Saying Goodbye to PS4: Genshin Impact’s Big Transition

A Nostalgic Farewell to PS4

As someone who’s watched Genshin Impact climb the charts since 2020, HoYoverse’s announcement to retire PS4 support feels both inevitable and bittersweet. The PlayStation 4, which first arrived in 2013, introduced millions of players to Teyvat’s wonders. From storming Stormterror’s lair to chasing Archon quests across sprawling landscapes, the PS4 era has been an unforgettable chapter. Now, as the console nears the end of its life cycle, it’s time to salute our trusty workhorse before we embark on the next adventure.

Timeline of Key Dates

• September 10, 2025 – Genshin Impact PS4 version is removed from the PlayStation Store. (If you’ve already downloaded the game, you can still re-download it until server shutdown.)
• December 17, 2025 – Periodic in-game prompts will encourage players to link their PS4 account to PC or mobile.
• February 25, 2026 – All in-game purchases on PS4 end. Buying Primogems and event bundles will no longer be possible.
• April 8, 2026 – PS4 servers go offline. After this date, updates, logins and gameplay cease entirely on the console.

Why the PS4 Can No Longer Keep Up

HoYoverse points to the PS4’s aging hardware—its 8-core Jaguar CPU, 1.84 TFLOPS GPU and 8 GB of GDDR5 RAM—struggling under Genshin Impact’s ever-expanding world, richer visuals and live events. Each new archon quest and region patch adds gigabytes of data, pushing a decade-old console past its limit. This isn’t unique to HoYoverse: other live-service titles have phased out legacy platforms to prioritize performance and introduce new features that older hardware simply can’t support.

What This Means for PS4 Players

For many, the PS4 version was their first taste of the open-world, gacha-driven RPG that became a global phenomenon. Active PS4 players will need to migrate before April 8, 2026 or risk losing access to their characters, progress and inventory. Community events, co-op sessions and in-game social hangouts will all move to PC, mobile and PS5—so staying on PS4 means watching from the sidelines.

How to Safeguard Your Teyvat Adventure

• Link Your Account Now: Open the game’s settings on your PS4 and navigate to “Account Linking.” Connect your HoYoverse account to a PC, iOS or Android device to ensure characters and purchases transfer seamlessly.
• Plan Your Upgrade: If you haven’t already, consider upgrading to PS5 for a smoother experience. The PS5 delivers faster load times, higher frame rates and improved visuals that do justice to each new region.
• Back Up Local Files: Snapshots, screenshots and custom settings stored locally may disappear after servers shut down. Transfer any important files to cloud storage or a USB stick.
• Explore Mobile and PC Options: Both PC and mobile clients receive the full feature set—sometimes even before console updates. Devices with high refresh-rate screens and modern chipsets will give you the best performance.

Could a Nintendo Switch Version Change the Game?

The Nintendo Switch’s specs—4-core CPU, 1 GB RAM dedicated to games—lag behind the PS4. Unless Nintendo unveils a beefier revision, porting Genshin Impact to Switch would likely require significant downgrades or rely entirely on cloud streaming. While a Switch cloud version could be exciting, no official word has surfaced and performance uncertainties remain.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Live-Service Gaming

As live-service titles grow more ambitious, studios are zeroing in on platforms that natively handle massive worlds, photorealistic textures and frequent content drops. PC, PS5 and cloud services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming offer dynamic patches and cross-play that legacy hardware can’t match. Shorter console lifespans and rapid software advancements mean we’ll see more games bid farewell to older generations in the years ahead.

Bottom Line

Genshin Impact’s PS4 era is winding down because live-service games naturally outgrow aging hardware. Keep the key dates on your calendar, link your account today and plan your move to PS5, PC or mobile so you can continue exploring Teyvat without missing a beat. Farewell, PS4—you’ve been a phenomenal guide through life in Teyvat.