PlayStation architect Mark Cerny has filed a fresh patent for backwards compatibility, giving rise to speculations that Sony is working on bringing PS3 games to PS5 natively. However, Cerny’s history of filing similar patents and the timing of the application suggests that Sony might just be gearing up for the PS6.
PlayStation no stranger to testing backwards compatibility systems and methods
The patent in question was brought up by RespawnFirst over the weekend, but we retrieved the actual link this morning. Reading through the technical jargon, Sony says that it has invented a new system for testing older games in a new environment.
Titled “Backward compatibility testing of software in a mode that attempts to induce skew,” Sony says that if a new device has higher or even lower performance than a legacy device, backwards compatibility issues will occur. This method attempts to overcome those issues. Standard stuff.
Back in 2022, Cerny filed a similar patent. While we do know that he’s constantly tinkering with PlayStation’s architecture, it’s entirely possible that this has nothing to do with older systems. In other words, at this point in PS5’s life cycle, Sony could be working on ensuring PS6’s compatibility with PS5 or other legacy PlayStation consoles.