The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S ushered in a new generation of console games. Since backward compatibility is a big deal in this generation, it is possible that you will no longer use your old console. So, what do you do with an old console that you no longer need?
Consider donating your old consoles
By far, one of the most impactful things you can do with your old console is to donate it to a charity. It may be a children’s hospital or a domestic violence shelter in your area, or it may be an established charity such as Gamer’s Outreach (USA) or Get Well Gamers (United Kingdom).
Giving your old console to a used goods store or selling it online through eBay for Charity can also make a difference, as you will be raising money for a good cause.
We recommend contacting any institution first by phone or email to learn more about their policies for accepting donated goods. Don’t forget to include any old games, controllers and peripherals that you no longer need.
You can also donate directly to friends, neighbors or anyone else that you think can get some entertainment from your old console. Not everyone can afford a completely new system, and not everyone invests in video games enough to spend a few hundred dollars. You can spark a passion for video games in someone who has never touched a controller before.
If you own a PlayStation 4 and are upgrading to PS5, you are less likely to play your old games on the older system, thanks to backward compatibility with PS5. Newer consoles play older games better, usually with enhancements or optimized versions. The same can be said for the Xbox Series X and Series S, which are compatible with previous versions of several generations of Xbox.
Use your old console as a media center
Both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (as well as older consoles such as Xbox 360 and Wii U) have applications to access most major streaming services. This includes premium streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Disney +, free streaming services like YouTube, music from Spotify and Pandora or live streaming platforms like Twitch.
While the PlayStation 4 can play regular DVDs and HD Blu-Rays, the Xbox One is capable of handling 4K discs in high dynamic range. Both consoles can play USB storage files, with the Xbox One family even supporting x265 (HEVC) files.
All you need is a TV or monitor to connect your old console and a place to put it. You can use an external USB drive to add storage, with the Xbox One and PS4 supporting external hard drives.
Game streaming is also a viable option
Sony has a game streaming service called PS Now. This premium service allows you to stream games from the Internet directly to your console, without being limited by the hardware. The service is often praised for its emphasis on older PS2 and PS3 titles, but modern PS4 titles are also included.
(Microsoft has its own Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service, but it can only stream to Android devices. You cannot stream games to an old console.)
If you have already purchased a PS5, you can use the PS4 to stream games to the console over the local network. This allows you to play PS5 games on your PS4, as long as your network is up to the task. That means you can stream PS5 games from your living room to a PS4 in your room with glorious 1080p resolution.
The performance of the network will affect the viability of the game’s streaming, both in terms of online streaming and local remote play. If you are playing locally, a wired Ethernet connection will provide a more consistent experience.
Best multiplayer and cooperative game
Even if the next generation of game consoles is already here, your old consoles should work fine for a few more years, at least. If you have multiple players in your home, two consoles can help keep the peace. Playing together is generally more fun than playing alone as well.
One of the most compelling reasons for keeping your old console is for multiplayer purposes. Two consoles mean that two players can play together, each with their own monitor. There are numerous multiplayer experiences that can benefit you, including cooperative campaigns, competitive online games and survival sandbox games.
This includes games like areola, where entire campaigns can be played together. Fallout 76, Sea of thievesand Red Dead Redemption 2 they all offer immersive online worlds that are great fun to explore together. Agitated snipers like Borderlands may experience performance drops in split screen, but this is a problem you will not have if you are both using separate consoles.
Cross-game is also becoming more common, with games like Minecraft, Rocket League, Call of Duty: Warzoneand Battlefield V allowing players to play together, regardless of whether they are using Sony, Microsoft or PC hardware.
With PS4 and Xbox One games now considered state-of-the-art, game prices will drop. You’ll find more copies used in thrift stores and online markets. There are bargains to be found, but the games are still as good as they always were.
Check out the Homebrew scene
Homebrew is user-developed software designed to run on closed systems, such as game consoles. It requires you to bypass the protections set by the manufacturer to run custom code. Once you have access to the console’s operating system, you can install your own applications.
How far you get with homebrew ultimately depends on which console you own, how technically proficient you are and, most of the time, how lucky you are. If you have a Wii or a Wii U, you will find a variety of homebrews available to you, including user-made channels, emulators and starters to load games directly from the disc.
Reddit communities like r / WiiHacks and r / ps4homebrew are of great help when we try these kinds of things. There are many risks involved, and you can – possibly – wipe out your console entirely. You should also avoid using primary accounts (the ones you still use or use to buy games), as companies like Nintendo and Sony often ban users suspected of hacking.
The Xbox One remains one of the only consoles that has never been “hacked” for use with homebrew. Despite this, Microsoft supports a developer mode that allows you to run UWP (Universal Windows Program) applications on your Xbox, as long as you install them yourself. By doing this, you can use your Xbox One or Xbox Series X console | It’s like an emulation box.
Whether it will be worth it for you depends on the level of risk you are comfortable with and also for what purpose you want to use the console. Emulators are a popular choice thanks to projects like RetroArch. Just make sure you understand the legal implications of emulation and ROMs.
RELATED: How to install the RetroArch emulator on Xbox Series X or S
Dead or Dying Console? Try to fix it yourself
You could sell your “broken” console for a pittance on eBay or try to fix it yourself. This can be a rewarding experience, in which you learn a few things about hardware. If you know what’s broken, you can find spare consoles on eBay for a pittance, after all.
The most common problems will be disk drives that no longer read disks and dead hard drives. These are relatively easy to replace parts, and you can even upgrade components like the hard drive to increase the overall capacity of the console.
You may experience other problems, such as a dying fan, poor thermal performance (heat dissipation) due to dust accumulation or buttons that no longer work as expected. iFixit can help you find your way around the hardware, while communities like Reddit’s r / consolerepair offer constructive feedback. Then there’s YouTube, with endless video tutorials from enthusiasts to help you along the way.
Just be careful and make sure you know what you are doing before opening the console. You can still give yourself an unpleasant shock, even if the console is turned off and unplugged. You will probably want some basic tools, like an antistatic bracelet or rug, and a screwdriver set, before you dive.
A console that you repaired yourself can last for many more years, which is better than dying prematurely like a pile of junk mail.
Will you upgrade to the next generation?
The PS4 and Xbox One may qualify as “next generation” at this time, but they are not This one old. The games are still being released for these platforms and will be so in the coming years. As the dust settles on the generation, used discs will continue to become cheaper. There is still a lot of life on these platforms.
But when you finally decide it’s time for an upgrade, take a moment to consider what’s best for your old hardware, instead of just letting it collect dust under the TV.
Ready to pull the trigger on a new console? See why you should avoid all digital versions.
RELATED: Why you shouldn’t buy a all-digital PS5 or next-generation Xbox