When purchasing a new video game console, most of us think about backward compatibility.
You’ve spent hundreds of dollars on PS4 games and recorded countless hours of gameplay, and you don’t want to lose all of that simply because you’re upgrading to the PS5.
Is it possible to play PS4 games on a PS5? (Solved!)
The vast majority of PS4 titles can be played on the PS5. PS4 discs and downloads can be played on the basic PS5, while PS4 downloads can be played on the PS5 Digital Edition.
Additionally, your PS4 external hard drive will function on the PS5.
There are several limitations to this, which Sony clarifies here.
Are these games likely to contain bugs when played on the PS5? To be sure, it’s a possibility.
When played on PS5, games like Batman: Return to Arkham – Arkham City and Left Alive revealed faults immediately away.
There may also be certain PS4-only features that aren’t available on the PS5.
If you have all of the necessary equipment, you can also play PS VR games on the PS5.
You won’t be able to play games from the PS1, PS2, or PS3 on the PS5.
Unfortunately, the PS5’s backward compatibility is limited to VR and PS4.
How to Get PS4 Games From Your PS5 Library
The quickest and easiest way to download your old PS4 favorites to your PS5 is to go to the Game Library on your Home screen and scroll to the right.
When you click it, it will display you all of the games you’ve played on the PS4 and allow you to re-download any of them.
You can even filter these games based on the platform they’re running on.
Playing PlayStation 4 Discs on a PlayStation 5
Of course, if you still have a bunch of PS4 discs lying around, you can just slip them into your PS5 standard edition and have fun with them.
The games, as well as any necessary updates, must be installed on the console.
You’ll also need your PS4 Dual Shock controller to play PS4 games, whether they’re digital downloads or discs.
Your PS4 games should run as
well as they did on the PS5, if not better, thanks to the PS5’s improved specs.
Take advantage of your external hard drive
Do you have a collection of PS4 games on an external hard drive? Great! Simply disconnect it from your PS4 and connect it to your PS5.
It doesn’t need to be reformatted or converted, so you can simply put it in the external hard drive and start playing the PS4 games you’ve saved on it.
Using Wi-Fi Transfer from a PS4 to a PS5 to Copy Everything
If you have an absurd number of PS4 games, you may save yourself the trouble of re-downloading them all by simply transferring your PS4 experience to the PS5.
What’s the best way to go about it? It’s easy — just make a Wi-Fi transfer!
A Wi-Fi transfer will copy the games from your PS4’s internal storage to your PS5.
Here’s how you can go about doing it:
1. Make sure your PS4 and PS5 are both turned on and connected. Both consoles must be linked to the internet via Wi-Fi. If the two consoles are placed adjacent to each other, a LAN connection can be utilized to connect them.
2. Select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
3. Go to the System tab.
4. Go to the System Software section.
5. Data Transfer is the option to choose.
6. To transfer all of your saved games, select Select All, or click on the individual games you want to transfer.
You should be fine to go if you follow all of the on-screen directions.
How to Transfer PS4 Saves to a PS5
PS4 saves can be transferred to the PS5 through the cloud or USB.
You’ll need to do the following to use Cloud to download your saves:
1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. Select Game/App Settings and Saved Data.
3. Saved Data should be selected (PS4).
4. Go to the Cloud Storage page.
5. Select Download to Console Storage from the drop-down menu.
If you want to download PS4 through USB, you’ll need to perform the following:
1. On the PS4, go to your system’s settings.
2. Select Application Saved Data Management from the drop-down menu.
3. Select Saved Data from the System Storage menu.
4. To copy to a USB storage device, go to Copy to USB Storage Device.
5. Select the games you want to copy.
6. Connect the USB to the PS5.
7. Go to the PS5’s Settings menu.
8. Go to Game/App Settings and Saved Data.
9. Go to the Saved Data section (PS4).
10. Select USB Drive.
11. Select Copy to Console Storage from the drop-down menu. To transfer PS4 games to your PS5, press Select All.
On The PS5, Using Your PS4 Controller
Keep in mind that you’ll need to plug in and use your PS4 controller when playing a PS4 game on the PS5.
You should be able to use the majority of the same features as the PS4 console.
Playing PSVR on a PlayStation 5
Your PSVR headset from the first generation is compatible with the PS5.
You can play any of your existing PSVR games on the PS5, but the new PS5 HD Camera will not work with your PSVR headset.
To connect the PSVR headset to this next-gen console, you’ll need to purchase a PlayStation Camera adaptor.
Because every PSVR owner is entitled to one, Sony will allow you to apply for one.
The PSVR2 will be released in 2022, according to Sony. This headset will be designed specifically for the PlayStation 5.
Final Thoughts
The PS5 features backward compatibility with the PS4 and PSVR, but not with previous PS consoles.
You have a few options for moving your PS4 games onto the new PS5, all of which are quite basic and straightforward.
With the PS5’s improved performance, your PS4 games should run smoother than before.
