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With the PS5 on the near horizon, there is a question being asked of just how much life there is left in our current-gen systems, such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Thanks to a leak, straight out of Sony's 2019 corporate strategy meeting – which has already given us a PS5 gameplay reveal – the console manufacturer has taken steps to ensure investors that the PS4 will continue to play a crucial role in the company's strategy for years to come.
In its steps to outline what Sony calls the "critical role of the PS4" in a presentation that was leaked this morning, the company noted that the system "will remain the engine of engagement and profitability for the next three years", also going on to note that there is still an "outstanding roster exclusive AAA games still to come."
Alongside this statement are placeholder box art images of The Last of Us 2, Death Stranding, and Ghost of Tsushima, once again reaffirming previous reports that these blockbuster titles are still bound for current-gen systems – all likely to launch within the next three years, if not before.
It's also worth noting that these titles will be playable on PS5, with Sony making a lot of noise about its commitment to backwards compatibility. "We will leverage Backwards Compatibility to transition our community to Next Gen faster and more seamlessly than ever before," a slide reads in the presentation, which then goes on to mention that the PS4 will "provide the fertile early adopter gamer base critical for Next Gen success."
Still life in the PS4 yet
All of this is to say that Sony still believes in this generation and that there are plenty of upcoming PS4 games in the pipeline. That isn't all that much of a surprise, given that it believes that the PS4 will exceed an install base of 100 million this year. To put that in context, the PS3 has an estimated sales base of 86 million, while the original PlayStation comes in at around 104 million; the PlayStation 2 still stands as the best-selling console of all-time at 157 million, a number the PS4 could well rival in the years to come.
Alongside this news, Sony also noted that 90 per cent of all PS4 consoles have connected to the PlayStation Network in the last 12 months – meaning that service has over 94 million active users – while over 36 million of those users are active PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Basically, don't worry if you aren't ready to make the leap to the PS5. Sony is still committed and investing heavily in the PlayStation 4, as is working to ensure that no player is left behind across generations. The PS5 was confirmed earlier this year, as Sony confirmed that it is focusing on backwards-compatibility, 8K resolution support, faster loading times, and ray-tracing. Sadly, it's likely the PS5 won't be releasing until May 2020 at the earliest for a currently-unknown price.
Find out what developers think about the future of gaming in the video below, or head over to our list of the biggest new games of 2019 on the way to see the titles worth keeping an eye on.
