Beginning in the spring of 2026, the PS4 console will likely start losing access to several important online services. This marks a quick move by Sony to end support for the eighth-generation system. This decision follows the company’s growing focus on the PlayStation 5. It suggests that the long-standing console, which has enjoyed a remarkable lifespan, is now entering its final phase.
Documents shared by developers reveal that any new titles released after this date will not be able to use six older PlayStation Network (PSN) features. The features being discontinued include the Activity Feed Web API, Shared Media Web API, Title Small Storage (TSS), Title User Storage (TUS), Word Filters, and the Users and Profiles system. Internal messages sent to development partners stated that existing PS4 games using these features will keep their access. This limits the immediate impact on operations, ensuring that current games remain playable while affecting future projects.
The removal of basic tools like Title User Storage—which is crucial for saving session data and user settings—makes it very difficult for studios to create new software. By cutting off access to these essential network features, Sony is removing what developers need for modern game development on the system. This gradual dismantling is likely to discourage publishers and signals the end of major new releases and any multiplayer-focused titles for a console that launched over a decade ago.
This planned shutdown of APIs follows the earlier schedule for the PlayStation Plus service. Sony plans to start reducing the focus on PS4 titles for PS Plus subscribers in January 2026, with the complete removal of the last-generation catalog to occur later. Along with the fact that all PS4 console production stopped around 2022, these steps show a clear move toward the PlayStation 5 ecosystem. Analysts expect the PlayStation 4 platform will be fully retired in the coming years, possibly coinciding with the anticipated launch of the next PlayStation 6 console.
