PS4 vs. PS5: which console should you buy in 2024?

PlayStation 5 has been available for several years now, and it’s easier than ever to find it in stock at retailers. The new-gen hardware makes big upgrades over its predecessor, letting gamers enjoy better graphics, shorter loading times, and support for the fancy DualSense controller. It’s also much more expensive than PS4, so while PS5 is better than PS4 in most regards, it might not be ideal for frugal shoppers.

But is PS4 or PS5 the better choice in 2024? Does the aging PS4 really make sense to purchase right now, or should you opt for the PS5? From pricing and available games to storage and resolution, here’s a closer look at these two popular consoles.

PS5 vs. PS4 vs. PS4 Pro specs

Even a cursory glance at the specs of the PS5 shows that it’s in a different league than the PS4 (and even the PS4 Pro). Sony has improved the capabilities of its platform in every way, adding more efficient storage, faster compute parts, support for larger capacity disks, and support for higher resolutions. We know there are two versions of the PS5 — the Standard Edition and Digital Edition — both of which will offer the same specs (with the exception of the omission of a disc drive with the Digital Edition).

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Note that Sony recently launched the PS5 Slim lineup, and while the consoles look slightly different from the original PS5 lineup, their specs are largely the same.

PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 4 Pro CPU 8-core, 16 thread, up to 3.5Ghz
(variable frequency) 8 Jaguar Cores, 1.6GHz 8 Jaguar Cores, 2.1GHz GPU 36 CUs at 2.23GHz, 10.3 TFLOPs
(variable frequency) 18 CUs at 800MHz, 1.84 TFLOPS 36 CUs at 911Mhz, 4.2 TFLOPS Memory 16GB GDDR6 8GB GDDR5 8GB GDDR5 Internal Storage Custom 825GB SSD 500GB, 1TB HDD 1TB HDD External Storage NVMe SSD slot, USB HDD 2.5-inch HDD, USB HDD 2.5-inch HDD, USB HDD Optical