The PlayStation 5 could be getting backward compatibility with PS3 games, if some new listings on the PlayStation Store are any indication. Currently, the PS5 is only backward compatible with PS4 titles, in stark contrast to how the Xbox Series X/S plays titles from all previous Xbox consoles. There were rumors of the PS5 supporting titles as far back as the original PlayStation before the console was officially unveiled in 2020, but this turned out to not be the case when the PS5 was launched at the end of that year.
So far, the only way to play PS3 games (aside from remastered PS4 rereleases like God War 3) is if they are made available on the PlayStation Store. However, many of the old titles require players to subscribe to the PlayStation Now streaming service, and even these are limited in comparison to the vast array of beloved titles that came out during the PS3 era and before. However, a recently filed USPTO Report patent from head Sony engineer Mark Cerny suggests that Sony could be getting ready to implement full backward compatibility for the PS5, and there are rumors of Sony including old PlayStation games as part of a planned gaming subscription service to rival Microsoft’s Xbox Games Pass.
In the meantime, Eurogamer reports that PS3 games are starting to appear on PlayStation Store, complete with price tags. While this may be a glitch, Twitter user and VGC writer Jordan Middler suspects that this could be a sign that Sony is planning to bring backward compatibility to the PS5 in the near future. However, it seems these price tags are only visible if the PS Store is accessed through the PS5 console itself – the version accessed on a web browser only shows prices for PS4 and PS5 games.
Although the PS5 has become one of the highest-selling consoles of all time since its launch last November, there’s little doubt that the Xbox Series X’s robust backward compatibility with titles from the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One gives it a distinct advantage to longtime players who may want to dust off their older games for a nostalgic playthrough. Back in November, Microsoft added 70 classic titles to the Xbox Series X/S’s backward compatibility list in honor of Xbox’s 20th anniversary, ranging from favorites like the Max Payne trilogy to oddball cult classics like 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand.
While nothing has officially been confirmed yet regarding any plans to bring backward compatibility to the PlayStation 5, fans have been asking for the ability to replay titles from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PS3 since the PS5 was first announced. At the very least, this could be a sign that Sony is looking to add more PS3-era titles to purchase on PlayStation Store.
