Jim Ryan: 99% of PS4 games will be backwards compatible with PS5

endlessflood · Sep 18, 2020

Samanosuke Akechi said:
So I'm curious. What was these "other big surprises" Jim promised to come from ps5?

"In an interview with Business Insider Japan (translated by Gematsu), Ryan explained that - in addition to the expected increase in graphics and performance - the PS5 will have some other unique features to separate it from its predecessors.

"There are still more unique elements for PlayStation 5 to come that separate it from previous consoles," Ryan said. "The 'bigger differences' have yet to be announced."

The PS5 still has big surprises to come, teases Sony

The ‘bigger differences’ have yet to be announced

www.techradar.com

The SSD. That article was from January.

AfterTheFall · Sep 18, 2020

Papacheeks said:
All games are designed around the ssd now. So that should answer your question.

Gah, thanks!

tris20 · Sep 18, 2020

Ser_Luke said:
Yes you can, they are button for button compatible there is no reason for them not to work on PS4 games.

thanks for the clarification!

JediTimeBoy · Sep 18, 2020

Any news on whether saves are compatible?

Psyrgery · Sep 18, 2020

Dear Jim,

Show, don't tell.

I bought the PS5 to play its exclusives AND play the PS4 exclusives that I missed this gen.

If this thing doesnt have BC Im gonna be freakin pissed

Eeyore · Sep 18, 2020

Psyrgery said:
If this thing doesnt have BC Im gonna be freakin pissed

Whether or not you believe the 99% number and it seems some do not, it has BC. They showed 18 PS4 games that will be playable on PS5 through a PlayStation Plus thing.

Betty · Sep 18, 2020

Psyrgery said:
Dear Jim,

Show, don't tell.

I bought the PS5 to play its exclusives AND play the PS4 exclusives that I missed this gen.

If this thing doesnt have BC Im gonna be freakin pissed

They'd have a pretty sizeable backlash to face if BC doesn't work, i'm fairly confident it should.

Psyrgery · Sep 18, 2020

Eeyore said:
Whether or not you believe the 99% number and it seems some do not, it has BC. They showed 18 PS4 games that will be playable on PS5 through a PlayStation Plus thing.

Betty said:
They'd have a pretty sizeable backlash to face if BC doesn't work, i'm fairly confident it should.

I also have confidence in that the BC will likely work as they say, but it would be great if they showed it working, just like Microsoft has done with both Series S/X

It rubs me in the wrong way. Sony's marketing has been very poorly handled in my humble opinion.

AM_LIGHT · Sep 18, 2020

Any info if the current gold headset and PS VR are compatible with PS5 ?

Manngc · Sep 18, 2020

AM_LIGHT said:
Any info if the current gold headset and PS VR are compatible with PS5 ?

Sony announced that PSVR is compatible, but will require a dongle to work, that they will provided for free supposedly.

LowParry · Sep 18, 2020

So if FFXIV requires you to purchase a license per platform you want to play on (PC/PS4), SE is going to allow it on PS5 with BC?

AM_LIGHT · Sep 18, 2020

Manngc said:
Sony announced that PSVR is compatible, but will require a dongle to work, that they will provided for free supposedly.

That's good to hear because I wanted to sell my Pro before I pre-order the PS5

Manngc · Sep 18, 2020

AM_LIGHT said:
That's good to hear because I wanted to sell my Pro before I pre-order the PS5

I'm looking forward to replacing my PS4 and gaining the PS4Pro or better benefits for VR! 😁

rokkerkory · Sep 18, 2020

Bring back Shawn please

opticalmace · Sep 18, 2020

rokkerkory said:
Bring back Shawn please

*Jack

rokkerkory · Sep 18, 2020

opticalmace said:
*Jack

Yep... Jack too please

TalonJH · Sep 18, 2020

LowParry said:
So if FFXIV requires you to purchase a license per platform you want to play on (PC/PS4), SE is going to allow it on PS5 with BC?

I'd imagine they will. It's not the same situation because you couldn't play the PS3 version on the PS4 but they offered a free upgrade at launch and again when they discontinued the PS3 version. I assume we will probably have this answered at the next Live Letter.
At worst I could see us be able to play the PS4 version in BC but have to pay for a PS5 version.

Nerdkiller · Sep 18, 2020

I'm concerned if that 1% of games will include Ace Combat 5: A game on PS4 that was never sold for general release and was only available through preorders and special editions of Ace Combat 7, and because of that, Sony would be very much less inclined to make the game backwards compatible.

Butt-shot Katana · Sep 18, 2020

Toumari said:
Probably something they should have mentioned in the showcase, but here we go...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/09/16/ps5-retail-units/

At launch? How hard would it have been to mention whether they're available at launch?

Shatty McKracken · Sep 18, 2020

So then my PS4 digital library will be available day 1 on PS5? Or no? And if no then why?

CrichtonKicks · Sep 18, 2020

VPplaya said:
I gotta admit I am starting to get a little irritated with the lack of information. The system is out in 2 months and we're still getting vague information about what is backwards compatible and what isn't. If "99%" of games are playable, why don't they provide a list of what isn't?

Probably because either

a) He's just hedging because they haven't tested literally every PS4 game released so they don't want to guarantee 100% BC just to find out that there are a few games out there that have issues.

b) Because we are two months from launch and it's possible that system updates between now and then could change the 1% that don't work to 0.5% or whatever. No reason to put out a list of incompatible games if they may not be locked in stone.

If they are going the "99%" route I seriously doubt they are even white listing the games as they are tested. It's probably more along the lines of you can try anything you like with the understanding and the system will try to run it but maybe there are a few games out there that may exhibit issues.

jroc74 · Sep 18, 2020

McFly said:
They told you

1. There is BC built into the SoC, AMD worked really hard on it to make sure it is compatible
2. There are 3 modes, PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5 native mode
3. They tested top 100 games in boost mode and almost all worked without issues
4. They are testing on a game by game basis
5. The overwhelming majority of the 4000 games should work
6. Jim put a pretty 99% bow on it.
7. Jim said no PS1, PS2, PS3 BC

How much clearer can they get?

Prince Akeem · Sep 18, 2020

McFly said:
They told you

1. There is BC built into the SoC, AMD worked really hard on it to make sure it is compatible
2. There are 3 modes, PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5 native mode
3. They tested top 100 games in boost mode and almost all worked without issues
4. They are testing on a game by game basis
5. The overwhelming majority of the 4000 games should work
6. Jim put a pretty 99% bow on it.
7. Jim said no PS1, PS2, PS3 BC

How much clearer can they get?

Yeah but it's more fun to play dumb and be a drama queen about it. :P

Deleted member 74623 · Sep 18, 2020

McFly said:
They told you

1. There is BC built into the SoC, AMD worked really hard on it to make sure it is compatible
2. There are 3 modes, PS4, PS4 Pro and PS5 native mode
3. They tested top 100 games in boost mode and almost all worked without issues
4. They are testing on a game by game basis
5. The overwhelming majority of the 4000 games should work
6. Jim put a pretty 99% bow on it.
7. Jim said no PS1, PS2, PS3 BC

How much clearer can they get?

Exactly. Don't understand how people can be so dense

Deleted member 1003 · Sep 18, 2020

Butt-shot Katana said:
At launch? How hard would it have been to mention whether they're available at launch?

Why are people being so pedantic about this? He didn't say later in the future. It will be there when you get it.

litebrite · Sep 18, 2020

FlikBlueLightning said:
Why are people being so pedantic about this? He didn't say later in the future. It will be there when you get it.

What is pedantic about people wanting to know if the "99%" of BC titles will be available at launch?

Butt-shot Katana · Sep 18, 2020

litebrite said:
What is pedantic about people wanting to know if the "99%" of BC titles will be available at launch?

This. Sony obfuscates. Clearly, we want to know the details, and it's infuriating it's not clear in the statement.

We can't make assumptions. We assumed Mm and the new Horizon were PS5 exclusives, and that was wrong.

disco_potato · Sep 18, 2020

litebrite said:
What is pedantic about people wanting to know if the "99%" of BC titles will be available at launch?

It's disingenuous, given who made that post.
We know it's hardware, we know it's in the die, and we know 99% of the games work. Are we expecting sony to disable BC at launch and patch it in some time later?

Deleted member 1003 · Sep 18, 2020

disco_potato said:
It's disingenuous given who made that post.
Are we expecting sony to disable BC at launch and patch it in some time later?

Thank you. It's beyond silly at this point and people have kept bringing it up since March.

NLCPRESIDENT · Sep 18, 2020

No PR person should ever promise 100% of something. That's just being irresponsible if you do. Y'all don't even own 99% of the games yourself and tripping. Lol

Yes your little sticky copy of Senran Kagura will work.

Belthazar90 · Sep 18, 2020

Butt-shot Katana said:
At launch? How hard would it have been to mention whether they're available at launch?

I don't know if English is your first language of not, but even as a non native speaker it's very clear that by saying that 99% of the ps4 games can be played in the new console they mean that the games can be played in the present and are already tested and working. The only unclear way to say it would be saying the games will be playable on the console, which he didn't.

Rirse · Sep 18, 2020

Wonder if it hard-ware BC like the PS2 with the PS1 or software emulation like the PS3 and it's PS1 playback.

disco_potato · Sep 18, 2020

Rirse said:
Wonder if it hard-ware BC like the PS2 with the PS1 or software emulation like the PS3 and it's PS1 playback.

It's hardware.

Crayon · Sep 18, 2020

Hey this is the perfect time to make bets on what games work.

aspiring · Sep 18, 2020

Skatterd said:
Is this at launch though? Why can't the messaging be more clear lol

why would it be after? I feel some people either are being deliberately dense or really need things s p e l t out for them.

Stat · Sep 18, 2020

Kyoufu said:
Games like Life of Black Tiger, etc.

What is Life of Black Tiger? What makes it unique?

McFly · Sep 19, 2020

Stat said:
What is Life of Black Tiger? What makes it unique?

I don't think you want to know the answer to the first question, as for the second let's just say nobody's going to be upset if the game is part of the 1% that doesn't work. Also lichdom battlemage.

LazyLain · Sep 19, 2020

I'm guessing Pantymon Snap didn't make the cut.

Deleted member 1003 · Sep 19, 2020

More PS5 console features
Backwards compatibility
Play a back catalog of PS4™ games on your PS5 console

Game boost
Enjoy faster and smoother frame rates in select PS4 and PS VR games.

This is straight from the Playstation website. Why list a feature if it's not available a launch. No asterisks or footnotes.

PlayStation®5 | Play Has No Limits | PlayStation

Everything you need to know about the PlayStation®5 console and PlayStation®5 Digital Edition with a new slim PS5 design. The best PS5 games, PS5 accessories, and the DualSense wireless controller.

www.playstation.com

Butt-shot Katana · Sep 19, 2020

Belthazar90 said:
I don't know if English is your first language of not, but even as a non native speaker it's very clear that by saying that 99% of the ps4 games can be played in the new console they mean that the games can be played in the present and are already tested and working. The only unclear way to say it would be saying the games will be playable on the console, which he didn't.

Because English is my first language, no, that's not explicit in what he said, and they haven't had clear messaging on this at any time during the lead up to this launch.

Until a couple days ago, we thought MM and the next Horizon were PS5-only games. I want explicit verification that "99%" of PS4 games play on PS5 at launch.

gothi · Sep 19, 2020

I'm fairly confident that we'll see BC at launch but people should lay off criticising those asking for confirmation of it being available at launch. At the PS4 reveal they showed things that appeared to be positioned for launch but took a year or 2 to appear (the mobile integration was the key one if I remember correctly) and with their recent track record of being deceptive it's understandable why folk are questioning everything they say, and rightfully so.

edit: there's approximately 20-40 games that won't work if we take the 1% figure to be true, that's more than I was expecting tbh.

Kyoufu · Sep 19, 2020

Stat said:
What is Life of Black Tiger? What makes it unique?

Testing was done based on playtime, so since nobody played Life of Black Tiger, it's a likely candidate for that 1%.

Ombala · Sep 19, 2020

Butt-shot Katana said:
Because English is my first language, no, that's not explicit in what he said, and they haven't had clear messaging on this at any time during the lead up to this launch.

Until a couple days ago, we thought MM and the next Horizon were PS5-only games. I want explicit verification that "99%" of PS4 games play on PS5 at launch.

Thing is I don't think Jim ever said they won't have cross gen games, when he talked about generations it was about the console itself and its features.

Syysch · Sep 19, 2020

McFly said:
Also lichdom battlemage.

I actually picked that up on a deep discount sale not too long ago, and it's a decent game. It got some post-launch patches that fixed a lot of its performance problems and insane load times, and that was the main issue with it, the underlying game itself isn't terrible. It chunks pretty hard when something loads in, but it plays alright other than that on a base ps4.

Deleted member 52190 · Sep 19, 2020

Butt-shot Katana said:
Because English is my first language, no, that's not explicit in what he said, and they haven't had clear messaging on this at any time during the lead up to this launch.

Until a couple days ago, we thought MM and the next Horizon were PS5-only games. I want explicit verification that "99%" of PS4 games play on PS5 at launch.

They are not gonna give it to you, you either believe it or not.

Quinton · Sep 19, 2020

My curiosity here, and maybe it's been addressed already, is whether or not games like Fallout 4 and Final Fantasy XV will include their DLCs. I can't imagine ever wanting to go back to FFXV without all those patches and DLCs, for example, and in Fallout 4's case, Far Harbor is like half the reason I'd ever replay it.

I'm guessing it's a no on these two fronts but holding out hope.

tzare · Sep 19, 2020

Good news, and hopefully that 1% that is not will get patches.
Now let's see how many get extra improvements besides standard bc

Rosebud · Sep 19, 2020

Stat said:
What is Life of Black Tiger? What makes it unique?

The graphics are just too much for PS5

Sparkedglory2 · Sep 19, 2020

I mean. This is what was expected. Good to see

dom · Sep 19, 2020

Quinton said:
My curiosity here, and maybe it's been addressed already, is whether or not games like Fallout 4 and Final Fantasy XV will include their DLCs. I can't imagine ever wanting to go back to FFXV without all those patches and DLCs, for example, and in Fallout 4's case, Far Harbor is like half the reason I'd ever replay it.

I'm guessing it's a no on these two fronts but holding out hope.

Of course it will have their patches and DLCs if you own them.

Jim Ryan: 99% of PS4 games will be backwards compatible with PS5

User requested ban

Resettlement Advisor

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

Prophet of Truth

Specialist at TheGamer / Reviewer at RPG Site

Two Pieces

▲ Legend ▲