According to recent reports, Sony has almost completely discontinued the PlayStation 4 in Japan, leaving only one model still in production. This discontinuation appears to include the PS4 Pro. All of these models will no longer be available once the current stock has sold out.
PlayStation 4 Models Discontinued in Japan
The news comes from Japanese publication GameWatch, which has reported that Sony is ending production of almost all PlayStation 4 models in Japan. The only model which will remain in production is the black 500 GB ‘Slim’ PS4. Every other model, including other variants of the 500 GB ‘Slim’ and the PS4 Pro, will only remain available while stocks last. This appears to be so that Sony can devote more resources to producing the PS5. However, the company is unlikely to shift resources back by any major degree in the future.
At present, it’s unknown whether this is a sign of things to come in other territories. VGC has reported that the official PlayStation store in the US stated late last month that the PS4 Pro would no longer be available once the current stock was sold. However, this message has since been removed. It’s possible that this message was posted in error. That being said, it may also indicate upcoming plans to discontinue PS4 production in the US too.
If this proves to be the case, it would hardly be surprising. Microsoft has already discontinued production of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. The production of both consoles was brought to an end a few months prior to to the launch of the Xbox Series X. Whatever the case, gamers should expect Sony to slowly shift to focusing solely on the PS5. Of course, support for the PS4 will continue for the foreseeable future. General patches and other such support is unlikely to cease for several years at a bare minimum.