CONFIRMED: The PlayStation 5 is not backwards compatible with PS3, PS2, and PS1 games
It is backwards compatible with 99% of PS4 titles.
Following reports that the PS5 won’t be able to play previous gen PlayStation games, Sony has now confirmed that the PS5 is not backwards compatible with PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. While the PS5 lacks native support of older PlayStation games, Sony did say that the console will be able to play 99% of the PS4’s game library.
The news comes from an interview of Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan by Famitsu (via Ars Technica). In the interview, Ryan said that the console uses “PS5-specific engineering” which the design team focused on instead of native compatibility with older PlayStation titles.
While the PS5 will not have support for PS3, PS2, and PS1 games, the console should still be able to play a selection of older PlayStation games through Sony’s PlayStation Now service. Currently, PS4 users can play select PS3 and PS2 games through the said cloud gaming service. Though right now, it remains to be seen if the PS5 will support PS1 games that were bought for the PS4 (though we imagine that it should).
The PlayStation 5 will release on November 12 in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. Meanwhile, the PS5 will launch in the rest of the world on November 19. The standard PS5 is priced at USD 499, while the PS5 Digital Edition has a retail price of USD 399.
In case you missed it, Sony held a PlayStation 5 showcase yesterday where it announced a bevy of new titles, along with more PS5 info.
Source: Ars Technica