PS5 is Said to be Forward Compatible with 99% of PS4 Games

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PlayStation has clarified that nearly all PS4 titles will be able to seemlessly make the jump to PS5 when the platform launches later this year.

Despite having what was said to be the final showcase event prior to launch for the PS5 yesterday, many questions related to the next-gen console have still been lingering. Fortunately, in regards to the console’s forward compatibility with the PS4 library, Sony has clarified what the PS5 will be capable of.

Speaking to The Washington Post, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan made clear that the PS5 will be able to play 99% of the PS4’s library. Ryan didn’t clarify why there will be a certain 1% of games that won’t be able to make the jump, nor did he offer up the reason for why some games may not be compatible on the next-gen platform, but regardless, those who already have extensive PS4 libraries will surely be pleased by this information.

As for the way in which you’ll be able to play these games on the PS5, well, that’s left up to you. If you have a number of digital games in your PS4 library, they should be able to seamlessly transition to PS5 as downloads. If you have a deep physical library of games, though, you may want to pick up the $499 SKU of the PlayStation 5 that comes with a disc drive.

That being said, one major way in which Sony could be looking to offset the need for physical PS4 libraries comes about with the PS Plus Collection. The new initiative which was unveiled during the recent PS5 Showcase will give PS Plus subs an extensive list of PS4 titles that they can download and play on the new console. While subscribers won’t outright own any of the games in the collection, it should give many an easier way to revisit titles from the previous gen, especially if they opt to pick up the digital-only PS5.

As for the PS5 itself, we finally know that the console will be launching later this fall on November 12. Pre-orders have already gone live at a number of retailers, so hopefully, you were able to snag one by now.