Backwards compatibility is something that gamers obviously want.
Unfortunately, they’re not going to get that with the PlayStation 5.
While Sony has confirmed that the console will support the majority of PlayStation 4 games, there will be no support whatsoever for PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation 3 titles.
Many saw a lack of compatibility with previous consoles to be a glaring issue with the PlayStation 4. After all, Sony was the first major game development company to offer backwards compatibility on a system, with the PlayStation 2 having full support for PlayStation 1 titles.
But that was abandoned with the PlayStation 3, meaning anyone who wanted to play their PlayStation 2 games had to get their hands on a PlayStation 2 console. This became much harder as time went on and support for that console stopped. However, certain PlayStation 1 titles were still playable on PlayStation 3.
It wasn’t until the launch of the PlayStation 4 that we saw a complete and total shutdown of any and all support for previous console games.
This was a shortcoming that was shared by the Xbox One at first, however Microsoft later updated its console to be able to play games from both the Xbox and Xbox 360.
The upcoming Xbox Series X console, the direct competitor for the PlayStation 5 will feature full backwards compatibility. That means it will play all Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. This level of backwards compatibility straight from launch is unheard of in a modern console, and it is one of the selling points that Microsoft has over Sony in this generation of the console wars.
But will that be enough?
The two systems are competitively priced, both retailing for $499. The Xbox One releases on November 10 while the PlayStation 5 comes out on November 12.
Reverse compatibility is a huge bonus for the Xbox, but Sony has proven itself to be a difficult foe to best. That’s partly because of its wealth of exclusive titles, which dwarf both the quality and the quantity of Microsoft’s offerings.
Sony has God of War, Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us, and it was recently announced that for a limited time, Final Fantasy XVI will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Preorders for the Xbox Series X open on September 22, while preorders for the PlayStation 5 have already opened and sold out almost immediately.
It will be fascinating to watch what happens on September 22. Will the Series X preorders sell out in the same record breaking time as the PS5? Or will PlayStation take an early lead in this installment of the console wars?