• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

How important is backwards compatibility on the PS5 for you?

I might wait for a "PS5 Pro" down the line, but due to my current employment situation...
Backwards compatibility is not a reason why I would buy a console, but it's definitely a great bonus!
I've never invested so much in games over the past generations, so I would like to carry them over and play again (specially if they end up including patches!).
Won't lie: I wished the PS5 also played PS2/PS3 games - I really miss those early 2000's licensed games, as bad as they could be, lol.

Let me play Simpsons on the new console Sony!
 
splattered said:
Yes its important whether you realize it right now or not. Some people say stuff like "I'd only play bloodborne" but I guarantee if you had a huge library of great Playstation games that looked and played a lot better you'd play a lot more than just one or two of the games.
Click to expand...

I have all the "good" PS4 games. Given a choice of re-playing a PS4 game vs a new PS5 game, I will always pick PS5. IMO, BC is one of those things you hear a lot of noise about, but when you look at the actual numbers, they are insignificant. It's like manual transmissions for cars. You always hear enthusiasts say shit like "no manual, no buy" but looking at cars that do offer manuals, hardly anyone is buying them.
 
now that I have gone full digital, backwards compatibility is pretty important...since the games are mine to keep and I cant sell or trade them, then I greatly prefer that my new box actually be able to play them.
 
Really important. I plan on retiring my PS4 Pro when the PS5 releases, and I have a huge library of digital and physical games I would still like to be able to play on the new hardware.

Honestly, if the PS5 didn't have backwards compatibility with PS4 games - I simply wouldn't buy one.
 
I have such a large collection of games on PS2 and PS3 (with a few PS1 games) that I still bust out the old hardware and play them regularly.

So, the option to play these same discs on a new system, on my nice TV, with some basic lag-reduction / upscaling / filtering options, I would've bought the PS5 on Day One even with zero launch titles.

Alas...
 
Completely uninteresting. I´ve already played all of Sony`s must have first party games this gen and I never replay games. In top of that I have a capable PC anyways.
 
I still like going back to my old games. Especially after not playing a game for years. If the PS5 had the same backwards compatibility the Xbox Series X|S has I wouldn't need to keep my PS3 hooked up.
 
Fairly important.
I own a lot of PS4 games. Backward compatibility means I can sell my pro and still have access to all my PS4 games.

It indirectly lowers the price of the Ps5 (can sell the pro and put that towards a Ps5) and it's just nicer to have the PS4 and 5 library unified on one machine instead of having to keep both plugged in.

And boost mode improving games is a nice bonus and an incentive to replay some of them.



..... At least that was the plan until Sony went "lol let's make the console $830 here!!".
So now they can fuck off.
 
If it turns out to be a big difference maker, Sony can expand upon their B/C offerings over time. Its not like the past is going anywhere!

The reality is that the current PSNow racks aren't going to last forever, so it'd behoove them to work on Emulation tech in order to preserve the service in the future. Folding that same tech into PS5 consumer hardware would be an added bonus.

As always though, the problem with any sort of commercial emulation is that the time/cost balance skews hugely towards validating software, not developing the emulator itself. Bearing in mind their commitment to blanket coverage of PS4 is the priority, like MS eventually got around to revisiting OG Xbox titles, Sony will likely move onto older models when resources are freed and the opportunity cost is more apparent.
 
Do old games detract from new games? I want developers to be aggressive with new release schedules, they have creative abilities and backwards compatibility kinda feels like a safety valve for when there's nothing to release.
 
Somewhat important as I play fighting games like Street Fighter 5, Tekken 7 and Granblue Fantasy Versus often.
 
For me it's essential. All my PS4 games are digital and I'd like to unplug and store the old console once I get the new one, and still be able to play them.
 
It's essential and I think they need to make an effort to get most of the games patched to take advantage of the significantly better TFlops. Things like bumping resolution and unlocking framerate shouldn't be too difficult.
 
It's really important to me, especially enhanced BC. Its by far the most exciting thing about next gen (new games are just a given to me).
 
Literally only matters for ps4 games, and to an extent, maybe ps3 games.

But mostly just ps4.

I'd like to play a nunber of my ps4 games with enhanced performance on the ps5.
 
It's not that important. It is nice to have and I probably will use it since I do have a bunch of ps4 games I haven't finished yet and I don't want to use the engine if I have super silent ps5 to play it on.
 
If they added proper support for all the past systems, I would absolutely buy a PS5, even if just for prosperity's sake. I'm a filthy retro enthusiast.
 
Literally couldn't care less about BC, might take advantage of it to show somebody something if I had it. I barely used it when I had it. Hell I barely play anything "old" on PC either.
 
I like backwards compatibility as a feature a lot. I have a lot of games going back a number of years, when I want to play them it would be nice if they played through the most recent version of that console.

That being said its a feature that is just a nice to have. It makes it easier to go back and play something which makes me more likely to do it than if I had to hook up my PS4. I would like it to support all old Playstation games ideally.

In the end though that doesn't really affect my purchasing decisions. If the new games are good I'll get the console regardless of backwards compatability. I think the current form of PS4 backwards compatability sounds good and I'm hopeful it ends up playing all the games I have for it. They're mostly the exclusives anyway, even if they aren't enhanced it'll still probably be marginally improved over my non pro PS4.
 
Last edited:
Why people insist on buying average launch games when they're loads of awesome games that are on our backlogs is beyond me.

They're definitely ps4 games that I'm sure will work better on PS5 without any patch and obviously the same thing with xbox series x so I'll be spending a huge amount of time on those if and when I do upgrade.
 
I am going to say it, most of the PS4 output is either games which you want to play once or some garbage which is not worth to play through again.

I would more care about PS3 input honestly.
 
M1chl said:
I am going to say it, most of the PS4 output is either games which you want to play once or some garbage which is not worth to play through again.

I would more care about PS3 input honestly.
Click to expand...
You should really speak for yourself, so no "you" in that sentence.
 
FeiRR said:
You should really speak for yourself, so no "you" in that sentence.
Click to expand...
I am no English man, sorry, I am not sure how to write it in the way you put it, because that's how was meant to be....meant : D
 
I'm looking forward to trying out so many PS4 games and seeing them run much smoother. That's why I got a used PS4 Pro instead of a PS4.

For earlier systems BC isn't a big deal to me, might as well use original hardware or an emulator.
 
For the previous gen (so PS4), important.
For PS1/2/3, even though I have big nostalgia for lots of titles, I'd be lying to myself if I was going to say I would play them again... so yeah not a deal breaker at all.

And I would say the same for Xbox.
 
Last edited:
Atm PS4 boost mode is more important on PS5.

Im literally waiting to see if Death Stranding and Last of US 2 will get a 60fps update.

What I dont get is why SOny dont have a section in the digital store for PS1, PS2 PS3 Digital games. DIsc BC I dont care about. Rather the games be on a store like PS3/ VIta/ PSP....
 
Last edited:
"I don't buy consoles to play old games" no one does, but having the feature is a big plus, especially on the first year with scarce software for it and lots of people sell their old systems to help to pay the new one. And having them with enhanced resolution and framerate is also another bonus.
 
Last edited:
Essential. Sony used to be the benchmark for BC, with the original fat PS3 being able to play games across all 3 generations. The PS4 was literally the only Sony machine that could not play PS1 games - an honor soon to be shared by the PS5.

It's a pity, since Sony has a pretty good PS2 emulator developed to run on X86 platforms, which could easily be ported to the PS5.
 
Very, especially now . With only Demon's Souls and Miles Morales to play I'm going to be playing backwards compat games for some time
 
Very important, since consoles get discontinued over time, you lose your library of games. Having all my games on one system is great. Not able to play games like Silent Hill 1, 2,3,4 on PlayStation is a terrible job from Sony ignoring BC.
 
Not at all. I will never use it. Just as I didn't in the ps2, ps3 or psvita.

I buy new stuff to play new things.

But saying that I'm also not buying a ps5 until they release a less hideous one
 
Backwards Compatibility is very important. I think I have played more original XBOX and 360 games on my One X than I have played Xbox One games. I mostly play retro games anyway and I have an SNES, N64, Gamecube, PS2 and Wii hooked up to a CRT.
 
M1chl said:
I am no English man, sorry, I am not sure how to write it in the way you put it, because that's how was meant to be....meant : D
Click to expand...
That's okay. I wouldn't want to go back to PS3 games because of their graphics and framerate. Still a lot of PS4 titles I haven't played because time is limited, so I can continue with PS5. Seems that I'll bite some remasters, like Demon's Souls.

I would buy a console to play Bad Company 2 remaster, if I had to.
 
FeiRR said:
That's okay. I wouldn't want to go back to PS3 games because of their graphics and framerate. Still a lot of PS4 titles I haven't played because time is limited, so I can continue with PS5. Seems that I'll bite some remasters, like Demon's Souls.

I would buy a console to play Bad Company 2 remaster, if I had to.
Click to expand...
B O I, I played more BC2 BC on X1X then any other MP, it needs enhancements but it's really fucking good
 
I have no interesting in PS4 games. I don't even think I'll touch anything in the PS+ Collection. The only titles I can see being relevant for me are prequels to PS5 games, that i missed on the PS4. Even then, it's a bit of a reach for me. They'd need to be enhanced in some way, and the visuals would have to be pretty damn impressive to make me want to go back from PS5 graphics.

I'll be getting MM:UE, because I never played Spiderman, but that's a remaster. So it'll look sufficiently good enough to make the experience worthwhile.
 
People on this forum have been claiming none of this matters and they're still buying a PS5 for months. We get it, you have no standards as a buyer.
 
What they are offering for bc is fine with me. I doubt I own a game that isn't compatible. Look forward to selling my pro to help cover some of the ps5 cost
 
Thugnificient said:
I've always maintained it was a terrible idea to buy a console at launch. Unforeseen hardware issues, paper-thin list of games, first model that will inevitably get replaced by a better one, etc.

Enter the PS5 and Series X with BC.

"Bu bu but Thug, who buys consoles to play last-gen games? You didn't buy a PS3 to play PS2 games." No, but if all PS2 games were upscaled to 720p and got a boost to 60fps, you can bet your ass I would have.

I held off buying or playing many late PS4 games because I anticipated a PS5 patch that would give them a resolution boost but more importantly, 60fps support. Series X showed a pretty nice video regarding BC and if PS5 has anything like that, it's a day 1 buy for me.

If the PS4 games don't end up supporting higher resolutions and frame rates, I'll be stuck with one PS5 game (Demon's Souls Remake) and at that point, I'd just rather wait for more games and perhaps a console revision in a few years.

Anyone else in the same boat?
Click to expand...


I'm in the same boat as you. I've never bought a launch console before, but given that the 9th gen is backwards compatible and it would only be 300 or so CAD to upgrade from a base PS4, my plan was to just do that even if I'm largely going to be playing 8th gen games, hopefully boosted to be better than they otherwise would be. My PS4 is only going to reduce in price faster from here, probably in excess of waiting for a price cut.

But if launch BC support isn't great and most games can't boost, that would kind of defeat the purpose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Xbox asks for backward compatibility suggestions
Opinion Retro Game Dev  2 3 4
193
268
RedC replied
[MLiD] PS6 Portable Leak - Yes, it has Backwards Compatibility. PS6 Performance, Exclusives, AI's Impact on Gaming.
News Rumor Hype 
25
470
onQ123 replied
[WC] Microsoft and Xbox are "actively investigating" a rampant 'can't connect' issue for backwards compatible Xbox 360 games
2
58
347
Tobimacoss replied
[Windows Central]Rejoice! Microsoft's Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program is coming back this year — "we’re committed to keeping games from 4 gen."
35
617
Gonzito replied
How to sign up for the Horizon Hunters Gathering playtest on PS5 and PC
Hype 
31
851
KanKamAndNob replied
Top Bottom