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Kevin Webb / Business Insider
Sony's PlayStation brand is one of the biggest names in gaming, delivering high-powered hardware and exclusive games to millions of dedicated players around the world.
Sony's current flagship console, the PS5, has set company records with 40 million PS5 consoles sold in less than three years, despite stock shortages in its first two years of release. The company sells two versions of the PlayStation 5: a standard PS5 and a digital edition with no disc drive. Check out our PS5 digital vs. disc guide for a full comparison.
The PS4 sold at a similar pace on its way to dominating the previous console generation against the Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U. Sony updated the PS4 a handful of times after its launch in 2013, and even released a slightly more powerful PS4 Pro in 2016. PlayStation 4 consoles can still be purchased new, but they've become harder to find as more stores stock up on PS5 models.
In the first years of the PS5's release, many developers continued to bring new games to the PS4 in order to reach the millions of players who had yet to upgrade their console. But with Sony officially declaring the end of the PS5 console shortage, and highly anticipated titles like Final Fantasy XVI and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 coming exclusively to PS5, there's now little reason to invest in a PS4, and more reasons than ever to upgrade.
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A standard PS5 costs $500 while a PS5 digital edition with no disc drive costs $400. PS5 bundles with games like Final Fantasy XVI and God of War Ragnarök are also available for an MSRP of $560, though they're sometimes on sale for $509. Check out our roundup of the best PS5 deals for all of the latest discounts.
Meanwhile, a brand-new PS4 costs $300, and used or refurbished models sell for around $220. New PS4s that you'll find in stock now are typically the "slim" edition of the console, which feature a more compact build than the original design.
A more powerful version of the PS4 with 4K gaming support, called the PS4 Pro, cost $400 new, but is no longer readily available online or in stores. You can find used PS4 Pro listings for about $200.
"Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" / Sony
The PlayStation 5's most obvious upgrade over its predecessor comes from its greatly improved graphical performance. The console is capable of playing games at 4K resolution, with support for newer visual technologies like ray-traced lighting. PS5 can also output video at up to 120 frames per second, leading to smoother animations and more responsive controls.
The standard PS4 is limited to 1080p output and 60 frames per second at most; the updated and more expensive PS4 Pro can output some games in 4K, but lacks the hardware to run most 4K games beyond 30 frames per second or tackle features like ray tracing.
PS5 also has additional features that help games feel more immersive than on PS4. The console provides Tempest 3D Audio when playing supported titles with headphones, creating a spatial surround sound effect. The PS5's DualSense controller has more detailed rumble effects with haptic feedback for increased sensitivity. This makes actions like pulling a gun trigger, pressing a gas pedal, or readying a bow feel different as you pull the DualSense triggers.
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While the difference between the PS5 and PS4's visual quality is striking, the PS5's internal storage might be the most crucial difference between the two machines. PS5's solid state drive is incredibly fast. In fact, it's fast enough to almost completely eliminate loading times in games like Marvel's Spider-Man and Ghost of Tsushima, which can take anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds to load new scenes on PS4.
The PS5 internal solid state drive starts at 825GB, while new PS4 and PS4 Pro models feature much slower hard disk drives with 1TB of space. Older PS4s originally shipped with 500GB drives but those models were discontinued; used and refurbished models are still available for sale though.
There is a slight difference in the amount of storage available on both consoles, especially since PS5 games can take up more space than PS4 games, but the increased speed of the PS5 is a huge benefit. Both consoles also let you increase storage space by upgrading their internal drives or adding external storage, but you can't use an external drive to play PS5 titles. Games made for PS4 can be saved to an external drive for use on PS4 or PS5, however.
Naughty Dog / PlayStation
In the past, the introduction of a new console like the PS5 would signal the end of games being developed for an older machine like the PS4. But more than two years after PS5's release, there are only about a dozen games that are exclusively playable on PS5.
However, while many new game releases continue to appear on both systems, games look and perform better on PlayStation 5. PS5 versions of games like Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok offer key visual and frame rate improvements over their PS4 counterparts.
And PS5 exclusives, like Final Fantasy XVI, Returnal, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, make specific use of the PS5's solid state drive and graphical power, making them impossible to play on PS4. More exclusives are also on the way, including the highly anticipated launch of Marvel's Spider Man 2 later this year.
PS5 is also backwards compatible with PS4 titles, so gamers can bring their current collection to the PS5 without rebuying games. The only exception would be if you own PS4 games on physical discs and buy the PS5 Digital Edition with no disc drive; in that case there's no way to play your hard copy on the new machine. The simple solution for people who own PS4 discs is to buy the slightly more expensive standard PS5 to keep access to their full library.
Sony
When it comes to streaming and media playback, PS5 and PS4 offer similar features and identical media apps like Netflix, HBO Max, and Spotify.
The biggest difference is that PS5 is capable of streaming at 4K resolution, while PS4 is limited to 1080p, unless you have PS4 Pro, which also has 4K output. The standard PS5 also has a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, while PS4 models can only play regular Blu-ray discs in 1080p. If you don't have a 4K TV this ultimately won't impact your experience, but it's great to have the option for higher resolution.
PS5 does provide a few notable improvements in the console's user interface, letting players jump in and out of games and apps faster, and track achievements from the console's dashboard. Navigation to key menus like audio settings and social features are easier as well.
Spec | PlayStation 5 | PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 4 Pro |
Disc drive | Ultra HD Blu-ray (standard model only) | Blu-ray | Blu-ray |
Storage | 825GB NVMe SSD | 500GB or 1TB HDD | 1TB HDD |
CPU | 8-core, 3.5Ghz | 8-core 1.6GHz | 8-core 2.1GHz |
GPU | 36 CUs at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFLOPs | 18 CUs at 800Mhz, 1.84 TFLOPS | 36 CUs at 911 Mhz, 4.2 TFLOPS |
Ports | 3 USB-A, 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI | 2 USB ports, 1 HDMI, 1 AUX port | 3 USB ports, 1 HDMI, 1 Optical, 1 AUX port |
Memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR5 | 8GB GDDR5 |
HDMI Out | 4K at 120Hz, 8K (via future update) | 1080p at 60Hz | 4K at 60Hz |
Kevin Webb / Business Insider
PS5 offers a substantial upgrade in nearly every way over the standard PS4, which is nearly 10 years old. With the PS5 Digital Edition priced at $400, the PlayStation 4 Pro is obsolete as well. The quality of PS5 games, full support for 4K media, faster loading times, and extra features like haptic feedback make the PS5 more than worth the upgrade for current PS4 owners.
If you're planning to buy a brand-new console in 2023, there's no reason to choose a PS4 over the standard or digital edition PS5. The jump in performance is worth the extra money, and PS5 systems are now regularly available in stock. However, a used PlayStation 4 sold at a discount isn't a bad option for young and casual gamers who don't want to invest in a more expensive PS5.
