It has been more than a decade since Sony released the PlayStation 4, but the console is just as important as ever. Despite being released in November 2013, the PS4 is still in production today, with well over 100 million units being sold over its lifetime and some new games still arriving on it, including Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii.
When it launched in 2013, Sony's eighth-gen console arrived with tech upgrades that seem du jour now, but were exciting over a decade ago. For instance, the DualShock 4 controller included special buttons to record and share video as well as a touchpad that could turn haptic feedback into a new source of interactivity. This console generation also introduced the PlayStation Camera, similar to Xbox's Kinect, and the first iteration of PlayStation VR.
In 2016, Sony released new models of the PS4. The PlayStation 4 Slim was more efficient, with increased thermal management and power efficiency, while the PlayStation 4 Pro greatly improved the performance and loading times of the original model.
There are many games still getting released on the PlayStation 4, and though they don't run as well as they would on a ninth-generation console (the PS5 and the PS5 Pro), they're still bolstering the value of a console that just became a teenager. CNET curated this list of the all-time greats released on the PS4, including some of the best exclusives as well as some critically acclaimed multiplatform games.
Best PS4 Games - August 2025
Sony Shadow of the Colossus Bluepoint Games' remake of Japan Studio's 2005 fantasy epic about love and majestic, massive monsters that simply have to die retains the awe-inspiring scale of the original game while upscaling the graphical fidelity and tweaking the control scheme to better suit a modern audience. In Shadow of the Colossus, you'll play as an adventurer named Wander: He carries a heavy burden, traveling far and wide to find a way to resurrect a young maiden. At the behest of a powerful entity known as Dormin, Wander sets off to slay 16 colossi across the forbidden land to complete a rite that will return the woman's soul to her body. Each colossus is a sort of puzzle, as you'll have to figure out how to approach them, mount their massive body and strike a fell blow. There are no other enemies in the game, leaving you to grapple with the weight of your decisions as you traverse a breathtaking, wide-open world to the next serene beast. This classic game is a platforming boss rush where the bosses really don't want to hurt you. Shadow of the Colossus is devastatingly beautiful, with haunting visuals (and a sense of guilt) that you'll carry with you even after you finish the game. Release Date: Feb. 6, 2018
Genre: Fantasy epic about slaying massive beasts
Developer: Bluepoint Games $32 at Amazon
Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto 5 Grand Theft Auto 6 is teed up to become developer Rockstar Games' premier heisting experience when it (probably) releases in 2026, but Grand Theft Auto 5 remains a reliable crime adventure for last-generation consoles that continues to get more content. The decade-old caper features three playable characters: the young and hungry Franklin; the washed-up criminal mastermind Michael; and the unstable ace pilot Trevor. As you control each heister through the game, you'll utilize their unique skills to knock out bigger scores. But it's going to take a lot of firepower -- and luck -- to save the protagonists, as they become indebted to bad actors from local gangs, the feds and one egotistical billionaire. Even when you've wrapped up the GTA 5 trio's adventure, there are still vaults to crack in GTA Online. The familiar sandbox of Los Santos feels much different when you're riding rocket-mounted hoverbikes with your friends. There aren't many games where you start out by knocking off corner stores and end up masterminding a James Bond-esque heist to prevent an international doomsday, but Grand Theft Auto 5 serves up a wild gamut of gun-toting thrills. At the end of the day, Grand Theft Auto 5 is more than a third-person shooter: It's a life simulator where you make the choice to either kick back and relax in fictional California or engineer explosive setpieces as you evade the LSPD. It's time to dive into the criminal underworld and make a name for yourself. Release Date: Sept. 17, 2013
Genre: Third-person cover shooter and crime simulator
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