Sony Reportedly Planned to Cease PS4 Production at the End of 2021

Man 2022 is gonna be a big one. Anyone not on PS5 will feel like a caveman.

At least here in the Uk it’s fairly easy to get a ps5 last couple months. I mean BT have stock of PS5’s all morning (If you are a BT broadband customer)and still not sold out on their website. Smiths and Very are due a drop very soon as well after having a large drop before Christmas. I feel sorry for those that don’t live in Uk and still can’t get a PS5 who want one

Always worth checking your local game Twitter several stores saying they have stock in store today also for sale.

Considering this is a Uk site, it’s awfully woeful at keeping tabs on PS5 stock levels on their tracker page.

I just hope they start to release alot more ps5 exclusive games as opposed to cross gen stuff.

@themightyant game had them available to order on their website for several days before Christmas had 3 work colleagues order on game on seperate days.

Link for BT as requested https://shop.bt.com/products/sony-ps5-disc-console---extra-controller-bundle-9709893-bundle6-GKJL.html

Check the product description on how to get a code

@Kidfunkadelic83 We'll probably start to see that late this year, with it being the norm from 2023

This generation is going to last a few years longer than last generation.

@Fyz306903 i hope ao as Ratchet and Demons souls, especially the latter looks incredibe as exclusives.

Makes sense given the remaining PS4 games (HFW, GT7, GoW Ragnarok were originally planned for 2021), we'll probably see PS4 discontinued around the end of this year.

It does feel like Sony planned for all the PS5/4 cross gen games to be largely PS5 only with a little overlap, and massively cut down the PS4 production through 2020-2021 until discontinuing it at the holiday point.

But I think once PS5s started production they realized what would happen. A mix of yields and chip shortages among other pandemic induced factors likely led to a quick PS4 version addendum for games that likely started life on PS4, before the system came out, and dragging the PS4 along a little longer.

I reckon they did in fact plan to discontinue the PS4 in 2021. Heck they clearly weren't making any, the things basically disappeared from stores the world over with various SKUs being pulled very rapidly and the overall shipment numbers nosedived faster than most "last-gen" systems do, especially ones that popular, plus the second hand market boomed, and this tells me that even as a remedy for the PS5 situation, a million isn't a lot for 12 months.

It's likely this million units is whatever remaining production lines they had that weren't already changed to PS5 being maximised. Because they sure as hell won't make new ones for this.

Still, smart business move. Not sure it's needed but if it gets some cheap to make hardware out there for some extra software sales, sure.

@Victor_Meldrew I mean, the plan to end production of PS4 could've been made before anyone knew about the virus or part shortages. Which is why it's been since changed.

I'm skeptical of the Bloomberg report that PS4 would've been discontinued after 1 year of PS5. PS3s were still being made 4 years after PS4 launched and the super-popular PS2 was still being manufactured 7 years after PS3!

@Integrity yeah, but PS5 can play PS4 games so there isn't as much need for it existing concurrently.

The ps4 is still alive just like big ben roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers .haha.😊.thats cool.more people to enjoy it.for some who still need a ps5 .like the g.o.a.t 🐐 👑 nas said it aint hard to tell that the ps5 is in high demands.word up son

The PlayStation’s traditional get a final revision around this time. That’s probably what got stopped.

@playstation1995 PS4 will always be an awsome console 👌👌 Did you manage to get a PS5 over in the states man?
Word up 🤜🤛

I just picked up a second hand Pro instead and couldnt be happier. The upgrade to 4K is a massive difference to me, but its all about the games at the end of the day. Either next (current?) gen console is yet to have that truly killer must-have IMO, and with Elden Ring, Horizon, God of War etc. still coming to PS4, I can wait at least another year.

When Yakuza games go exclusive to PS5, I will follow.

@Voltan possibly i grant you, but 1 year does seem out of character, especially when PS4 games are still being made.

@Integrity I don't disagree, just trying to guess the reason

I’m not schooled on technology manufacturing and product distribution but doesn’t it make sense that the more resources that are utilized to make and ship PS4’s then less resources are left to make and ship PS5’s? Like the PS4 manufacturing process is canabalizing the already strapped PS5 production and shipping? There are only so many silicon parts and shipping containers, etc. I would hope they are diverting max resources to PS5 production.

Don't think this report was ever true - PS4 has still got another 2-3 years left in it and still most of the games coming out are cross-gen so the PS4 was never going to be canned.

For myself, I don't think anyone with a working Pro need to panic about trying to upgrade at the moment.
CEX make me laugh as the 2nd hand Pro is at least £300 and the PS5 DOE (or is that DOA?) edition is already down to its RRP. Disc drive sells consoles shock.

If I remember rightly, the PS2 'spare parts department' was closed about 10 years after the console ceased so you'll be able to get PS4 parts until 2030 or something daft?

@Scarla88
Some how and I don’t know why the UK seems very good for all the consoles and getting hold of them.
If you keep an out etc, PS5, Series X and the Switch OLED when it first released.
I always thought we were special in the UK 🇬🇧 😊

While you're there could you also end support for cross-gen games, thanks in advance 👍

Yeah, I'm betting they're ending PS4 production so soon due to the component constraints. It's a shame to see PS4 have the shortest life span of any non-portable Playstation but that's the reality of today's supply constraints.

Thanks China.

@Kidfunkadelic83 How, when bots continue to buy up all the PS5s? I know more people who scalp PS5's that actually own them.

@banacheck I think so too. At least an 8 year gen. With diminishing returns, what would be the purpose of a ps6? 10% better graphics and just a few of them that can pull it off? 120fps? People want a mid gen refresh but what for?

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+new+flesh+videodrome&view=detail&mid=28F351E0288CEC2C5C1628F351E0288CEC2C5C16&FORM=VIRE

Very smart strategy. Marketing wise as well

Yet we still cannot buy a PlayStation pro brand new from anywhere 🙄🙄

@NoFaceBigFoot i dont even know what comment of mine your replying to 🤷‍♂️

@get2sammyb
Not necessarily. It depends on the factory, the raw materials and the machinery that's being utilised.
It could be possible that they're produced in different factories, or on different factory lines entirely.

What's more likely is they share some production steps, but with the chip shortage there's a finite amount of PS5's that can be produced at a given time. Therefore it makes sense to prioritise PS5 production but produce 4s where 5 production is not possible due to the aforementioned shortage.

Bully for them. I'm currently enjoying "Syphon Filter" on the PSX.

@lolwhatno. Its a black thing really.and a new york thing.its comes from the streets and old school rap music.if you listen to old school rap music and interviews they say that.it means true that man or a woman.if i say PlayStation is the g.o.a.t. 🐐. 👑.and you agree with me .thats a word up son.haha.word up son

@Kidfunkadelic83 whats going playa.hows everything been.word up son

Makes sense. With big cross-gen exclusives coming out and the PS5 still difficult to find, you want to have an alternative available for people who still haven't bought in to the ecosystem.

@themcnoisy Nah. Horizon Forbidden West looks great on PS4, from the little bit we've seen.

@themcnoisy Horizon, Gran Turismo and Dying Light all coming to PS4. Nah I'm good

I still haven't seen a system seller that made me want to fork up 700euro for a bundle edition which seems to be the only available version of PS5's nowadays, if you can even get a hold of those.

@get2sammyb Surely it comes down to what components are in short supply and which ones aren't. There's probably a stockpile of PS4 components ready to go but the PS5 'special' chips are more than likely the problem. Might even be down to a higher manufacturing failure rate for the new chipset as to the old one?

Take the SSD for instance; a high speed custom SSD welded onto the PS5 mother board.
The chip set in that alone is likely to be in short supply whereas the PS4 comes with a good old fashioned, no shortage to see here HDD. It only needs 8Gb of RAM (no Pro any more) and various other easier to come by parts.

@huyi We bought my son a boxed used one with a 24 month warranty for £260 from CEX having traded in a load of stuff (old sat nav, etc.) and got it for £80 with the trade in vouchers!
They're over £300 now so I'm glad we got it when we did and he's over the moon with it! Next step is to put an SSD in it!

These are strange times indeed. The PS5 comes out and is hard to get even after 1 year. For those without one already, the PS4 Pro is seen as an alternative but that console is hard to find too. Scalpers must be super happy right now.

Mochisuki who cite anonymous sources…🙄
And the press keeps reporting the reporter of anonymous reporting even though he was proven wrong many times.

@Th3solution thinking the exact same. seems counterintuitive to keep making the old console because the new console can't get produced fast enough.

@playstation1995 all good this end man. Enjoying my new PS5 alot. Add me up if you want. Gamer tag is in my profile 🤜🤛

@lolwhatno. Hahaha no proplem playa.enjoy your day have fun.word up son

It's not too surprising they'd discontinue the old consoles since this is the first gen launching with robust BC baked in, I'm sure they didn't see a lot of point selling the old consoles for too long. PS4 launched with no BC at all, so PS3s still needed to be sold indefinitely. PS3 launched with BC but was basically a DOA sales failure while PS2 still sold like water in a desert until they rebuilt it without the BC, and thus still had to sell PS2. PS2 had BC and they still sold PS1, but that was a very different era with a different relationship to the hardware.

The price disparity is the only issue, though. Jumping up to a $500 console is a big ask for the budget market, and the digital edition only went so far for bridging that, and seems largely AWOL either way.

It's slightly surprising they'd still be making them, but it sounds more like using up parts, and probably also trying to meet the budget market since it doesn't look like they'll have anything to fulfill that part of the market for quite some time. Which is problematic since both of their competitors do...

Great another excuse for Sony to keep holding there games potential back by cross gen. 🙄

@Voltan "just trying to guess the reason"

$199 vs $399/$499 as @NEStalgia mentions above?

Plus, as nice as PS5, is it really worth that extra $200 for anyone still gaming on a 1080p tv? College kids in a dorm room w/ maybe a 40" tv or a teenager still living at home w/ a bedroom 32" tv? I can't imagine everyone is looking to spend $400 - $500 to play PS4 games such as - well like almost every PS5 game releasing - on a small 1080p tv. $199 makes a much better "second console" for Switch and Xbox gamers.

What this article seems to completely fail to mention - unless I missed it - is $399 PS4 Pro. That console was discontinued b/c for that much $ just buy a PS5. But if they can keep $199 PS4 Slim around w/ all the great games it has and still has comin gout this year, let people buy them for $199 and sell them some games.

Hey @get2sammyb you think maybe Bloomberg confused all of the discontinuing news last January 2021 w/ January 2022? 🤷‍♂️

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/sony-reportedly-killing-ps4-consoles-what-you-need-to-know

@rjejr “the reason [why it’s discontinued earlier than previous generations]”

There's a reason that Xbox Series S has been in stock consistently throughout the year. Different chips with much better availability. It's been a huge success for Microsoft having that option available to them.

Whilst I completely understand Sony's thought process, I think a dirt cheap PS4 Super Slim would be the better way to do things. Of course this is very unlikely at this point.

You have to wonder how further tech can advance as these factories can’t produce enough semi conductors/computer chips? I get we’re coming out of lockdown, but we aren’t ready for build twice as powerful computers anyway. All the tech like phones, cars, computers, tv’s need twice as much processing power, and more new tech is demanding computing. I was reading electric car charging stations aren’t being built because they need a lot of computer parts that aren’t available. With shortages of raw materials and factories to produce them, the next gen of tech is going to be high price and not affordable to the average Joe on the street.

This is completely ridiculous. There is no way Sony planned to discontinue the PS4 last year. I don’t even know why it’s still reported here and every where since Sony denied.
Again why trust the Vapor sources when official sources deny?
PS4 was to be supported for many years even after PS5 launch and that’s a fact but willingly ignored

I agree with others that Sony's original plan (2019 and earlier) almost certainly wasn't to discontinue the PS4 in 2021. They may have shifted to that plan due to Covid and all of the shortages and then circled back and changed their minds, but it would be very strange to just stop production of the previous one as soon as the new one was on the market. More likely, they'd have dropped the price and sold more for years.

How long will it before we move into ps5 only games though, I mean I feel like games can be so much better if they didn't have to cater to the lower standard jet engine.
Anyone know if they prices for a 2nd hand ps4 Pro are good, thinking to get rid of mine, just a dust collector on the shelf

@get2sammyb

‘A Sony spokesperson told Bloomberg the company did not in fact plan to cease PS4 production, pointing out it's "one of the best-selling consoles ever" and that "there is always crossover between generations".

Headline:
‘Sony reportedly planned to cease PS4 production at the end of 2021’
🤔

@Voltan “the reason [why it’s discontinued earlier than previous generations]”

You already answered that question in your own post #15 "PS5 can play PS4 games so there isn't as much need for it existing concurrently." so why would you ask a question you yourself had already answered? Hence my confusion.🤷

That's awesome! I love knowing that the PS5 will be released 2 years ago before I'll be able to walk into a store and buy one. (this is sarcasm)