Is there any hope for PS1/PS2 backwards compatibility for PS5? Maybe even PS3?

[Samiya]

With the news and clarification of how PS5 will support PS4 titles, I wondered if there's any effort whatsoever at Sony to make *at least* the PS1 and PS2 games that are availabe via PSN also playable on PS5? Remember, PS2 isos are able to be played on jailbroken PS4s and PS1 games obviously should be playable on a PS5 via software emulation, so it seems like it's just a question of will rather than technical constraints. Sony is sitting on such a huge legacy of games that they 'respected' up until PS4 when all the PS1/PS2 games bought digitally on PSN were somehow not playable on PS4, despite being playable on any PS3.

While Cerny's presentation was hardware focused, I could imagine any form of PS1/PS2 and potentially PS3 compatibility would be a software solution and therefore would only be revealed later (if it exists at all). Do you think it is possible that Sony would have such an ace up in their sleeve for when they roll out the marketing campaign and unveil the games, OS features, and possibly backwards compatibility?

Or is this merely a fool's hope?

 

[watdaeff4]

I doubt it

I'm going to be content with what they said today and not get hopes up at all.

 

[Remark]

PS1/PS2 might have a limited collection at best but PS3 probably won't happen at all.

 

[zombiejames]

Maybe? The Cerny presentation was about the hardware. Any pre-PS4 backward compatibility would have to be software/OS.

 

[Get_crazy]

 

[Toumari]

It would be software emulation... and because the GDC talk was all about hardware features, it wouldn't be part of the talk. So there's a small chance I guess?

 

[Orayn]

They're all feasible on a technical level, even PS3 to some extent, but Sony doesn't seem interested.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I think PS3 is pretty much an impossibility at this point. If they were able to solve that they'd be crowing about it from the rooftops because it's a legitimate challenge that even emulation won't be able to just overpower. That system is just too weirdly designed and I doubt anyone (in terms of hardware/software design) ever wants to revisit it.

If they can't manage PS1 or PS2 compatibility their console design team is an embarrassment. We all know they could easily do both consoles via emulation.

 

[TGR Onix]

I'd love to be able to play my PS1 games and others that I may have missed. I also create content so having easy access to retro games would be ideal.

 

[Phoenix Splash]

If they fucked up as much as Xbox did at the beginning of the current gen - which won't happen - I could see them finally investing on it. I'm a believer in PS1 and, at least, PS2 BC coming in during the 1st half of the PS5's life cycle even if they are as successful as they were with PS4 at the beginning of this gen.

 

[Naga]

No chance for PS3 imo (outside of PS Now obviously).
PS1/PS2 is a possibility, but I doubt it. They didn't even care about the "Classics" on PS4 when they could have easily emulated them here anyway.

 

[Izunavis]

I doubt it

I'm going to be content with what they said today and not get hopes up at all.

Click to shrink...

This.

If it happens it happens.

 

[GamerJM]

The fact that something like this is considered ridiculous is silly. The PS2 has like the largest library of physical games of any game console to date and there's no way to properly play its library on modern TVs with no added latency without buying niche third-party cables, buying an unreliable old version of a legacy PlayStation platform, or just emulating it on PC. Even though it's clearly possible for Sony to implement this.

 

[Perkin_Warbeck]

MGS IV to remain in eternal PS3 purgatory haha.

 

[Zippo]

Nah.

And PS3 straight up isn't happening, at all.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

PS1 and 2 should be incredibly easy to emulate on PS5, it just depends on if Sony want to do it or not.

They do have PSNow which makes money though, so they could just continue to support that and add more older games onto the service.

 

[Orayn]

No chance for PS3 imo (outside of PS Now obviously).
PS1/PS2 is a possibility, but I doubt it. They didn't even care about the "Classics" on PS4 when they could have easily emulated them here anyway.

Click to shrink...

You can run a surprising number of games with RPCS3 on PC hardware similar to a PS5. If Sony put enough resources into developing the emulator and had a big BC initiative like Microsoft, they could get plenty of PS3 games running. It's not happening because they don't really want it to.

 

[Pyro]

I'd love to have my PS3 digital library (specifically the older games) carry forward but I'm not expecting it. I think the best we can hope for is them starting a back-compat program for PS3 and older games like MS did this gen.

 

[nightstalker962]

I've said forever that they should put up the PS1/PS2 classics they had on PS3 onto PSN and call it a day.

 

[HibbySloth]

I wish. Even if it was just PS1 and PS2.

 

[McScroggz]

I don't see any technological limitations, so it comes down to whether Sony wants to support one of the several options for BC or whether they don't want to in an effort to push PSNow. I think it's as simple as that.

The PS3 is a little different. I would assume they should be able to emulate it, but I don't know.

 

[salromano]

Click to shrink...

So there's hope!

The way I'm rationalizing it is this:

- "Road to PS5" was a developer-focused GDC talk.
- There was talk about PS4 BC because developers are still making PS4 games.
- Developers would have no need to know about PS3/2/1 BC.
- It's a big feature to support PS3/2/1. They'd want to make a big impact by revealing it at a formal event.

Join me in keeping the dream alive! (And in the disappointment that will follow!)

 

[HeavenlyE]

Click to shrink...

But would they have laughed at the idea of PS1-PS2 though hmmm

I'll never lose hope

 

[elzeus]

Sony will have to put it's pride aside and contact Phil to see if they can hire the Xbox BC team. I'm sure they could get it working and just have an Xbox splash logo at the start of every game.

 

[Nolbertos]

I've honestly given up on Sony having PS1/2 or 3 BC at this pojnt. Unless Cerny or Jim Ryan Pull a secret trick card, I'm not expecting anything. Makes the Xbox ecosystem more appealing with Xbox 360 and some OG games being BC

 

[OneThirtyEight]

I will have hope until the day Sony officialy says "no" to this question.
And when that day comes, i'm gonna hunt down a launch PS3.

 

[Zips]

I'd love for it to happen, but at this point I doubt it'll happen.

Sony already dropped the ball on this back when they got rid of the backwards compatible capable PS3.

 

[Patitoloco]

I think they're going to push PSNow a lot this gen.

 

[spman2099]

There is the smallest, vaguest hope. However, it is extremely unlikely. Extremely.

 

[Thatguy]

I think companies secretly hate BC. If you buy some old PS1 RPG theres 50 hours for $5. They want you paying $60 for about 15 hours. It's just way more downside than upside for these companies. I think it's part of the reason classic console libraries were so generally bad too, and why games get remade so often.

 

[Deleted member 71]

I'd love for it to happen, but at this point I doubt it'll happen.

Sony already dropped the ball on this back when they got rid of the backwards compatible capable PS3.

Click to shrink...

At the very least, they still kept disc & digital PS1 support in the BC PS3, and had PS2 Classics running on their internal emulator.

It was a lot better of a situation than today.

 

[Dragonyeuw]

It's a bit silly to keep selling Ps1/Ps2 classics on PSN that aren't playable on your current hardware. I mean 'just pull out your old PS3' has to be impractical at a certain point surely?

 

[Magnus]

I wouldn't bet on PS2 or 3 at all. I'd anticipate PS1 Classics becoming available via something like what Nintendo did with NES/SNES games and Switch Online.
It is pretty insane that PS1 games we've bought and that are attached to our account from the PS3 era aren't somehow playable on hardware from the past decade.

 

[nrtn]

I think the dream is dead.

 

[klauskpm]

Click to shrink...

This

 

[PlanetSmasher]

It's a bit silly to keep selling Ps1/Ps2 classics on PSN that aren't playable on your current hardware. I mean 'just pull out your old PS3' has to be impractical at a certain point surely?

Click to shrink...

I think at this point it's pretty clear Sony would rather spend resources on prettying up select old games and charging full price for them than giving players the option to revisit ANY of their old classics at their convenience, which says a lot about them.

 

[lupin23rd]

This is the 25th year of PlayStation isn't it?
I feel like if it's ever going to happen, this is the time to do it, so I'm holding out some hope they will make it happen and surprise us all.

 

[Eeyore]

I think at this point it's pretty clear Sony would rather spend resources on prettying up select old games and charging full price for them than giving players the option to revisit ANY of their old classics at their convenience, which says a lot about them.

Click to shrink...

Pretty sure Shadow of the Colossus was 40 bucks.

 

[RivalGT]

I think only Sony knows, so look for it in the PS5 announcement, if we get nothing there, then its clear that its not in their plans at all.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Pretty sure Shadow of the Colossus was 40 bucks.

Click to shrink...

40 bucks is still too much for a game that's nearly two decades old. And no, I don't care that they redid the graphics.

 

[StarskySilvers]

I'd love if the feature was there. I just Sony was transparent and would just crush the dream already

 

[KORNdog]

I don't think there will be tbh. And I'm not bothered if there isn't really.

BUT all the talk from Sony about PS5 recently has been about hardware. And those platforms would likely be emulated at this point, and thus, software. So...it might be announced later if anything.

 

[EMT0]

This is the same company that resold titles bought on PSN for PS3 for PS4. You shouldn't hold your breath

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

I think they're going to push PSNow a lot this gen.

Click to shrink...

I'd believe that except for the fact they didn't even follow thru with ps1&ps2 on ps now

The PS4 Will Stream PS1, PS2, And PS3 Games

The PS4 will not feature backwards compatibility with older PlayStation titles, according to today's PlayStation 4 conference. Instead, Sony will use cloud gaming to allow the system to access older PlayStation back catalogue. No details as of yet in regards to whether or not we'll be able to...

kotaku.com

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[Deleted member 29674]

It's definitely feasible for them to implement full backwards compatibility across all Playstation generations, but they'll never do it. Allowing you to play your classic library won't earn them money, and even worse, it could dissuade customers from buying a remaster. It's unlikely that they'll do more "classics" rereleases either, because that would allow people who only want to buy a single game to do so and not purchase anything else.

The big money is in recurring subscription services, so I assume a crappy PSNow stream is the closest we'll get to BC.

 

[DeadOblivion78]

I am not buying a new console to play old games. They can stay in the past where they belong.

 

[Cels]

i don't see any reason the ps5 couldn't emulate ps1 and ps2 games on a technical level

but it really doesn't seem to be a priority for sony, so we're not seeing it.

 

[Eeyore]

40 bucks is still too much for a game that's nearly two decades old. And no, I don't care that they redid the graphics.

Click to shrink...

Okay.

 

[TsuWave]

40 bucks is still too much for a game that's nearly two decades old. And no, I don't care that they redid the graphics.

Click to shrink...

So you don't care about the work that went into the game but you find yourself in a position to determine it's worth?

 

[Atolm]

Had they found a magical solution, Cerny would have mentioned it.

Anyway, PS5 should be able to emulate even PS3. But it's not worth to them.