Is The PlayStation 4 Still Worth Buying In 2026?

Even though the PlayStation 4 is already an old console, it's still worth buying in 2026, especially if you want to save a little money. Despite Sony and publishers focusing more of their new releases on the PS5 due to its powerful hardware, the current-gen console's entry price remains high.

So, if you are the kind of player who has gone a long time without a console and wants to start playing again without investing heavily on a new platform, a secondhand PS4 is enough. You may miss a few recent games, which can be a problem if you want to play titles like "GTA 6." But aside from that, the PlayStation 4 game library is huge, so you'll never run out of good stuff to play.

For someone who is just starting out, even a used PlayStation 5 and its rival, the Xbox Series X|S, represent a much higher investment barrier, so the PlayStation 4 ends up as a very viable alternative.

It's possible to find many good games on the PS4 library. You can play adventures spanning from great JRPGs like "Persona 5 Royal" and the "Final Fantasy 7" remakes to Sony's own franchises like "God of War" and "The Last of Us." While some of these games are also available on PC, it's cheaper to buy a PlayStation 4 than to build a desktop in 2026.

At the same time, I would recommend that you look for a PS4 Pro instead of its original version in stores. The basic edition may cost less and work well for anyone who doesn't care about better graphics, but the PS4 Pro offers a little more value for your money. This upgrade improved some of the console's hardware, making many games look better and run with improved performance. So, I think it is worth investing an extra $50 to buy an upgraded hardware instead of dealing with weak performance in some games.

You can even notice the differences between the PlayStation 4 Pro and the base model when you look at games that launched as cross-generation with the PS5. While the 2013 PS4 struggles with several performance drops to run games like "Horizon Forbidden West," the Pro does not face the same issues. It can even offer great textures for anyone who wants to play in 4K.

Beyond the game library, the price is another reason that I consider the PS4 good for anyone who is unsure whether to buy the console in 2026. Although it is hard to find a new model still in the box, sites like Amazon sell several renewed units. You can find them in the $180 to $250 range, which is less than half of the PlayStation 5's current price.

In addition, with more than 117 million units sold according to Sony, the PS4 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. This huge number gives you a better chance of finding one in good condition and reduces their price in the secondhand market. You can save even further considering that you can buy used physical games, which usually cost much less than their digital version sold on the PlayStation Network.

In the end, this is a choice that, to me, makes sense for anyone who wants to play good games and is not looking for anything specific from the new generation. The PlayStation 5 offers better performance in many ways and will receive titles like "GTA 6" in 2026, which may make a lot of people want to pay the price so they can play Rockstar's new release. But that does not take away the PlayStation 4's appeal for anyone who just wants to have fun without paying a lot.