PS5 Backwards Compatibility Speculation Begins Again as Sony Files Another Patent

I follow Mark Cerny on PS4, and every now and then I see 'Mark Cerny' got this or the other trophy' in the What's New feed. It occurred to me the other day he seems to be playing more now than any other time I've noticed this generation... what if he's actually playing these PS4 games on a PS5, and is really doing some covert 'field testing'?

Surely the lead system architect of the current and (presumably) next gen PlayStation can have it look to everyone else like he's playing on a bog standard PS4 or Pro when it's really a prototype PS5 being tested on the network.

I think most share the sentiment right now, that as long as it can play ps4 games, I'm satisfied. But the be able to play the entire history of playstation..... that would be incredible.

If I can play The Witcher 3 on PS5, I'll be set. Anything else is just a bonus.

@Turismo4GT Hey, yeah, that's a good point. I follow him too and you're right: he does seem to be playing more games recently.

That would be my all time dream console , PS4 BC is enough though

ps2 games oh teaching.now we talking.darkwatch.scarface.cold fear.the punished etc.word up son

Imagine what a PS5 'Beast mode' could do to PS4 and prior games...

like i said before it would be a nice bonus if it's true but i'm OK if it doesn't have PS1, PS2 and PS3 compatibility

i do believe it needs PS4 though especially with the push towards digital purchases

I hope it's true and the PS5 is backward compatible with all my older games from previous generations. But it could be leading up to some sort of gamepass system to go along with or be included with PSN now that Vita and PS3 games are no longer part of the monthly games. Having a couple of great PS5 games coming for free every month plus an ever growing list of legacy games that you could download and play as long as you are subscribing could be a winner against Microsoft and Nintendo's offerings. I would be down for that.

PS4 support is a must, although universal backwards compatibility would be huge for me.

Bring full backwards compatibility, revive the PS1/PS2 Classics line (I mean fully, instead of the handful of HD remasters we've gotten on PS4 this gen), and I'll be selling my PS4 for a PS5 (actually, I wouldn't, because Konami has ensured that I'll never be able to sell my PS4 as long as it has a working hard drive, but I'd certainly still purchase a PS5). Having a universal Playstation console would be INCREDIBLE.

To be honest, I would be OK with Backwards Compatibility but only if its not something I am having to pay for. By that, I mean that every penny is going to the specs of the PS5 and BC is just something that happened to work as well. I don't want spend say £500 and the console only has £350 of PS5 and the other £150 has gone to making Backwards Compatibility work.

As I will be keeping my PS4 Pro (and I still have my PS3 and games too), I am not overly concerned if the PS5 has no or even just Partial BC (like the XB1). Its a 'nice' feature but not essential for me - I would still buy a PS5 regardless and want to be fully optimised for PS5 gaming.

I think it will be really cool if ps5 can play not only sony previous console, but their portables too

Backwards compatibility with PS4 is fine but PS1 and PS2 would be a welcome bonus. As for the PS3 era well generally speaking those games have either been remastered or I can already play on the X.

I do like the potential of having a next generation console and immediately being able to download or play my existing library though

I just need to be able to play PS4 games on the 5 really, anything else would be amazing but not essential

Ps4 back compat will do, not bothered about the rest. I'm holding off buying metro because I don't think the base ps4 or pro are powerful enough to run it well.

I'm not too fussed to be honest, as long as I can play ps4 games on ps5 I will be happy but if it does more, that would be awesome indeed.

From a technical standpoint only the PS3 should be a challenge due to the architecture. Everything else should emulate just fine.

@Turismo4GT you have a good point there, i follow mark too.

@NintendoFan4Lyf yeah, it would be nice, i could finally retire my ps3 slim under the tv, it's too good to be true atm but we shall see when more is revealed.

The PS5 simply must be able to play PS4 games. The architecture should be similar, so not allowing that would be an executive decision and a damn fool one at that.

Now if this new patent is alluding to the PS5 processor “tricking” PS3 software to think it’s the Cell processor, great. I have a few games for my PS3 that I never got around to and would like to play. Nice if offered, but not necessary.

PS4? Necessary.

We’ve had a lot of discussion in the PS5 forum about the issue of backwards compatibility and it certainly has created some debate. Personally I would welcome the ability to play all the previous PlayStation generations on one console, but I realize that most of us likely won’t use the function nearly as much we think we will. I do think if my PS4 played PS3 games that I would have gone back to finish Pupeteer and Dishonored, among others. But toward the midway point of the PS4 generation there became just too many new games to keep up with, and I assume the PS5 generation will be the same.
Retrogamers will really like this ability though.

As long as we can play PS4 games, I'm a-ok.

@Ralizah Did you archive PT? I wouldn't count on the HHD as a long term storage for PT.

Full backwards compatibility is guaranteed.

Everyone knows the PS5 will be formed by sticking all your previous Playstation consoles together like the Megazord

Full PS1-5 compatibility would greatly under cut the PSNow service as no one would need to stream. I expect BC to not be free in some fashion.

as @BAMozzy said, i'd rather they increase the specs or reduce the cost for PS5, rather than pay extra for backwards compatibility. if it's like an "Elite" model in its own right that costs more, then fine. in all honesty, there aren't any PS4 games i'd play over again. i still have (both) my PS3s and i think i've played about 2 games on them since PS4 came out. maybe at the start of the PS4, i would have played BFBC2 multiplayer or KZ3 multiplayer if it had PS3 backwards compatibility, but there's no "go-to" game like that on PS4 for me.

Discs, or it never happened...

@Octane What do you mean about "archiving" P.T.? Is there a way to backup the game data locally so that I just reinstall it without any drama, even though it was delisted and can't be redownloaded?

@Ralizah Good point. No idea to be honest. It's just that HDDs have a lifespan of 5-10 years; and they're going to fail sooner than later. That's why I'm looking into upgrading all my systems with an SSD when the price is right; they will pretty much last a lifetime.

@ShogunRok I would be even happier if i can play Legend of Dragoon on PS5 its a crime that game never got a remaster/remake i think its better then FF7. 😁

@Octane http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/arts-entertainment-living/the-game-guy/item/39572-how-to-guide-for-swapping-a-ps4-hdd-and-keeping-p-t

http://wololo.net/2016/04/10/how-to-redownload-p-t-silent-hills/

Apparently backing up and even re-obtaining P.T. isn't currently that big of a deal. Guess I'll nab an external hard drive and back it up, then!

yes, it would be incredible indeed if ps5 is fully backwards compatible with every playstation game ever made... but there is a voice inside my head telling me that would be too good to be true. let's be realistic for a minute... would it even be possible to ensure that every ps1, ps2 and ps3 game (more than 5000) will be compatible and run as it is intended with no emulation issues? i doubt sony will be able to test so many games from start to finish. i fear that instead of b/c with all of our physical games, sony will merely add ps1/ps3/ps3 games to the psn store and curate which ones get released for purchase (digitally only). if that means we need to re-purchase games we already own physically, that will greatly reduce my interest in b/c with legacy games. of course, ps4 games should work out of the box and perhaps our ps1 classics already purchased on psn can transfer over as well.

but... if ps5 really can run every single physical playstation game with some sort of magic and wizardry, what would sony have to gain from doing that, other than praise and good will from its customers? i.e. there would be little financial incentive for sony to do this... rather, sony would prefer to encourage NEW sales of legacy games, right?

I hope so much the PS5 runs PS4 games i am not bothered about the rest as many gamers will just have ps4 i have ps3 games but id rather it worked with ps4 games more.
If so then the console war of people knowing to get the next xbox or playstation they would stick with playstation.

Also i am looking forward to seeing what PS5 does with VR id love a headset that has vision in front , both sides an above and below to totally put you in the game world.

@Luna-Harmony i'm not sure why there is any doubt with regards to ps4 games being fully backwards compatible? what gives you the impression that it might not be? i would bet all my savings without hesitation that ps5 will run every ps4 game out of the box.

I may be in a minority here but the one platform I wouldn't be too bothered about it being able to play is Ps4 games (only bought a Ps4 Pro within the last 8 months and I don't plan on getting rid anytime soon) , I'm more interested in it being able to play the older stuff ps1 and ps2 in particular (ps3 would be a bonus but not a deal breaker).

I still have the old consoles away up in the loft but having one system that would conveniently accept all ps discs would be perfect.

I'll try not to get my hopes up till anything is confirmed though

I am really really really going to try and ignore stories like this It just gets people's hope up and then they get disappointed allover again like at the beginning of last Gen(I was MEGA-DISAPPOINTED the PS4 had no B/C whatsoever) Oh well.

@get2sammyb Yeah ps4 backwards is about what I'd expect and be happy with. Anything elso is a huge bonus.

@Cycologist "no one would need to stream"

How many new gamers, teens and 20 somethings, own a ton of PS1 and PS2 games, either on disc or digital? I'm pretty sure it's possible to have BC for the people who own those games on disc, and still have millions of new gamers who have never owned a PS1 or PS2 game or console interested in PS Now.

Which kind of begs the question, are there enough PS1 and PS2 discs still sitting around waiting to be played that its worth Sony making the effort and spending the money to get disc BC to work? And if not disc BC, are there enough PS1 and PS2 games available digitally that people already won to get BC to work for those?

PS3 BC may make sense, may be a lot of discs and digital games in people's libraries still, but how many older games are still out there? I mean if it's simple to get it working then get it to work, but don't spend too much time or money on it, and certainly dont' raise the cost of the PS5 for those old games. Just put them on PS Now, they should stream ok, not going to be that graphically demanding.

@get2sammyb
PS4 games seems like a given, PS5 will probably be 3 or 4 PS4 Pros duct taped together, but will it enhance them at all or will people still be tempted to pay $40 for full 4k ports? GTAV never had any Pro support. So is it possible for Sony to have it's cake and eat it to, full BC of PS4 games - in 720 or 1080p at 30fps - yet still sell 4k ports at 60fps? I'd bet they're having that debate right now, trying to figure out how to make money off of BC.

@Porco actually there would be financial gain just think of all those people who didn't buy a PS3 or PS4, with a PS5 that can play all PlayStation games that opens up an huge library of games for people to play, not to mention they could even sell them digitally on the PS Store too which give people even more incentive to buy a PS5

@rjejr there are a tonne of PS1 games on the PS3 PSN so if they had PS1 BC they could always re-release them on the PS5 store

@FullbringIchigo "there are a tonne of PS1 games on the PS3 PSN"

Well that's the thing, to me, BC means - playing games I already own. Since there was no digital store on PS1 or PS2 to me the only BC is with the discs that I already own. If I have to BUY the game again, well it doesn't really matter if it's PS1, 2 3 or 4, that's not BC, that's me buying the game again.

Now if peopel already own PS1 game son PS3 and Sony ports that forward, well thats BC, I'll give you that one too. I never bought PS1 games on PS3 bc/ I have the discs of the games I want and my PS1. And I think my PS3 plays those discs as well, though I could be wrong on that, but I think it does.

I also have a few dozen PS2 discs, but no PS2, so it's only BC to me if it plays those discs. Most of the PS2 games I own on PS3 are remasters on disc. But again, if I bought the game again, that's not BC.

I'm not holding out hope for disc BC, and since I don't own too many games digitally, well that BC is no BC to me.

To be honest this seems cool but I'll have to see it to believe it besides Sony doesn't need backwards compatibility for playstation because it's unnecessary what it needs is a more effective report menu for reporting modders, hackers & basically anyone who's cheating that's a real problem on playstation & their isn't any report menu for dealing with them plus keep giving us more exclusives that's where the big money is for playstation as far as backwards compatibility I don't know if I want to older game's unless they're remastered or remade there's no real need backwards compatibility on playstation.

@FullbringIchigo but if they didn't purchase ps3, that would mean they don't currently have a physical collection of ps3 games... meaning they will be more open to purchasing ps3 games digitally and sony will earn NEW revenue. whereas, if sony caters to the old fans who have a collection of 50 physical ps3 games, sony earns no new revenue from that demographic. many people would consider re-purchasing some of their library digitally if ps3 games are backwards compatible on psn and does not include physical releases. don't get me wrong, i WANT all my old ps1, ps2 and ps3 physical games to run on ps5... that would be AMAZING, but there is far less incentive for sony to do this compared to a curated list of games added to psn which would encourage a new revenue stream for them.

Playing every gen of Playstation would be great but as long as it plays digital ps4 games I will be fine with that at least. Will probably be around 300 digital games by the time the ps5 comes out and would be very convenient. If they threw in Ps3 digital games with some wizardry I'd buy 2 at launch lol!

Backwards compatibility for PS4 titles would be great. Although, I'm less excited about PS3 games. Nearly all third party games had their worst version running on PS3, first party games would be good though.

As long as it has PS4 BC on launch I will be happy.

Oh hey, I didn't realize I could use my NintendoLife account here too. Cool!

Anyway, if they actually support full backwards compatibility on the PS5, I would be all over that! What a dream that would be!