According to the latest PwC report, in 2021, the gaming industry has generated over $214.2 billion USD in revenue. Coming out as one of the biggest winners during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, many people took up gaming as a hobby in order to fight the boredom and isolation that came with being stuck inside their houses.
Gaming consoles, such as the Xbox, Nintendo Wii, DS and PlayStation, have contributed $33.7 billion dollars (or almost a sixth) to that value, showing that they are still alive and kicking even if mobile gaming has taken over the world.
With so much money on the line, it’s usual for game creators to wonder how to develop a game for PS4, Sony’s fourth iteration of their iconic gaming console released in late 2013.
In this post, we will give you an outline on what it takes to develop a game for the PlayStation 4 platform, giving you pointers on how to apply for the partner program and some software recommendations once you’re past that barrier.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
How do I get started with PS4/PS5 game development?
You must be a certified PlayStation developer and have a valid Unity Pro serial key (if developing in Unity) or access to a build of Unreal Engine that supports PS4.
Unless you are a world-renowned solo developer, the first thing you should do to get certified is a game. You don’t need to finish it, but it must be in a playable state, and it must showcase your game design, asset creation and game development skills.
Before you ask, we recommend you to go through this before applying to be a PlayStation Partner because, even if it’s not a hard requirement, having a video of your playable game in hand will work in your favor in the process.
With the video of your game in hands, it’s time to head to the PlayStation Partners website and apply as a game publisher and developer. It will require you to fill an application with some legal documents, your IP address, your private domain email address and your product pitch.
This last requirement in your application is where the video will come in handy. Since you will have to send them either a Game Design Document (GDD) or a sheet detailing your planned projects for their development tools, having a video showcasing your game is one way too boost your chances of getting accepted.
Don’t forget to include all the necessary game title information, such as its features, release date and business/monetization model!
Once approved, you will need to buy a Game Development Kit (devkit), which is a collection of frameworks bundled up in the form of hardware. According to online sources, this purchase will set you back $2,500 dollars.
The main purpose of a devkit is to facilitate the communication between the game you are developing on your computer and the PlayStation hardware.
If you are developing in Unity, you will also be required to have a valid Unity Pro serial key, which is usually provided free of charge by Sony when developing for the PlayStation platform. Keep in mind that this serial key is meant for developing exclusively on PlayStation hardware!
If building a game for Xbox is also within your plans, you will have to buy a Unity Pro license yourself, which can be done here and will cost you $1,800/year (or $150/month) per seat.
If you are instead building your game in Unreal Engine, then you will have to contact Epic to get access to an Unreal Engine build that supports the PlayStation environment.
Recommended tools to develop your game
As you might know, developing a game is a task that must not be underestimated. You will have to find, buy or create your own assets and be well-versed in the game engine of your choice, which also requires you to have a decent grasp on programming logic.
If you’re a solo developer or are part of a small game studio, you probably have experienced this first-hand, and chances are you will agree with us.
As the PS4 has some pretty powerful hardware specs, game creators are incentivized to push it to its limits in order to create stunning experiences for the PlayStation platform. With this information in mind, developing games while using the best available tools for their development is a must.
Choosing the right game engine
We’ll start with the game engine, which is the basic building block of a game. There are many options and you will be required to do some research in order to choose the best option for you, but the main names are Unity and Unreal Engine.
Unity is well-known for being a more beginner-friendly game engine and it’s the only one that lets you create an end-to-end game for PlayStation 4. So long as you’re using Unity 4.3 or a more recent version, you will have extensive support for Shader, DualShock and Virtual Reality (VR) features.
Unreal Engine, on the other hand, lets game developers create games without directly writing any code through the Blueprint visual scripting tool. It also comes bundled up with the Persona animation system, which allows animators to have an easier time refining the movements for in-game assets.
If you’re still in doubt, make sure to check our other post in which we go in-depth about their pros and cons, which is sure to help you decide which game engine is right for you.
On the creation of assets
Once you have made up your mind, it’s time to work on the assets, which are often the most time-consuming part of game development (and, thus, the most expensive one).
For 3D models, there are many available softwares, but Blender and Autodesk Maya are the best-known ones. If you are modeling objects with imperfections, such as skin and environmental assets, then sculpting on ZBrush is the way to go as the software can handle millions of polygons at the same time.
You can make use of motion capture equipment and a professional animator to work on the rigging and animation of your game’s 3D models. Make sure to put some extra effort into these parts, as jarring, inconsistent animations are a quick and easy way to throw off your end consumer!
Many Adobe products (such as Photoshop and Figma) are used to create and manipulate various visual elements for in-game use, such as user interfaces (UIs) and textures. Speaking of them, make sure to have a high-quality DSLR camera at your disposal or be ready to spend some bucks on high definition textures for your game.
Audacity is another staple of the game development industry. It allows you to manipulate the voice lines of your characters, the ambient noises of many environments and even guttural sounds for creatures!
Music instruments coupled with a professional microphone or a software like FL Studio is also a must have for the composition of background music, which helps set the tone and enhance the experience of a game.
And, lastly, a lot of patience and perseverance!
What programming language is used for PS4 games?
The programming language used for PS4 games is primarily C++. This object-oriented language allows developers to create complex, interactive games that are capable of running on the PS4’s hardware.
It allows game developers to quickly and efficiently code their game while taking advantage of the latest features offered by the PlayStation 4 console.
Additionally, it is platform independent, meaning it can be used on many different systems without rewriting large portions of code. On top of all this, C++ offers extensive libraries which allow developers to access a wide range of functionality and make development easier. Developers can thus code faster and more effectively using this versatile language.
What about hiring professional developers?
As we have stated before, making high quality games is not an easy task, and all the aforementioned information gives you a glimpse on why that rings true.
For this reason, what if you could instead hire a seasoned game studio to do the hard work for you?
If this is what you’re looking for, then you’re at the right place!
We are Main Leaf, a game development studio that creates fantastic experiences on demand. We’ve been in the industry since 2010 and it would be a pleasure to work on a game with you!
If you got interested, make sure to head to the top of this page and request a game quote today. We will respond to your message as soon as we can!
