Backwards Compatibility Better Be a Feature on PS5 or I’ll Riot

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Backwards Compatibility

Y’all remember the first PS3s? That bad boy had backwards compatibility out the wazoo. I could play PS2 games and the original Playstation? Never before in my life had I seen such a technological marvel. I had no idea that such a thing would prove to be a fleeting dream. Sony removed that feature and has stuck to it since.

The PS4 has a subscription-based service for renting older games, which nobody uses. If they can play the game on the console, then why make games from previous generations unusable? As a consumer, it sucks. As a business, the practice doesn’t make sense. Sony is literally missing out on sales by not making games either downloadable or backwards compatible. I can name a dozen people kicking it with the old school PS2. At least give me some more digital remasters!

PS5 Backwards Compatibility?

There are rumors everywhere that the upcoming PS5 will have backwards compatibility, and Sony’s secrecy around the project is suspicious, but there isn’t any concrete evidence to support them. Such a feat is theoretically possible, especially since the upcoming PS5 is looking to change the world of gaming with state-of-the-art tech to put NASA to shame. Personally, I’m hoping for the best. Given the ever-increasing cost of modern gaming, the new Playstation better have something to remain fresh and innovative. Please don’t let Xbox win.

Alternative Future

Let’s say that Sony fails to make my dream a reality. What happens then? Will older games fade into the history books, will there be an epic revival, or will more gamers shift from console to PC? Console exclusives are one argument for remaining loyal, but as we saw with Halo, developers might be willing to share. Alternatively, there are numerous modders to port games and just as many emulators for PC. Consumers might be stuck in their ways and will continue to blindly follow a brand, but how long can that last until those brands stagnate?

Backwards compatibility would bridge players of all generations, which is not only a way to keep franchises relevant, but helps devs see their works in continual use. Whether you want to argue sales, culture, or just consumer demands, the final result is that only one gaming medium can supply everything: PC. What will the future bring and how will we respond?

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7 thoughts on “Backwards Compatibility Better Be a Feature on PS5 or I’ll Riot”

          • Being realistic. I have around 40 boxes with ps1/ps2 games. But when I’m back playing them I kinda don’t care anymore. They feel dated and they are dated. I do not have this kind of time to do save in few sparse points and I’m not very happy with low resolution on my 55 inches tv.
            In general I do not mind BC with ps3/ps2/ps1. But it is not a deal breaker. I’d rather see them focusing on important stuff – new games on ps5 or some great dev tools, or UI improvements, or ultrawide support. With my huge ps4 library I’m very happy with this BC. Any other mashine is just a bonus, but not a selling point to me. Sure, if I could get ps5 who will play all ps, xbox, nintendo and pc games while making a coffee for me I’d be delighted, same as with all games 240 fps on 8k screen, but I kinda trying to be realistic. PS4 bc is great. Is needed. Other BC will cater like 0.005 gamers. On xbox the BC usage is around 1%. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/06/backward-compatible-xbox-360-games-are-less-than-2-of-xbox-one-usage-time/

          • I have like 30 boxes from ps1 – ps2 myself, and I guess more from ps3 + ps3 digital titles. Yet those are games I have already played. If I have to choose where resources have to be placed, to development of new games, or to BC with ps1 or ps2 I definitely will choose new games.
            And more or less I do not like that someone says ‘We’ when he is stating his own opinion only;)
            Don’t get me wrong. I would like to have an optoipn to get my titles up and running on ps5, especially it is no issue with ps1 and ps2. But this is something which is a nice feature, but not this much important. I still playing on my Vita and I’m loving it, but old games design is not really appealing anymore. Save points are difficult to reach, presentation is really dated, some of the mechanics is a simply no-go anymore. I would have a number of titles anywy to go through again due to nostalgia, but I have a lot of new titles I;d rather go with as well, I still havent had time to finish H: ZD and Spiderman, going 15th time with ff6 can wait…

  1. I want BC with the ps1/ps2/ps3 for the ps5 because then it will help Used-Game Stores. Theyve been closing down everywhere and they dont make much from the newer titles. And these are peoples jobs involved. More sales will come if they do this

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