PS5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 games

Sony has revealed that PlayStation 5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 games.

Unlike its current generation system, which omitted the popular feature due to the console having a completely different architecture to PS3, Sony’s next-gen machine is based in part on PS4’s design structure.

Providing the first official PS5 hardware details in an interview with Wired, lead system architect Mark Cerny said multiple games will be released on both PS4 and the next-gen console.

While PS4 lacks backwards compatibility, Microsoft has shown a strong commitment to the feature on Xbox One, earning it goodwill with consumers able to play Xbox 360 games and original Xbox titles on the newer console.

Xbox One supports almost 600 backwards compatible games, with over 50 titles enhanced for Xbox One X to provide higher resolution.

Sony estimates that PS4 sales reached 91.6 million units by the end of 2018, giving it a giant and committed user base – some 876 million PS4 games have been sold to date – it hopes will make the transition to PS5.

In addition to playing PS4 games, Cerny told Wired VR is “very important” to Sony and “the current PS VR headset is compatible with the new console”.

Having launched in October 2016, PlayStation VR sales topped 4.2 million units worldwide by March 2019, according to Sony.

Cerny also said he believes the PS5 price “will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set”.