The PlayStation 5 still holds many secrets leading up to its impending launch and one of the biggest unknown variables revolves around backwards compatibility. Sony made it clear the system will allow a majority of PlayStation 4 titles, including several peripherals, but anything beyond that has been a secret.
The rumor mill has been brimming with claims surrounding this aspect of Sony’s next generation console, but nothing has carried much substance. Excitement peaked when a patent surfaced earlier this year for cloud-based emulation of PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 games. Today, Ubisoft has given us a clearer (and more realistic) idea of what to expect from the PlayStation 5 in this regard.
In the lead up to Ubisoft’s cross generation games, a new support FAQ titled “Transitioning PlayStation 4 Titles to Next-Gen Versions” appeared on the company’s website shedding new light on the situation. The following text could be found on the page:
Backwards compatibility will be available for supported PlayStation 4 titles, but will not be possible for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation games.
I say “could” because Ubisoft removed the above message a few hours after the FAQ page went live. While the information in the blurb remains unconfirmed, it is widely believed that the contained details accurately point to PlayStation’s full library not being as readily available as desired. The dreams of a fully compatible console offering akin to the original PlayStation 4 have likely been shattered. At least, for now.
Sony may very well continue to invest heavily in PS Now as their solution to roadblocks arising from hardware-based backwards compatibility. The streaming service currently hosts over 650 titles comprised of select PS4, PS3, and PS2 games. While it is arguably a far cry from Microsoft’s Game Pass service sporting day one access to platform exclusives, PS Now could be on the verge of evolving into something more to tackle the gap left by potentially missing features on the PlayStation 5.
That is simply speculation on my part and in no way is guaranteed to occur. With the newest PlayStation platform quickly closing in on its Holiday 2020 launch window, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to get the full scoop on the console’s capabilities. In the meantime, read up on everything we do know about the PlayStation 5.
