Backward compatibility is a major selling point of whatever video game panel, every bit beingness able to play your erstwhile games on a new system increases its value. It's a good idea to know whether a system has this office before investing in it.

Thus, you might wonder if you lot can play PS3 games on the PS4. Allow's answer this question and examine your options.

Can the PS4 Play PS3 Games?

The short respond is that no, the PlayStation 4 is not backward-uniform with PlayStation three games. Inserting a PS3 disc into the PS4 will not work. And yous cannot download digital versions of PS3 games from the PlayStation Store onto your PlayStation 4. This is the case with all editions of the PS4, including the slim PS4 and PS4 Pro.

The reason for this, like most backward compatibility situations, is that the PS3 and PS4 accept dissimilar organisation architectures. PlayStation iv consoles don't take the hardware of the PS3, so they can't run the older games natively. And Sony decided information technology wasn't worthwhile to build a software emulator to handle the older titles, leaving the PS4 only able to play PS4 games. The PS4 can't play PS2 or original PlayStation discs, either.

Thankfully, there are other ways to play PS3 titles on your PS4, even without native backward compatibility.

Stream PS3 Titles on PS4 via PlayStation Now

PlayStation Now is Sony'south cloud gaming service, bachelor on the PS4, PS5, and Windows. It allows yous to stream PS4, PS3, and PS2 games, then you can savour some of the best titles the family of consoles has seen over the years.

Thus, if y'all subscribe to PlayStation Now, you can play certain PS3 titles on your PS4 by streaming. At the fourth dimension of writing, in that location are over 400 PS3 games available on the service, though the exact number changes as titles are added and removed.

Equally long as you have a steady enough network connexion and don't heed the cost, PlayStation Now is the best way to play many PS3 games on your PS4. Meet our assay of PS Now'southward pros and cons for more information. We've as well picked out some of the all-time games on PlayStation Now as a starting point.

Play Remasters and Remakes of PS3 Games

Thankfully, due to the huge number of video game remasters and remakes that launch these days, y'all tin can often enjoy games made for older systems with a fresh coat of paint on a current console. Sometimes, these announced in compilations, so y'all get multiple games from a series in one package.

Below are a few examples of PS3 games you lot tin can play remastered on PS4:

  • Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a remaster of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, forth with loads of DLC.
  • The Last of Us Remastered is an enhanced version of the monumental PS3 championship.
  • BioShock: The Collection bundles in remasters of BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite. ​​​​​​

While you're technically playing a PS4 game and not a PS3 title, these are effectively the aforementioned games with some pocket-sized enhancements. If you missed out on the all-time of the PS3 generation simply have a PS4, give these a try.

Use Cross-Purchase and Cross-Gen Offers

The only other way to play PS3 titles on your PS4 is through cross-buy promotions. These give y'all admission to a game on multiple systems when you purchase it on one. For example, if y'all bought Doki-Doki Universe on PS3, you automatically have admission to the PS4 version at no extra cost.

Similarly, when the PS4 generation started, some cross-generational games as well offered upgrades to the new system for a minor fee. For instance, if you bought Battlefield 4 on PS3, you could upgrade to the PS4 version for an additional $ten. Physical copies of the games had a lawmaking inside to activate the offer, while digital purchases automatically discounted the next-gen versions.

Check your game library on PS4 to come across if you take admission to whatever of these. Whatever codes take probably expired past now, but digital offers could nonetheless be valid.

Workarounds to Play Your Favorite PS3 Games on PS4

While PS3 games don't work on PS4 directly, we've seen how to enjoy PS3 titles on your PS4 through other methods. Whether you subscribe to PS At present or check out the many remasters available, you'll find a fashion to play many of the PS3'due south top games on your PS4.

Thankfully, the PS5 is backward-compatible with almost all PS4 games. Nevertheless, it nevertheless can't play PS3 titles natively.

Is the PS5 Backward-Compatible?

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Ben Stegner (1807 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Main at MakeUseOf. He left his It job to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked back. He'south been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional author for over eight years.

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