PlayStation 5 News: Possible backwards compatibility with PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSX systems hinted by Sony filing a patent about a method for more accurate backwards compatibility – Could the PS5 be the ultimate console that replaces almost every other home console out there?

Aurora

I'm a girl that's liked technology from day 1. Mostly interested in the PSVita/PSP scene but I've always modded my stuff when it's possible, that is :) Contact me via DM at @KawaiiAuroraA on Twitter if you have any questions/concerns about my articles or if you have any article requests.

37 Responses

  1. Junk says:

    The point is, what would be the price of that? And I´m realy talking about money, if isn’t like the case of early days of ps3 that it was to expensive due the fact of “hardware emulation”, it would be great.

    • YukiS says:

      If the PS5 is comparable to contemporary gaming PCs in terms of power yet has a similar enough architecture to the PS4 then PS3 emulation through software would definitely be achievable and PS4 games should run semi-natively. That just leaves PS1 and PS2 which have been trivial to emulate in software for a while.

      • Unknown Stranger Alien says:

        Keyword here would be compatibility. PS2 classics on PS3 or PS4 have different compatibility lists (not 100% on either), same for OPL on PS2 (network, usb), same for discs on PS2, same for PCSX2 emulator.
        I’d be quite interested on a console that could have 100% compatibility but that’s too much to dream of, they’d most likely only care about backwards compat with a few games.

      • Jgr9 says:

        Well, RPCS3 has made a lot of progress.

        • YukiS says:

          Indeed, I tried it out with the new psxitarch v2 linux distro on my PS4 last night and some games ran at almost half speed – my desktop runs them a lot better but it was also a lot more expensive.

    • Kevin says:

      If they go with the rumoured cpus emulation will be very achievable considering the devs have low level access. We can already emulate PS3 in pc using direct x with software from a small team working in their spare tjme, ps5 won’t have a problem with Sony’s resources.

      • caruniom says:

        And you get to keep in mind that sony has the actual documentation on how the hardware works. While emulator developers have to test and find out on their own how the PS3 functions.

  2. Basam Zayniaie says:

    Maybe…but I don’t think ps4 games would work…ps4 is still in it’s times…

    • Panzer says:

      Why wouldn’t PS4 games work if it’s likely a similar architecture?

      • Yay says:

        Because SONY still wants to sell PS4. Why would you buy PS4 if you could play PS4 games on much more advance console?

        • Panzer says:

          Either if you want a game console but don’t have the budget for a PS5, waiting for the kinks to be worked out in PS5, etc.

          It’s also rather shortsighted to have the PS5 not play PS4 games just because they want people to buy PS4’s. Especially since Sony isn’t exactly new to BC consoles (PS4 being an exception).

        • Kevin says:

          They don’t make much of anything from hardware, it’s the software fees and ps plus that being in money.

        • DvdX says:

          PS1 was still selling when PS2 came out, PS2 was still selling when PS3 came out…you’re still buying their hardware to play their games on…i’m sure once PS5 comes out and people are still buying PS4 games, Sony will be happy because they’re making their money on the games more than consoles

    • Fallenleader says:

      Both are x86 processors, and as such PS4 BC would be trivial.
      The fact the PS4 will be cheaper means it will still sell, and the only reason the PS3 saw the removal of the BC hardware is because at the time the concept of a “premium” unit (which is what I would see this being sold as) would have been more than scoffed at (the announcement of the PS4 pro was at least scoffed at because consumers were a little more open to the idea thanks to 4k).
      As such, when the PS2 was released, it sported BC. The PS3 sported PS1 BC as well. The PS4 is the first console they have released without native BC capabilities, relying on select software on the store.
      It makes sense because the PS4 has had strong sales that they would want a stronger initiative to encourage an upgrade from current gen, especially if they end up asking $100 more.
      If you can’t ever get a hacked PS4 to emulate PS1/2/3 games (that PS3 sadly hasn’t seen any love despite there being proof a while back when PS4 linux was the in thing that it is capable of such), would you rather hang on to your PS4 or trade it towards the PS5 which assuming this is indeed their plan, is genuinely backwards compatible with every iteration before it without hacking it?
      Sony is greedy, but not stupid.

  3. joemami says:

    You mean they don’t want to resell us games we already own? Hahaha

  4. Jgr9 says:

    You sure did hype up what it could potentially not be.

  5. sloppycrap says:

    Patents don’t mean anything. PS5 is going to be another X86 PC with some DRM on top. It’s not going to be able to emulate a PS3, but it should be able to run PS4 games natively and might be able to emulate PS2/PSP well (of course it will emu PS1).

    • SilicaAndPina says:

      yea, remember when everyone freaked out over a “PSVtia 3000” when they filed a patent for a devkit ?

  6. Linux2go says:

    What makes more sense is that this is a patent for the BC ability of the computers that will run games in the backend for PS Now. Sony will bill BC just like before.

  7. dayveeboi says:

    There’s “Zero Question” about the PS5 having PS4 Backwards Compatibility because it’s just going to be another AMD APU in a KnightRider-esque box. It doesn’t take DF to conjure that news up.

  8. Demian says:

    If the hypotethically possible PS5 console comes to life and is backwards compatible by hardware means, that would make it highly overpriced to the end user. Because all that technology doesn’t come for free.
    And taking into account the always overpriced products from that lame brand owner, well, things don’t look so good.
    Wait for more of the same games with “improved” graphics, maybe with a 16K version. LOL

    • Panzer says:

      You’re attributing “game games with improved graphics” and “overpriced products” to Sony what could apply to Microsoft and Nintendo as well. Why single Sony out?

      • Jamahill says:

        Look at how they handled BC with the PS4. It’s not an unfair statement to say they’ve been anti-consumer with how they’ve handled BC when compared to Xbox.

  9. NoSpam says:

    But can it play Crysis?

  10. EmperorNiko says:

    With Sony censoring games, it will not be worth buying. Just watch as the so called “emulation” will be streaming service.

  11. Nextgen says:

    Forget backwards compatiblility, Don’t u know how bad a** the next gen consoles games are going to look on a 4-8K tv. Imagine Doa’s *** dudes!

  12. natas says:

    You’re all wrong, it’s not about emulator, it’s about virtual machine (VM) for their next powerful DRM, just like VMProtect and Denuvo.

  13. Smart Man says:

    People are insane if they think backwards compatibility will be a thing next gen. MAYBE Sony will let you buy back your games digitally and run them on a proprietary emulator, but that’s the best case scenario. See: Nintendo. The only reason Xbone has true BC is because they’re getting destroyed sales-wise.

  14. Sladey says:

    BC on the PS5 better be on par with the 4k enhanced BC that the xbox already does. None of this half *** emulation like they did with the PS3 and PS1 Mini. Real emulation that takes advantage of the power of the PS5 and makes the games look even better like xbox did with OG Xbox games on the X1.

  15. ida bigmans says:

    as long as it’ll play Switch games, i’m sold!

  16. Phoenix says:

    Patents are always “kind of vague”, especially patent applications. Also according to japanese patent laws a patent application as described above wouldn’t be granted because it would be considered obvious.

  17. Loute says:

    We all know how Sony works, we’re all here, quite aware about its greed.
    Having a possible retrocompatibility with every game ever done is definitely possible but quite unlikely to happen.
    Everyone here remembers how Sony made us pay our PS2 game in order to have them compatible with the PS3 until some hacker found out, it was just a “slightly” modified ISO and everybody could replay their game.
    They lurk money, we’ll get new minis then several years later someone will pop the FW wide open and allow us to play with our discs (PS2/3/4), until then we’ll have some poor “remaster” accessible via ca$h.
    My bet. Still I hope I’m wrong.

  18. very smart man says:

    Hear me out: The PS5 will use 7 Emotion Engines emulating the SPEs of the PS3. This way, it’s 7 PS2s emulating a PS3, which is much easier than emulating a PS2 on a single PS3.

  19. Miguel5tuxD says:

    Sorry What About , Hatsune Miku Project F ,F2nd . Those games depends of external music content. u know . Add an mp3 to your Muisc library like we do on PS3 . Hope that they think about this on PS5

  20. ffff says:

    *** the hacking thing about ps3/ps2 emulation exploit and other.
    There is no one to release newest exploit for ps4 than 5.05 so *** it soooooo much.
    *** is everywhere on the scene, money rules and nothing else.