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No Backwards Compatibility for PS4 As the Feature Isn't Greatly Used, Sony Says

Sony's glad that Microsoft brings backwards compatibility to Xbox One as it welcomes the competition

Jun 17, 2015 10:53 GMT  ·  By
No PS3 game playback for PS4
   No PS3 game playback for PS4

After we saw Microsoft confirm that the Xbox One is getting backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games, Sony talks again about such a feature for the PS4, dismissing it as it's not so greatly used, so the resources can be employed elsewhere.

The PS4 and Xbox One consoles launched in November of 2013 and didn't offer any backwards compatibility with their predecessors, the PS3 and Xbox 360. Sony released its PlayStation Now cloud streaming service that allowed PS3 games to be streamed to devices like the PS4, PS3, PS Vita, or Bravia TVs, but it's more of a workaround than a full backwards compatibility, especially since users still have to pay a subscription, even if they owned the game on PS3.

At its E3 2015 press event, Microsoft has confirmed that it's bringing backwards compatibility to the Xbox One this fall and that the games will be available for free if players owned them digitally on the Xbox 360.

Sony doesn't want backwards compatibility for PS4

Such a move has prompted an answer from Sony, with PlayStation Europe boss Jim Ryan telling MCV that, right now, the Japanese corporation wants to allocate its resources elsewhere. Ryan also adds that, seeing as how Sony has experience with backwards compatibility on the PS3, as early models were able to play PS2 games, the feature wasn't worth the time spent on it.

"Their choice is entirely legitimate, and I think our choice is legitimate, too. In some ways it is quite nice to have points of difference between the two platforms, and people will decide which approach suits them best. We have experience of backwards compatibility. The earliest PS3 model was backwards compatible with PS2, and it is a much requested feature, but actually it’s not so greatly used. On balance, we are happy with our approach and we don’t wish to be defensive about it at all," he explains.

As such, PS4 owners who wish to play PS3 games can try PlayStation Now or wait for the older titles to be re-released for the new console, such as the upcoming Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.