Sony has just stated that the PlayStation 5 will allow players to play with PlayStation 4 users with its backwards compatibility. This was confirmed by Vice President John Kodera while at an investors meeting, but not many other details were divulged.
The process of migrating from the PlayStation 4 to 5 will be a slow one. Sony has said they are committed to still working with the PS4 for another three years. To keep in the spirit for cross-generational play, your whole squad won’t need to pick up the PS5 all at once to continue to play together. If one player gets the new system and the others do not, you can still play together. For how long remains to be seen. Perhaps when the PS5 is out long enough, this backwards compatibility will stop.
When the PlayStation 5 is available to buy, there will still be about 120 million PS4’s in the market to purchase. It makes sense for Sony not to just abandon those and focus entirely on the new system. Sony has teased studio acquisitions that could make the PS5 launch all the stronger. It’s also promised much faster loading times compared to the PS4, which is always a plus for games now that internet connectivity is essential.
This is interesting news because it has been a while since Sony made any acquisitions. In fact, the last was in 2011 with Sucker Punch Productions, known for their games Infamous and Sly Cooper. But, no details have been released yet on what they have their eye on. This is extremely different from Microsoft, of course. Within the last few years, Microsoft has acquired Ninja Theory, Obsidian Entertainment, and multiple other production companies. Perhaps this is a sign that Microsoft has its eye on a progressive future, while Sony is still focused on its previous system.
Players are still awaiting more news about the PlayStation 5. For a very tight-lipped Sony, it may take a while for the details to emerge.