PS5 is confirmed to be a backward-compatible next-gen console, but according to Ubisoft’s support website, the next-gen Japanese console might be only compatible with PS4 games, excluding PSX, PS2, and PS3.
During the technical showcase of PlayStation 5, hardware designer Mark Cerny explained that PS4 titles would play at a boosted frequency, those titles would largely benefit from the PS5 NVMe SSD and the Zen 2 architecture. Following Cerny’s reveal, Sony claimed that “almost all” of its 100 top-played PS4 titles would be backward compatible at launch.
Sony is now confident of affirming that the overwhelming majority of the “4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5”. Sadly, Sony is not interested in going back to the PS3, PS2, or PSX era. While the company has not expressed its disinterest or explained the reasons behind omitting classic consoles, Jim Ryan’s claims before taking the CEO role at SIE might share some insight of the decision.
“When we’ve dabbled with backward compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much,” he told the magazine. “I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?”
Ryan’s claims may or may not be according to the board of directives of Sony, but it might confirm that remastering PS1 and PS2 games might not financially wise. PlayStation might be more interested in building hype for an eventual remake such as the acclaimed Final Fantasy: VII Remake, Resident Evil 2: Remake can guarantee a number of sales that a new IP may not.
Game developers are now delivering more remakes, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1-2, Pokemon Let’s Go, The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening are also good examples of developers giving a remake treatment of some of the classic franchises in the industry.
Source: Kotaku
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