Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

Screenshot from GTA 6 trailer 2, showing a TV and a games console next to it.
Grand Theft Auto "We got a PS6 tease before GTA 6": Everyone's making the same joke about this 5-second shot in Rockstar's new Grand Theft Auto trailer, which features a mysterious new console
PS5 Pro reveal from trailer
Hardware Sony knows "there's a huge interest" in PlayStation's "next-generation console strategy" after the PS5, and "the future of the platform is top of mind" for the company
A screenshot from Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered showing Aloy aiming her bow at a bird-like machine.
PlayStation PlayStation needs to "reconsider" its push for "cutting-edge graphics" and "change our way of thinking" says former Sony boss
Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok
PS5 Sony isn't worried about the Switch 2 being the fastest-selling piece of Nintendo hardware ever, because you need the PS5 for "a great experience on big screens"
Ghost of Yotei art with protagonist sitting surrounded by swords
PS5 Everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play June 2025
PS5
Hardware Sony has sold almost as many PS5s as it did PS4s in the same time frame, but expects its sales to worsen, and analysts reckon GTA 6's delay won't help
Summer Game Fest logo for Summer Game Fest 2025
Events & Conferences Predicting the games of Summer Game Fest 2025: What we expect to see from each of the 20 major publishers in attendance
  1. Platforms
  2. PlayStation

What we can predict about PS4 from PlayStation's history

Features
By Justin Towell published 22 February 2013

It does have a habit of repeating itself...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

There's a precedent for this

There's a precedent for this

Several precedents, actually. So why waste our time having stabs at guessing its future based on the present when history is full of pointers to suggest exactly what PlayStation 4s life will be like?

So lets take a look into our history-honed crystal ball and see how things are going to pan out for PlayStation 4. If the next-generation is like the last three, there are some things we can predict

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
PS4 will cost less than $599

PS4 will cost less than $599

PlayStation and PS2 both launched at $299. Both turned out to be among the most successful consoles ever seen, combining the appeal of state-of-the-art technology with a just-about-affordable-if-you-really-want-it price point. By comparison, PS3 launched at $599 and everyone laughed. It was necessary due to the expensive development of Cell, but PS4 uses PC components, making it more likely to fall back in line.

While a sub $300/300 price point for PS4 would be killer, we don't know if that's possible. What we do know is that Sony will aim lower, possibly coming in around $400. And even if all that wonderful techno-jiggery costs more than that to produce, its imperative Sony learns from Nintendo (and Vitas) mistakes and takes a hit on console profits in exchange for a large user-base.

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
PS4 will have hardware revisions in 2016 and 2019

PS4 will have hardware revisions in 2016 and 2019

After PlayStation's surprise hardware revision in the shape of the PSone, PS2 got its first Slim model after 4 years. Since 2004, every subsequent hardware revision has come three years after the previous. It's like clockwork.

PS2 had further weight and dimensional reductions in 2007, PS3 Slim was introduced in 2009 and its Super-Slim hit in 2012. Three years seems to have become the trend here, so we'd expect PS4 Slim in 2016 and PS4 Super Slim in 2019. So, in other words, the console itself (which we haven't seen yet) will lose some weight (and likely cost) in 2016--if you can wait.

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
PS4's aesthetic finish won't be ultra-deluxe

PS4's aesthetic finish won't be ultra-deluxe

If history has taught us anything, it's that original PS3 was the odd-one-out in many respects. It was the only Sony home console to feature a gloss finish, likely to help justify the premium price-tag.

In 2013, Sony needs to keep costs down as its pockets aren't exactly bulging, but the new machine is also unlikely to look and feel as cheap and plasticky as the low-budget PS3 Super Slim. So some happy middle-ground along the lines of PS3 Slim is the most likely style for the appearance of PS4. That means fewer fingerprints, too.

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
PS4 will share some early releases with PS3

PS4 will share some early releases with PS3

We already know that Watch Dogs is a cross-generational launch game but history can point to a few more examples. PS3 had new versions of Call of Duty 3 and Need For Speed Carbon because they could easily be prettied-up and sent out with a new price tag. Pretty much any major game that's in development now would logically be a good candidate for having all the sliders set to full and sent out as a next-gen game. The PC version of Tomb Raider is a likely candidate for that, with its hefty recommended specs sounding suspiciously next-gen-like.

Likewise, GRID 2's PC version is clearly impressive enough visually to be released on PS4, despite having been designed to scale back onto current gen machines too. Might we see The Last of Us ported at deluxe settings to the new hardware? It's probably feasible. And then theres the prospect of a GOTY version of Skyrim (one that actually works from Day 1)

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
PS4 will launch with 250GB and 500GB variants

PS4 will launch with 250GB and 500GB variants

How do we know this? PlayStation 3's bundled-in hard drive configurations have always come in pairs, ever since the initial 60GB and 20GB partnership on day one. As digital downloads become more commonplace, hard drive sizes have increased, with PS3 seeing higher-capacity SDKs brought in across the various territories worldwide almost every year, currently at 250GB and 500GB.

The next step, namely a 500GB and 1TB hard drive partnership, seems a little too big for a console release in 2013. So we're likely to see the most recent configurations for PS3 duplicated for PS4's launch, with a 1TB model following next year.

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
PS4 will be discontinued in 2025

PS4 will be discontinued in 2025

PlayStation 2 launched in 2000 and was finally discontinued at the end of 2012. PSone before it was launched in 1994 and was discontinued in 2006. Thats twelve years apiece for shelf-life.

PS3 was launched in 2006 and could feasibly have another 5 years left in it as a Blu-Ray player, cheap console and media hub, bringing it up to 12 years also. Its simple mathematiculations to add 12 to 2013, so unless something hoes horribly wrong--or very, very right--Sony will be retiring its system in 2025.

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
PS4 will sell over 100 million units

PS4 will sell over 100 million units

PSone sold 102.49 million units. PS2 sold 153.6m. PS3 has sold roughly 77 million units so far, with a potential five years left in its lifetime to clinch another 23m, which is certainly likely too.

PS4 looks at this point to be set to get the jump on Microsoft's next console, which would mean it would be first to market, as PS2 was. That really helped Sony get a lead on its competition... unless you count Dreamcast, but most people were waiting for PS2 at that time anyway.

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
What do you think?

What do you think?

That's the future as predicted by the past. But will it be accurate? Don't forget, the past also suggests that The US Air Force will buy a load of them to create a crazy supercomputer and it will be advertised by a talking duck. Might any of our carefully selected precedents actually mean nought in the current climate? Let us know in the comments.

And if you're looking for more, check out 15 PS4 questions that remain unanswered and PS4 games: Every single one announced so far.

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
PRODUCTS
Killzone: Shadow Fall GRID 2
Justin Towell
Justin Towell
Social Links Navigation

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.

See more Playstation Features
Read more
Screenshot from GTA 6 trailer 2, showing a TV and a games console next to it.
"We got a PS6 tease before GTA 6": Everyone's making the same joke about this 5-second shot in Rockstar's new Grand Theft Auto trailer, which features a mysterious new console
PS5 Pro reveal from trailer
Sony knows "there's a huge interest" in PlayStation's "next-generation console strategy" after the PS5, and "the future of the platform is top of mind" for the company
A screenshot from Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered showing Aloy aiming her bow at a bird-like machine.
PlayStation needs to "reconsider" its push for "cutting-edge graphics" and "change our way of thinking" says former Sony boss
Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok
Sony isn't worried about the Switch 2 being the fastest-selling piece of Nintendo hardware ever, because you need the PS5 for "a great experience on big screens"
Ghost of Yotei art with protagonist sitting surrounded by swords
Everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play June 2025
PS5
Sony has sold almost as many PS5s as it did PS4s in the same time frame, but expects its sales to worsen, and analysts reckon GTA 6's delay won't help
Latest in PlayStation
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo
"Games are amazingly affordable": Former PlayStation boss defends $80 prices because stuff like Mario Kart provides "hours and hours and hours with just one purchase"
FC 25
FC 25 Path To Glory tracker with all Women’s Euro 2025 cards
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Capcom agrees Monster Hunter Wilds has an endgame problem, so it's adding "a new level of quest difficulty" and Talisman crafting to "broaden the range of builds"
The Witcher 3
Cyberpunk 2 director says "mature games" used to mainly be about killing and sex, but The Witcher 3 was part of a "broader process" to change that as devs grew older
Dave the Diver Godzilla screenshot
Dave the Diver celebrates 2nd birthday by sharing messages from Baldur's Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon and the Subnautica studio CEO, bringing back Godzilla DLC, and dang, delaying its next DLC
Diablo 4
Blizzard jumps out of bed, rushes to the desk, and slams the nerf button after Diablo 4 players find a way to use Season 9 powers to "teleport effectively infinitely" and speed farm with every class
Latest in Features
One-Punch Man season 3: Saitama punching while in mid-air during the anime One-Punch Man.
Anime Expo 2025: dates, announcements, and why One-Punch Man fans should be excited
The Shrouds
It may feature corpses, missing limbs, and AI, but with The Shrouds, legendary director David Cronenberg has made the ultimate meditation on grief: "To me, there is no afterlife"
A full setup for Fate of the Fellowship with cards, tokens, and pieces all laid out
Legendary board game designer says his upcoming Lord of the Rings project is "definitely the most thematically and mechanically rich game I’ve worked on"
Promotional artwork for the Steam Summer Sale 2025 which runs from June 26th - July 10th at 10am PT
I've spent six hours exploring the Steam Summer Sale with our Games Editor, and these are the 10 best games on discount I'd recommend so far
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot of Aza, a cultist companion with short pink hair who holds a dagger
The Outer Worlds 2 is "going deeper and more complex" with its companions, and I'm already making grabby hands at this RPG
Ruffy runs across the ocean on wooden crates in Ruffy and the Riverside, with the GamesRadar+ Indie Spotlight logo
Banjo-Kazooie and Paper Mario mix together in this delightful puzzle platformer that has me swapping textures to solve puzzles by changing the world
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...