It has been more than a decade since Sony released the PlayStation 4, but the console is just as important as ever. Despite being released in November 2013, the PS4 is still in production today, with well over 100 million units being sold over its lifetime and some new games still arriving on it, including Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii.
When it launched in 2013, Sony’s eighth-gen console arrived with tech upgrades that seem du jour now, but were exciting over a decade ago. For instance, the DualShock 4 controller included special buttons to record and share video as well as a touchpad that could turn haptic feedback into a new source of interactivity. This console generation also introduced the PlayStation Camera, similar to Xbox’s Kinect, and the first iteration of PlayStation VR.
In 2016, Sony released new models of the PS4. The PlayStation 4 Slim was more efficient, with increased thermal management and power efficiency, while the PlayStation 4 Pro greatly improved the performance and loading times of the original model.
There are many games still getting released on the PlayStation 4, and though they don’t run as well as they would on a ninth generation console (the PS5 and the PS5 Pro), they’re still bolstering the value of a console that just became a teenager. CNET curated this list of the all-time greats released on the PS4, including some of the best exclusives as well as some critically acclaimed multiplatform games.
Best PS4 Games
Santa Monica Studio’s latest entry in the God of War franchise gears Kratos up to head back into battle against the Norse pantheon. This fight isn’t born of bloodlust, though. The Greek god is working to save his son’s very soul as impending doom approaches. As Kratos and Atreus go head-to-head with Odin and Thor, God of War Ragnarok explores what it means to be a father in a mythological epic about family.
Aside from Ragnarök’s deeply emotional narrative, the game is mechanically stronger than its predecessor, refining the suite of weapons from God of War (2018). Iconic arms like the Blades of Chaos swing with more fluidity, and the shield is now a more proactive than reactive tool, becoming a weapon in its own right. Ragnarök might be focused on exploring the human side of Kratos, but he’s still the god of war — and gruesome, cinematic carnage is left in his wake.
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2022
Genre: Hack-and-slashing pantheon-clashing adventure
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic hit series is, at its core, a story about love, loss and revenge. The Last of Us Part 2 is firmly rooted in that latter category, as the dual protagonists Abby and Ellie both sacrifice everything to lash out at one another for past traumas. Players guide the women on their bloody warpath across Seattle as they contend with an armed militia, a religious cult and lots of fungal zombies as they fight to avenge their fathers.
The Last of Us Part 2 is painted against the backdrop of a world healing after societal collapse, but brutality still rules outside of settlement walls. Combat is varied, allowing you to exercise extreme amounts of agency in your approach. Stealthy melee attacks, bows and silenced weapons can take out small pockets of enemies, if you want to sneak past the rest. It’s also possible to systematically and viscerally dismantle every enemy with mines, rifles, molotov cocktails and more, shedding innocent blood on the quest for revenge.
The Last of Us Part 2 will immerse you in a world where only the strongest survive — and you won’t feel good about it afterward.
Release Date: June 19, 2020
Genre: Brutal third-person zombie survival shooter
Developer: Naughty Dog
