• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PS5 Is 'Not Just About the Future, But Also About the Past', Insider Claims

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
3589707-ps5-thumb-promo12-1.jpg
We all thought we were gearing up for full PlayStation 4 backwards compatibility with the PS5 a few months ago, but after a vague statement from Sony suggested that it's possible not every current-gen game will work on Sony's next system, we started to have some concerns. However, while it's in no way confirmation of backwards compatibility beyond PS4, one reliable industry insider has stated that the PlayStation 5 is all about embracing the past.

On Waypoint Radio's latest podcast, Patrick Klepek said: "Everything I’ve heard about the PS5, this is going back full two years now - has been a huge emphasis on ‘history’ and that it’s going to be the sort of thing where it’s not just about the future, but also about the past; that means your ability to play lots of those games." If you'd like to hear the quote for yourself and the wider discussion surrounding it, skip to the 56-minute mark through this link.
Klepek then goes on to link this statement to the numerous rumours of a Demon's Souls remake, which is more than likely headed by Bluepoint Games. The context also suggests that Sony does have plans to support the ability to play games from the past two decades on the PlayStation 5, but this is just speculation based on the quote.

We'll have to wait until 2020 to get firm confirmation of Sony's plans for backwards compatibility, but it's probably a good sign that these sorts of statements are being put out now. Would you like to play games from every generation on the PS5? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Kuranghi

Member
Imagine how awesome it will be if, on the day you buy and set up your PS5, you say to yourself "Actually, I don't need to play Ghost of Tsushima right away. I'm just gonna fire The Last Guardian in and play it a bit" and you get a locked 30, or dare I dream, 60 experience.

Insert your own favourite game from PS4 and back that has framerate drops/taxed the old hardware a lot.

Even if its the same framerate/resolution/IQ it would still be amazing to just stick any of my PS2 and PS3 classics in the PS5 and play it no questions asked.
 

McRazzle

Member
To paraphrase someone from another thread, Sony can't run on PS3-modified hardware to stream PS3 games forever as the Cell and the components needed to run it are no longer manufactured. At some point, Sony has to adopt an emulation solution.
Maybe Sony could include one IBM Power9 eight threaded core to simulate the Cell.
IBM open-sourced the Power ISA and reference designs a few months ago.
 

Mr Hyde

Member
It would be nice with BC for PSX, 2 and 4. Don´t think they can do PS3 BC because of Cell tech but it doesn´t matter since I got the console hooked up anyway. But the rest of em would be a really sweet deal.
 

Business

Member
Would be nice if they had at least some sort of PS1 catalogue included with PS+ the same way Nintendo does with NES and SNES.
 

Hostile_18

Banned
It would be nice to have two SKUs for this as backwards compatability is so important to some and worthless to others (similar to how the PS3 launched).

I'd certainly buy a more expensive unit that could play PS 1-5 games.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TLZ

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
From December 3rd of this year all the way till December 3rd of next year will be within the 25th anniversary window worldwide.

So I expect some marketing to capitalize on that, and could work well with this if they go that route of the “past”.
 
Last edited:

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
They will have a small number of PS1,2,3 games on the digital store. That will be it. I'm calling it.

There won't be any physical BC beyond PS4.

They have a good amount of original PlayStation games digital on the store already. They can always go the Microsoft method and buy them and play on the PS5, or Insert a disk you own, and it downloads it.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Sony did push the nostalgia with the PS4 and while all good and all they did get a bit of backlash because the PS4 couldn't even play the games they wanted you to remember.
 

Gavin Stevens

Formerly 'o'dium'
It’s amazing how Sony told everybody to essentially shut up when it came to BC... Until MS walked in and showed them how it’s done. Now Sony will act like they are the second coming of Christ because they are all about BC.

It’s quite sad really.

You made the fucking PS1 and PS2 and didn’t offer anything decent in the slightest with regard to these games in a PS4. My damn Vita plays more games than the PS4 does. MY FUCKING VITA.

It’s quite clear they know that the PS4 was a monster and if they didn’t allow gamers to play Ps4 games on PS5 people would kick off. But Jesus, this should have been the way it was with the 4 already.
 
Last edited:

Fake

Member
To paraphrase someone from another thread, Sony can't run on PS3-modified hardware to stream PS3 games forever as the Cell and the components needed to run it are no longer manufactured. At some point, Sony has to adopt an emulation solution.
With is no surprise because as much people keeping console war about BC, they forget that the Xbox One use software emulation for Original Xbox and Xbox 360.
If you go to the Playstation 3 Store side, a bunch of PS1 games are there. Maybe Sony want to add that PS3 library to PS5.
 
Last edited:

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Mmmm, Sony's statement does imply anything more then working on PS4 BC. It also seems unlikely that sony will try and do ps2 + ps3 BC considering the lack of it on the PS4.
However it's the direction MS are going, so Sony could do ps4, most ps3 and a handful of ps2 titles similar to what MS have done.
PS3 + ps2 BC I give about a 50/50 chance, but even if it does happen it will be limited.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
How dare they? Everybody knows that Microsoft are the second coming of Christ regarding BC. And crossplay!

/s

Literally no one is acting that way in this thread either.

We are all just gamer's talking about different theories, and ideas. And then a projection has to show up and try to warz up the thread.
 

Breakage

Member
Storage already sounds like it will be an issue in regard to next gen games alone.
It makes me wonder whether Sony will even have the storage capacity for their BC ambitions.
 
Sony will easily dominate 9th gen if they offer comprehensive BC (PS1/2/3/4, PSP/Vita) day 1. They have a vast library to offer! PS Now subscriptions could skyrocket.

PS5 exclusives are also important, granted, but it will take years to build a decent library (just like with the PS4).
 

urmie

Member
How dare they? Everybody knows that Microsoft are the second coming of Christ regarding BC. And crossplay!

/s

No, but when it comes to BC, the team at Xbox set the gold standard and I am glad Phil invested in it. It's now a bulletpoint for next-gen despite the zealots stating that they "don't play old games".
 
Storage already sounds like it will be an issue in regard to next gen games alone.
It makes me wonder whether Sony will even have the storage capacity for their BC ambitions.
Come again?

Older games (PS1/2/3, PSP/Vita) are much smaller than PS4 or PS5 ones will ever be.

Emulators don't take a lot of space either. We're talking about recompiled *.exe files in different machine code.

Isn't that what MS does for 360 BC? Take that PowerPC binary and recompile it to the x86-64 equivalent. It's a fairly common practice in modern emulators.
 

FranXico

Member
Don’t give me that bollocks. Sony didn’t want anything to do with either and we’re fully against both, until others stepped in and showed them it works, and works well.
Sony was the first to ever support crossplay between console and PC and never stopped supporting it. Cut the "teh evil Soniez didn't want crossplay" bullshit.
Where were you when MS was ahead in both sales and public perception, but was against crossplay, even with PC?

There is one thing I will give them the nod for, more so than the excellent BC proposition they offered this gen: marketing. They really are showing everybody how to manipulate public opinion.
 

Breakage

Member
Come again?

Older games (PS1/2/3, PSP/Vita) are much smaller than PS4 or PS5 ones will ever be.

Emulators don't take a lot of space either. We're talking about recompiled *.exe files in different machine code.

Isn't that what MS does for 360 BC? Take that PowerPC binary and recompile it to the x86-64 equivalent. It's a fairly common practice in modern emulators.
I'm not so much concerned about the sizes of older PlayStation games – as you said they are much smaller in size, but PS4 games do eat up space, and full PS4 BC is one of the main features of PS5.
I am just wondering how it's all gonna work in a non-frustrating way when it increasingly sounds as if frequent uninstalls and reinstalls will be the norm for the average user.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Storage already sounds like it will be an issue in regard to next gen games alone.
It makes me wonder whether Sony will even have the storage capacity for their BC ambitions.
Tbf this also applies to MS too as both seem to be going the SSD route.
 
I'm not so much concerned about the sizes of older PlayStation games – as you said they are much smaller in size, but PS4 games do eat up space, and full PS4 BC is one of the main features of PS5.
I am just wondering how it's all gonna work in a non-frustrating way when it increasingly sounds as if frequent uninstalls and reinstalls will be the norm for the average user.
USB HDDs should be supported, there's no reason not to.

Only next-gen games will require an SSD.
 

magnumpy

Member
there's a huge amount of games to guarantee universal backwards compatibility, among every single PS4 and PS3 and PS2 and PS1 game. honestly IMO just get PS5 working for PS5 games, previous generations can be covered with a "YMMV" disclaimer
 

bosnianpie

Member
I love what I'm reading, not just backward compatibility but a celebration of PS as a brand. Make the fifth console something that ties them all together in a clever way. I hope they use 25 years of material and play on our nostalgic feelings, while giving us the best the next generation can offer at the same time.
 

Breakage

Member
Tbf this also applies to MS too as both seem to be going the SSD route.
Yeah, agreed.
USB HDDs should be supported, there's no reason not to.

Only next-gen games will require an SSD.
But in order to get performance benefits of running a PS4 game on PS5 it will have to be copied over onto the SSD won't it? Sony's PS4 Spider-Man demo was presumably taking advantage of the SSD (hence the faster load times).
 
But in order to get performance benefits of running a PS4 game on PS5 it will have to be copied over onto the SSD won't it? Sony's PS4 Spider-Man demo was presumably taking advantage of the SSD (hence the faster load times).
Spiderman got patched/recompiled with an early PS5 SDK to get the ultimate benefits.

I assume it will still be possible to use a regular HDD for PS4/cross-gen games, but you won't get instant loading in that case.

It's the same thing with PS4 Pro patches: they're mandatory for everyone (including OG PS4/Slim owners), but only PS4 Pro owners get the benefits (4K, 60 fps etc.) :)
 

Breakage

Member
Spiderman got patched/recompiled with an early PS5 SDK to get the ultimate benefits.

I assume it will still be possible to use a regular HDD for PS4/cross-gen games, but you won't get instant loading in that case.

It's the same thing with PS4 Pro patches: they're mandatory for everyone (including OG PS4/Slim owners), but only PS4 Pro owners get the benefits (4K, 60 fps etc.) :)
I see. I guess we will have to wait and see what both MS and Sony come up with in regard to utilising and managing
storage options effectively. But after seeing the recent PS5 Digital Foundry video, it does sound as if storage will generally be a source of frustration next gen.
 
Top Bottom