The PlayStation 4 was launched almost 13 years in the past. On this planet of video video games, it’s a dinosaur. And but, in 2025, throughout Summer season Recreation Fest’s many reveals and directs, new PS4 video games have been being introduced alongside PS5 and Change 2 video games. Seems this previous machine nonetheless has some life left in it, although that is likely to be a horrible signal for the online game trade.
Whereas watching Summer season Recreation Fest 2025, and begging for the rancid occasion to finish, I noticed one thing odd. A newly revealed LEGO co-op puzzle recreation was going to get a PS4 port. Then, one other LEGO recreation in the identical showcase was confirmed to be getting a PS4 launch as nicely. By the tip of Geoff Keighley’s Not-E3 occasion, three new PS4 video games had been introduced. Bizarre.
So, I watched carefully in the course of the Xbox occasion on Sunday to see if this pattern continued. And I noticed two extra video games that have been introduced that day and have been headed to PS4. Sure, in the course of the huge Xbox showcase, two video games have been revealed which are additionally coming to PS4. One in all them you might need heard of: Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 7 is coming to PS4 and Xbox One, but it isn’t confirmed to be launching on Change 2 later this yr.
After the mud had settled, I skimmed by way of all of the showcases and occasions over the previous couple of days and located at the least 11 upcoming video video games that appeared throughout Summer season Recreation Fest and are additionally arriving on PS4.
Right here’s that listing, with brand-new video games marked with an asterisk:
Sonic Racing Cross Worlds*LEGO Voyagers *LEGO PartyMarvel Cosmic InvasionMouse PI For Rent*Scott Pilgrim EX *Planet of Lana 2Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 4*Name of Responsibility Black Ops 7Monument Valley 3Dying Mild: The Beast (after the launch of the PS5/XSX variations)
It’s very probably that I missed a number of PS4 video games that appeared in a number of the many occasions that occurred over the whole thing of Summer season Recreation Fest final week. Nonetheless, 11 video games touchdown on a virtually 13-year-old console is unusual. That will be like Activision placing out a PS2 model of Name of Responsibility: Ghosts alongside the launch of the PS4 in 2013. Or EA placing out a online game on PS1 and PS3 in 2006.
The explanation PS4 video games are nonetheless being made in 2025
So, what’s occurring? Effectively, a part of the explanation we’re seeing video games nonetheless launching on PS4 is that video video games aren’t visually evolving as quickly and vastly as they as soon as did. The distinction between a PS4 and PS5 recreation is nowhere close to as notable as earlier generational leaps, which means a variety of video games, particularly smaller tasks and indie titles, can run completely nice on the older machines.
And lots of people are nonetheless, 5 years after the launch of PS5, gaming on the older Sony residence console. That’s why EA spent cash to backport Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to PS4 and Xbox One after it launched as a “next-gen” unique. If persons are nonetheless shopping for new video games on PS4 (and Xbox One), and porting stuff to those older machines isn’t that rather more work, then why not launch a brand new LEGO recreation on the older units?
To be clear, I don’t assume it’s a nasty factor that publishers are supporting older {hardware} for this lengthy. Video video games are costly. And attributable to tariffs and different elements, video games and consoles are all getting dearer. The PS5 prices extra immediately than it did at launch in 2020, which is simply as bizarre as devs nonetheless making video games for a 13-year-old machine.
We’re in unusual, unprecedented, and never nice instances for the trade. So, I suppose I shouldn’t be stunned that the following huge Name of Responsibility is arriving on PS4 and Xbox One, regardless of these consoles being over a decade previous. It’s not a nasty factor, however it’s a signal of the larger issues dealing with the trade and the remainder of the world.
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