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

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.

We’ll get into the specifics of most of these specs throughout this comparison. As a general note, though, it’s important to consider the context of these specs. The PS5 is a much newer console built on a different architecture, and because of that, some of the specs shouldn’t be directly compared.

For example, the PS5 and PS4 Pro have the same number of compute units (CU), but the PS5’s CUs have a much higher transistor density, making them more powerful than the PS4 Pro’s CUs. That said, other specs can be directly compared. The PS5 has a strictly better optical drive and resolution support, for example.

PS4 vs. PS5 graphics

The PS4 and PS5 are both based on custom AMD Radeon chips, though the latter packs a lot more of a punch. Sony is boasting twice the number of CUs on the PS5 as well as significantly higher clock speed. However, the biggest difference between the two comes with the ever-important TFLOPs.

Referring to that single number, the PS5’s GPU is roughly eight times more powerful than the PS4 and two and a half times more powerful than the PS4 Pro. Sony is able to achieve such high performance because of the PS5’s 36 CUs and higher clock speed. Over the PS4, the PS5’s cores run at 2.23GHz with variable frequency.

While a higher clock speed is expected, we’re more interested in variable frequency. Speed is capped at 2.23GHz, though it will lower based on what’s required of the GPU. Locked at 800MHz, the PS4 varies power based on the workload to meet the clock speed. More demanding games require more power, but the speed is always 800MHz.

For the next generation, power is the constant and clock speed is the variable. In the PS5 technical reveal, system architect Mark Cerny explained why this was the case, stating that a graphics core with 36 CUs running at 1GHz would produce the same number of TFLOPs as a 48 CU core running at 750MHz — 4.6 TFLOPS — but gaming performance would not be equal.

The general idea is that higher clock speed is better, not more CUs, as the extra, slower units wouldn’t have enough computing work to pull their weight. By allowing variable frequency, the PS5’s GPU can achieve much higher clock speeds than expected, so long as the higher frequency can be supported by the system’s power budget.

So far, we’ve compared PS4 vs. PS5 graphics on raw numbers, but that doesn’t take into account the latter system’s more modern architecture. Each of the PS5’s CUs has roughly 60 percent more transistors than a PS4 CU. As Cerny pointed out in his presentation, that means the 36 CUs of the PS5 equal the same performance as 58 PS4 CUs.

In short, the graphical capabilities of the PS5 are massively more impressive than the PS4. The PS5’s GPU will have more cores, and those cores will be faster and more efficient.

PS4 vs. PS5 resolution

Sony including an HDMI 2.1 output is very forward-thinking, even if most TVs don’t include an HDMI 2.1 port quite yet. The new standard supports higher resolutions and frame rates, but those upper limits won’t matter for years, or even decades. More important to gaming, HDMI 2.1 supports a variable refresh rate, which will prevent screen tearing.

Going into the current console generation, we suspect resolution will be a key marketing point, as Microsoft and Sony already have pushed that their consoles are capable of 8K resolutions. Although this is true — and exciting, even — that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be playing games at 8K.

8K displays will likely become more common towards the end of the PS5’s life cycle. For now, the focus is on 4K. The big deal with the PS5 is support for 120Hz displays, as there’s already a slew of TVs and monitors that support 4K and higher refresh rates. Assuming the GPU has the horsepower to push 60 frames per second and above, you should be able to take advantage of a high refresh rate TV with the PS5.

Compared to the PS4, you’ll see a significant performance boost with a PCI-e NVMe SSD over a 2.5-inch mechanical drive and even standard SATA SSDs. That said, the open nature of the PS4’s medium isn’t present with the PS5; you’ll need to wait until PCI-e 4.0-based drives hit the market before expanding the PS5’s capacity.

PS4 vs. PS5 games

But of course, the real reason to get a PS5 is for the games and there will be no shortage this fall. Standouts include Demon’s Souls, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and God of War Ragnarok. But the list of games doesn’t stop there, as the list keeps growing.

Backward compatibility

PS5 will be backward compatible with PS4, PSVR, and games available through PS Now and PS Plus, with very few exceptions.

Surprisingly, there are only 10 games that will not be backward compatible with PS5. The list is as follows:

• DWVR
• Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
• TT Isle of Man — Ride on the Edge 2
• Just Deal With It!
• Shadow Complex Remastered
• Robinson: The Journey
• We Sing
• Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
• Shadwen
• Joe’s Diner

Unfortunately, backward compatibility starts and stops with PS4 games. PS1, PS2, and PS3 games are not backward compatible, though you can download and stream select titles via PlayStation Extra and Premium.

In addition to new games, the PS5 also supports larger games than the PS4. Both the PS4 and the PS4 Pro have a standard Blu-ray drive. Blu-ray discs can store up to 25GB of data on a single layer, and although up to six layers are possible, the vast majority of Blu-ray discs don’t exceed two layers.

The PS5 ships with an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, much like the Xbox One X. In addition to playing UHD movies off a disc, the new optical drive bay can take advantage of the capacities offered by Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Currently, UHD Blu-rays support three capacities: 50GB and 66GB with two layers, and 100GB with three layers. Unlike standard Blu-rays, the higher capacities should be present in games.

PS4’s DualShock 4 vs. PS5’s DualSense

The varying amount of tension is meant to make the player feel more immersed. Haptic feedback works similarly, but with the controllers’ vibration. Dynamic vibrations will be used to depict different surfaces or even showcase recoil with weapons. It will be up to the developer to design with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in mind, so we hope games on PS5 will continue to include support for it. Based on early previews of the PS5, the DualSense seems to be the shining star.

Despite that, the DualSense and DualShock 4 have many similar features. Each offers the expected identical button layouts. One difference is that the Create button has recently replaced the Share button, which allows users to live stream games and share screenshots and videos with other users. You can still enjoy the fantastic built-in mic and headset jack, as well as a cool, integrated speaker, motion sensor, and handy touchpad. 

PS4 vs. PS5 editions

The new PS5 Slim models have essentially replaced the original PS5 launch lineup. They’re a bit slimmer than the outgoing models, but beyond that (and a slightly larger SSD), they’re virtually the same platform.

The two-versioned PS5 differs greatly from the 2013 PS4, which offered only one hard drive system. Through the years, we’ve watched other models release such as the PS4 Pro and the PS4 Slim; however, those came much later. We’ve already seen Sony update the PS5 with the launch of PS5 Slim, and it’s possible more models will be released in the future.

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