The PS4 and PS4 Professional are two of the hottest consoles out there at the moment alongside the likes of the Xbox One X and Nintendo Change – however what if you wish to play your outdated (however simply nearly as good) PS2 and PS3 video games? As many avid gamers will know, it is not as straightforward as placing the disc within the console.
Right here, we clarify the present backwards compatibility scenario with Sony’s PS4, and showcase how avid gamers can get pleasure from PS2 and PS3 titles on the console.
Curious about newer video games? Check out one of the best PS4 video games of 2019.
Can I play my PS2 & PS3 video games on my PS4?
Sadly, the reply, is not any – not by placing the disc within the console, anyway.
Whilst you can’t use PS3 sport discs within the present console (as was the case with the first-generation PS3 with PS2 titles), you’ll be able to stream and obtain older titles by way of Sony’s personal PlayStation Now service, out there within the UK, US and a handful of different nations.
The Xbox One affords backwards compatibility – why not the PS4?
Not like Sony, Microsoft affords backwards compatibility with the Xbox One for nearly 500 Xbox 360 titles. You’ll be able to both insert the disc if you happen to already personal the sport or purchase the sport on-line by way of Microsoft’s on-line retailer. It’s a pure method for a console to supply the performance, and is a giant promoting level over the PS4. You’ll be able to see our full Xbox One S vs PS4 comparability right here for extra data.
Nonetheless, Sony’s head of PlayStation Europe Jim Ryan mentioned in a June 2017 interview that whereas backwards compatibility is much-requested by avid gamers, it’s not really used fairly often.
“After we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it’s a kind of options that’s a lot requested, however not really used a lot,” Ryan mentioned, talking to Time. “That, and I used to be at a Gran Turismo occasion lately the place they’d PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 video games, and the PS1 and the PS2 video games, they regarded historic, like why would anyone play this?“
Though it is not excellent news for PS4 avid gamers, there’s a silver lining; Sony has confirmed that backwards compatibility can be out there on the next-gen PS5 from launch, permitting you to play your library of PS4 titles on the console.
Play PS2 and PS3 video games utilizing PlayStation Now
Whilst you can’t play your outdated PS2 and PS3 video games in your PS4 utilizing your outdated discs, there’s an alternative choice out there: PlayStation Now.
Whereas PlayStation Now isn’t the identical as Xbox One’s backwards compatibility, it permits avid gamers to stream and obtain a library of video games by way of the web.
Sony’s PlayStation Now subscription provides avid gamers entry to a library of PS2, PS3 and PS4 video games out there nearly immediately because of streaming. In actual fact, Sony claims that there are over 600 titles to select from.
Streaming video games affords advantages together with no preliminary downloads and synced progress between consoles, so it’d attraction to some. As talked about above, the service additionally means that you can obtain video games for offline use – preferrred for these with slower web connections unable to deal with streaming.
The service is out there for PS4 and PC, and can set potential subscribers again £12.99 a month or £84.99 a yr within the UK – and that’ll offer you limitless entry to all 600+ titles from day one.
For extra data on Sony’s streaming service, check out our explainer: Is PlayStation Now price shopping for?