PS5 Won't Support PS1, PS2, Or PS3 Games, Sony Confirms

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan confirmed that while the PlayStation 5 will have a 99 percent compatibility with all PS4 games, the upcoming PS5 won't support PS1, PS2, or PS3 titles. In an interview with Famitsu (via Siliconera), Ryan said the PS5 development team didn't have enough time to implement backwards compatibility for the company's older generations of consoles.

"We keep in mind the engineering specialized for the PS5, as we produced the device," Ryan said. "In the midst of that, the PS4 already has 100 million players; we thought they ought to want to play PS4 titles on the PS5 as well indeed, so we included compatibility with the PS4. While implementing that, we also focused our efforts on taking in the high-speed SSD and the new controller DualSense at the same time. So, unfortunately, we couldn't reach the implementation of such compatibilities."

There's a reason why the PlayStation 5 supports PlayStation 4 games. According to lead system architect Mark Cerny, the two consoles are built on similar internal structures, which makes playing PS4 games on PlayStation 5 possible.

The PS3, meanwhile, was built on an architecture that was notoriously difficult to develop for. Unfortunately, you'll still need a PS3 to play some classics that were never ported to later systems, like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Killzone 2.

It certainly makes the PS5 launch game Demon's Souls look appealing. It's based on a PS3 game and features the same basic content, but the game was remade with a new engine. It doesn't look like a PS3 game at all.

Sony recently revealed the PlayStation Plus Collection, a new benefit that includes first- and third-party titles like Days Gone, God of War, Persona 5, and Resident Evil 7, among others. PS Plus subscribers on PlayStation 5 get access to these and other classic PS4 titles at no additional charge. We haven't heard if PS Now will come to the platform like it is on PS4 yet.

The Digital and Standard editions of the PlayStation 5 launch on November 12 for $400 and $500, respectively. We've rounded up everything you need to know about the console, and check out our PlayStation 5 preorder guide to learn where to get one amidst the preorder fiasco.