The PS5 is coming our way this year, ushering in the next generation of consoles alongside Xbox Series X.
With details slowly but surely trickling out regarding the new hardware, consumers have a myriad of questions about what exactly it will be capable of doing.
One such question on the tip of our tongues is backwards compatibility. Over the years we’ve amassed countless physical and digital games on PS4, so we’d love for a new console to adopt those libraries with no questions asked. So, will the PS5 support backwards compatibility? Trusted Reviews has the answer for you right here.
Does the PS5 support backwards compatibility?
Yes – Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will support backwards compatibility at launch. However, the extent to which remains unknown, and will hopefully become clear as we get closer to release. Will it merely be a case of signing into your PSN account and gaining immediate access to your entire library, or will there be exceptions to the rule?
Related: Best PS5 Games
Given the PS5 is confirmed to have a Blu-ray disc drive, it’s safe to assume that existing PS4 games will have no problem working with the system from the off. However, it remains unclear whether they will receive any additional enhancements when running on a more powerful console. There’s plenty of questions surrounding the nature of backwards compatibility on PS5, but it’s a relief knowing it’s confirmed.
Some features coming to the PlayStation 5 include ray tracing, improved loading times thanks to SSD technology and backwards compatibility. Although, once again, the latter remains cloudy in terms of its full capabilities. With the full specs set to be announced in the coming days, we’ll be sure to update this piece on any new developments.
We’d love to see PS5 incorporate a Boost Mode in a similar manner to PS4 Pro, applying a general improvement to all games while also allowing developers to deploy bespoke updates which take advantage of the new hardware. Major titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn or God of War running at native 4K with ray tracing enabled alongside improved performance could be a delight, and a great way to showcase your shiny new console.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.