Sony is trying to clear the confusion around the PlayStation 5’s backwards compatibility mode, and says the console will be able to run the “overwhelming majority” of all 4,000 PS4 titles
On Friday, the company issued the clarification after Sony system architect Mark Cerny briefly mentioned the software testing challenges surrounding the PlayStation 5’s backwards compatibility with older PS4 games.
In a presentation two days ago, Cerny indicated that the next-generation console wouldn’t necessarily be compatible with all PS4 titles. The problem is the increased processing power on the PS5. “The boost is truly massive this time around and some game code just can’t handle it. Testing has to be done on a title by title basis,” he said.
Cerny went on to add that Sony has been testing the 100 most popular PlayStation 4 titles on the upcoming hardware. “We’re expecting almost all of them to be playable at launch on PlayStation 5,” he said.
However, 100 games comprises only a small slice of the PS4’s full game library. So some gamers were baffled at Cerny’s language during the presentation.
In response, Sony is trying to reassure consumers about the PS5’s backwards compatibility feature. “With all of the amazing games in PS4’s catalog, we’ve devoted significant efforts to enable our fans to play their favorites on PS5. We believe that the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5,” the company said in an updated blog post.
According to Sony, the company has actually tested “hundreds” of PS4 titles on the new hardware, and is preparing to test “thousands more” as it prepares to launch the PS5 this holiday season.
In another piece of good news, Sony says the increased computing power on the PS5 will be able to run PS4 titles at “higher or more stable frame rates and potentially higher resolutions.”
“We’re currently evaluating games on a title-by-title basis to spot any issues that need adjustment from the original software developers,” the company added.
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