Sony have confirmed 99 per cent of PlayStation 4 games will work on PS5 and get “even better”.
In a blog post this morning, Sony detailed how backwards compatibility and “Game Boost” on its next-generation console works – and which games didn’t make the cut.
Hideaki Nishino, PlayStation’s Senior Vice President wrote, “select PS4 titles will see increased loading speeds on the PS5 console, and will also leverage Game Boost, offering improved or more stable frame rates.”
(PlayStation)
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“Some titles with unlocked frame rates or dynamic resolution up to 4K may see higher fidelity.”
The upgrade is similar to what Microsoft has achieved on the Xbox Series X and S. Outlets with early access to that console have been impressed with the upgrade, but note that the improvement varies from game to game.
Sony has also hinted “PS4 games will also take advantage of some of PS5’s new UX features, but more to come on that later.”
Presumably, this may be similar to the “quick resume” feature making waves on Xbox’s consoles. Less than five weeks out from launch, we really should know by now.
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There are just ten titles on Sony’s list of PS4 games that won’t work on PS5, and none are blockbusters:
– Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
– Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One
– We Sing
– Shadow Complex Remastered
– DWVR
– TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2
– Just Deal With It!
– Robinson: The Journey
– Shadwen
– Joe’s Diner
Pre-orders have already sold out, but if you’ve bought the cheaper digital edition of the PS5, you may want to think about selling your old PS4 discs.
Your digital PS4 library will transfer over without issue, but PS4 games you’ve bought at retail will only work on the more expensive PS5 that comes with a disc drive.
“When you sign in to PS5 with your account for PlayStation Network, you will automatically see your library of played PS4 content through the menu,” read Sony’s blog post.
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That includes PSVR games – provided you have the required VR headset – but you’ll have to use the old PS Camera instead of the new PS5 HD Camera to get it to work.
Backwards compatible PS Plus games (I’m looking at you Fall Guys) and Remote Play will also be available on day one, however “PS4 games will not leverage PS5’s Game Boost through streaming.”
Old save files will also work on PS5, but not on every game.
Sony says it’s up to the developer to make this work, even for first-party titles. While Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will transfer saves as early as launch day, others like Sackboy: A Big Adventure will have to wait for an update.
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For anyone who doesn’t want to re-download hundreds of gigabytes of game data, “you can transfer digital games, game data, and game saves from a PS4 console to a PS5 console using LAN cables, or by connecting wirelessly (WiFi).”
“If you’ve already stored PS4 games and game data in the external USB storage device connected to your PS4, you can bring them over to PS5 with that external USB storage device.”
PlayStation Plus members can also sync PS4 game saves to PS5 via the cloud.
The PlayStation 5 releases on November 12 in Australia, two days after the Xbox Series X and Series S.