4 Slim is the best PS4 for most buyers: it is quiet, uses less power and is the most common on the used market. The PS4 Pro is louder but gives sharper images and higher frame rates in hundreds of “Pro enhanced” games, which matters if you have a 4K TV.

Used PlayStation 4 prices in 2026

A used PlayStation 4 costs roughly $90-$140 for an original model, $110-$170 for a PS4 Slim and $160-$230 for a PS4 Pro, depending on storage, condition and what is included. Refurbished units from retailers cost a little more but usually come with a warranty. Before buying, check that the seller has deactivated the console from their PSN account, test the disc drive with a game and a Blu-ray movie, and make sure the controller holds a charge, because DualShock 4 batteries wear out after a few years.

Is a PS4 still worth buying in 2026?

It depends on what you want to play. The PS4 still runs thousands of games, many of them excellent, and discs are very cheap second-hand. Free-to-play games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and Rocket League still support it. But most new releases since 2024 skip the PS4, and from January 2026 Sony said PS4 games would only appear occasionally in PlayStation Plus monthly games and the catalog, so PS4 owners get less from a subscription than before. Load times are also much longer than on a PS5 because of the old hard drive.

Buy a PS4 if your budget is under about $200 and you want to work through the PS4 back catalog. Otherwise save for a PS5, which plays almost every PS4 game, often with better performance, and gets every new release. Read our PS5 buying guide for which model to choose.

Best PS4 games

• God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok (2022).
• The Last of Us Part II (2020).
• Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020).
• Bloodborne (2015): still only playable on PS4 hardware or a PS5 through backward compatibility.
• Horizon Zero Dawn (2017).
• Ghost of Tsushima (2020).
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016).
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) and The Witcher 3.
• Persona 5 Royal and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Upgrading a PS4

The easiest upgrade is storage. Every PS4 supports external USB 3.0 drives up to 8TB for games, and swapping the internal hard drive for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD cuts load times noticeably, especially on the PS4 Pro, which has a faster SATA III connection. Keep the console in an open space and clean dust from the vents once a year; a loud “jet engine” fan usually means it needs cleaning and new thermal paste.

PS4 vs PS5

The PS5 is far faster thanks to its custom SSD, so games load in seconds. It adds the DualSense controller with haptics and adaptive triggers, ray tracing and 120fps modes. Almost all PS4 games run on PS5, and many offer free upgrades to PS5 versions, so your PS4 library is not wasted if you upgrade. The PS4 wins only on price and on its smaller physical media costs. If you can afford it, the PS5 is the better long-term choice.

PS4 history in brief

Sony revealed the PS4 in February 2013 and, at E3 that June, won the generation’s first big battle by confirming that the console would play used games freely, work without an always-online connection and cost $100 less than the Xbox One. The PS4 sold over a million units in its first day in North America. Sony focused on single-player exclusives from its studios, and that strategy produced many of the best-reviewed games of the decade. PlayStation Plus became required for online multiplayer in paid games on PS4, a rule that continues on PS5. Sony stopped making most PS4 models in 2023, after about ten years on sale.

PS4 specs

• CPU: 8-core AMD Jaguar, 1.6 GHz (2.13 GHz on PS4 Pro).
• GPU: 1.84 teraflops AMD Radeon (4.2 teraflops on PS4 Pro).
• Memory: 8GB GDDR5 (plus 1GB extra on PS4 Pro for apps).
• Storage: 500GB or 1TB hard drive, user-replaceable; external USB storage up to 8TB.
• Media: Blu-ray (the PS4 Pro does not play 4K Blu-ray discs).

Common PS4 problems and quick fixes

• “Cannot start the PS4” or a blue light of death: boot into Safe Mode by holding the power button until the second beep, then try Rebuild Database or reinstall the system software.
• Disc ejects on its own: a known fault on early original models with touch-sensitive eject buttons; a screw adjustment or a dab of tape over the sensor is the common fix.
• Loud fan: clean the vents and fan; heavy dust is almost always the cause.
• DualShock 4 not charging: try a different micro-USB cable, then reset the controller with the button inside the small hole on the back.

For more fixes across consoles, see our Xbox and PlayStation troubleshooting guide, and for repairs or account issues, how to contact PlayStation support.

Moving from PS4 to PS5

When you upgrade, you can transfer games and saves directly from a PS4 to a PS5 over your home network or with a LAN cable during PS5 setup, or later in Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer. PlayStation Plus members can also restore saves from cloud storage. Disc games need their disc in a PS5 that has a disc drive, so if you own many PS4 discs, choose the disc edition or buy the detachable drive. Your PSN purchases, trophies and friends list carry over automatically when you sign in.

Sony PlayStation 4 Slim vs PS4 Pro: which used model to buy?

Choose the Slim if you play on a 1080p TV, want a quiet console or are buying for a child’s room. Choose the Pro if you have a 4K TV and want better performance in games like God of War, Horizon and Spider-Man, and do not mind a louder fan. Avoid the original 2013 model unless it is very cheap, because it runs hotter, louder and has the oldest Wi-Fi hardware.

Our verdict on the PS4 in 2026

The PlayStation 4 is no longer the console to buy for new releases, but it is still a fantastic budget machine for anyone catching up on one of the best libraries in gaming history. Pick up a Slim or Pro in good condition, add a cheap SSD, and you will have hundreds of excellent games available for very little money. When you are ready for new games, everything you own carries forward to the PS5.