PS5 stock is still limited and the consoles are hard to come by. That means many gamers are stuck with the good ol’ PS4 for the time being. It boasts a vast library of games dating back to 2013. But if you’re planning on buying a PS5 ASAP, you might be wondering if PS4 games are still worth purchasing. After all, backwards compatibility is always a BIG talking point with every new console generation. Why buy new games for a console you won’t be using for much longer, if those games won’t work on the latest machine? So – do PS4 games work on PS5?
As is usually the case with this sort of question, the answer isn’t entirely straightforward. In this article, I’ll take a look at how backwards compatibility works on PS5. And while you’ll likely be pleased with what you read, there are a few things to bear in mind.
Which PS4 games work on PS5?
We’ll start with the good news. The vast majority of PS4 games will work on your PS5. That means there are over 4,000 games you can continue to enjoy on your new next-gen console. Because PS5 is backwards compatible with PS4 games, you can re-download digital versions of games you’ve purchased via PS Store and play them. If you have a PS5 with a disk drive, you can insert your PS4 disks into it and they’ll work, too.
What is PS5 Game Boost?
PS5 comes with a built-in feature called Game Boost. Game Boost is simple enough – it makes certain PS4 games play better on PS5. The PlayStation website explains it “may make PS4 games run with a higher or smoother frame rate.”
Which PS4 games don’t work on PS5?
There are a small number of PS4 games that cannot be played on PS5. The reasons for this are unclear, however I suspect you won’t miss any of these titles when you make the jump to next-gen…
- Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
- TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2
- Just Deal With It!
- Robinson: The Journey
- We Sing
- Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
- Shadwen
Do PS4 games have glitches or errors on PS5?
Most PS4 games should run as expected on your PS5. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be completely free from errors or bugs. There’s always a possibility you might encounter some. Sony have explained via the PlayStation website that “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 behaviour when played on PS5 consoles.”
To this end, Sony have applied a warning notice on the PS Store to certain games. It reads as follows: “”When playing on PS5, this game may exhibit errors or unexpected behaviour and some features available on PS4 may be absent.” Kotaku previously identified over 100 PS4 games with the warning label, so just keep an eye out for it if you’re thinking about buying a PS4 title to play on PS5.
Do PS4 Games Work On PS5? Yes, they do. But there are some caveats, as we’ve highlighted. For more information, make sure to visit the PlayStation website.
Have you encountered any issues playing PS4 games on PS5? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
