What is backwards compatibility? Everything you need to know

Backwards compatibility is becoming more of a buzzword, with next-generation consoles now having support for older games.

AAA games are being produced at a breakneck speed, with more fantastic games coming out every year. But the emergence of new games doesn’t mean that older games aren’t worth revisiting.

But not everyone has access to their old gaming consoles, never mind the original copies of the games. That’s where backwards compatibility comes in.

We’re going to be running through everything you need to know about backwards compatibility, including what it is and which consoles support it.

What is backwards compatibility?

Backwards compatibility is a term used to describe when newer hardware is still compatible with older software from a previous generation of gaming consoles.

For example, the PS5 is compatible with PS4 games like God of War, Uncharted 4 and Horizon Zero Dawn, despite the fact that those games were not developed for the next-generation consoles. You can even use a PS4 disc with a PS5 console in order to play the game.

Backwards compatibility allows gamers to play games from older consoles on newer hardware, which can be easier to attain. This can eliminate the need for remastered games and it helps to preserve older titles that may fall out of popularity if they were not as easily accessible. 

Sometimes, you’ll even see a performance boost by using an old game on new hardware. For example, select Xbox One games can reap the benefits of the speedier SSD when played on an Xbox Series X, resulting in shorter loading times.

Which consoles have support for backwards compatibility?

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are backwards compatible.

The PS5 is backwards compatible with PS4 software, meaning that both digital and physical software will work on the console. If you’re using the same PSN account, then you will even have access to all of your purchases, trophies and data, making moving over to the new console even more streamlined. 

Concerning older games, from the PS3 and previous consoles, physical discs will not work on the PS5. However, gamers that have a PS Plus Premium paid membership will be able to stream and download PS3 and PS2 games. This gives the PS5 a lot of versatility, with more PS3 and PS2 games being added to the PlayStation Store as time goes on. 

Turning to the Xbox Series X, players can indulge in Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games. It can play both the physical and digital copies of games from all its previous consoles for free, meaning that you don’t need to pay for a subscription to access older games, like the PS5. Not every game is supported, but a massive variety is, with more games being added over time. 

The Nintendo Switch is not compatible with physical games from its previous consoles, meaning that it has no built-in backwards compatibility. However, users can sign up for Nintendo Switch Online to play games from consoles like the NES, Super NES, N64, Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis titles. Out of these three consoles, Nintendo is the most limited, with no compatibility with iconic original Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Sports. 

Which games have support for backwards compatibility?

Sony says over 4000 PS4 games are compatible with the PS5, while Microsoft says only a small number of Xbox One games aren’t supported by the Xbox Series X – and those tend to be titles that require the Kinect sensor.

That means there are far too many games to list here, but the likelihood is that your favourite game from the previous generation will be supported. But if you’re planning on purchasing an old game, it’s worth double checking that it’s supported via Sony and Microsoft’s official lists.