Sony is getting serious: Starting in spring 2026, new PS4PlayStation 4 has shut down important online services for its games. For millions of players, this marks the beginning of the end of an era. The PlayStation 4, on the market since 2013 and one of the most successful consoles of all time with over 117 million units sold, is officially being sidelined.
While the hardware will still be usable, key PSN features will gradually disappear, and that's precisely where things get interesting for many. Anyone still playing on PS4 in 2026 will suddenly realize that not only are the graphics outdated, but the online experience is also being scaled back.
What will (no longer) happen on PS4 in 2026
Internal documents that Insider Gaming The available information suggests that the PlayStation 4 will no longer receive the full PSN functionality for new titles starting in spring 2026. Developers will simply no longer be allowed to integrate certain features. Among the affected games are:
- Activity Feed Web API
- Title Small Storage (TSS)
- Title User Storage (TUS)
- User profile features
- Word filter
- Shared Media Web API
In short: Community features and individual storage solutions are being eliminated. Sony justifies this with a “unified and scalable basis“For future generations. Sounds like a cleanup effort, but it means: Anyone still buying new PS4 games in 2026 will already be significantly limited.”
There have been signs of the end of support for some time now: For example, PlayStation Plus will gradually no longer be supported on the PS4.
Why this matters
The PS4 will celebrate its twelfth birthday in 2025. That's actually an incredibly long time, considering that most consoles are phased out after six to eight years. Nevertheless, the platform remains relevant. Call of Duty or Fortnite They continue to run on PS4 because millions of players haven't switched.
Sony's decision to start shutting down now sends a clear signal: the future belongs solely to the PS5 (and eventually the PS6The upgrade is therefore not only rewarded with better hardware, but also with features that are simply no longer available on the old console.
The end of the PS4 is no longer a question of if, but when. Starting in 2026, Sony will pull the plug on key services, and this will gradually expand. Anyone still using a PS4 should realize: the console will continue to run, but it will increasingly become an isolated island.
Let's be honest: the PS4 is becoming obsolete for new games. Time to start thinking about switching, even if it hurts.
Why are you doing this? My mother won't buy me a new PS5 😔😔
I think it's a huge mistake by Sony 🤮 So many gamers who don't even have that much money are still stuck with overpriced consoles. Yeah, I also think it's great that something like this was invented. Gamers for Life. But now, just because of the PS5 and PS6, all the servers are being shut down from the PS4 because of graphics, new games, and all the other crap that the PS4 can surely handle. Yeah, okay, the graphics, wow, sorry, I had to deal with pixelated crap back in the day too. And now I have to buy another ridiculously overpriced PS4, or even more new games that the PS4 can surely handle 🤦🏼♂️ But the new gaming world... It's a real load of crap, sorry, but I'd rather stick with the PS4 because I don't have much money either. Now I just want a PS4 with graphics and blah blah blah. Eventually, I'm going to switch away from Sony. The end result is the same. The PS3 was also my absolute favorite gaming experience. And the PS2 was the best part of my childhood. The PS4, which I enjoyed even more in 2013, is now ruining the fun because Sony just pulled the plug on the PS4. I find that absolutely disgusting. And how long will it last this time when the PS5 and PS6 are also discontinued? Even more consoles are being released, and even more gamers' enjoyment is being spoiled just because of new consoles and graphics. And no, I've never actually played on the PS5 myself, only at my friends' houses. And I have to say, there wasn't that much to it. That's my opinion.
I think it's a shame and hope I can still play games (I don't really play much online on my PS4 anymore anyway). Hopefully, streaming services like Prime, Netflix, and others will continue to work on the PS4.
But this shows that consoles that rely heavily on online features are not as optimal compared to older consoles like the PS2, which can still be used decades later without major disadvantages.
Honestly, if Sony gradually leaves the PS4 behind and pushes everyone towards the PS5, the company shouldn't be surprised if many people lose interest. For many, the PS5 still isn't a real improvement, more like expensive junk that offers little more than the bare minimum. In the end, many will simply opt for the Xbox, and then Sony only has itself to blame. If you abandon your loyal players, you shouldn't be surprised by their exodus.