Sony explores PS5 cross-gen game with PS4 thanks to backward compatibility

By Colin Stevens

Sony has suggested exploring PlayStation 5 cross-gen with PlayStation 4, thanks to the upward compatibility of its next-generation console.

During a question-and-answer session of Sony's Investor Relations Day in 2019, PlayStation officials said the PS5 could include cross-gen gaming with PS4 players via the features of backward compatibility of the PS5, thus suggesting a PS4, or even potentially playing cross-gen titles through these systems.

John Kodera, assistant president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said through a translator: "Compatibility is a positive thing. It is not only possible to play a game on the new generation console, but also from generation to generation – the community can also enjoy games together. It is therefore essential to compare compatibility with this compatibility. "

Before this quote, Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, commented on compatibility with earlier versions of the PS5: "Compatibility with versions prior to an era of networking is extremely powerful. The gaming community is somewhat tribal by nature, backward compatibility gives us the ability to migrate this PlayStation 4 community to the next generation, using the ability to play PS4 games present on their next-generation console. [with] groups of 10, 20, 50 players. We see this, given the size of the community that we have been able to accumulate over all these years on PS4, as a very important success factor for us – we think it's really important. "

Before this Q & A session, a video showing the performance of Sony's next generation console was presented, showing its load times compared to those of the PS4. This video has sparked many questions among fans about the PS5, including its price, its use of a SSD, and so on.

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Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow on Twitter.