Metal Gear Solid 4 on PS5 is an almost perfect port of my favorite PS3 exclusive

Thanks to the newly released Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol 2, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is finally playable outside the PS3. To be honest, this is a day I never thought would happen, given how difficult it is to port PS3 games because of that system’s infamous Cell architecture. I gained some hope when Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 arrived, and now that glint of hope has become reality.

I bought my original PS3 in early 2008, anticipating Metal Gear Solid 4’s launch. I was already a huge fan of the franchise, with Metal Gear Solid 3 being my favorite game of all time. The iconic E3 2007 trailer and other pre-launch previews only whetted my appetite for MGS4. The final product exceeded my expectations and became my obsession that summer. So you can understand how excited I am to finally play it on modern hardware.

While the Master Collection Vol. 2 also contains Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (another favorite of mine) and the once Game Boy-exclusive Ghost Babel, I want to focus on MGS4, since that’s this collection’s crowning jewel and a title I’ve waited almost two decades to replay. Though I wouldn’t recommend this for first-time Metal Gear players, it’s a must for anyone who originally played it all those eons ago or didn’t own a PS3 back in the day. Here’s why.

Sharper visuals

Unlike Metal Gear Solid: Delta, which is a complete remake from the ground up of Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in Master Collection Vol. 2 is a native port of the 2008 PS3 original. Basically, it’s the same game as before, but with smoother performance, sharper resolution, drastically reduced load times, and some quality-of-life features.

The visuals are an interesting mix. While characters and character models are generally highly detailed, some background elements remain low-resolution, which can be jarring in certain segments, such as two detailed characters sitting at a pixelated table. Despite that, and likely because the game has a more stylized look, the visuals hold up pretty well in 2026, though they still show their age in spots.

Performance is the big win here, as the game now runs at a steady 60 frames per second. I still remember feeling slightly disappointed that the original game ran at 30 fps, since the E3 trailer ran at 60. Now the game runs as well as that legendary trailer. I played this game on the PS5 Pro, which also supports 4K resolution, so I can’t speak to how it performs on other platforms. Based on the reviews I’ve seen, most players will have a smooth experience.

MGS4 was notorious for extremely long loading times, especially when transitioning between acts, which took so long that the game's protagonist, Solid Snake, would take a smoke break during them! You can still access this for fun, but it’s no longer part of the core experience. This is probably for the best, as Old Man Snake shouldn’t be smoking in the first place!

Streamlined gameplay

Controls have also been redesigned for modern sensibilities. They are now fully remappable, and the default mapping is more like a modern third-person layout, with aiming and firing handled by the trigger buttons rather than the bumpers. PS5 users like me also get haptic feedback from the DualSense controller, which makes the experience even more immersive.

Metal Gear Solid: Delta features modern controls and is much easier to play than the PS2 original. While MGS4 has better controls than its predecessor, the updated Delta is far superior in this regard. I only completed the first act of MGS4 and found the gun controls cumbersome compared with those of a modern shooter. Aiming and shooting feel stiff and imprecise. I’m guessing (or hoping) I’ll acclimate to the shooting mechanics with more time. I guess this is a drawback of sticking so close to the original game.

But in fairness to Metal Gear Solid 4, it’s primarily not a shooting game. It’s a stealth game where sneaking around and going unnoticed is at the core. And it still excels in that area, thanks to mechanics like active camouflage, using objects as distractions, and, of course, hiding inside a cardboard box. Sure, Metal Gear Solid V has more refined stealth mechanics and gameplay, but MGS4 is no slouch in this department.

War never changes

While it would’ve been nice if Metal Gear Solid 4 received the same remake treatment as Metal Gear Solid 3, I’d rather have an almost direct port of this long-lost game than nothing at all.

Even if it’s missing Metal Gear Online and has no new missions, I’m just glad I can finally relive one of my all-time favorite games. Hopefully, this opens the door for a major remake down the line. Regardless, Metal Gear Solid 4 is back—and it’s a glorious return indeed!

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Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.