Sony has kept the full details about the PS5‘s backward compatibility under wraps. While it was almost a given that the new console would support PS4 titles, fans had hoped that every PlayStation’s library would be supported. Well, Sony has finally revealed the extent of PS5 backward compatibility and whether or not it can play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games.
Will the PS5 be able to play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games with backward compatibility?
When the PlayStation 5 launches, it will have 99% compatibility with PS4 titles. However, that won’t be the case with Sony’s first three consoles. When it releases in November, the PS5 will not be able to play PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles. This information comes from an interview between Famitsu and Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan.
In the interview, Ryan states:
“We have been building the console with a focus on PS5-specific functionality. However, the PS4 already has 100 million players, so we thought that users would like to play PS4 titles on PS5 as well, so we introduced PS4 compatibility. We achieved that, but our primary goal was incorporating the high-speed SSD and the new DualSense controller. So, unfortunately, compatibility with them [PS1, PS2, and PS3 consoles] has not been achieved.”
However, just because the PS5 won’t support PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles at launch doesn’t mean that it never will. When the PlayStation 4 launched, it didn’t have any backward compatibility. However, you can now purchase 51 PS2 games that install and run on the system through an emulation layer. You can also play select PS3 games on the PS4 via PS Now.
Unfortunately, it seems like the best console for playing PS1, PS2, and PS3 games continues to be the launch model of the PS3. Despite widespread hardware failures, the initial release of the PS3 is the only console that offers native support for PS1, PS2, and PS3 games.
Source: Famitsu
