How long will PS4 and PS5 be supported?
What support means, what Sony has announced, and what history suggests without guessing.
Checked September 2026. This page separates what has been announced from what is merely likely.
"Support" means several different things
People use one word for four separate things, and they end at different times:
New games still being released for the console.
System updates — security and stability patches.
Online services — multiplayer servers and the store.
Repairs — official parts and service availability.
A console can stop receiving new games years before its online services close.
PS4
New releases have slowed considerably. Major games are now built for PS5 first, and an increasing number skip PS4 entirely, though cross-generation releases and large live-service titles generally continue.
Online services remain active. Sony has not announced a date for closing PS4 online services.
For context on how these things end: Sony announced in July 2026 that the PlayStation Store for PS3 and Vita will close by July 2027 — those are two generations older than PS4.
A reasonable expectation is that PS4 keeps working for years, with new games becoming rare. But treat the back catalogue as the reason to own one, not future releases.
PS5
The PS5 is the current platform and early enough in its life that there is nothing to be concerned about. Sony has not announced a PS6, and stated in May 2026 that no decision had been made on next-generation timing or pricing.
One announced change does affect it: from January 2028, new PlayStation games will no longer be produced on disc. That is about how games are sold, not about the console being supported — see our guide to whether PS5 discs are going away.
What history suggests
Clearly labelled as pattern rather than announcement: consoles have historically received new games for several years after their successor launches, and online services have typically continued for a long period beyond that. The PS4 launched in 2013 and is still online.
That pattern is a reasonable basis for planning. It is not a commitment from Sony, and we will not present it as one.
What this means for buying
Buying a PS4 now is reasonable for the back catalogue, and low risk because PS4 games also run on PS5. Buy on disc and they carry forward.
Buying a PS5 now is straightforward — it is the current platform with a long life ahead.
Waiting for a PS6 means waiting for something with no announced date. If you want to play in the next couple of years, there is nothing to wait for.
We update this page when Sony announces something official. Ask us on 16280 if you want to talk through what suits you.