When it comes to backwards compatibility on consoles, it’s safe to say that Microsoft has done a much better job compared to Sony. For instance, the PS4 supports backwards compatibility with PS3 games, but that’s pretty much it, whereas the Xbox One supports the original Xbox and Xbox 360 games.
However, in a tweet by @Renak_schedule, they have discovered what appears to be a patent by Sony in which the company is looking at an idea on how to make its consoles more backwards compatible with older consoles, like the PS4, PS3, PS2, and the original PlayStation through the use of cloud gaming.
Essentially what this does is that it will create a virtual machine on the PS5 (like how Mac users can run Windows using Boot Camp) where they can then stream and play games designed for older consoles on the PS5. To a certain extent, Sony kind of already does this with the PS4 where through the PS Now streaming service, they can play PS3 games.
However, the issue here is that gamers would need to pay for games they might already own, which can be annoying and is an additional cost that some might not be too willing to pay. This patent sounds like an extension of that, but assuming Sony can find a way to verify game purchases, it would be pretty awesome.
SIEのPS5？特許情報をメモします。
・PS1/PS2/PS3、様々な世代のゲーム機にわたる大量のゲームタイトルが、クラウドゲーミングライブラリを介して蓄積され利用可能。
・これらのゲームは、それぞれのゲーム機に関連したオペレーティングシステムを模倣した仮想マシンの上で実行可能。 pic.twitter.com/TsWV859OLd
— れんか (@Renka_schedule) July 4, 2020
It would also make the PS5 a much more compelling purchase, where right out of the box, players would also be able to access a ton of older games while waiting for newer releases. However, given that this is a patent, there’s no telling if it will ever be made a reality, so maybe don’t get your hopes up just yet.
Filed in . Read more about Patent, PlayStation, Ps2, PS3, PS4, Ps5 and Sony. Source: thenextweb