A new patent filed by Sony has hinted at the future potential for its PlayStation 5 console to be able to play just about any PlayStation game from its entire back catalog. Such a move would give the future system an enormous library of games for early adopters to enjoy, as well as some of the best exclusives from yesteryear, all on day one of its release.
The patent in question discusses backwards compatibility in the form of "processor ID spoofing," which the patent claims (via Hexus) would make is to that you could "trick the legacy software into believing it was being run on a legacy device."
Existing PS4 consoles have the ability to play and/or stream some games from the PlayStation history books. Classics like King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match, Red Faction II, Star Ocean: Till the end of time, Shadow of the Colossus and a number of others. But other systems like Microsoft's Xbox have far more robust backwards compatibility, so Sony may be looking to emulate that expanded compatibility in the next iteration of its famed console line.
Sony executives have been quoted as saying that local hardware will need to be powerful and provide a broad enough access to software, for at least another five years. That seemingly arbitrary number comes from the development of streaming services, which Sony believes will take over the gaming industry within the next decade as they provide a far more affordable entry point for gamers for both high-end and indie experiences.
Would backwards compatibility make you more or less likely to opt for a PS5 in the next console generation?