Rumor has it that Sony is attempting to bring “select” PS3 games to PS5 via backwards compatibility. PS3 games are currently only available on modern consoles via PS Plus Premium‘s streaming service, which isn’t available in a large number of regions due to lack of appropriate infrastructure.
Select PS3 games will reportedly run on PS5 natively
The rumor in question comes from XboxEra’s Nick “Spheshal_Nick” Baker, who has somewhat of a mixed reputation when it comes to leaks. However, as of late, Baker has been spot on with nearly all of his leaks, so we’re not dismissing this one right away.
According to Baker, if Sony’s efforts bear fruit, select PS3 games will run on PS5 (and possibly also PS4) natively and no streaming will be required. If true, this means that PS Plus Deluxe (alternative to Premium in non-streaming regions) may finally get PS3 classics as part of the catalog.
Full PS3 backwards compatibility and emulation remains a pipe dream. It has often been theorized that PS3’s complicated infrastructure is to blame for the lack of cross-gen support. But with Sony finally starting to bring PS2 games to modern consoles, it’s speculated that first-party PS3 games might get the same treatment.