PlayStation 4 Prepares for Departure: Developers En Masse Drop Support in 2026

The gaming industry is on the cusp of significant changes as major studios ramp up preparations for a full transition to the next generation of consoles. According to industry sources, PlayStation 4 support for most popular online games will end by 2026, marking the end of the era of cross-generation releases. HoYoverse's move to end PS4 support in Genshin Impact is just the first step in this direction, with many other game service and online title developers already planning their exit schedules.

The increase in the PS5 install base, which has exceeded 80 million units worldwide, has convinced publishers that the next-gen audience is sufficient to focus resources exclusively on current platforms. PS4 gamers may begin to lose access to fresh content in well-known titles as early as this year, and after 2026, major releases will likely become available only on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

This transition will allow developers to fully focus on optimizing for modern hardware, although the irony of the situation is that the PS5's "golden time" may not be as long amid rumors of the imminent announcement of the PlayStation 6, focused on stable 4K/120 FPS.