So, I borrowed a PS3 to play MGS4 but for whatever reason, the disc has some errors. Now that Metal Gear Scanlon 4 has started, I have decided to abandon my quest to play MGS4 (for now, at least) and wait for MGS5 to come out.

However, I understand that Peace Walker is essentially the in between game between MGS3 and MGS5 and I would like to play that.

Would Peace Walker spoil MGS4 story content for me or is it safe to play that and watch Metal Gear Scanlon 4 at the same time?

Not at all since MGS4 takes place in the future contrasting to the 1974 setting of Peace Walker, and stars Big Boss and not Solid Snake.

MGS V: Ground Zeroes however will make a couple of Peace Walker references that MAY go over your head if you didn't play that game.

@solh0und: So having watched all of Metal Gear Scanlon that's been released till now, I can safely go into Peace Walker and then Ground Zeroes while watching Metal Gear Scanlon 4 and be ready for MGS5 in September?

Cool cool cool! Sounds great!

It's almost perfectly safe, yeah. As ever with Metal Gear, there are certain things you might thematically appreciate more if you'd already seen MGS4 - but you'll be able to put it all together just fine. Plot and story wise though - the game is a direct follow-up to MGS3 and never addresses any MGS4 spoilers or nothin.

And you may as well just watch them play MGSIV (I think the game plays okay, but there's really not all that much of it to play)

Nope, the main thing that carries between Peace Walker and 4 (or 5 or Revengeance) is the over arching theme and the focus on PMCs and PMC-like organizations.

I can't think of a single thing that Peace Walker would spoil about 4's story. It's pretty safe.

Beating 4 would've given you more context for why they're fighting in Peace Walker but I think the story retreads that stuff in the latter.

I never recommend playing out of release order but in this case I say it's pretty safe

Being unable to play MGS4 is a real bummer. You'd miss out a lot of fun stuff in there if you don't play it, since it is filled with easter eggs.