You've probably seen the box art. You've seen the stunning ray-traced reflections of Rivet's fur and the way the debris flies across the screen in 4K. But if you are still looking for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS4 versions in the wild, I have some news that might sting a bit. There isn't one.
Honestly, it's one of those things that keeps popping up in forums because, let’s face it, the PS4 had a massive install base. People wanted to play the latest Insomniac Games masterpiece without dropping five hundred bucks on a new console. But Sony was very clear from the jump: this was a "PlayStation 5 Exclusive." Later, it hit PC, but the aging PS4 hardware was left in the dust for reasons that actually make sense once you look at the tech under the hood.
It sucks. I know.
The SSD Myth vs. Reality
So, why did Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS4 never happen? Most people point to the SSD. You remember those early PS5 showcases where Mark Cerny talked about "sub-second loading"? He wasn't kidding. The core mechanic of Rift Apart is jumping through portals into entirely different dimensions—not just different rooms, but entirely different biomes with different assets, textures, and lighting.
The PS4 uses a mechanical hard drive. It's slow. Basically, it spins at 5400 RPM and tries its best, but it can only pull data at about 100 MB/s. The PS5’s custom NVMe SSD pulls raw data at 5.5 GB/s.
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If you tried to run those portal sequences on a PS4, the game wouldn't just look worse. It would literally stop. You’d hit a portal and have to sit there for forty-five seconds watching a loading circle while the Jaguar CPU struggled to unpack the next world. It would break the "Rift" part of Rift Apart. Digital Foundry did some deep testing on this, and while the PC port eventually showed that you can run the game on slower drives, the experience on a standard PS4 HDD would have been a stuttering mess that ruined the flow Insomniac intended.
What Most People Get Wrong About Cross-Gen Games
A lot of gamers get frustrated because God of War: Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West came out on PS4. They look great! So why not Ratchet?
It comes down to design philosophy. Sony's first-party studios were split during the transition. Some games were designed to be "cross-gen" from day one. This means the levels are built with "bottlenecks"—you know, those tight gaps Kratos has to squeeze through or those long elevator rides? Those are hidden loading screens. They exist so the PS4 can keep up.
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Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was built without those shackles. Because it didn't have to support the 2013 hardware, Insomniac could design levels where you move at high speeds through densely packed cities. There are no "squeeze-through" gaps to hide loading. If they had made a Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS4 version, they would have had to redesign the entire layout of the game. It wouldn't have been a port; it would have been a remake.
The PC Port Controversy
When the game finally landed on PC in 2023, things got interesting. People started trying to run it on old SATA SSDs and even HDDs. The results? On a hard drive, the game hitched. Characters would freeze in mid-air during dimension jumps. Audio would desync. It proved that while the PS5 SSD might have been marketed with a bit of "magic," the speed was genuinely necessary for the seamlessness of the experience.
Is There Any Way to Play Something Similar on PS4?
If you're stuck on the older console, you aren't totally out of luck, though it's cold comfort. The 2016 Ratchet & Clank (the one based on the movie) is still one of the best-looking games on the platform. It’s snappy. It’s colorful. It’s got the classic weapon wheel.
But if you want the "Rift" experience, you're looking at a hardware upgrade. Period.
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Why the Move to PC Changed the Conversation
The PC version, ported by Nixxes, brought features like DirectStorage to the table. This allowed the game to bypass some of the CPU overhead that usually slows down data transfer. It’s cool tech, but again, it requires modern hardware. Even on PC, if you don't have a decent GPU with enough VRAM, the game's "Portal" effects will tank your frame rate.
Insomniac's engine, the same one that powers Spider-Man 2, is hungry. It wants fast memory. It wants high-speed throughput. The PS4 just doesn't have the pipes for it.
The Reality of the "Pro" Upgrade
Some folks thought maybe a PS4 Pro version could have worked. It has more GPU power, sure. But it has the same slow HDD interface. You'd still be waiting at every portal. It’s the difference between a garden hose and a fire hose. You can’t put out a skyscraper fire with a garden hose, no matter how shiny the nozzle is.
The decision to skip the PS4 was a move to protect the brand. If Sony had released a compromised version that felt clunky and slow, it would have hurt the reputation of one of their most beloved mascots. They chose to make a "prestige" title that sold the "future of gaming" instead of a "good enough" title that sold to everyone.
Actionable Steps for Fans Still on PS4
If you are holding out hope for a Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart PS4 release, it is time to pivot. It is officially never happening. Here is the actual path forward for playing this game:
- Look for PS5 Slim bundles: In 2026, the secondary market for the original PS5 and the Slim models is very active. You can often find these consoles for significantly less than their launch price.
- Check PC Specs: If you have a gaming laptop or desktop from the last four years, check your specs. You need at least an SSD (NVMe preferred) and 16GB of RAM. The game is often on sale on Steam or Epic.
- Play the 2016 Remake: If you haven't played the PS4-era Ratchet & Clank, do it. It’s usually dirt cheap or included in various PS Plus tiers. It's the best way to get that fix without buying new hardware.
- Cloud Gaming (Workarounds): While there isn't a native PS4 app for Rift Apart, if you eventually get a PS5, you can use Remote Play to stream it to a tablet or phone, though that’s not really a solution for the console itself.
Ultimately, Rift Apart remains a line in the sand. It marks the moment when the industry finally had to leave the eighth generation behind to do something actually new with level design. It’s a hardware-bound experience that simply cannot be shrunk down to fit into the memory constraints of a machine from a decade ago.