PS Store Update Strongly Hints at PS3 Backwards Compatibility for the PS5

When compared to Xbox consoles, I think it would be fair to say that Sony’s PlayStation has a much less impressive history when it comes to backward compatibility. Yes, the PS5 supports the vast majority of PS4 titles and plays them perfectly fine. However, when it comes to the PS3… Well, this system has mostly been left to wander into relative obscurity. Even today, the only real gateway to it (presuming you don’t still own one) is through PC emulation and while efforts by teams such as RPCS3 have done remarkably well, the tricky hardware configuration of the console still clearly demonstrates that ‘perfect’ emulation still has a long way to go!

Following a Twitter post by user ‘@JordanMiddler‘, however, something very curious has just been spotted on the PS Store. Namely, references have started to appear for PS3 titles suggesting that some kind of backward compatibility for the console might be heading to the PS5.

PS3 Compatibility Coming to the PS5?!

A number of PS3 gaming titles have been noted to appear on the PS Store while accessing it via the PS5. Now, given that the system doesn’t officially support the system outside of its (likely set to be dumped or rebranded) PS Now service, this has immediately led to speculation that an update might be on the way to fully-unlock PS3 support on the system. Yes, in theory, you might be able to slap in a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 and have it work!

Before you get too excited, however, to quote an exceptionally popular PS3 title, let’s just say that we’re pressing X to doubt!

PlayStation Now

It hasn’t escaped my attention that the price listed for the PS3 titles exactly matches that of the subscription to the PS Now streaming service. Something I remember from a similar experience I had while looking for something to play on my PS4. And just to give this a little more substance, this result can only be found while searching on the console (an online search of their store provides no PS3 results). – Put simply, I don’t think PS3 backward compatibility is coming to the PS5. And quite frankly, I doubt it ever will.

As noted above, PS3 emulation has proven to be an amazingly difficult task. One that, I suspect, even Sony hasn’t been able to entirely solve. So, it’s perhaps best to let this one lie as a potentially exciting update to the PS5, but one that we certainly shouldn’t get our hopes up over!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!