The subject of PS5 backward compatibility is still quite controversial, and for now, Sony has only confirmed that PS4 games will work. This suggests problems with PS3, PS2, and PS1 games, especially on a legal level.
Although a lot of data is missing to know about PS5, the bets suggest that its ability to run games from previous consoles would be reduced to a limited catalog , which is also unclear when it would be available.
For users, the ideal would be to insert the PS3, PS2, or PS1 discs in the new machine and play without further complications. With the power of PlayStation 5, it should be easy to create an emulator or build on one of the existing ones, which with the original documentation of the console could be improved.
Marc-André Jutras, one of the developers of Hellpoint, an action role-playing game, believes that the problems come from another side. Consider Sony would not only want to offer backward compatibility for those who keep the original discs but also sell the old titles in digital format from the PlayStation Store.
When we review the 25 years of the history of PlayStation we already saw that the video game sector has changed a lot, and not a few companies have closed in these years. On PS1 7,918 games were released (counting regional adaptations) and on PS2 there were 3,870 games.
In quite a few cases, it is unclear who owns the copyright, and locating it would be very complex. In fact, when PlayStation Classic, the “mini” version of the original console, launched, it barely came with 20 games.
At the time, some anti-piracy measures were applied at the physical disk level , so backward compatibility would also require extensive testing with the PlayStation 5 Blu-ray reader.
When the PlayStation 5 specs were introduced it was mentioned that over 100 PS4 titles would allow for backward compatibility at first. Soon after, Sony rectified and claimed that almost the entire current catalog of the machine would work.
In the absence of official confirmation, the Japanese company is expected to hold an event in June or July 2020 to show the appearance of the console and its first games. The PS5 DualSense controller has already presented it, but many details are still to be specified, delayed by the coronavirus epidemic.
They might announce compatibility with PS3, PS2 and P1, but expectations are getting lower. Microsoft has been incorporating many of its classic Xbox 360 titles and the original Xbox over the years, after trying them one by one, and Sony could be forced to do the same.
While all indications are that PS5 will only run a few PS3, PS2, and PS1 games, there is still hope that the rumored “Remastering Engine” that would offer backward compatibility on PS5 is real, and at least the greatest hits of previous generations are available.
