Running PS3 Games on Your PS5: A New Patent Could Make it Finally Happen

  • PS5 may soon support PS3 games natively without streaming.
  • Mark Cerny filed a patent to enable PS5 to read PS3 games.
  • Current PS5 struggles with PS3 games due to the unique Cell processor.
  • Sony’s continuous efforts may soon make PS3 games accessible on PS5.

Remember when the PS5 came out, and everyone was pretty hyped? You could use them for their faster and better graphics, then one big letdown: you couldn’t play PS3 games on them. 

PS5 and PS5 Slim are the new upgrades to the PS5.

Yes, you could play PS4 games, and some pretty old PS1 and PS2 games if you subscribed to PlayStation Plus. But PS3 games? Now, here is something that may all change.

Why Can’t We Play PS3 Games on PS5?

The PS3 was just made differently from other consoles. It had a special processor called Cell that worked in a special way.

The PS3 runs on a different translation layer.

This turned out to be super hard for the PS5 to understand PS3 games. It’s like reading a book in a language you don’t know.

Right now, if you’re trying to play some of your PS3 games on your PS5, you have to stream them.

Oh boy, streaming can just be such a pain. It’s slow, sometimes dangling—the game, I mean. Not very funny at all.

A Ray of Hope: Mark Cerny’s New Idea

Mark Cerny, the designer of the PS5, just filed a new patent. The man patented something that would let the PS5 understand PS3 games.

A new patent has been discovered relating to PS3 games that could run on the PS5

It’s quite complex, but the basic idea is delivering a way to let the PS5 think like a PS3.

That’s a big deal—because maybe then we’ll get to play PS3 games directly on the PS5, none of this streaming nonsense.

But Don’t Get Too Excited Yet

The PS3 is now more than 17 years old

The thing with patents is that sometimes they materialize into real products, and sometimes not.

Like when you have a cool idea to make an invention, but never really get to do it.

So, in effect, we cannot say for sure that this will actually be the case.

Sony’s really been trying hard to get older games onto new consoles lately.

They’ve already streamed some PS2 games through PlayStation Plus, and that proves they do care about letting people play their older games.

These servers they stream PS3 games from are getting pretty old, too.

They’ll need to find a newer way to let people play PS3 games soon.

What This Could Mean for Gamers

The PS4 controller

Now, if Sony could somehow make PS3 games compatible with the PS5, that would be great.

None of those pesky streaming issues to put up with when you’re playing all of the great older games.

This would make the PS5 even better value for gamers.

Moreover, while we cannot say that PS3 games will be playable on the PS5 anytime soon, the case is that Sony is trying everything possible to make this take place. 

If they know one thing, it is that gamers love playing old favorites, and they will try to bring about ways of making that happen.

For now, all we can do is wait and see. At least the hope is there!

FAQs

Why can’t PS3 games be played on PS5?

The PS3 uses a unique Cell processor, making it difficult for the PS5 to natively support its games.

What is Mark Cerny’s patent about?

The patent aims to develop a way for the PS5 to understand and run PS3 games.

Is streaming the only current option to play PS3 games on PS5?

Yes, currently, PS3 games can only be played on the PS5 through streaming services like PlayStation Now.

Will the new patent guarantee PS3 game compatibility on PS5?

There’s no guarantee; patents often represent concepts that may or may not become reality.

Why is backward compatibility important for gamers?

It allows players to enjoy older games on newer consoles, preserving their game libraries and enhancing the value of new hardware.

Also Read: Sony Starts Beta Testing for PlayStation 5 Cloud Gaming: 4K Streaming Now Possible

Also Read: Big Discount First Time Ever: Sony PlayStation 5 to get Rs 7,500 discount in India: When, where to get PS5 at lowest price ever

Also Read: 10 Best PlayStation Plus Games You Can Play Right Now