The PS5 is backward compatible to a limited extent. While you can play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games on PS5, there are caveats to this. So, if you were hoping it’s as easy as just sliding your disc in, you’re in for some disappointment.
Is the PS5 backward compatible with PS4?
The PS5 is fully backward compatible with PS4. There are only a handful of titles from the PS4 that don’t run:
- Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
- Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
- Just Deal With It!
- Robinson: The Journey
- Shadwen
- We Sing
Other than the above titles, you can install a PS4 game on PS5 from either a disc or your digital library and it’ll run just as well or better than it does on its native console.
Is it backward compatible with PS1, PS2, and PS3?
The only PS1, PS2, and PS3 games you can play on PS5 are those on PS Plus. These are emulated and must be downloaded from PSN. They can’t run off an original disc, and there’s a limited selection to choose from. Unfortunately, making the PS5 backward compatible isn’t a big concern for Sony, and even PS Classics, which subscribers have to pay extra cash for, only gets a trickle of titles.