You’re here for one of two main reasons. Whichever it is, we’ve got the answer for you here. And it’s all good: almost all PlayStation 4 compatible games will work excellently on the PlayStation 5, including all your favorite games. Here, we’ll give you all the details, so read on!
Old but gold
Perhaps you’ve already splurged on a PS5 console, and want to know whether you can spin up some of those classic PS4 game releases. PS4 has got a lot of love over the years. In fact, over a decade after release, there are still as many as almost 50 million monthly active users on PS4, rocking around 4000 titles, in comparison to the 30 or so next-gen PS5 absolute exclusives. Reason enough for gaming publishers to continue supporting PS4 console, for the moment. Though you did good to upgrade, you’ve got to wait a while for the rest of the world to catch up!
Leveling up
Want some of that so talked about game boost, 4K+ and ray-tracing goodness, fast load times, maxed-out, smoother frame rates, and the latest triple-a titles? Want to find out what all the fuss is about Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (the first game ever to absolutely require ray-tracing)? Is it your sizable existing game library holding you back? Perhaps your assorted peripherals?
Well, you needn’t worry, you can pretty much have the best of both worlds. So, listen up as we explore the ins and outs of backward compatibility.
Want the good or the bad news, first?
Let’s give you the good news right away, because there’s no point holding it back. In fact, almost all of the around 4000-strong back catalog is good to go on both the PS4 and the PS5. And much of it can be upgraded to PS5 versions of the same games. It’s just a download away. In general, everything you already have in your game library should run better on the PS5 console, especially if load times and frame rates are important for you. That said, there are a few caveats.
Can’t run, won’t run
The first is that there are about a dozen select games that simply aren’t made for the PS5 console, and won’t run. These include DWVR; Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One; TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2; Just Deal With It!; Shadow Complex Remastered; Robinson: The Journey; We Sing; Hitman Go: Definitive Edition; Shadwen; and Joe’s Diner. Opinions will vary, but losing out on some of these won’t be a tragic lost. So damage limited, let’s say.
Itch that glitch
Yeah, there might be a few glitches. Sony have clearly said that some of PS4 features won’t work, and games may exhibit errors and unexpected behaviors. These, however, are generally minor visual quirks, momentary freezes, inaccessible game performance settings, and occasional crashes, this time limited to a few dozen games. But you may also be capped at lower resolutions and frame rates, see inopportune screen aspect ratios, or be locked out of remote play games, certainly for some of these.
Playable but not available
There is a certain category of PS4 games that will work just great on the PS5 too, but are no longer available for purchase or download to storage media. So, you’ll still be able to play them on your new console if you already physically have them. But, since they aren't available as digital games, if you don’t have them, they aren’t just a download away.
Hardware to let or not let go
There are some hardware and peripheral limitations, for sure, but mostly inoffensive. Let’s take a look.
PS5 Disc or Digital Edition
If you opted or are opting for the standard disc version of the console, you can simply pop your old PS4 discs in the slot, install, and play away. Along with your old Blu-rays and DVDs of course. The only real exception, which probably isn’t your case anyway, is that the disc and the console should be of the same region. Therefore, a European Region disc won’t work with a North American Region console, and vice-versa.
With the Digital Edition version of the console, it’s slightly more complicated. You can certainly play PS4 digital games re-downloaded from your game library onto the internal SSD, or, unlike PS5 games, directly from an external drive. However, if you bought physical media, tough luck. For anti-piracy reasons, you won’t have free access to the digital content without your actual purchased game disc spinning somewhere. So, you’ll have to hook up an external disc drive as a workaround.
