Sony confirms most PlayStation 4 games will work on PlayStation 5

By Tom Caswell October 9, 2020

Backwards compatibility for the forthcoming PlayStation 5 has finally been clarified by Sony, which confirmed that nearly every game that ran on the PlayStation 4 will work with the new console. It also provided a specific list of titles that will not run on the upcoming Sony PS5.

DWVR
Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2
Just Deal With It!
Shadow Complex Remastered
Robinson: The Journey
We Sing
Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
Shadwen
Joe’s Diner

That’s a short list compared to the over 4,000 titles that release on PS4. Conservatively, that means 99.75% of games that ran on PS4 will run on PS5. Sony does cover its bases by saying some functionality might not translate over, and that games might have unexpected errors. Sony also asks players to make sure the standard version of a game runs before buying any downloadable content for it. To help you keep tabs, we’ve created a comprehensive list of every confirmed PS5 game so far.

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The next-generation console will also support game boost, like the PS4 Pro did, for select games that don’t receive optimization updates. This more than likely means games with unlocked frame rates will see a significant increase in frames per second. However, it will be up to developers to make sure their games aren’t frame locked, or to put out an update to add enhancements specifically for PS5.

Sony also clarified that the DualShock 4 controller will be supported on the PS5, although it will only work when playing PS4 titles, which it recommends using for those, and reserving use of the new DualSense controller for PS5 titles.

The limitations of functionality were fleshed out, the biggest being the lack of the PS4’s share menu. Players will be able to take screenshots and videos with the share button on DualShock 4, or the new create button on DualSense, but how those are then shared to social platforms is uncertain at this time. PS5 does not support the PS4 tournaments feature, the PS4 second screen app, or other game companion apps designed for PS4 games.

Following the teardown of the PS5, this is yet another piece of important info Sony is releasing to consumers with mere weeks left before the system’s release. The biggest question left now remains with the UI, and how all this looks in action.

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Can you play PSVR games on PSVR2?

A side view of the PlayStation VR2, which sits on a wood table.

Backward compatibility was a bit rocky for Sony with the PlayStation 3 generation going into the PS4. Thankfully, that was resolved moving from PS4 to PS5, but that wasn't the only new piece of hardware Sony released. The PlayStation VR2 is, as the name implies, the second generation of the dedicated PlayStation virtual reality headset. Despite taking many design and features from other popular headsets, such as the Meta Quest 2, PSVR2 is made only to work with your PS5. You might assume that this new, more powerful headset would be backward compatible with all the original PSVR titles, but that may not be a safe bet. If you have a library of original PSVR games you want to play on PSVR2, here's what you need to know.
Is PSVR2 backward compatible with PSVR?

No, Sony confirmed prior to the PSVR2's launch that it would not be able to play any of your PSVR games, saying the disparity between the two headset's power and technical differences made this impossible. Whatever the reason, this was a big disappointment to those who supported the PSVR and accumulated a library of titles for it they wanted to bring forward.

Gaming

PS5 themes: Can you customize your homescreen?

A person plays Crash Bandicoot using a PS5 DualSense controller.

The PS5 launched with many features we loved from the PS4 missing. Over the years, a few have come back, but one that many aren't sure about is themes. These could be earned, downloaded, purchased, or come included with certain games that gave your home screen a new look and background soundtrack related to different games or concepts. This made customizing your home screen that much more fun and personal. However, is this feature on the PS5? Here's whether or not you can put custom themes on your new console, or change the background.
Does the PS5 have themes?

No, the PS5 does not have any themes. Instead, whenever you highlight a game or app on your home screen, the background will change to art related to that game, as well as show more information on it. While far from ideal, it is the closest we are likely to get to the themes we had on our PS4.
Can you change the background on a PS5?
Again, due to the PS5 dynamically changing the background depending on what you're currently looking at, there's no way to alter your background at this time. Since the background is constantly changing, even if you had a custom image, it would always be changing as you cycled through games. There are a few other ways you can customize your PS5, however, unless Sony gives us the option with an update, there's no way to set a theme on your PS5.

Gaming

I’m already pining for PlayStation VR2 to get Half-Life: Alyx

half life alyx vr details feature

I haven't played Half-Life: Alyx, but I really, really want to.

Last month, I picked up the PlayStation VR2 as my first virtual reality headset and have been enjoying a wide range of games on it since then, from Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded to Horizon Call of the Mountain. Although the lack of exciting new titles in PSVR2's launch window library doesn't bother me that much as this is my first VR experience, I do still recognize that there are only a couple of games that are pushing the PSVR2's technology and giving Sony's second VR outing a clear identity.