For over 25 years, Sony‘s PlayStation brand has been synonymous with cutting-edge console gaming experiences powered by proprietary hardware innovations with each new generation. This legacy continues with the PlayStation 5 (PS5) released in 2020 as the latest and greatest PlayStation platform.
But its predecessor the PlayStation 4 (PS4), originally launched in 2013, capped off one of Sony‘s most successful console generations ever – selling over 117 million units globally and offering a tremendously deep catalog of incredible game titles.
Considering the still very limited supply but high demand for the new PS5, combined with ongoing support and releases for PS4, many gamers face a choice: embrace next-gen with PS5, or tap into the amazing PS4 back catalog? This comprehensive guide examines all aspects of PlayStation 4 vs PlayStation 5 to help decide.
PlayStation Generation Overview
Let‘s first provide quick history on the evolution of PlayStation platforms over the past three decades:
| Console | Release Date | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 1 | December 1994 | >100 million units sold; pioneered 3D gaming on consoles with hits like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid |
| PlayStation 2 | March 2000 | Over 155M units – best selling home console ever; massive catalog of ~3800 game titles |
| PlayStation 3 | November 2006 | Launched at $599 USD; added Blu-ray, motion controls, media features |
| PlayStation 4 | November 2013 | Dominated generation with >117M sales; focus on social features and indie games |
| PlayStation 5 | Nov 2020 | Cutting-edge SSD, haptics, 3D audio; aims to redefine next-gen immersion |
With 7 years between major PlayStation generations, Sony has delivered significant capability leaps with each new console revision. The PS5 continues this tradition as a major upgrade over the already powerful PS4 hardware.
But to understand exactly how PS5 showcases innovation amidst the latest console war with Xbox Series X, it‘s important to recap the PS4 generation…
Revisiting PlayStation 4: Dominating Last Gen
The PlayStation 4 original (CUH-1000) and PlayStation 4 Pro (CUH 7000) revisions make up Sony‘s 8th generation console family that retailed from 2013 up until manufacturing ended in 2022.
The base PS4 hit the market with a familiar combination:
- x86-64 AMD Jaguar 8-core CPU
- Custom 1.84 TFLOP AMD GCN GPU
- 8GB GDDR5 RAM
- Combined HDMI, optical audio, USB 3.0, and auxiliary ports
- New DualShock 4 controller with touchpad
While its specs didn‘t blow contemporaries like Xbox One out of the water, Sony won the generation via excellent exclusive first-party games, stronger international market share, and enhanced hardware via the PS4 Pro mid-cycle upgrade.
In late 2016, the PS4 Pro extended Sony‘s generation lead by delivering:
- Higher 2.1 GHz CPU overclock
- Enhanced 4.2 TFLOP GPU supporting 4K resolution
- 1TB storage capacity became standard
- Refined cooling and power design for improved acoustics
Thanks to these smart enhancements keeping PS4 modern as 4K TVs dropped in price, Sony dominated global console sales throughout the entire generation:
<!-- Insert line graph visualization showing PS4 global hardware unit sales by year clearly outpacing Xbox One -->Figure 1: PlayStation 4 rapidly outsold Xbox One each year of the generation according to VGChartz estimates.
In fact, the PlayStation 4 became the fastest home console to ever reach 10 million sales, hitting the milestone within 9 months of launch.
Besides hardware sales dominance, Sony also leveraged its first-party studios to huge critical and commercial success all generation:
- God of War (2018) – Over 19.5 million copies sold
- Marvel‘s Spider-Man (2018) – Over 20 million copies sold
- The Last of Us Part II (2020) – Over 10 million copies sold
These PS4 mega-hit exclusives each won Game of the Year awards from media outlets and fan communities thanks to their richly detailed open worlds and emotionally resonating stories.
Simply put, the PS4 will go down as one of Sony‘s best consoles ever – which brings us to its next-generation successor.
Introducing PlayStation 5: Pushing Future Console Boundaries
With huge PS4 success to build on, anything less than a stellar generational leap from Sony would risk ceding dominance to Microsoft‘s Xbox Series X.
Thankfully PlayStation fans got a worthy successor in the form of PlayStation 5 (model numbers CFI-1000 series).
Released globally November 2020, Sony designed PS5 architecture completely in-house to set new standards for immersion by eliminating technical barriers to developer creativity.
Headlining capabilities included:
- Custom Zen 2 CPU (3.5GHz, 8 cores) enabling advanced physics, AI, rich worlds
- Massively enhanced custom RDNA 2 GPU (10.3 TFLOPs, 36 CUs) powering ray tracing and 4K 120fps gaming
- Lightning fast custom 825GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD reducing load times from seconds to milliseconds
- GPU based 3D spatial audio technology for lifelike, environmental sounds
- DualSense controller with advanced haptic feedback deepening immersion
This combination of custom silicon, bleeding edge specs like HDMI 2.1 connectivity, and new sensory features gave next-generation console expectations actual substance.
While competing directly with Microsoft‘s equally impressive Xbox Series X on capabilities, Sony maintains an industry edge in exclusive games and global mindshare thanks to the preceding PS4 generation success.
Let‘s now dive into exactly how PS5 specs and performance stack against the former category leader PS4.
PS5 vs. PS4: Hardware and Specs Comparison
We summarized some high-level hardware differences earlier. But as gaming enthusiasts, let‘s get more technical to fully appreciate Sony‘s engineering efforts moving from PS4 to PS5:
Figure 2: Expanded spec comparison detailing exact PlayStation 4 vs PlayStation 5 hardware capabilities
As visualized above, the PlayStation 5‘s AMD Zen 2 / RDNA 2 powered system architecture represents a massive capability upgrade over PS4 Jaguar CPU and GCN graphics. Combining cutting-edge process nodes with custom designs, PS5 breaks new ground in possible gaming worlds, physics, AI, and graphics renderings.
Specific technology advancements enabling this next-generation experience include:
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The 3.5GHz Zen 2 CPU with SMT doubles threads from 8 to 16 allowing more advanced NPC behaviors, better open world dynamics, and snappier response even in huge multiplayer matches. Decompression hardware also feeds data quicker from the SSD to memory and CPU.
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The hugely expanded RDNA 2 graphics now output 10.3 TFLOPs compute power – over 2X the PS4 Pro GPU – thanks to higher clock speeds near 2.2GHz and greatly enhanced architecture. This translates to buttery smooth 4K 120fps gaming, ray tracing visuals previously impossible on past PlayStations, and new sensory features via GPU compute.
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Custom SSD solution offers 825GB ultra fast storage using PCIe Gen 4.0 rather than SATA interfaces. Real world game loads are 3-4X quicker than PS4 thanks to throughput exceeding 5GB/s rather than capped around 100 MB/s before. Developers can also stream assets directly from storage instead of loading entirely to RAM.
Clearly no spec was left untouched in designing PS5 hardware custom tailored for immersion and graphics never before possible in console gaming.
But on paper improvements must manifest in actual game experiences…
PS5 Performance and Graphics Showcase
We just crunched the numbers showing PlayStation 5‘s serious hardware upgrades over the PS4 generation. Do real-world game performances live up to expectations?
Absolutely – early cross-generational titles prove PS5 represents a literal game-changer, not just an incremental upgrade:
- Spider-Man Miles Morales on PS5 running at native 4K 60fps with ray tracing reflections delivers far richer New York City details, lighting, effects lacking on PS4 (30fps 1080p)
- Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War multiplayer visuals enjoy increased fluidity with 120fps frame rates while targeting 4K resolution – a superb experience.
- Next generation exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart leverage the SSD and graphics power to teleport between worlds near instantly with no loading.
These early benchmarks foreshadow the new gaming experiences PlayStation 5 enables via its custom designed hardware and platform-level features. Expect more show-stopping PS5 exclusives over time too.
Game Library and Backwards Compatibility
Of course a console‘s value lies heavily in the games available to enjoy on the platform. With over 7 years of support, PlayStation 4 built up a bountiful game catalog – over 4000 titles strong counting both physical and digital releases across genres.
Fortunately, the PS5 also delivers strong backwards compatibility covering the majority of this PS4 library:
- Over 99% of PS4 titles can be played on PS5 as of January 2023. Just 10 games have minor compatibility issues currently. Sony continues porting forward remaining catalog.
- Disc-owners simply insert PS4 game CDs into PS5 which then downloads a native port. You can upgrade to digital PS5 license for discounts in many cases too.
- For downloaded PS4 games, players simply login with same PSN account on PS5 and redownload to SSD storage or external USB drive.
- Select PS4 games also support a special Game Boost mode improving performance via PS5 hardware. Expect higher resolutions, faster load times and frame rates hitting 60fps or above.
This backwards compatibility makes transitioning your gaming library over to PS5 wonderfully painless while introducing new players to past PlayStation classics. It‘s the best of both worlds without having to own both consoles.
PlayStation Market Share and Sales Outlook
Sony completely dominated the eighth console generation with runaway PlayStation 4 success on the back of stellar exclusive games and global appeal. Can they repeat this recipe for ninth generation victory against the equally impressive Xbox Series X?
Early momentum shows strong continued demand for PlayStation 5 hardware and positive market reception to growing next-gen catalog:
<!-- Insert line graph visualizing launch aligned sales of PS5 against competing new consoles --> - As shown above,despite supply issues limiting production volume, the global install base for PlayStation 5 continues tracking well against last generation PS4 levels.
- Shortages stem from unprecedented demand for both PS5 and next-generation consoles broadly during a global chip crunch – a testament to gaming industry strength.
- Critics and fans widely praise PS5 exclusive showcases like Horizon Forbidden West for setting new graphical and gameplay benchmarks within historically beloved Sony franchises.
Given historic brand loyalty and Sony‘s continual investments into both established and new first-party studios, all signs point to PlayStation 5 achieving sales dominance for this console generation as well.
The PS4 generation also proved players eagerly return for mid-cycle enhanced console SKUs – likely powering a future PlayStation 5 Pro once supply Normalizes in 2024 or 2025.
Until then, strong momentum continues building behind PlayStation 5 thanks to great games realizing the full potential of its custom designed hardware.
Conclusion: Which PlayStation Should You Buy in 2023?
Given everything we‘ve explored, should gaming enthusiasts buy into PlayStation 5 yet, or stick to the amazing PS4 back catalog for now?
- For players who prioritize groundbreaking next-generation graphics, performance and immersion, the clear recommendation remains hunting down Sony‘s PlayStation 5 restocks even at their inflated price point. Its custom solution including SSD, Zen 2 CPU, RDNA 2 graphics and exclusive features like 3D audio truly redefine what‘s possible in console gaming. You need PS5 to experience trailblazing new franchises like Horizon Forbidden West at their absolute best.
- However, more casual gamers on a budget have perfect reason to stick with PlayStation 4 consoles for now. The extensive library offers countless quality exclusives and third-party games to keep you entertained for years. Discounted PS4 Pro bundles also provide modern 4K gaming at a reasonable price without ridiculous scalping markups. Take advantage of clearance sales before stock disappears for good!
- Of course asking if PS4 or PS5 is "better" negates the fact both consoles offer tremendous, but different, gaming value. Play through your missed PS4 favorites first, then level up to next-gen with PS5 down the road. No need to see it as an either-or proposition if budget allows over time.
Weigh your personal gaming priorities as next-generation PlayStation 5 supply gradually catches up with demand over the next couple years. With Sony delivering multiple excellent console options this generation, players of all types win thanks to market competition driving innovation!