The Dream Is Dead: PS5 Will Not Play PS3, PS2, or PS1 Games

I never thought it was going to anyways , just sucks my PS3 collection is literally trapped .

Darn, was looking forward to playing Oni again. Guess I'll tuck the disc away for the PS6.

Also I'm joking.

That is why I have a modded PS3 slim to enjoy those games

@Zuljaras That's the spirit!

Not that it doesn't suck, but 95% of my library from the early generations made their way to PS4 in some capacity, so I'm not to broken up.

Edit: if anyone is disappointed enough to cancel their pre order, please let me know.

I am glad that I kept my ps3

Sony should really reconsider adding full backwards compatibility on PS6.

Not gonna lie I was originally hoping that it would but it was clear quite some time ago that it wasn't going to happen

It would have been a nice selling point but certainly not a deal breaker

Expected of course, just not great. The selection of PS2 games on PS4 (and now on PS5) is quite bad. They could fix that, at least.

Boooooooooooooooooo

Well that’s a bummer. Do they hate their old fans or something? The PS2 games selection was poor & these new games just aren’t doing it for me.

Something that's been clear for a long time, each console was never made to be similar but radically different while Xbox was always built on PC architecture, hardly the end of the world

But... Will it play ps6 games??

I expected this, but I'm still sad.

I have a launch PS3 with the PS2 hardware for this exact reason.

Can they at least make a Ratchet and Clank Collection on PS5?

Why Don't They Just Had Them To PS Now Along With PSP And Vita Games.

Wait, so there's still a chance it could have backwards compatibility for the Commodore 64?
Yeeeessss!!

I'm hoping they expand PS Now to make PS1, and more PS2 and 3, classics available. Seems like a solution to this.

At least i still have my PS2 slim and PS3 if i want to play any of my PS1, 2 and 3 games

How was anybody still holding out hope for this? They wouldn't keep a major announcement like that under wraps.

They could but they won't, they have ps1-ps2-psp emulators already on ps4 which can be unlocked through hacks, they just withhold tech to make money reselling our games to us. Bad show

I hope they beef up PS Now to at least give more BC options (PS1/2)

Based on Jim Ryan and his previous comments, doubt he’d approve budget on it tho.

@BrainHacker I wouldn't be shocked if PS6 is all digital.

Not bothered. I dont buy a brand new console not to play brand new games. Maybe a few years down the line they may bring a few older titles into the digital market.

Oké then remaster the résistance and killzone series and buy blue point

Expected and no real loss from my end. I get other companies are going all the way back but there's just not even enough time to keep up with current gen, gotta cut your loses and keep moving forward imo.

Jim Ryan's words mean so little to me that I will take this as confirmation that PS5 will indeed play PS3, PS2, PS1, PS Vita, PSP and the Sony Toio.

As expected, but still a shame, particularly for those one-off gems from PS3 era that didn't get milked with endless sequels and remasters. Thinking of Mini Ninjas, Burnout Crash, Last Guy, The Saboteur...

Predictable but massively disappointing. They should have just announced this ages ago.

Oh well, I still use my Xbox One X to play older games. On The Orange Box again

PS3 I can see, but a literal toaster can emulate PS1 and PS2 so there's no way on Earth the PS5 can't. God damn, my Switch can emulate PS1.

How about Dreamcast? Will it play Nokia N-gage games? How about VHS?

I’m not surprised...but bummed nonetheless. I knew it was a long shot-but how nice would’ve that been!?

How did the rumor that PS5 was backwards compatible with all previous Playstation home consoles even get started?

I feel like I read an article 12-18 months ago that said PS5 could do that (not that I personally believed the rumor), but I think that's why there were/are so many people that believed it to be true.

My question is, will PS5 be backwards compatible with PT, or am I going to have to leave my PS4 hooked up? 🤔

This is kinda sad and they can't convince me that it isn't easy to do when emulators do it on pc lol It's just lazy!

Booo lame lame shame

I still got my ps3 so its no problem.psn got a lot of ps2 games.still playing gta 3.word up son

I still have my launch day PS3 60 GB with the Emotion Engine, which is hardware backwards compatible with all PS2 games aside from Guitar Hero games, and I think it's emulation backwards compatible with all PS1 games, even for the MSG1 Psycho Mantis boss fight.

At least the majority of PS4 games will be compatible with PS5. Have a ton of them.

Although I do wish PS3 games were compatible as well, it does only take a second for me to connect my PS3 and play something.
PS1 and PS2 games I'm not concerned about. I have my, uhh shall we say, own ways of playing those games that involve my PC.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind this, if Sony could have atleast gave us more PS1 and PS2 classics like they did during the PS3 era. It really feels like they just gave up on the idea on offering PS2-on-PS4 games, which is a shame because they could have done more with It, especially in terms of preorders rewards (or just in game bonuses like what Medievil remake did) or celebrating their first or third party releases. Like God of War 1 for God of War PS4, or the original Ratchet and Clank for the reboot, or Ico for the Last Guardian, or Syphon Filter for Days Gone, or something like that.

I never really expected it to. I just want the list of the 1% of PS4 games that will not work.

Things people complain about and ask for but never use when they get it.

I really just want PS3 games from PSNow to be downloadable onto the system. That's all the back-compat I need.

Now I need to buy an Xbox one series x also just for backwards compatibility. Thanks Sony, way to listen to fans. God I hate the Xbox controller...
Not sure how much longer my 06' 60gb ps3 can take it. At least it can play the first 3 gens.

@LJ_314 people like you are strange 0.o

I bought the digital version of the console cause I don't care about discs but it would be nice to be able to access some of the games I bought on PS3..... I literally bought all the PS1 games and the best PS2 and PS3 games...

Like ffs man

As much as Xbox do have the upper hand with backwards compatibility I have to give Sony credit here.
Sony have a much larger library of games compares to Xbox, and as such getting it all to work on one console will require significantly more effort than it does for Xbox. I thoroughly enjoy Xbox one backwards compatibility but it's worth remembering that not every game on X360 plays on the XB1 and very few of Xbox games are compatible as well.
In fairness to Sony that did the minimum by making PS4 pretty much fully compatible. Could it have been better...? Yes. Is the end result ok...? Also yes.

@AFCC emulators don’t play discs. They could’ve gone the way of emulators but then that’s when they’d sell the digital versions of those games and that’s a whole new thing to complain about. 🤷🏾‍♂️

It's disappointing. There's some old PS2 games that I wouldn't mind replaying.

Not paying $550 for a PS5 to play archaic 15 year old games. Didn’t care the last 7 years, not going to care the next 7.

@Agramonte Don't play them, I will.

Would have been amazing though.

Shame on you Sony now I won’t buy a PS5 day one, I didn’t expect PS3 but PS1 and PS2 shouldn’t be that hard

Least it's finally been confirmed.

PS3 is such an ace machine for retro enthusiasts!

Which is why I am going with the Xbox Series X first this gen.

More like Sony reconfirms for the 100th time and places still run for clicks

I don't buy next gen to play old out of date games

@Deadlyblack I still have my PS3 set-up under my PS4. PS2 is still functional and is BC with PS1 so I am set.

Coudn't give up my PS2 cause I know Suikoden would never get a port. Damn Konami.

@Agramonte Yeah but sometimes it's nice to pull out the old games for nostalgia. Or drunken party nights. Always a laugh.

@everynowandben I think there were patent filings about BC and then the infographic at the Mark Czerny GDC thing looked like it would fit all the previous consoles. People ran with it.

well it was never really going to happen was it? l wanted it to, l hoped it would... but l knew the answer, l just didn't want to believe it! 😁 BUT personally l believe sony should combine ps now with ps plus... people regularly complain ps+ games are already available on ps now and to try and combat the xbox gamepass (which tbh is sounding really good!) l think this should be an obvious move... will it happen though? probably not! lol either way sony will have my money, for anyone in the UK looking for a ps5 pre order argos are opening theirs at midnight tonight, in about 22 mins, good luck and I'll see you in the trenches 😆😁

@kiki3400 Yes, you are correct! Thank you! Found it: https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/02/ps5_backwards_compatibility_suggested_by_sony_patent

This wasn't because they couldn't do it. They just didn't want to do it. They had no problem porting the PS2 games to PS4.

This not good at all but it run ps4 games on ps5 i hope that true i hope it does sony

Looks like I'm just gonna mod the piss out of a ps3 or ps4 and do it myself.

Not surprised, but question is: WHY NOT?
It is like to make unavailable DVD playing on UHD drive.

"Yes we can do it, but we are lazy to do so."

hope someone jailbreak ps5 and make cfw with full previous compatibility...

@kiki3400 My PS2 is unhooked under my TV and my PS1 is stored away in a box in the attic.

All that needs to be ported to PS4 or 5 is metal gear solid collection then I’ll be happy and not care about ps1-3 backwards compatibility and I know ps now has metal gear solid 2,3 and I think peace walker but I want to own them natively including my favourite the first metal gear solid or third metal gear.

@Matroska As someone who has emulated PS2 on a PC, a toaster cannot do it. PS2 also has interesting architecture, though not nearly as bad PS3. It’s possible, but not as simple or easy as you’re saying.

Maybe Sony can make a Playstation Classic Companion that plays PS1 and PS2 discs? Would probably sell better than the PS Classic did.

I tried playing my old discs on PC once using an emulator, didn't really work.

Ah, it's okay. 🙂
I already have PS2 Slim Japan, PS2 Fat USA and PS3 Slim to play PS1, PS2 and PS3 games.

We all knew this was going to happen, but it still sucks. 😔 Xbox definitely is better in regards to backward compatibility. No contest.

I'd pay for an application that emulated PS3 games

@Akurusu i dont think they hate thier older fans, more like realize anyone old enough to be nostalgic over 20+ year old games, then chances are they still have or can get the original hardware, or emulate them on a pc anyway.

Just buy a ghetto PC with a basic video card & DVD drive.

PS1 and PS2 will play off discs in any decent emulator.

It's super easy and completely legal.

In better news, most PS5 games are compatible with PS4!

Weeeeeeee!

The only thing I really want to know, and maybe this was already revealed but I missed it, is if my digital ps4 games will carry over to the ps5. If so, I may trade in my ps4 to get the ps5 a bit cheaper.

I honestly don't care if it can't natively.

I think it'd be cool if PS Now develops further and adds PS1 and PS2 games.

Then no need for the architecture of previous systems to be there on-board.

Sony really likes making their fanboys look kinda dumb after a year of truo g to give xbox flak for havk g cross gen support while also assuming Playstation had an an answer for true BC.
.

Yet Sony comes out and kicks their fanboys while they're down. Not the Sony fans having to walk back so much they spoke on before and your left with a CO sole with no exclusives at launch that are anything worth writing home about... I fully suspect the expanding platforms that they are rushing to support will soon even include pc at a much faster clip than HZD or even death stranding came in.

Now the claims of their game REQUIRING ps5 power and specs to run is also proven false and it shows why Sony is still so focused on 39 fps "cinematic" gaming (because they still planning to put their games on a console that can't do any better)

@Agramonte I couldnt agree more. A new console to me means fully moving forward for new experiences that only ps5 can provide.

Who leaves their original PlayStation (bizarrely referred to here as "PS1") games in the loft?! Get them on Ebay!

I feel it is a missed opportunity for some free good press, but I'm almost positive it's just out of a desire to not have a potential avenue for people to mod it. The PS5 could run ps1 and ps2 games with just some code (after all, computers have been easily able to emulate these for years). PS3 makes the most sense as it has incredibly unique hardware, though.

Or it could be they just want to resell us the games. After all, any ps1 & 2 games would have to be used at this point, which means Sony sees no money from their sale.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sucks. Only reason is they don't want to do it. Emulation would work wonderful on this. I feel like this is spitting in the face of the father of PlayStation and the name. The original meaning of PlayStation was you play "PlayStation" games on "PlayStation" systems. It was evidently expressed during PS2 interviews. Every generation was supposed to be able to play the previous ones. They just want to be cheap. Makes me frustrated.

So, 99% of ps4 games, discs, work in the ps5? With whatever benefits that entails? Ie framerate/resolution, etc
And how about the digital ps4 libraries? Are those coming to the ps5 digital library?

@Claude

Same here, until it decided not to work anymore. And there's the reason why some were hoping it could be backwards compatible.

Now I've a lot of ps3 games that are just rendered obsolete.

@PhhhCough I’m sure Sony did confirm that players digital library will carry over to the ps5(:

@REALROBLAW

All to do with money, not appeasing the fans.

@Juanalf

Fully expect youtube vids of people trying to play these discs on a ps5.

@REALROBLAW Jim Ryan just doesn't believe it's worth the investment. Part of me agrees with him because it is very time consuming and expensive to get decades worth of old games emulated for PS5, but since Xbox does it, Sony should as well just so Xbox doesn't have that leg up that they've had in that area. I think if the console wars were closer to even, Sony may have done it, but they've been beating Xbox for so long and by so much over the last 7 years, they decided they didn't have to do it. If we see Xbox get more competitive, we will probably see the beginnings of backwards compatibility show up on PS5 Pro. If Sony crushes them again right out of the gate, we won't. Competition gives people the features they want and we haven't had much of it.

Wait a minute, the PS5 is not fully backwards compatible.... Disa-POINTED!

Expected but still....

Damn i dusted of my atari jaguar doom cartridge hoping i was going to play it in 4k with ray tracing etc...oh well i'll settle for all my spectrum games in 4k instead then..

Honestly, backwards compatibility was never even something I cared about. I am not buying a ps5 to play ps1, 2, or 3 games.... still got my ps4. This is a non issue for me. I know some people care and I respect that. I still have my NES, SNES, SEGA SATURN, DREAMCAST, PS1, 2, AND 3. I put them under my glass bartop in my man cave. So i can drive in, hop off my harley, Crack a cold one, and plop on the couch and play.

No one cares. Life moves forward not backwards.

@HotGoomba I still have my PS3 just to play every Ratchet and Clank games once a year ! I really wanted to finally be able to shelve it, alas...

Of course it wouldn't, they want to sell ya a service to.play em or release a couple of games from ps2 or 3 for 30 quid lol

I still have my OG 60gb PS3. So with the PS5 and PS3 under the TV, I'll be able to play all the generations and only take up to 2 hdmi ports. It really is a non issue. If PS3 backwards compatibility bothers you THAT much, then there are plenty of b/c PS3s on ebay.

I really don't care at all personally and given how quickly they sold out yesterday I'd say most other people don't either.

Who's dream was that? Certainly not mine.

For "“couldn’t reach the implementation of backwards compatibility for its older home consoles" read couldn't be arsed.

The PS4 was perfectly powerful enough to emulate the PS1 and PS2 generations never mind the PS5.
The only gen I'm missing is the PS2 and that's the one I'd still like to have (I have a PS3 so that 's the 1 and 3 taken care of)

It's a shame but not entirely unexpected.

My console cabinet has PSX-PS4 Pro in it, need to shuffle round to get the pre-ordered 5 in. 😁

I'm glad i kept my PS3 around. too many great games on it that are only on PS3 that got left behind on that console. MGS4 for instance.

@Cybrshrk Im a fan from the first PS1 i rather have them move on a remake some of the ancient classic games. Playing them now just shows how badly some of them aged i rather not taint my good memories from the past.

Play has no limits ladies and gentlemen

While predictable, i'm don't why they stayed so mysterious about it until now.

@Jaz007 On my not exactly amazing PC many years ago, I emulated a PS2 game and a Wii game at the same time (.hack//GU and Xenoblade Chronicles) at 1080p each, running perfectly, and tried to play them both at the same time with a single controller. Just as a fun challenge - a challenge I failed. 😅

Anyway, if that old PC could do that (the PCSX2 wiki says the emulator has had playable speeds since 2007), I can't see why a cutting edge console can't. My current PC was £800 over 5 years ago and can emulate Wii U perfectly and PS3, so the PS5, which is way better than my PC, should be able to do PS3 too - however the compatibility list for PS3 is all over the place so I can accept that being much more of a challenge.

Anyway, come to think of it, the PS4 and 5 can play PS2 games, but you have to rebuy them from a limited selection - the PS2 Classics range. This is just Sony blocking us from using our own discs.

https://gamingbolt.com/how-does-ps2-emulation-works-on-the-ps4

@AhmadSumadi Emulators play whatever they're programmed to play. If the emulator code includes the necessary instructions for it to look for and read discs it will read the disc.

Sony are the masters of slapping some new paint on old games and reselling them as current gen games. They do it well and make a lot of money from it, so why would they want us to have BC anymore?

Personally, I'm a fan of BC and particularly Microsoft's approach of actually improving the resolution, framerates etc. I'm not buying a new Xbox or PS5 at launch, but when I eventually do it will probably be an Xbox because this commitment from Microsoft is what I want.

So sad. Sony is forcing us to download pirated PS1...PS3 images and play them using emulators on PC.
And I still have my modded PS2 slim working, so I will continue to download pirated images, burn them on DVD+R media and play them on the console!

Sadly despite those patent rumours last year, I always expected this after Mark Cerny's GDC talk. Never made sense to say it'd be b/c with most ps4 titles & not other consoles at the same time.
Would it change my mind on buying one? No. But i am sad my ps3 digital & physical purchases have a finite life.
Namely stuff like my ps1 classics like Suikoden 1 & 2, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain, Monster World IV, Monkey Island 1&2 Special Editions, Alundra, & Beyond Good & Evil HD, never got ps4 ports
Likewise instead of pouring $$ into GTAO sony not stumping up $$ for a ps4 or ps5 port of RDR 1 & Undead Nightmare's campaign story.
Wish likewse more titles/effort had been put into the ps2 classics range. Maximo 1 & 2, Capcom Classics Vol 1, Nfs Underground 1 & 2, SSX Tricky, Splinter Cells 1-3, & GTA Vice City Stories & LCS are just some of the ones I'd happily would've stumped up $$ for on ps4 via that emulator they used.
Again, i understand ps1-3 are considered a different eco system. But ps now isn't available in most countries, heck even Xcloud & Stadia never came to Oz for all their hype. But if you have an emulator to run a select range of ps 2 digital titles its an opportunity to make $$ on a budget range of titles across ps4/ps5.
And konami just do like castlevania for Suikoden....your good at low effort nostalgia emulated ports!

Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Will it play PS5 games though or just cross gen games?

It would have been cool, but not too bothered in all honesty. I've still got my PS3 and have no real reason to get rid of it, so if I get desperate for some retro games I'll just fire that up. I'm sure we'll see PS Now grow during the PS5 generation as well, so there's lots of possibilities there.

And there new slogan for the ps5. Play has no limits. Do you think that if you can't play games that from other consoles such as the ps1 ps2 or 3 a limitation? To me it is and to go and say that there's no limits. Think they need a new slogan.

Well, that is really disappointing. Especially because there is no way how to play PS3 games these days. I am not willing to buy overpriced PS3 from second hand

It WILL if I stack my PS1 & PS2 & PS3 on top of it It's such a shame it can't tho (I didn't think it would anyway) But can't SONY just make a more expensive PlayStation that can play all PlayStation discs??? If anyone can do it then SONY would be the people who could erm do it Oh well.

It's a shame but it makes sense. Why go to the trouble of implementing an emulator or actual hardware for a feature most won't use. Most people who still play retro games, like myself, usually still have old systems or use other means so there is no real need for it.

Knowing Sony to get more money.
They will create a USB disc player to play older console titles

Sucks. No Metal Gear, no Legacy of Kain, no Mortal Kombat, all in one place.
Yes, you might be able to find a still working PS2 and PS3 second-handed, but for how long?
All those titles will soon be lost.

PS4's are easy to find. So I honestly would've cared more about legacy BC than PS4 BC.

I've got some good news for anyone who was buying a PS5 to play PS/PS2/PS3 games. You can have ALL three consoles, right now with no pre-order waiting, for less than £250. That'll save you a massive £200, as they all have disc drives, and you'll get some games and often extra controllers thrown in... I'm joking, but seriously how many old pre PS4 would you play?? If the answer is lots then do yourself a favour and get your own retro console of choice.
I have a PS3 with over 200 games on the HDD. I don't play it. I have literally hundreds of PS4 games that I have yet to invest any real time in. Occasionally I spend a bit of time on a 16 bit console, just for the nostalgia factor.
I'm going to put the point out there that if Microsoft weren't trying to draw in users then they wouldn't have invested the expensive resources on BC. It's not developing the basic emulator that's the hard part. It's getting thousands of games to run properly on it to make it live up to everyone's expectations!

This is sad really. Sony own the patents to a PS1 emulator that was almost 100% perfect and ran on a Pentium 3.

They could easily do this. I think the issue is going to be licencing.

I dusted off a PS2 and home-brewed it ridiculously easy with an official network adapter and IDE drive. Since no one is making any effort to make sure I can play these games on modern consoles and you can't buy these games new anymore...

PS5 designers: Hmm, it would be mega easy to make the PS5 backwards compatible for PS1 and PS2. Shall we do it?

The Sony board: Errr, why don't we just carry on releasing 'classics' and charge the idiots for them instead? Makes money doesn't it. More money than if we let them play the games they already own anyway.

PS5 designers: What about PS4?

Sony board: Hmmm??? Actually, better include BC for that otherwise 'the players' will kick off and accuse us of not actually being for them after all. Need to keep up appearances.

PS5 designers: OK, done. I suppose we will release all PS1 and PS2 games though to make up for it?

Sony board: Maybe, depends if we ever bother to get around to it I guess.

@Katsuhono I might just get one to do the same thing lol

PS3 still not practical I guess (while keeping the PS5 console cost down) and no profit in getting PS1+2 to work well and supporting them. I do reckon they could patch in some kind of software emulator though. Basic smartphones can run PS1 for heaven's sake.

I'll keep my (refurbished) Fat PS3 for 1, 2, 3 anyway

This is why Sony should never have abandoned the PS Classics line.

No problems here, still have my CECH-C model which plays all of those. It will just be the ps4 that gets replaced.

Alot of people forget that Sony had already emulated the PS1 on every PS3. But then they stopped that on PS4, so they could monetize old games. After making boatloads of money in recent years, some people hoped Sony would go back to emulation for PS1 & PS2. But we knew months ago that Sony had walked away from BC, the PS5 doesn't even have a CD laser...

“play has no limits”.... sounds like there’s at least 3 generations of limits to me

Just make my ps3 and psp digital library downloadable! Is that to much to ask?

Aw, rats...

It would have been a day-one purchase for me if it had, but in my heart of hearts I kinda knew it was unrealistic - especially for PS3 games. I still have a dozen or so PS3-exclusive games that I keep it hooked up for, but those are slowly being whittled away (oh hello, Scott Pilgrim! )

Good thing I still have the slim PSone , slim PS2 and super slim 500gb PS3. So I’m good. : )

Hopefully this means they might add PS1 to PS Now and improve the PS2 offering that's already on there.

never thought it was happening anyway

Buy an xbox series x we have over 4000 games available. Ryan lies.

I like the experience of playing said games on original hardware but I know it won't last forever. It would be nice to have just one PlayStation attached to my TV but most gamers don't care much about older systems.

Absolute ***** that Sony isn't going to get full backwards compatibility on ps5 FFs Sony all your promises now this crap? For the players My arse

I buy next generation consoles to play Next generation games. PC players do the same they buy new hardware to move forward. Even though they can boot up DOS box and play a old Dos game its not something very many do.

I’m a little disappointed that Sony haven’t continued their PS2 ports, and extended it to PS1, but I don’t care about back compat that far back. Honestly, I’d not play these old games again without additional tasks and challenges to keep things interesting (this is why I like the ports, they have trophy challenges to aim for). Wish Sony would expand that, it’s worth the extra few pound to rebut the games.

I really wanted to play sly cooper the collection and thieves in time, PS now streaming is laggy (my connection is trashy)

Disappointing to hear but I sadly did see this coming. Thankfully I still have my PS3 Super Slim...however it might not work anymore, I accidentally dropped it onto carpeted floor a year ago when we moved into the new house.

Expected this a long time ago , for me it isn't an issue since i keep my consoles , but for others who dont have the console space but keep the games i understand their disappointment.

Oh the PS5 would be able to play them just fine! And so could the PS4.

Just need a group of talent people to create them in Dreams.

@AhmadSumadi I would honestly prefer that way instead of nothing at all

No surprise here. I still figure the asset swap and CPU spoof patents are for PlayStation Now.