There have been speculations regarding PS5 backward compatibility for almost a year. PS5 Backward capability means that users will be able to play their favorite PlayStation games on the new PS5. Your backward compatibility dreams may come true with PlayStation 5 thanks to a newly spotted patent.
The patent is for an internal system software algorithm for backward compatibility. Sony’s algorithm basically shows what steps the software is going to take when it is provided with a particular situation.
The patent information comes from a US Patent and Trademark Office filing from 2017 done on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment by PS4 lead architect and Knack creator Mark Cerny and Naughty Dog project manager David Simpson.
Apparently, Sony has secured a patent with the title “Backward compatibility by algorithm matching, disabling features, or throttling performance”.
The abstract from the patent is as follows:
A new device executing an application on a new CPU determines whether the application is for a legacy device having a legacy CPU. When the application is for the legacy device, the new CPU executes the application with selected features of the new CPU that are not present on the legacy CPU disabled, or with a latency of instruction execution of the new CPUs altered to match or approximate a latency of the legacy CPU, or with algorithmic details of operation of one or more units of the new CPU altered to match or approximate algorithmic details of operation of corresponding units of the legacy CPU.
Last month, we got to see the backward compatibility teased in another patent. The patent was in Japanese, but apparently showed the workings of a system that allows the CPU of the PlayStation to interpret the workings of the four previous PlayStation systems – PS One, PS2, PS3, PS4.
With Sony’s new State of Play being announced and happening very soon, it is possible we’ll get to see more developments on this story. However, the announcement of PS5 and anything related to the backward compatibility isn’t expected until PlayStation Experience 2019.
PS4 has a solution to playing previous video games through PlayStation Now. PS Now streaming isn’t a popular solution to backward compatibility so a software-based solution is required. PlayStation 5 backward compatibility algorithm seems like the perfect solution to playing older PlayStation games. However, will we see an Xbox like a model? We can expect a subscription model from Sony for PlayStation 5.
