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Why You Need a PS4 in 2026 | Austin Evans

LectureMaster

LectureMaster

Or is it just one of Adam's balls in my throat?


AI summary:

The video discusses the relevance of the PS4 in 2026, arguing that it offers great value for its price (0:00). Despite the PS5 being 5 years old and newer consoles being expensive, a used PS4 can be found for $70-$100, significantly cheaper than a used PS5 (0:26).

Key points of the video include:

  • Current State of PS4 Support (1:27): While some games like Genshin Impact and PUBG are ending support, others like Fortnite and Call of Duty Black Ops 7 (released November 2025) are still fully supported and cross-gen compatible, allowing PS4 players to play with PS5 users (2:08).
  • Performance Comparison (PS4 vs. PS5)(3:01):
    • Load Times: The PS5, with its SSD, has significantly faster load times compared to the PS4's old hard drive (3:18).
    • Frame Rate and Resolution: The PS4 aims for 60 FPS but often fluctuates between 40-50 FPS in demanding games like Black Ops 7, while the PS5 maintains a stable 60 FPS or higher (3:44). Most PS4 games run at 1080p, with newer titles sometimes dropping to 900p or lower (6:45).
    • Visuals: PS4 versions have lower resolution textures, shorter draw distances, and simpler lighting, but generally offer the same game content and features as PS5 versions (7:20).
  • PS4 Pro and SSD Upgrade (8:02): The PS4 Pro offers better resolutions (1440p or 1800p) and improved performance over the base PS4 (8:26). Upgrading to an SSD significantly reduces load times and improves overall responsiveness for both the PS4 Pro and the base PS4 (8:34). However, a fully upgraded PS4 Pro can cost around $230, which is close to the price of a used PS5, making its value proposition less clear (9:38).
  • Verdict: Who is the PS4 for in 2026?(10:10):
    • Budget-conscious gamers or parents looking for a first console (10:27).
    • Current PS4 owners who can extend its life with an SSD (10:37).
    • The PS4 is not for those seeking a long-term gaming platform or who already own a PS5, as support is fading and new games are moving on (11:01). The video suggests saving for a PS5 for future support and exclusive titles (11:10).
  • Jailbreaking/Homebrew Scene (11:26): Mentioned as a legitimate option to expand the console's capabilities beyond PS4 games.
The video concludes that while the PS4's "final chapter" is approaching, it remains a functional and affordable gaming device in early 2026 for users with realistic expectations (12:00).
 
i jumped in this last Christmas :)

i cannot afford new console hw and games prices, and my i5 laptop cannot run any new beefed game, so basically at least i can play whats inbetween
 
Not a terrible idea for someone that doesn't need the latest and greatest, but personally I wouldn't be too keen on the reliability of a used PS4 at this point. You can't even guarantee it's only 2nd hand, so I'd make sure there's a good warrantee or the value proposition might be changed a great deal.
 
No, you do not? Just get a gaming PC. Many PS4 games were ported to PC, and PS4 emulation is getting better and better.

If you are on a budget and just want something to play on, I would recommend an Xbox One X. I got mine for around 70 EUR and it is such an impressive piece of hardware for that price.
 
MidGenRefresh said:
No, you do not? Just get a gaming PC. Many PS4 games were ported to PC, and PS4 emulation is getting better and better.

If you are on a budget and just want something to play on, I would recommend an Xbox One X. I got mine for around 70 EUR and it is such an impressive piece of hardware for that price.
Click to expand...
The point is to save money by getting a used PS4. Where are you getting a gaming PC for $70-$100? Especially one which can "emulate a PS4". Even your XOX recommendation at 70EUR is more expensive.
 
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If Budget is an issue then Xbox One X is by far the better option and also plays UHDs or look for a cheap Series S

I still have my PS4 setup for VR, but it's so painful going back to the PS4 or even XBox One X these days/.
 
Three said:
The point is to save money by getting a used PS4. Where are you getting a gaming PC for $70-$100? Especially one which can "emulate a PS4".
Click to expand...

Read the entire post. I gave the budget friendly option. But I would still argue that investing in a PC is more economical in the long run, especially if you are on a budget, because of software prices and how easy it is to buy cheaper software or, you know, find alternatives.
 
Three said:
The point is to save money by getting a used PS4. Where are you getting a gaming PC for $70-$100? Especially one which can "emulate a PS4". Even your XOX recommendation at 70EUR is more expensive.
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I would say a Series S is by far the better option and can be picked up on the cheap for like 150 bucks
 
Team Andromeda said:
If Budget is an issue then Xbox One X is by far the better option and also plays UHDs or look for a cheap Series S

I still have my PS4 setup for VR, but it's so painful going back to the PS4 or even XBox One X these days/.
Click to expand...
Do any recent games support XboneX? I agree that a cheap S with cheaper tier Gamepass is a good budget option, but Xbone is a stretch.
 
MidGenRefresh said:
Read the entire post. I gave the budget friendly option. But I would still argue that investing in a PC is more economical in the long run, especially if you are on a budget, because of software prices and how easy it is to buy cheaper software or, you know, find alternatives.
Click to expand...
I read the entire post. The post misses the point of the PS4 recommendation by suggesting something more expensive. Software prices are cheap on a PS4 too fue to second hand physical games. I'm not sure what you've got against the recommendation. It's a pretty good bet for somebody looking for the cheapest option still getting some new releases.

Team Andromeda said:
I would say a Series S is by far the better option and can be picked up on the cheap for like 150 bucks
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Again double the price even used.
 
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Three said:
I read the entire post. The post misses the point of the PS4 recommendation by suggesting something more expensive. Software prices are cheap on a PS4 too fue to second hand physical games. I'm not sure what you've got against the recommendation. It's a pretty good bet for somebody looking for the cheapest option still getting some new releases.
Click to expand...

Xbox One X is better in the same price range. It's just as simple as that.
 
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Ummm….but I can I already play PS4 games on PS5 and most of the games I'm looking forward are not coming out on PS4.

I don't see the point getting a PS4.
 
jm89 said:
PS4 has a much better library and game support but feel free to keep moving the goalpost.
Click to expand...

I never moved any goalposts. In my first post I said that the Xbox One X is a much more impressive piece of hardware than a base PS4, because it is. I can look at these things from the outside, instead of being a blindfolded fanboy. I recognize your avatar. I made it when I was mocking Xbox's downfall as a brand.

Game library is entirely subjective. Can you play Morrowind or Oblivion on PS4? Can you play Fallout 3 or New Vegas? Can you play Forza Horizon 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on PS4? It all depends on what games you want to play.

If you are into Uncharted, then nothing else matters. Just get PlayStation.

Three said:
It isn't in terms of game support. For example try playing the game recommended in the article, Genshin Impact, you can't. Try playing Street Fighter 6 , or Resident Evil 4 REmake. You cant.
Click to expand...

Same as above. Depends what games you want to play.
 
Three said:
You'd be locked into the extortionate digital store prices and no homebrew. And it's up to 80 bucks more, why use the upper bound only?
Click to expand...
You can easily set up developer mode on the Series S and play a ton of homebrew, and there are always loads of deals on the digital storefront
 
MidGenRefresh said:
Same as above. Depends what games you want to play.
Click to expand...
Support for XOX died with a lot more studios ages ago. I'm sorry but you can't just say "depends what games you want to play" this would be like recommending somebody buys a Saturn or N64 now and saying "depends what games you want to play". Sure there are some saturn or N64 exclusives but you will be missing out on the recent stuff like Genshin Impact, Street Fighter 6, RE4R and countless other games. (BTW the exclusives on PS4 far outnumber xbox one so you just namedropping Uncharted only instead of Bloodborne, GoT, DS, Spiderman, Days gone, Nioh, HZD, God Of War, GT7, etc tells me everything I need to know regarding you debating this in good faith.)

Team Andromeda said:
You can easily set up developer mode on the Series S and play a ton of homebrew, and there are always loads of deals on the digital storefront
Click to expand...
Didnt they make that paid and crack down on it? The deals are not that great especially compared to physical. You cannot beat a PS4 right now in terms of support at the lowest budget. If somebody who was paying $70 for a PS4 is willing to double their budget to $150 to buy a digital only console then you could just as easily tell them to add $100 more on top of that and get a used PS5 DE and "buy deals on the store". That's not how it works though. PS4 is unbeatable in terms of support/lowest cost right now.
 
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MidGenRefresh said:
No, you do not? Just get a gaming PC. Many PS4 games were ported to PC, and PS4 emulation is getting better and better.

If you are on a budget and just want something to play on, I would recommend an Xbox One X. I got mine for around 70 EUR and it is such an impressive piece of hardware for that price.
Click to expand...
What if you want to play Bloodborne?
 
Three said:
Support for XOX died with a lot more studios ages ago. I'm sorry but you can't just say "depends what games you want to play" this would be like recommending somebody buys a Saturn or N64 now and saying "depends what games you want to play". Sure there are some saturn or N64 exclusives but you will be missing out on the recent stuff like Genshin Impact, Street Fighter 6, RE4R and countless other games. (BTW the exclusives on PS4 far outnumber xbox one so you just namedropping Uncharted only instead of Bloodborne, GoT, DS, Spiderman, Days gone, Nioh, HZD, God Of War, etc tells me everything I need to know regarding you debating this in good faith.)
Click to expand...

If you're spending around $100 on a console and expecting support for the newest games, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

I'm bringing up Uncharted because it's the kind of game I'd actually want to play. And that's the point: when you choose a console, you choose the one that has the games you want to play. That should be the main deciding factor.

That said, if your budget is limited to about $100 and you want the widest range of games with the best possible hardware, the Xbox One X is the clear choice.

I don't care about the PlayStation brand or the Xbox brand. Equally. Truly. I would rather buy the most piece of shit PC than a console. But that is another discussion.
 
Three said:
Didnt they make that paid and crack down on it? The deals are not that great especially compared to physical. You cannot beat a PS4 right now in terms of support at the lowest budget. If somebody who was paying $70 for a PS4 is willing to double their budget to $150 to buy a digital only console then you could just as easily tell them to add $100 more on top of that and get a used PS5 DE and "buy deals on the store". That's not how it works though. PS4 is unbeatable in terms of support/lowest cost right now.
Click to expand...
I just paid 20 quid for it and my Series S into a wonderful little emu system. I find it very hard to play my PS4 or One X these days and there's always a ton of good deals on the digital storefront plus you also get that lovely BC with the 360 and OG XBox, speaking of that, its my one main issues with the Series S and thats the lack of support for 4K BC like on the One X due to memory
 
MidGenRefresh said:
If you're spending around $100 on a console and expecting support for the newest games, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

I'm bringing up Uncharted because it's the kind of game I'd actually want to play. And that's the point: when you choose a console, you choose the one that has the games you want to play. That should be the main deciding factor.

That said, if your budget is limited to about $100 and you want the widest range of games with the best possible hardware, the Xbox One X is the clear choice.
Click to expand...
Well if it is entirely subjective to the games the person wants to play then there is no point of this discussion. Like I said you can just as easily say "No you don't need a XOX" and recommend a Saturn or N64 now.
I don't agree on "the widest range of games" being on Xbox one x though. Far from it. The library on PS4 is much better. Especially more recent games that the One did not get at all.

Team Andromeda said:
I just paid 20 quid for it and my Series S into a wonderful little emu system. I find it very hard to play my PS4 or One X these days and there's always a ton of good deals on the digital storefront plus you also get that lovely BC with the 360 and OG XBox, speaking of that, its my one main issues with the Series S and thats the lack of support for 4K BC like on the One X due to memory
Click to expand...
So again 20 bucks on top of that $80 on top. Homebrew on PS4 is free. See how it's just getting less and less low budget.
 
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Danjin44 said:
Ummm….but I can I already play PS4 games on PS5 and most of the games I'm looking forward are not coming out on PS4.

I don't see the point getting a PS4.
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I think the point is for those that don't have a PS5 and are on a very limited budget. Obviously a modern console or PC would be better, but for ~100$ it's a nice "retro" console with a huge library and dirt cheap physical games.

I'm not spending 500 for a PS5 to give my niece getting into videogames, but my old PS4 with a few physical games will do just fine.
 
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Three said:
Well if it is entirely subjective to the games the person wants to play then there is no point of this discussion. Like I said you can just as easily say "No you don't need a XOX" and recommend a Saturn or N64 now.
I don't agree on "the widest range of games" being on Xbox one x though. Far from it. The library on PS4 is much better. Especially more recent games that the One did not get at all.
Click to expand...

You can play games from 3 generations on Xbox One. It's not even close. But if you're a PlayStation boy, you want PlayStation hardware. It's just that simple. Nothing else to add. Most recent games like what, few Japanese titles? C'mon now.
 
Team Andromeda said:
If Budget is an issue then Xbox One X is by far the better option and also plays UHDs or look for a cheap Series S

I still have my PS4 setup for VR, but it's so painful going back to the PS4 or even XBox One X these days/.
Click to expand...

I sold my PS4 years ago but could never part with my Xbox One X

OG XBOX, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, XBOX CLOUD 12TB STREAMING/GAMEPASS, 4K BD Support it blows PS4 out of the water....IMO

I don't own a current PS console only games I'm missing out on that I care about are Tales of Berseria, Street Fighter V (I Hated Six) and Stellar Blade

Bought Lunar, Marvel VS and Acore 6 recently Xbox One X is a steal these days
 
ShirAhava said:
I sold my PS4 years ago but could never part with my Xbox One X

OG XBOX, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, XBOX CLOUD 12TB STREAMING/GAMEPASS, 4K BD Support it blows PS4 out of the water....IMO

I don't own a current PS console only games I'm missing out on that I care about are Tales of Berseria, Street Fighter V (I Hated Six) and Stellar Blade

Bought Lunar, Marvel VS and Acore 6 recently Xbox One X is a steal these days
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's pretty mind blowing that you can get all that for a price of single AAA game in a small, slick, very heavy and dense box.
 
Its a bad recommendation.

Get a Series S minimum. Even that is a stretch at this point, I have one. 30 fps is getting common on it.

PS 4…… jeese …. 30 FPS entirely, HDD…. my god.
 
Three said:
So again 20 bucks on top of that $80 on top. Homebrew on PS4 is free. See how it's just getting less and less low budget.
Click to expand...
20 bucks for near flawless N64, GameCube, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, Model 2, 3 Emu, Ect
Plus a system that can play old and modern games at a price point of £160
ShirAhava said:
I sold my PS4 years ago but could never part with my Xbox One X

OG XBOX, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, XBOX CLOUD 12TB STREAMING/GAMEPASS, 4K BD Support it blows PS4 out of the water....IMO

I don't own a current PS console only games I'm missing out on that I care about are Tales of Berseria, Street Fighter V (I Hated Six) and Stellar Blade

Bought Lunar, Marvel VS and Acore 6 recently Xbox One X is a steal these days
Click to expand...
It's a nice system, but playing games on that slow hard drive is hard work these days
 
MidGenRefresh said:
You can play games from 3 generations on Xbox One. It's not even close. But if you're a PlayStation boy, you want PlayStation hardware. It's just that simple. Nothing else to add. Most recent games like what, few Japanese titles? C'mon now.
Click to expand...
You can play the same and more on a PS4 especially with homebrew.
Even objectively on official stuff only, PS4 has 3591 games XO has 3068 games (that number includes BC). Which is vaster?

I mean sure if you want to call Marvel Rivals, Genshin, Street Fighter 6, RE4R etc a "few japanese games" while concentrating on some obscure BC titles you like that didn't get ported to PS4 already then sure.

Team Andromeda said:
20 bucks for near flawless N64, GameCube, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, Model 2, 3 Emu, Ect
Plus a system that can play old and modern games at a price point of £160
Click to expand...
You can do all that free on PS4 homebrew.
 
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Three said:
Even objectively on official stuff only, PS4 has 3591 games XO has 3068 games (that number includes BC). Which is vaster?

I mean sure if you want to call Marvel Rivals, Genshin, Street Fighter 6, RE4R etc a "few japanese games" while concentrating on some obscure BC titles you like that didn't get ported to PS4 already then sure.
Click to expand...

I would take around 700 games that are natively backwards compatible, many of which are some of the best games of all time, over these few newer ports. So in the end, there are more games on Xbox One, even by numbers. But when I say a "wider range", I don't mean game count. I mean variety.


Three said:
You can do all that free on PS4 homebrew.
Click to expand...

You can do emulation on One X, it's a non-issue.

 
Skifi28 said:
It's like those reignited Sega vs Nintendo wars, it's always great to war about old stuff for a change.
Click to expand...
I just need to get me a pair of Nintendo and PS pants for this battlefield and I'm ready!
Team Andromeda said:
8AwmYUT.jpeg
Click to expand...

Team Andromeda said:
Yeah, those Jaguar cores aren't the best for emu
Click to expand...
They play the emulators you mentioned fine though.
 
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MidGenRefresh said:
You can do emulation on One X, it's a non-issue.

Click to expand...

Did I say you can't? They cracked down on retail mode and now you need to pay $20 for dev access.

MidGenRefresh said:
I would take around 700 games that are natively backwards compatible, many of which are some of the best games of all time, over these few newer ports. So in the end, there are more games on Xbox One, even by numbers. But when I say a "wider range", I don't mean game count. I mean variety.




You can do emulation on One X, it's a non-issue.

Click to expand...

Which part of "this number includes BC games" did you not understand? No there are not more games even by numbers. That number includes BC games, a lot of which are counted twice on XBO because they got native PS4/XBO ports too anyway. ie the majority are playable on PS4.
 
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Three said:
Which part of "this number includes BC games" did you not understand? No there are not more games even by numbers. That number includes BC games, a lot of which are counted twice on XBO because they got native PS4/XBO ports too anyway. Ie the majority are playable on PS4
Click to expand...

No, it does not include backwards compatible games. You got that number from Wikipedia, and on that Wikipedia list BC games are not included. Where's Grand Theft Auto IV on that list (360 game)? Where's SSX3 on that list (OG Xbox game)?

By "wider range" I mean more variety, not a higher game count. So yeah, even if there are few games more on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 it's not what I was talking about.
 
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MidGenRefresh said:
Read the entire post. I gave the budget friendly option. But I would still argue that investing in a PC is more economical in the long run, especially if you are on a budget, because of software prices and how easy it is to buy cheaper software or, you know, find alternatives.
Click to expand...
yea with the insane high entry cost
 
lh032 said:
yea with the insane high entry cost
Click to expand...

I admit, that is my PC bias shining through. I would rather buy the most piece of shit PC than a console. It would still offer more value and better compatibility with the games I care about.

For console players on an extreme low budget, like I already mentioned, the One X is amazing.
 
MidGenRefresh said:
No, it does not include backwards compatible games. You got that number from Wikipedia, and on that Wikipedia list BC games are not included. Where's Grand Theft Auto IV on that list (360 game)? Where's SSX3 on that list (OG Xbox game)?

By "wider range" I mean more variety, not a higher game count. So yeah, even if there are few games more on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 it's not what I was talking about.
Click to expand...
You're right, there are games missing on that list so probably not including it but you are double counting. For example what good is playing the 360 version of Assassins Creed black flag when the game is on XB1/PS4? why count it twice? What good is playing a 360 version of Alan Wake when Alan wake is on XB1/PS4? What good is 360 Bioshock when Bioshock collection on PS4 exists. The majority of the BC list is like this. The majority of those games have native ports (some of them downgraded crossgen ports to 360). The "few Japanese games" I mentioned like Street Fighter 6, Marvel Rivals or Unicorn Overlord likely have more relevance today to that "variety" than the few now obscure BC titles that didn't get native ports or old dead prequels that aren't exactly variety anyway.
But this is all subjective. Talking purely the numbers, you take that number even add the BC game and remove games that have a PS4 port anyway then you have more PS4 games and "variety" than you do on XB1. BC is a different matter if you already owned those games but for a person starting out they are missing very little when the majority exists on PS4 now. The newer games XOX is missing is a bigger blow in my opinion. A person playing Forza 2 isn't going to be getting "more variety" than somebody playing GT7 on a PS4.
 
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Three said:
You're right, there are games missing on that list so probably not including it but you are double counting. For example what good is playing the 360 version of Assassins Creed black flag when the game is on XB1/PS4? why count it twice? What good is playing a 360 version of Alan Wake when Alan wake is on XB1/PS4? What good is 360 Bioshock when Bioshock collection on PS4 exists. The majority of the BC list is like this. The majority of those games have native ports (some of them downgraded crossgen ports to 360). The "few Japanese games" I mentioned like Street Fighter 6, Marvel Rivals or Unicorn Overlord likely have more relevance today to that "variety" than the few now obscure BC titles that didn't get native ports or old dead prequels that aren't exactly variety anyway.
But this is all subjective. Talking purely the numbers, you take that number even add the BC game and remove games that have a PS4 port anyway then you have more PS4 games and "variety" than you do on XB1. BC is a different matter if you already owned those games but for a person starting out they are missing very little when the majority exists on PS4 now. The newer games XOX is missing is a bigger blow in my opinion.
Click to expand...

You brought the game count into the discussion, not me. Mate, seriously. And what good is it to play the original version of BioShock? Oh, I don't know, maybe because the original version holds up better in many areas.

Only around 96 out of roughly 700 backwards compatible games were re-released as native Xbox One apps, if you are really that obsessed with numbers.

Skifi28 said:
s7jaGe1amRDe0uMD.gif
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PC is freedom, PC is life. What can I do?
 
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