If you’re a fan of third-person looter shooters with flashy combat and co-op play, you’ve probably seen clips of The First Descendant popping up on your social feeds lately. Many PlayStation 4 owners are asking one question first before diving in: is the first descendant available on ps4? We’re breaking down all the official details, performance notes, and workarounds if you’re hoping to play the game on your last-gen Sony console without upgrading to a PS5 right now.
Is The First Descendant Available on PS4? Official Launch Details
Nexon first announced plans to release The First Descendant across last and current gen consoles back in 2022, and the team followed through on that promise when the game launched globally. The free-to-play title is fully available for PS4, with no separate purchase or upgrade required to access it on the older console. Initial marketing focused heavily on PS5 and high-end PC performance, which led many players to assume it was a next-gen exclusive, but that was never the case.
The PS4 version of the game receives all the same content updates as the PS5 and PC versions, so you won’t miss out on new characters, limited-time events, or endgame raid drops if you play on last-gen. The only differences are related to visual fidelity and performance, which we’ll cover in more detail next. You can find the game listed directly in the PlayStation Store for PS4, right alongside the PS5 version.
Performance Expectations for The First Descendant on PS4
The performance of the game will vary slightly depending on which PS4 model you own. Base PS4 consoles run the game at a steady 1080p resolution with a 30fps cap, while PS4 Pro models support upscaled 1440p resolution with the same 30fps cap. You may notice minor frame dips during large co-op battles with lots of particle effects and multiple player characters on screen, but these are rare and rarely impact gameplay in a meaningful way.
You can adjust a handful of graphics settings in the game menu to prioritize either visual quality or frame stability, depending on your preference. Turning down shadow quality and particle effect intensity will almost completely eliminate frame drops during busy encounters, with very little noticeable impact on how the game looks.
When you’re waiting for a co-op lobby to fill or taking a break between tough raid runs, it’s common to look for a quick, low-effort activity to pass the time. Many players keep a few casual games downloaded on their console for exactly these short breaks, and a popular pick right now is Rummy77, which fits perfectly into 5 or 10 minute gaps without pulling you too far away from your game session.
Crossplay is fully enabled between PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox consoles, so you can squad up with friends no matter what platform they’re playing on. If you do upgrade to a PS5 later, all your game progress, characters, and loot will carry over automatically via your PSN account, so you won’t lose any of the work you put in on your PS4.
How to Download and Set Up The First Descendant on PS4
Since the game is free-to-play, there’s no pre-order or purchase required to download it on your PS4. The process is simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind to avoid common setup issues:
- Open the PlayStation Store on your PS4 dashboard and use the search bar to look for The First Descendant
- Select the main free game listing (avoid any premium DLC packs if you only want the base game first) and click “Download”
- Once installation is complete, launch the game, link your existing Nexon account or create a new one for free, and you’re ready to start playing
Make sure you have at least 70GB of free storage space on your PS4 before downloading, as the initial install is around 55GB, and regular post-launch patches add extra file size over time. If you only have a small hard drive, you may want to delete unused games or media to make space first, as partial installs will cause the game to crash on launch.
Premium battle pass purchases carry over across all PlayStation consoles linked to your account, so if you buy a battle pass on PS4, you’ll have access to all its rewards on PS5 too if you upgrade later. You don’t need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play the single-player story and open-world content, but you will need an active membership to join co-op matches and multiplayer raids.
Common PS4 Play Issues and Quick Fixes
Most players don’t run into any major issues playing The First Descendant on PS4, but there are a few common glitches that pop up for a small subset of users, all of which have simple fixes. The most reported issue is random frame drops during endgame raids, even on PS4 Pro models. The easiest fix for this is to close all background apps running on your PS4 before launching the game, especially streaming services or capture software that uses up system resources.
Connection errors when joining co-op lobbies are another common complaint. These are almost always related to unstable internet, so try switching from Wi-Fi to a wired Ethernet connection if you can, or restart your router to reset your connection. You can also try turning crossplay off and back on in the game settings to refresh your lobby connection.
If you experience consistent crashes, try rebuilding your PS4 database, a simple maintenance step that fixes most corrupted file issues without deleting your saved data or installed games. To do this, turn off your PS4 completely, hold the power button until you hear two beeps, and boot into safe mode, then select the “rebuild database” option. This takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have stored, and it will fix almost all launch-related crashes.
If you still run into issues after trying these fixes, you can check the official The First Descendant social media pages for server status updates, as scheduled maintenance or unexpected server outages can also cause play issues for all players regardless of platform.
At the end of the day, you don’t need a brand new next-gen console to enjoy everything this fast-paced looter shooter has to offer. We’ve covered all the official details to answer whether is the first descendant available on ps4, plus what to expect from performance, how to download it, and how to fix common issues you might run into. If you’ve been on the fence about trying the game and you only have a PS4, there’s no reason to wait – jump in and start unlocking new characters and powerful loot today.