Key Takeaways

• Owning too many unplayed PS4 games means that I’m resistant to upgrading to a PS5.
• The lack of a big PS5 price drop means there’s no incentive to purchase a new console.
• The lack of must-have PS5 games means there’s no immediate need to switch consoles.

I still own and use a PlayStation 4 as my main console even though it was released over a decade ago. And I’m far from alone. The numbers suggest that millions of PS4 owners are still happily using their outdated console, and refusing to upgrade to the PlayStation 5. But why? Let’s explore the reasons for this resistance together.

1 I Still Have Too Many PS4 Games to Play

The biggest reason why I haven’t yet switched is that I have 25 physical PS4 games that I have yet to play. And yes, I have counted them. I have added these to my collection over the past 10 years and then just never got around to playing them. Some were bought new, and some were bought used. But they’re all sat there unplayed.

This includes Tomb Raider, Spider-Man, The Last of Us: Part II, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Hogwarts Legacy. Some absolute crackers that together represent hundreds of hours of potential playtime.

I also have literally hundreds of digital titles yet to play; some purchased while on sale, and many more accumulated over the years through PlayStation Plus. Is this my fault? Sure. I should have played through my catalog of PS4 games as I acquired them, rather than letting them stack up.

But here we are. I am well aware that most PS4 games can be played on the PS5, but am I really going to drop hundreds of dollars on a new console only to then continue playing games from the previous generation? It’s unlikely.

2 The PS5 Hasn’t Dropped in Price As I Hoped It Would

Despite owning countless PS4-exclusive games, I would have switched if the PS5 had got cheaper—but it hasn’t. The PlayStation 5 was released in 2020, and yet the price hasn’t really shifted in the four years since.

Early on, with demand outstripping supply, most people had to pay over the odds in order to secure a PS5 console. The price then dipped slightly, but not enough to make me pull the trigger and finally buy one.

I’m old enough to remember several console generations and remember when the price of the hardware would drop over time with some level of consistency. But those times are clearly over, with the PS5 staying at roughly the same price.

If Sony suddenly cut the price in half, then that would be enough for me to purchase a PlayStation 5. But instead, the retail price of a PS5 has actually increased in some territories since launch—which is ridiculous.

3 There Aren’t Enough PS5 Games Worth Upgrading For

As someone who has owned all the previous Sony home consoles, from the original PlayStation all the way through to the PlayStation 4, I’m not completely immune to the lure of the PS5. In fact, I’m sure that I will be switching at some point; just not yet.

And one reason for that is the lack of PS5 games that I feel the need to play. Since launch, I have kept an eye on what’s being released on the PS5 and there have only been a handful of games that have made me wish I had a PS5.

This may not only be about the lack of triple-AAA games being released on PS5. I am also getting older, and don’t play console games as often as I used to. But still, so many years into the PS5’s lifespan, there should be more games that I personally want to play.

Grand Theft Auto VI could change everything here, as it’s only set to be released on the current-gen consoles. So, us gamers clinging on to our PS4s will be forced to upgrade if we want to play Rockstar’s latest epic.

4 Most PS5 Games Are Still Being Released on PS4

Tied in with the reason discussed above is the fact that most new games are also being released on PS4. Sure, the PS5 versions look and play better, but so far, that hasn’t been enough to lure me into upgrading to the newer console. Because I don’t own a PS5, I don’t know what I’m missing, so the PS4 versions of these games feel fine to me. For now.

This is a catch-22 for Sony and game developers. Right now, with so many people sticking with their PS4s, it would be unwise to cut such a huge potential audience out of the loop by only releasing a game on PS5. But the longer this goes on, the less likely people are to upgrade. So, there will come a tipping point when, for various reasons, games stop being released on PS4—but we’re not quite there yet.

5 The Price of New Games Is Just Too Expensive

Most new PlayStation 5 games retail for at least $60, with many priced even higher than that. Which, for someone who has rarely bought new games for many years, feels extremely high. While I completely understand that triple-AAA video games cost a fortune to develop and make, the high price of new games is a barrier to me hopping onto this console generation. Especially as, as I have already mentioned, I own too many older games as it is.

Regardless of inflation, it feels like the price of admission for gaming is higher now than it used to be. The retail price of games generally only buys you access to a basic experience these days, with even more money needed to unlock extra content.

So, beyond just the price needed to buy the hardware, upgrading to a PS5 means this particular hobby of mine becomes much more expensive. Especially when I can buy pre-owned PS4 games relatively cheaply.

Ultimately, I’m very likely to upgrade from PS4 to PS5 at some point. Unless Sony announces the PlayStation 6 before I’ve pulled the trigger. Which is unlikely. But for now, I’m happy with my PS4 and see no real reason to upgrade.