PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4
The original PlayStation 4 console with a DualShock 4 controller
Also known asPS4
DeveloperSony Interactive Entertainment
ManufacturerSony Electronics, Foxconn[1]
Product familyPlayStation
TypeHome video game console
GenerationEighth
Release date
Lifespan2013–present
Introductory priceUS$399.99, €399.99, £349.99
DiscontinuedJP: January 5, 2021 (all models except Slim)
Units sold106 million (as of December 31, 2019)[4]
Units shipped117.2 million (as of March 31, 2022)[5]
Media
Operating systemPlayStation 4 system software
CPUSemi-custom 8-core AMD x86-64 Jaguar 1.6 GHz CPU (2.13 GHz on PS4 Pro) (integrated into APU)[6]
Secondary low power processor (for background tasks)[7]
Memory
  • All models: 8 GB GDDR5 RAM
  • PS4 & Slim: 256 MB DDR3 RAM (for background tasks)[7]
  • Pro: 1 GB DDR3 RAM (for background tasks)
Storage
  • Capacities: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB[8]
  • Types: HDD; SSD (user installable)
  • User upgradable: Yes
Display
Graphics
  • PS4 & Slim: Custom AMD GCN
    18 CUs
    800 MHz
    1.84 TFLOPS
  • Pro: Custom AMD GCN
    36 CUs
    911 MHz
    4.19 TFLOPS
Controller inputDualShock 4, PlayStation Move, PlayStation Vita
CameraPlayStation Camera
Connectivity
PowerVia internal wide voltage range (110–240 V AC 50 Hz/60 Hz) switched-mode power supply
Online services
Dimensions
  • PS4: 2.09 in × 12 in × 10.8 in (53 mm × 305 mm × 274 mm)
  • Slim: 1.54 in × 11.3 in × 10.4 in (39 mm × 287 mm × 264 mm)
  • Pro: 2.17 in × 12.9 in × 11.6 in (55 mm × 328 mm × 295 mm)
Mass
  • PS4 (1st generation): 2.8 kg (6.2 lbs)
  • PS4 (2nd generation): 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs)
  • Slim: 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs)
  • Pro: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
Best-selling gameMarvel's Spider-Man (20 million)
PredecessorPlayStation 3
SuccessorPlayStation 5
Websiteplaystation.com/ps4/

The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in Europe, South America, and Australia, and on February 22, 2014, in Japan. A console of the eighth generation, it competes with Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U and Switch.

Moving away from the more complex Cell microarchitecture of its predecessor, the console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) built upon the x86-64 architecture, which can theoretically peak at 1.84 teraflops; AMD stated that it was the "most powerful" APU it had developed to date. The PlayStation 4 places an increased emphasis on social interaction and integration with other devices and services, including the ability to play games off-console on PlayStation Vita and other supported devices ("Remote Play"), the ability to stream gameplay online or to friends, with them controlling gameplay remotely ("Share Play"). The console's controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3, with improved buttons and analog sticks, and an integrated touchpad among other changes. The console also supports HDR10 High-dynamic-range video and playback of 4K resolution multimedia.

The PlayStation 4 was released to critical acclaim, with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers' needs, embracing independent game development, and for not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One. Critics and third-party studios, before its launch, also praised the capabilities of the PlayStation 4 in comparison to its competitors; developers described the performance difference between the console and Xbox One as "significant" and "obvious". Heightened demand also helped Sony top global console sales. By October 2019, PS4 became the second-best-selling home game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2.

On September 7, 2016, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 Slim, a smaller version of the console; and a high-end version called the PlayStation 4 Pro, which features an upgraded GPU and a higher CPU clock rate to support enhanced performance and 4K resolution in supported games.

Its successor, the PlayStation 5, was released in November 2020, with Sony discontinuing in Japan all PlayStation 4 models except the Slim version in January 2021, with it still being produced in Western markets following a statement of at least 3 more years of support for the PS4.

  1. ^ Mishkin, Sarah (November 13, 2013). "Foxconn profits beat expectations". Financial Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference engadget was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference eurogamer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "PlayStation™Network Monthly Active Users Reaches 103 Million" (Press release). Sony. January 6, 2020. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "PS5 shipments top 19.3 million; PS4 tops 117.2 million". Gematsu. May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  6. ^ Anthony, Sebastian (November 22, 2013). "Comparison of Xbox One and the Playstation 4". ExtremeTech. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "PlayStation 4 iFixit Teardown". iFixit. November 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  8. ^ Lempel, Eric (August 9, 2018). "Introducing the 500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro, Commemorating 500 Million Systems Sold". PlayStation.Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.