On the current scale of things, our knowledge on the PS5 tells us brief details about the console hardware, the controller, and a few other privy features about the console. Features such as the re-imagined sound and offering PS5 Backward Compatibility, meaning you can play PS4 games on your PS4, with a support of 4000+ PS4 games being the goal. However, it seems the feature may not be a launch feature.
You might have to wait for the PS5 Backward Compatibility
According to a revised official PlayStation 5 Webpage, it was stated that the PS5 Backward Compatibility could be reliant on a software update. It is highly doubtful that said update will be released on Day 1 of the console, but it’s something we will have to wait and see.
Sony has clarified that their end goal with the backward compatibility is to add 4000+ PS4 games, so its good that they’ve readily committed to encourage PS4 players to move to the newer consoles sooner.
For a brief period of time, the official PlayStation 5 website page stated that the feature will come via a Software Update.
This is how backward compatibility on the Xbox One was enabled, so we know it is a possible method of activation, but we don’t know when the feature will be available if the rumor is true.
This is what the page looks like if you visit the website right now.
With their previous consoles, Sony has had very bad luck with backward compatibility. While the compatibility was at its peak with the PlayStation 2 being able to play a majority of the PlayStation 1’s games, the PS3 was able to deliver compatibility with PS2 games…with a catch.
Only the original PS3 models that launched with 40 GB, 60 GB, and 80 GB hard drives were able to run PS2 games. These were the models that had the shortest lifespan and were prone to hardware failure. While the hardware failure was nowhere near to the Xbox 360’s SKU’s until the Jasper series, the failure rate was still high in the launch models.
Sony would later remove backward compatibility completely in the later model revisions of the PlayStation 3.
Coming to the PlayStation 4, there is no way to play PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 content, unless you subscribe to PlayStation Now.
All in all, let’s see what the PS5 Backward Compatibility looks like and if it gets talked about in the upcoming 4th June 2020 event.
