There is not that much time left until the PlayStation 5 will be released. As the console will represent the next generation for PlayStation, you might think that it will extremely modern, and you won’t be wrong. However, PlayStation represented a major part of the video game history and the company won’t forget its roots.
That’s why, the PlayStation 5 should be able to emulate all the previous consoles. This means that the PS5 will be compatible with the original PlayStation, the PSX, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and, of course, Play Station 4.
The patent
The information was revealed through a patent that was recently discovered. The patent has the number 2019-503013 and it was filed by Mark Cerny, who is the lead architect of PlayStation 4. From it we learn that the CPU of the upcoming PlayStation 5 is supposed to interpret the CPU of the previous consoles.
Retro games on a modern console
According to the patent, there is also a chance that the new PlayStation 5 will have hardware chips mimicking the older consoles. This would be the ideal solution for the consoles with a legacy design hard to emulate, such as the PlayStation 5.
This would represent a major step forward for PlayStation. Until now, the PS4 had used the PlayStation Now streaming service. Users who paid a subscription fee were able to stream old games. The streaming service required an internet connection. While some users loved it, others weren’t big fans of this service. More than that, PlayStation Now wasn’t able to replace the games that players already owned.
This move makes PlayStation become similar to its rival Xbox. The Xbox One had extensive compatibility with older models. It worked with numerous Xbox and Xbox titles, and its library continues to grow.
Nora Reynolds is a major in biology and a minor in Biological Basis of Behavior, writing about science in general. She also likes to try new gadgets and sports about the AI new era.