Sony Is Finally Moving On from the PlayStation 4

This year’s major PS5 exclusives are bypassing the older hardware.

The long lifespan of the PlayStation 4 has been impressive. The console still boasts 49 million active users according to Sony’s latest estimates. However, it seems increasingly evident that Sony is prepared to move past the PS5’s predecessor, with Lego Horizon Adventures marking the final chapter.

This growing sentiment of farewell isn’t entirely new. The last major cross-gen exclusive released by Sony was God of War Ragnarök at the end of 2022. The following year’s Spider-Man 2 launched without a PS4 version. Burning Shores, 2023’s expansion for the cross-gen Horizon Forbidden West, was also a “next-gen” exclusive. “PlayStation 4 Generation Is Well And Truly Over!” proclaimed one viral tweet from last summer. “Crossgen Is Over!”

Despite hinting that development for the PS4 would be phased out by 2025, Sony has never officially confirmed the end of PS4 game production. The last official statement on this matter came from then-co-CEO of PlayStation, Hermen Hulst, in 2022. “We certainly don’t want to forget the millions of active players on PS4, and we want to ensure there are great games for them as well,” Hulst told Axios. “We’re evaluating it on a case-by-case basis.”

There was reason to believe a few first-party projects might still be released for the older hardware. For instance, MLB The Show 24, driven by licensing demands, was available on both the Nintendo Switch and PS4. However, Sony’s reveal of Lego Horizon Adventures at Summer Game Fest—a kid-friendly co-op game aimed at expanding the sci-fi series’ appeal—seems to signal the end of an era.