Story Highlights
  • A new patent by Sony further hints they are working on PS3 backward compatibility for PS5.
  • The patent attempts to include skew-induced software to bypass issues with PS3 emulation.
  • Until now, PS3 games were only playable using cloud gaming through PS Plus. 

At this point, the PS3 backward compatibility for PS5 seems more likely than ever. The news has been a part of the rumor mill ever since last week. Now, Sony has filed a patent that further points to backward compatibility.

Why it matters: The Xbox Series S|X have supported backward compatibility for Xbox 360 ever since launch. The PS5 was criticized for not doing the same with the PS3, but now it seems that Sony is ramping up preservation efforts.

Sony has filed a new patent for backward compatibility using skew-induced software.

The feature was first hinted at by Nick Baker and was later corroborated by Jeff Grubb.

The patent hints at Sony basically attempting to run PS3 games on PS5 using software emulation for native gameplay. Since this patent has been filed by Mark Cerny, PS5’s hardware architect, there’s reason for fans to be excited here.

It will attempt to test software that induces skew to the PS5. The software is necessary because the PS3’s chip worked quite differently from today’s x86 architecture.

The PS5 might soon be able to run PS3 games natively.

The PS3 has an asymmetrical cell processor that was very notorious for making it difficult to develop games. With the cell processor, each core had a separate job, instead of all cores working together for one task like they do on the PS5.

So, Sony will attempt to bypass the hurdle with skew and run PS3 games natively on the latest console. While the earlier reports were mostly leaks, this new patent, filed by Sony itself, seems to be the most concrete piece of evidence so far.

PlayStation also established a preservation team for backward compatibility efforts in the past. 

The PS3 had some incredible games that were never made available for the current-generation consoles. These include GTA 4, Killzone 3, Infamous 2, and more. However, you can currently play such titles on PS5 through cloud gaming.

While this leads to a less-than-ideal experience, cloud gaming is the best that gamers can find for now.

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Abdullah Waseem
[How-To Guides Expert] Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city's aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity! Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com Google IT Certificate Shehryar Khan