PlayStation Support has released the dreaded list of PS4 games that will not be compatible with the upcoming PlayStation 5. The buildup to the releases of both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 has come with a deluge of questions: What games will each console offer at launch? Which titles will they claim as exclusive titles? What will travel into the next generation thanks to backwards compatibility, and what will stay behind, forever locked in the obsolete realm of the previous console?
Thankfully, patient fans have received the answers to many of these questions, though not all. When it comes to backwards compatibility, good news has definitely come through for those awaiting the PS5 release. During this past September, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan announced that 99% of the Playstation 4's library will be backwards compatible with the PlayStation 5, meaning that virtually every game in every owner's library will be playable well into the next generation. In addition, select PS4 games will be easily accessible on PS5 via the PS Plus Collection. The only slight drawback to all of this is that, unfortunately, any titles belonging to consoles prior to PlayStation 4 will not receive any similar support.
Related: How PS5's PS Plus Collection Improves Upon PlayStation Now
According to a recent PlayStation Support knowledge base article, there are only 10 Playstation 4 games that will not have backwards compatibility with the Playstation 5:
- DWVR
- Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
- TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2
- Just Deal With It!
- Shadow Complex Remastered
- Robinson: The Journey
- We Sing
- Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
- Shadwen
- Joe's Diner
It's a shame that these 10 games won't ascend with the rest of the 4,000+ titles that will be playable on the PlayStation 5, but many can rest assured that pretty much all of their beloved PS4 will be playable next-gen.
There were a few other notes in the support article, especially a caveat that stated, "Although many PS4 games are playable on PS5 consoles, some functionalities that were available on the PS4 console may not be available on PS5 consoles. In addition, some PS4 games may exhibit errors or unexpected behavior when played on PS5 consoles." Though this may throw a wrench in the enjoyment of some players, it remains to be seen whether any suggested errors would result in making any of the few thousand titles unplayable. There are also some more intriguing notes, such as the fact that PS4 game discs will be playable in the non-digital version of the PS5, possibly requiring nothing more than an update. Also, PS4 owners can transfer digitally stored games and save data from their PS4 to their PS5 with the help of WiFi data transfer or a PS5 extended storage drive.
While this news is undoubtedly saddening to the few dozen hardcore fans of Joe's Diner or Afro Samurai 2, this support article essentially serves as a confirmation that nothing of value will be lost as the torch is passed from one generation to the next. While there are still more questions to answer about the upcoming Playstation 5 release, it's definitely encouraging and enticing to hear that Sony has done what it has to ensure that its Playstation 4 titles remain relevant.
PlayStation 5 arrives in North America on November 12, 2020.
Source: PlayStation Support