PS5 backwards compatibility will be much better than we first thought

By Michael Andronico
last updated

It looks like most PS4 games will play on PS5 after all

Uncharted 4 will likely run on PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

During this week's reveal of the PS5 technical specs, Sony seemed to suggest that only the top 100 most-played PS4 games will be optimized to run on the new console at launch. Sony followed up later in the week with an important clarification — and it's great news for anyone looking to pick up a PS5.

In an updated PlayStation Blog post, Sony noted that "we believe that the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5." So whether you're looking to play favorites such as Uncharted 4, Spider-Man or Bloodborne or new and upcoming PS4 games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Cyberpunk 2077 on your PS5, you should be covered.

The post also mentions that backward compatible PS4 titles will run at a "boosted frequency" on PS5, which should allow for better framerates and higher resolutions.

"We have already tested hundreds of titles and are preparing to test thousands more as we move toward launch," reads the post.

Complete PS4 backwards compatibility could bring the PS5 closer to parity with the Xbox Series X, which already promises to play all Xbox One games as well as all Xbox 360 and Xbox games optimized for backwards compatibility. 

The PS5 and Xbox Series X are fairly similar in the specs department, with Microsoft's console boasting a slightly larger SSD and more powerful GPU. We look forward to seeing how both consoles run games in the real world -- both old and new -- when they hit stores this holiday season. 

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

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Gaming
1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • Freqmode
    Series x is the better console over all there's just no getting around this no matter how people try to spin it or move the goal posts for the ps5. Having said that they'll both be extremely capable but 2-3 TF of compute performance is a pretty big gap and will allow the sx to have visual capabilities the ps5 can't reach. That SSD speed and higher clock simply will not close the gap. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just fooling themselves
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