PS4 10-Year Retrospective Thread

[Maxie_M0us3]

On this very day marks 10 years since the PlayStation 4 was released, on November 15, 2013. A milonestone for a console that is still supported with plenty of games coming weekly despite its age, alongside its bigger and younger sister, the PlayStation 5.

 

Looking back in time, what are your found memories about this console? Were you in line when the console launched? Your favorite games that were launched exclusively on the PS4? Your most played games? Your first trophies you earned? Your most proud platinums you got? Did you game with friends back then?

 

Let us share your retrospective, your stories, memories.

Happy 10th anniversary, PS4! 🥳

Edited November 15, 2023 by MaxieM0us3

[GothGirlMaxine]

I didn’t get my first PS4 until 2016, my first trophy was on 17th January 2016, but I love the console so much. Also, as the owner of the one-of-a-kind Hitman Briefcase PS4, I am very proud to be a part of PlayStation 4’s history. 
 

 
 

My favourite PS4 exclusives are Knack, Ghost Of Tsushima and The Order 1886. 

[blue_blur_98]

What you actually mean is the tenth anniversary of Knack, yes? You know, GOTY 2013 and every other year since.

 

In all seriousness, I don't think anyone can deny just how much of a slam dunk this console was. Massively successful, loads of games both multiplatform and exclusive, brought great new features to the table and was overall just always a pleasure to use on a daily basis. There are still some things I prefer about the PS3, but the PS4 is still an outstanding gaming device with a hard to beat software library.

 

I don't think I've dumped quite as many hours into a platform as I have with the PS4. Maybe the Nintendo 3DS might come close, but I'm fairly certain it's not quite as much as PS4. I'm still not even done playing games on this thing - not even close. There's still tons I'd like to play here, alongside various backlog titles I already own that I need to get back to sometime. I think the fact that this ten-year-old device is still being supported by major publishers and developers in the industry says a lot about how much staying power it has.

 

If I had to choose some ranking of my top personal favorite PS4 games, I'd probably narrow it down to LittleBigPlanet 3, Dreams, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, with Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled as runner-ups.

Edited November 15, 2023 by blue_blur_98

[Eraezr]

Despite the weak Jaguar CPUs, the technology that came with PS4 allowed for more intuitive visions like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt  and other milestone defining titles.  PS4 marked a new turning point for what's possible with single player games - a paradigm step forward which hasn't happened since the likes of Silent Hill  on the PS One.

[fbdbh]

I got my first PlayStation 3 in February, 2014, then a PS Vita in August, and the PlayStation 4 at the time was an uninteresting machine to me. I specifically bought the PS3 because it was backwards compatible with PS1 games and had really good and cheap HD Collections, whereas the PS4 had... what? 4 very expensive, very uninteresting games?

 

A year later a colleague offered me to lend a PS4 for a week and I had my first two platinums: The Order 1886 and Ether One. I was impressed by the full HD. I also played Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and The Last of Us Remastered. Things were looking pretty alright. So in a few months, on a dreadful autumn day I caved in, bought a used PS4 with my first blue case game, Journey.

 

I think those early months were fantastic. At that time my girlfriend was pregnant and I was panicking to get as much gaming done as humanly possible before the baby arrived, which seems funny to me in retrospect. I blasted through Fallout 4, Bloodborne, Infamous First Light... I was hyped for the new Ratchet & Clank and Uncharted 4... it felt good having both a PS3 and PS4.

 

I started to feel a bit more bleaker around 2018, when games started to feel sluggish. 30 FPS and long loading times were more and more annoying. Trashplat games started to creep in, the magic faded a bit. I felt that it would be time for an upgrade, but I was in no position to buy a pro. Up until the PS5 release day, I used that original PS4.

 

Now that the PS5 launched, I feel like the PS4 is getting a lot more love, I seem to be using the backwards compatibility feature a lot more than playing natively (Elden Ring was notably better that way). What a capable machine the PS4 is still. Truly a wonderful piece of plastic with a rich library. It's still worth getting one, I think, if you're new.

 

And yes, the all-time favorite is Bloodborne, truly the peak of that generation together with NieR:Automata, Dragon Quest XI and Hades.

 

 

[Letenko]

10 years already? Jesus, I'm old.

 

The PS4 got me back into trophy hunting after I switched to PC. Specifically Uncharted 4 brought me back.

 

Altough I still enjoy my PS3 more, the PS4 has many great titles such as Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, Watch Dogs, Destiny, Remnant, AC Unity and many others.

 

I was initially put off when they announced the PS4 (I still remember watching the reveal live in PS Home) due to online multiplayer requiring a PS+ subscription, but I came around when I met a lot of great people who were interested in playing and boosting together (special shoutout to @clickclick-uhoh @ChiroOlson @zultan8212 @Wip3r_U @Smidgeons @juniordrfanatic @Nerobion-N7 @Supercrap04 @DeepEyes7 @StormJero @dragonkiller139@Alex_Gorbatschow@Frankovskafor being great partners in crime)

 

I've probably made more memories playing and boosting on the PS4 than on my beloved PS3, which says a lot. Hopefully everybody else had at least half-as-good of an experience as I had.

 

Here's to 10 more years, no shutdowns and plenty of free time to play.

[SoliDeoGloriaIHS]

I preordered the PS4 with Killzone: Shadow Fall and was waiting in line at my local GameStop on launch night.  My first PS4 platinum was Resogun, a game which I have recently gone back to and am currently playing again trying to earn some of the dlc trophies.  I can't believe it's been ten years already!  I love the PS4 just as much as the PS3.  I'm the proud owner of both consoles as well as the Vita.  Quite frankly, aside from the PS3 and the Vita, I would have to say the PS4 is the primary reason why I have yet to get a PS5.  I still have about 18 or so games to play and platinum for the PS4 and a handful more for the PS3 and Vita.  And not for nothing, there is literally only one game right now that has been released exclusive to the PS5 that I want to play - Final Fantasy XVI.  The only other games that interests me and still haven't released and no one knows when they will release are Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin.  That's it.  One game for now.  Three at some point.  Any other games that I might be interested in are available on the PS4.  The PS4 might cause me to skip the entire PS5 era altogether.  Ten years and I'm still enjoying it as much as I did at launch.  Same goes for the PS3 and Vita. 

 

Favorite PS4 games:

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Uncharted 4: The Lost Legacy

Bloodborne

Ratchet & Clank

Resogun

Edited November 15, 2023 by SoliDeoGloriaIHS

[heavyrockerfin]

Didn't get the console until 2018 when I bought it when my first paycheck in my own field came in. Bought FC5 alongside and spent that summer skateboarding, gaming and of course in my internship. I've made many memories in multiplayer games with my now best friend whom I got to know both IRL and during our games. We'd routinely play FC5 campaign  (a re-run for me) exploring the Montana or ship ourselves into the trenches of Battlefield 1.

Memorable single player adventures and spectacles that come to mind are - but not limited to! - of course Ghost of Tsushima which I call Susihima (wolfhome..) and Bioshock(s), HZD, Mafia series, Bugsnax, FFXV, Tomb Raider trilogy and Skyrim which holds a special place in my heart, bless that game. I still have a massive PS4 backlog to go through and I can wait for PS5's deluxe model whenever that comes.

Great topic @MaxieM0us3 ! It was sweet to trod the memory lane.

[Rebourne07]

My personal top 5 games of the PS4 generation in alphabetical order:

• A Plague Tale: Innocence
• Death Stranding
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• Mortal Kombat X

[serrated-banner9]

Man, 10 years ago, that was a long time ago.

 

Got a PS4 in 2022 and is one of my favourite consoles ever, who knew trophy hunting could be so fun!

Decided to possibly get an Xbox 360 for my birthday this month and begin hunting achievements there as well because why not? and also the store is closing so i want to buy some of the games on the store.

EDIT: didn't realise that pressing enter but never writing anything on the line still made it show up

Was going to say Long live trophy/achievement hunting lol

Edited November 15, 2023 by serrated-banner9
I was today years old when i learned this existed

[megacoolermensch]

PS4... its the best

[squaresoft4ever7]

It's been 10 years??! The PS4 midnight launch at GameStop was the last midnight launch I went to.  I had my cousin with me and we had a lot of fun playing resogun, I also bought Killzone Shadow Fall and unlocked a trophy that night, fun times.  

 

For the most part I enjoyed the later PS4 titles like Spider-Man, God of War, and of course FFVII remake.  

[OmegaRejectz]

6 hours ago, Maxine said:

I didn’t get my first PS4 until 2016, my first trophy was on 17th January 2016, but I love the console so much. Also, as the owner of the one-of-a-kind Hitman Briefcase PS4, I am very proud to be a part of PlayStation 4’s history. 
 

 
 

My favourite PS4 exclusives are Knack, Ghost Of Tsushima and The Order 1886. 

I... have never seen this. That is AWESOME!

[GabrielMS13]

I remember when I first asked my parents for a PS4 as a birthday gift back in 2016. They said: "Get your own money and buy it yourself". I managed to do that in November 2020. A decade-old console that still feels brand new to me. I have beaten many heavy-hitters (inFamous Second Sun, Metal Gear Solid V, The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, The Last Guardian, DOOM, Batman Arkham Knight) and I still have many more to play.

 

May the PS4 last a few more years, because I can't even think about a new gaming system until 2030 or so.

[Don_Chipotle]

Its a great console, you could feel how different ps3 and ps4 were not just in hardware, but in how sony wanted to make games, there are many good games to put on the list, but its amazing ps4 is still going

[Chirithy84]

I've had my Playstation 4 since 2016 and I don't regret owning it for a second. So many toys for me and quite honestly... I gave away my XBOX 360 and my One because I had to move anyway. And now I have a Playstation 5, a stand a configured computer with a 55 inch curve monitor for gaming and streaming, what more could I want? Playstation as well with a 55 inch OLED TV and this... there couldn't be a better combination!

[Feral]

I waited til October 2014 to buy a PS4. I remember playing Infamous Second Son for the first time and hearing effects come through the speaker on the controller. Which was so cool.

 

Favourite exclusives are Uncharted 4 and Marvel’s Spider-Man.

 

Most played are Red Dead Redemption II, Stardew Valley and Fallout 76.

 

Favourite plats: The Witcher III, RDR2 II, Uncharted 4, Fallout 4, Dishonoured 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man.

 

[Kneekickers]

Yikes, already 10 years. 

 

Didn't get my PS4 Pro until 2017 when I spotted a bundle with the PSVR and Farpoint at a really good price. It took a while, but I finally got into trophy hunting as a hobby with this gen after having assumed during the PS3 generation that I didn't have it in me to do so. My PS4 library is by far the biggest among all my game systems, and I wore out two Dualshocks buttons and all from how much I played.

I still play with my PS4 from time to time in the PS5 gen, either with PSVR1 or by bringing my console over to friends' places. PS5's doing a lot right, but I still miss having themes with good visuals and music like Mary Skelter.

 

My favourite games on the system are probably Yakuza 6, Shin Sakura Wars, the Fate/Extellas, Until Dawn, and Taiko no Tatsujin Drum Session which was my first PS4 game. I'll never be able to earn the plat for it since the trophy list is so hard, but it's special in my heart.

[MonaSaxPayne]

earlier today I realized my profile turns 10 years old this month

 

I remember being really impressed with resogun's particle physics

 

also at how FAST the UI was compared to the PS3 lol

 

good times 

[ChilledBrandon]

Still gaming with my trusty PS4 and I love it. Whilst some newer games you can definitely feel where the console is being pushed to its limit, it still has so many great looking games.

 

I definitely would say I have had some of my fondest gaming memories during this console's life, especially Bloodborne and Dark Souls.

[Jeanolt]

I don't have many consoles compared to most people in PSNP, but the PS4 is one of the best. It has a impressive catalog, spanning 10 years of non-stop releases, and considering the technology it's using, it will last a long time. I sometimes think what would happen if a PS5 just falls from the sky, I wouldn't be able to leave it behind. 

 

One of the best consoles of all time.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Jeanolt

[Maxie_M0us3]

As the OP, I should give my take. 😛

 

I remember when I first tried PS4 at a mall booth in town, a month before release. I tried Killzone: Shadow Fall, I was blown away by the gap of graphical  improvement, and the DualShock 4 itself. After it, I went to the EBGames in the same mall, and there were PS4 accessories already, so I purchased a DualShock 4 a month before launch. As I knew I wouldn’t get the console on launch day, I joined my friend whom was going to pick it up on launch day and I experienced the console along with him. It would be until Christmas that I get my PS4 as present, alongside Killzone: Shadow Fall and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. I played as well Resogun as part of PS+.

 

The fact we could finally have cross-game chat (a generation later than Xbox 360), that we could record our gameplay without a device was game changing. DualShock 4 was simply the best PlayStation controller yet, a great evolution of the same controller design we had for three generations. You could feel how PS4 was faster, more responsive than the PS3 that started to show its age by feeling slow and highly prompt to crash. Many great exclusive games such as Last of Us Remastered, Last of Us Part II, Driveclub, the Last Guardian, Horizon Zero Dawn, Until Dawn, inFamous Second Son, God of War. It was insane a small box could handle such games. PSVR was my ever first time experiencing VR and I was blown away, Moss being simply my favorite VR game (figure :P). Later on, I would get a PS4 Pro, experiencing the pseudo 4K.

 

Although PS5 was for me a much more exciting launch than PS4’s, I still have my OG PS4 at another location if I would be there and proceed playing cross-gen games, transferring my saves, or go remote play if needed. And I still play PS3 at a few occasions.

[CowMoyoo]

Originally bought in 2015 only to play Bloodborne it has quickly turned into my main way to play videogames

 

I was very proud when I bought it since I did it with my own money, not through gifts and all, it literally served me through high-school and university, made me discover my game collecting hobby as well as trophy hunting and I'm still using it to this day

[Ezremclix]

I came relatively late to the PlayStation stratosphere in May of 2019. I primarily bought my PS4 to play Spider-Man 2018 and definitely appreciated its graphics a lot more (especially when playing Tsushima, Witcher, or GTA V) and the audio via headphones very crystalline. 

 

All in all I'd say with the PS4 Sony hit the three core targets for a console experience with a very simple but intuitive UI, a game catalog that isn't strictly dependent on other publishers, and a console design that is very sleek and and sophisticated. I can't see myself getting rid of it until it breaks down and I am happy it's received such a long line of support. This is easily the greatest console I've owned.

[Viper]

Got my first PS4 in June 2015...I got a deal on it on eBay. 4 years later it started having issues and I managed to get a deal on eBay again for a PS4 Pro. In a lot of ways nothing really changed with my gaming habits...but at the same time, my backlog went through the roof. I think I was willing to be me MORE experimental with the PS4 so I just bought up everything in sales. PS3 with trophy hunting got me out of my comfort zone, but PS4 blew it wide open. I still have a massive backlog for PS4 now...I doubt I'll ever finish it, as this gen with PS5 I've decided to calm down on buying every thing and focusing on what I actually want to play (rather than saying I MIGHT want to play that so let's buy it now and play it whenever). 

 

It's a fantastic system, which saw the rise of Sony as a first party game juggernaut. They were obviously doing it before hand, but this console really showed the world what's up. Even if I've moved on to the PS5 now, my list of games to play is primarily PS4 titles and I'm pretty sure that's what I'm still playing the most of right now with no end in sight.