Call of Duty Abandons PS4: Next Games Coming Only to PS5, Xbox Series, and PC

It had been in the air for a while, but now it's official: Call of Duty is saying goodbye to PS4 and Xbox One. Activision has confirmed that the next chapters of the famous shooting saga will no longer be developed for previous-generation consoles, focusing all creative and technical efforts on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC gaming. A decision that, while predictable, puts a definitive endpoint to an era that has accompanied millions of players for over a decade.

The news spread across the web in just a few hours, fueling heated discussions in gaming communities around the world, Italy included. On one hand, series veterans bidding a nostalgic farewell to a platform where they've spent hundreds of hours; on the other, next-gen console owners who can finally expect optimized experiences without compromises. The video game market is changing its skin, and Call of Duty, always a barometer of the industry, is no exception.

But what does this transition concretely mean for Italian players? Which titles will be the first to drop legacy support? And, most importantly, how much weight does PS4 still carry among console owners in our country? Let's clarify all these aspects, analyzing the implications of a choice that redefines the future of the best-selling franchise in video game history.

The End of an Era: Why Call of Duty is Leaving PS4

To understand the scope of this decision, we need to look at the historical context. Call of Duty remained compatible with PS4 and Xbox One for several years after the next generation's launch, a choice dictated mainly by commercial reasons. PS4 sold over 117 million units worldwide, and even in 2024 a significant portion of the installed base remained active. Abandoning it too early would have meant cutting off a massive slice of potential buyers.

However, maintaining cross-gen support came at a considerable technical cost. Developers at Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games had to contend with increasingly stringent hardware limitations, giving up visual, physics, and simulation features that newer architectures would have allowed them to fully exploit. The decision to cut the umbilical cord with the old generation responds to precise logic: freeing development teams from the constraints imposed by hardware that's now over a decade old.

From a technical standpoint, PS4 and Xbox One feature CPUs derived from AMD's Jaguar architecture, originally designed for low-power applications. Compared to the Zen 2 CPUs found in PS5 and Xbox Series X, the performance differences are abyssal. Continuing to develop for both generations means, in practice, building two distinct games, with separate development pipelines, different optimizations, and a resource expenditure that multiplied across the three rotating studios becomes unsustainable.

What Changes for Players on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

The good news is that those already gaming on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC can expect a concrete and measurable quality leap. Without the weight of legacy support, developers can finally harness the full potential of modern platforms. Here's what we could expect from the next saga chapters:

• Advanced ray tracing: with PS5 and Xbox Series X free from compromises, real-time lighting can finally reach realism levels previously impossible in the series
• Nearly instant loading times: PS5's high-speed SSD, already partially exploited in cross-gen versions, can now be used to the maximum to eliminate practically every wait between matches
• More sophisticated AI and NPCs: More powerful CPUs will allow for more complex enemy behavior and richer tactical scenarios
• Larger and more detailed maps: without having to compress assets to fit PS4's limited RAM (8 GB shared between CPU and GPU), environments can be enormously more elaborate
• Stable 120fps frame rate: already available on next-gen consoles, but finally without having to sacrifice other technical aspects to maintain it
• New-generation 3D audio: Tempest Engine on PS5 and Dolby Atmos on Xbox can be integrated natively rather than as optional features

For PC players, the situation has already been optimal in terms of hardware for some time, but here too the end of cross-gen will bring benefits: ultra-high resolution texture packs, full DirectStorage support, and optimizations that no longer need to account for old console limitations.

The Impact on the Italian Market: How Many Players Remain on PS4?

The question many are asking concerns the extent of the "damage" for those who haven't yet made the jump to next-gen. In Italy, the console market has shown interesting dynamics in recent years. According to IIDEA (Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association) data for 2025, PS5 has now surpassed PS4 in terms of active installed base in our country, but the percentage of users still on PS4 remains significant, estimated between 20% and 25% of the total console gaming base.

These are numbers that cannot be ignored, but must be contextualized. A considerable portion of these users utilize PS4 as a secondary console or for legacy titles, not as their primary device for new purchases. The real concern involves that segment of players, especially younger ones or those with limited financial means, who haven't yet been able to afford the generational jump.

Price remains the primary obstacle: the standard PS5 still hovers around 449-499 euros in the Italian market, while Xbox Series X is found at similar prices. A significant sum that, in an economically challenging context, not everyone can afford. For these players, Call of Duty's abandonment of PS4 support represents a real loss of access to one of the most-played titles globally.

It's worth noting, however, that Activision has demonstrated past sensitivity toward the mobile market, and Call of Duty Mobile will continue to be available on smartphones and tablets, guaranteeing an alternative way to access the franchise for those without next-gen hardware.

The Competitive Landscape: How Call of Duty Positions Itself Against Competition

Activision's move must also be read in a competitive light. In the multiplayer shooting landscape, Call of Duty faces increasingly fierce competition, both from premium gaming and free-to-play titles:

Battlefield 2042 and EA's future: after a troubled launch, EA's franchise has sought to reposition itself, and future chapters will also look exclusively at next-gen.

Halo Infinite: Microsoft's title, included with Xbox Game Pass, has consolidated its presence on Series X/S and PC, but has shown difficulty maintaining an active community long-term.

Valorant on Console: Valorant's arrival on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has opened a new competitive front, bringing a tactical alternative that clearly targets the new platforms.

Fortnite and the mobile generation: Epic Games chose a different strategy, maintaining support across a huge ecosystem of devices, but even here next-gen experience quality is on another level.

In this context, Call of Duty choosing to focus on PS5, Xbox, and PC gaming sends a clear message to the industry: technical experience quality has become an indispensable differentiating factor. You can no longer compete at the highest level if you must continue contending with 2013-era architectures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Starting with which Call of Duty title will it no longer release on PS4? A: Activision hasn't yet communicated the specific title that will mark the first official abandonment of PS4 support, but reports indicate that the chapter planned for the autumn 2026 window will be the first developed exclusively for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Q: Can those who still have PS4 play Call of Duty in any way? A: Yes. Call of Duty Mobile for iOS and Android will continue to receive updates and new content, representing a valid alternative for those without next-gen hardware. Additionally, previous saga titles will remain fully playable on PS4 without limitations.

Q: Are PS5 and Xbox Series S equivalent for playing Call of Duty? A: Xbox Series S offers a solid experience, but with some differences compared to PS5 and Xbox Series X: lower maximum resolution (1440p native vs 4K), less available RAM, and no physical disc drive. Core gameplay features will be identical, but maximum visual quality will be slightly reduced on Series S.

Q: Does PC gaming remain the best platform for Call of Duty? A: For those with adequate hardware (GPUs like RTX 4070 or higher, at least 32 GB of RAM), PC remains the platform offering maximum graphics quality, higher frame rates, and greatest settings flexibility. The end of cross-gen will further amplify this advantage with exclusive textures and features.

Q: Could Microsoft include future Call of Duty titles in Game Pass from day one? A: It's a concrete possibility. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, completed in 2023, Call of Duty titles could be included in Game Pass, even though Microsoft has so far maintained traditional sales strategy for premium series chapters. Nothing rules out a policy change with the first exclusive next-gen title.

Conclusion

Call of Duty's farewell to PS4 is much more than a corporate decision: it's the definitive signal that the generational transition is complete. The video game market has turned the page, and the quintessential shooting franchise has chosen to be at the forefront of this change, rather than remaining anchored to the past for commercial reasons.

For Italian players already on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC gaming, the news is excellent: the next iterations of the series can finally express their full technical potential without compromise. For those still on PS4, the recommendation is to seriously evaluate the transition to the current generation, also considering increasingly frequent offers on refurbished consoles or advantageous bundles that have made PS5 more accessible than at launch.

The future of video games is already here. Call of Duty has simply decided to run toward it.