Nearly four years since its launch in 2020, the PlayStation 5 remains a capable console. Sony has sold nearly 60 million of its current-generation consoles and remains well ahead of its Microsoft rival, the Xbox Series S/X consoles. The PS5 has a strong library of games, but the console lags behind the Xbox when it comes to offering backwards compatibility. However, Sony seems to be aiming to close the gap, with new rumors claiming that the PlayStation parent company is still working on backwards compatibility of PS3 games on PS5.
PS5 is backwards compatible with PS3
In addition to the games available natively on current consoles, the PS5 can also run PS4 games without any issues. A rich library of PS4 games, many of which have been updated to run better on PS5, helps diversify the catalog of games on Sony’s console.
However, PS5 still does not support PS3 games. Its lack of full backwards compatibility stands out, especially since the Xbox Series S/X can run compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games without issue. Sony has long been rumored to be developing PS3 emulation, allowing users to play PS3-era games on modern consoles. Those rumors intensified on Monday when journalist and industry insider Jeff Grubb claimed that Sony had indeed been working on a PS3 emulator “for quite some time.”
Commenting on the rumor on Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings podcast, Grubb said that a PS3 emulator that could run PS3-era games natively on the PS5 has been in development for a long time. “This is something I’ve heard about. It’s been brewing for quite some time. I thought if I heard about it for the first time, it would be revealed earlier in the year. But that obviously didn’t happen,” Grubb said on the podcast.
“But that doesn’t mean it will never happen. Maybe it will,” he added. The reporter also discussed possible ways for classic PS3 games to run natively on PS5. “Realistically, the easiest way would be to have a backwards compatibility layer on the PS5, made by Sony, so that if you put a (PS3) disc in, it will run on the PS5, or you can buy it again or something like that… We’ll see.”
PS Plus Classic Catalog
Sony has not revealed any plans to launch an official PS3 emulation tool on PS5. However, current generation consoles support select PS3 games through the Classic catalog. PS5 users need to subscribe to PS Plus Deluxe/Premium membership to access the classic catalog. It’s also worth noting that the PS3-era games in the catalog won’t run natively on the PS5, but will instead be streamed over an internet connection.
