Can the PS5 Play PS3 games?

The PS3 changed the world.

Before Sony’s mammoth 3rd console, games were seen as little more than pass time for children.

However, all that changed when Ken Kutaragi, an Engineer at Sony, stepped onto the podium at E3 2006. Held high above his head was Sony’s new PS3. At that moment gaming stepped out of film’s shadow to claim the entertainment crown.

The PS3 brought us Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, The Last of Us, and Demon’s Souls: Experiences that defined the meaning of adult gaming.

That was over a decade ago. Now, PS3s are consigned to yellowing history books and thrifty eBay auctions.

Yet, its gaming legacy still lives on like none other.

But, has Sony made the effort to ensure the PS3’s immense and eclectic, sometimes strange, mix of gaming delights play on the PS5?

I decided to find out…

Can the PS5 play PS3 games? The PS5 can’t play disk-based PS3 games because the PS5 does not include Playstation 3 emulation. However, you can play PS3 games on your PS5 using Sony digital game streaming service Playstation Now. You are limited by PS Now’s PS3 game catalogue.

Now you know the PS5 can’t play PS3 disk-based games. But it can play digital PS3 games via Playstation Now. That’s great if you want to play the limited selection of PS3 games on Sony’s streaming service, but not so great if you have a large PS3 game library that you’d like to continue playing.

In the next few sections, I’ll look at:

How to play PS3 games on Playstation Now
Why Sony doesn’t include PS3 emulation in the PS5
Alternative ways to play your PS3 disk based games

Let’s get started…

How to use PS Now to Play PS3 Games

You can play PS3 games on your PS5. But you’ll need a PS Now subscription to do it.

PS Now is Sony’s subscription gaming service. For a monthly fee, you have access to a massive collection of games that includes PS5, PS4, PS3, and even PS2 games.

PS5 and PS4 games can be downloaded directly onto your PS5.

However, PS3 games must be streamed from Sony’s Servers. This leads to a couple of problems:

Games played via streaming can be laggy. Games can feel unresponsive because inputs and images are sent over the internet between your console and the PS Now servers.
You can only play the PS3 games that are listed on PS Now. There is no way to play your disk based games. So that collection of Japanese anime games you have, they’re not going to work.

However, if you can get past the lag, there are over 375 Playstation 3 games on PS Now. Take a look at the list of PS3 games on PS Now below:

A

ALEX KIDD IN THE MIRACLE WORLD
ALIEN RAGE
ALIEN SPIDY
ALTERED BEAST
ANARCHY: RUSH HOUR
ANNA EXTENDED EDITION
ANOMALY WARZONE EARTH
AQUA PANIC!
AR NOSURGE: ODE TO AN UNBORN STAR
ARCANA HEART 3
ARCANIA THE COMPLETE TALE
ARMAGEDDON RIDERS
ASURA’S WRATH
ATELIER AYESHA: THE ALCHEMIST OF DUSK
ATELIER ESCHA & LOGY – ALCHEMISTS OF THE DUST SKY
ATELIER RORONA PLUS: THE ALCHEMIST OF ARLAND
ATELIER SHALLIE – ALCHEMISTS OF THE DUSK SEA

B

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM GAME OF THE YEAR
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS
BATTLE PRINCESS OF ARCADIAS
BATTLE VS CHESS
BATTLEFIELD 4
BATTLEFIELD™ HARDLINE
BENTLEY’S HACKPACK
BIG SKY:INFINITY
BIONIC COMMANDO REARMED
BIONIC COMMANDO REARMED 2
BIOSHOCK
BIOSHOCK 2
BIOSHOCK INFINITE
BLACK KNIGHT SWORD
BLADESTORM – NIGHTMARE
BLADESTORM: THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
BLAZBLUE CALAMITY TRIGGER
BLAZBLUE CHRONOPHANTASMA
BLAZBLUE CONTINUUM SHIFT
BLAZBLUE CONTINUUM SHIFT EXTEND
BLAZERUSH
BLOOD KNIGHTS
BLOODRAYNE BETRAYAL
BODYCOUNT
BOLT
BOMBERMAN ULTRA
BORDERLANDS 2 ULTIMATE EDITION
BORDERLANDS GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION
BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL ULTIMATE EDITION
BRAID
BRINK

C

CAPCOM ARCADE CABINET
CARS MATER-NATIONAL
CARS RACE-O-RAMA
CASTLEVANIA: HARMONY OF DISPAIR
CASTLEVANIA LORDS OF SHADOW
CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW 2
CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW – MIRROR OF FATE HD
CATHERINE
CEL DAMAGE HD
CHAMPION JOCKEY: G1 JOCKEY & GALLOP RACER
CRASH COMMANDO
CRAZY TAXI
CRITTER CRUNCH
CUBOID

D

DAMNATION
DARK MIST
DARK VOID
DARKSTALKERS RESURRECTION
DAYTONA USA
DE BLOB 2
DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE
DEAD OR ALIVE 5 LAST ROUND
DEAD OR ALIVE 5 ULTIMATE
DEAD SPACE 3
DEADLY PREMONITION: DIRECTORS CUT
DEATH TRACK: RESURRECTION
DECEPTION IV: BLOOD TIES
DECEPTION IV: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCESS
.DETUNED
DEVIL MAY CRY 4
DEVIL MAY CRY HD COLLECTION
DISGAEA 3: ABSENCE OF JUSTICE
DISGAEA 4: A PROMISE UNFORGOTTEN
DISGAEA D2: A BRIGHTER DARKNESS
DISHONORED
DISNEY EPIC MICKEY: THE POWER OF TWO
DISNEY PIXAR BRAVE
DISNEY PIXAR CARS 2 THE VIDEOGAME
DISNEY PIXAR TOY STORY MANIA!
DISNEY UNIVERSE ULTIMATE EDITION
DON BRADMAN CRICKET 14
DOUBLE DRAGON NEON
DUKE NUKEM FOREVERDYNASTY WARRIORS 6
DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 EMPIRES
DYNASTY WARRIORS 7
DYNASTY WARRIORS 7 EMPIRES
DYNASTY WARRIORS 7 XTREME LEGENDS
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS
DYNASTY WARRIORS: STRIKEFORCE

E

EAT THEM!
ECHOCHROME
ELEFUNK
ETHAN: METEOR HUNTER
EUFLORIA
EVERYBODY’S GOLF
EVERYBODY’S GOLF: WORLD TOUR

F

F.E.A.R. FIRST ENCOUNTER ASSAULT RECON
F1 2014
F1 RACE STARS
FAERY : LEGENDS OF AVALON
FALLOUT 3
FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
FIGHTING VIPERS
FINAL EXAM
FINAL FIGHT: DOUBLE IMPACT
FLOW
FLOWER
FROGGER RETURNS

G

GENJI: DAYS OF THE BLADE
G-FORCE
GO! PUZZLE
GOD OF WAR HD
GOD OF WAR II HD
GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION
GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS
GOD OF WAR: GHOST OF SPARTA
GOLDEN AXE
GRAVITY CRASH
GREG HASTINGS PAINTBALL 2
GRID 2
GRID AUTOSPORT
GUACAMELEE!

H

HAKUOKI: STORIES OF THE SHINSENGUMI
HAMILTON’S GREAT ADVENTURE
HAMSTERBALL
HEAVENLY SWORD
HEAVY FIRE AFGHANISTAN
HOUSE OF THE DEAD 4
HUNTED: THE DEMON’S FORGE
HUNTER’S TROPHY 2 – AMERICA
HUNTER’S TROPHY 2 – AUSTRALIA
HUSTLE KINGS

I

IBB & OBB
ICO CLASSICS HD
INFAMOUS
INFAMOUS 2
INFAMOUS: FESTIVAL OF BLOOD
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US ULTIMATE EDITION
INVIZIMALS THE LOST KINGDOM

J

JETPACK JOYRIDE DELUXE
JOE DANGER 2: THE MOVIE
JOURNEY
JUDGE DEE – THE CITY GOD CASE

K

KILLZONE
KILLZONE 2
KILLZONE 3
KNYTT UNDERGROUND
KUNG FU RABBIT

L

LEARNING WITH THE POOYOOS – EPISODE 1
LEGASISTA
LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES
LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME
LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4
LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 5-7
LEGO STAR WARS™ III: THE CLONE WARS™
LEGO STAR WARS™: THE COMPLETE SAGA
LEGO® DISNEY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN THE VIDEOGAME
LEGO® INDIANA JONES™ 2: THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES
LEGO® INDIANA JONES™: THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES
LEMMINGS
LINGER IN SHADOWS
LITTLEBIGPLANET 3
LOCOROCO COCORECCHO
LOST PLANET
LOST PLANET 2
LOST PLANET 3

M

MACHINARIUM
MAFIA 2
MAGIC ORBZ
MAGUS
MAHJONG TALES : ANCIENT WISDOM (If you can’t get hold of this game, you could try Mahjong Connect C lassic)
MARS: WAR LOGS
MEGA MAN 10
MEGA MAN 9
METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE
METAL GEAR SOLID HD COLLECTION
MIRROR’S EDGE
MONKEY ISLAND 2 SPECIAL EDITION: LECHUCK’S REVENGE
MORTAL KOMBAT KOMPLETE EDITION
MOTOGP 15
MOTORCYCLE CLUB
MOTORSTORM APOCALYPSE
MOTORSTORM RC COMPLETE EDITION
MX VS ATV: ALIVE
MX VS ATV: UNTAMED
MX VS. ATV: REFLEX
MXGP – THE OFFICIAL MOTOCROSS VIDEOGAME

N

NEED FOR SPEED RIVALS
NIGHTS INTO DREAMS
NINJA GAIDEN 3: RAZOR’S EDGE
NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA 2
NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION : SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
NUMBLAST

O

ODDWORLD: STRANGER’S WRATH HD
OF ORCS AND MEN
OPERATION FLASHPOINT: DRAGON RISING
OPERATION FLASHPOINT: RED RIVER
ORDER UP!!
OVERLORD II
OVERLORD RAISING HELL

P

PAINKILLER HELL & DAMNATION
PAPO & YO
PHINEAS AND FERB ACROSS THE 2ND DIMENSION
PID
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
PIXELJUNK EDEN FULLY GROWN EDITION
PIXELJUNK MONSTERS BIG BITE EDITION
PIXELJUNK RACERS 2ND LAP
PIXELJUNK SHOOTER
PIXELJUNK SHOOTER 2
PIXELJUNK SIDESCROLLER
PIYOTAMA
PLANET MINIGOLF
PLANETS UNDER ATTACK
POOL NATION
PORT ROYALE 3
PROTEUS
PUPPETEER
PUZZLE AGENT

Q

QUANTUM THEORY

R

RAG DOLL KUNG FU: FISTS OF PLASTIC
RAGE
RAGNAROK ODYSSEY ACE
RAIDEN IV: OVERKILL
RAIN
RATATOUILLE
RATCHET & CLANK ALL 4 ONE
RATCHET & CLANK NEXUS
RATCHET & CLANK Q-FORCE
RATCHET & CLANK: A CRACK IN TIME
RATCHET & CLANK:QUEST FOR BOOTY
REALMS OF ANCIENT WAR
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE
RED FACTION: GUERRILLA
RED JOHNSON’S CHRONICLES
RED JOHNSON’S CHRONICLES – ONE AGAINST ALL
RENEGADE OPS
RESIDENT EVIL CODE:VERONICA X
RESIDENT EVIL OPERATION RACCOON CITY
RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS
RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS 2
RESIDENT EVIL UMBRELLA CHRONICLES
RESIDENT EVIL: THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES
RESISTANCE 3
RETRO CITY RAMPAGE DX
RETRO/GRADE
RICOCHET HD
RIDE
RIFF: EVERYDAY SHOOTER
RISE OF THE ARGONAUTS
ROCKETBIRDS: HARDBOILED CHICKEN
ROTASTIC
R-TYPE DIMENSIONS
RUNNER 2: A FLAT OUT RUN OF THE RHYTHM ALIEN

S

SACRED CITADEL
SAINTS ROW 2
SAM & MAX BTS: EPISODE 1 – ICE STATION SANTA
SAM & MAX BTS: EPISODE 2 – MOAI BETTER BLUES
SAM & MAX BTS: EPISODE 3 – NIGHT OF THE RAVING DEAD
SAM & MAX BTS: EPISODE 4 – CHARIOTS OF THE DOGS
SAM & MAX BTS: EPISODE 5 – WHAT’S NEW BEELZEBUB?
SAM & MAX THE DEVIL’S PLAYHOUSE – EP 1
SAM & MAX THE DEVIL’S PLAYHOUSE – EP 2
SAM & MAX THE DEVIL’S PLAYHOUSE – EP 3
SAM & MAX THE DEVIL’S PLAYHOUSE – EP 4
SAM & MAX THE DEVIL’S PLAYHOUSE – EP 5
SAMURAI WARRIORS 4
SAVAGE MOON
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS CLASSICS HD
SHATTER
SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION REVOLUTION
SILENT HILL HD COLLECTION
SIREN BLOOD CURSE
SKULLGIRLS ENCORE
SKY FIGHTER
SKYDIVE: PROXIMITY FLIGHT
SLY COOPER: THIEVES IN TIME
SMASH CARS
SNAKEBALL
SNIPER ELITE V2
SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR 2
SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR
SOLDNER-X 2: FINAL PROTOTYPE
SOLDNER-X: HIMMELSSTURMER
SONIC ADVENTURE
SONIC ADVENTURE 2
SONIC CD
SONIC GENERATIONS
SONIC THE FIGHTERS
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 EPISODE II
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4: EPISODE 1
SONIC UNLEASHED
SPACE ACE
SPEC OPS: THE LINE
SPELUNKY
SPLIT/SECOND VELOCITY
STAR WARS™: THE FORCE UNLEASHED™ II
STAR WARS™: THE FORCE UNLEASHED™: ULTIMATE SITH EDITION
STARHAWK
STARWHAL
STRONG BAD’S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – EPISODE 1
STRONG BAD’S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – EPISODE 2
STRONG BAD’S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – EPISODE 3
STRONG BAD’S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – EPISODE 4
STRONG BAD’S COOL GAME FOR ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – EPISODE 5
SUPER HANG-ON
SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER II TURBO HD REMIX
SYBERIA
SYBERIA 2

T

TALES FROM SPACE: ABOUT A BLOB
TALES FROM SPACE: MUTANT BLOBS ATTACK
THE AWAKENED FATE ULTIMATUM
THE BOOK OF UNWRITTEN TALES 2
THE DARKNESS
THE DARKNESS II
THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION
THE GUIDED FATE PARADOX
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 3
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL EXTENDED CUT
THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII
THE LAST GUY
THE LAST OF US
THE LAST OF US: LEFT BEHIND
THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME
THE RAVEN: LEGACY OF A MASTER THIEF
THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND: SPECIAL EDITION
THE SLY TRILOGY
THE WITCH AND THE HUNDRED KNIGHT
THE WOLF AMONG US
TOKYO JUNGLE
TOY HOME
TOYBOX TURBOS
TRASH PANIC
TRINE
TRINITY: SOULS OF ZILL O’LL
TRON : EVOLUTION
TRUCK RACER
TWISTED METAL
TWO WORLDS II

U

UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES
UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE’S DECEPTION GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION
UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE
URBAN TRIAL FREESTYLE

V

VELOCITY ULTRA
VESSEL
VIRTUA FIGHTER 2
VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 FINAL SHOWDOWN

W

WAKEBOARDING HD
WARRIORS OROCHI 3
WARRIORS: LEGENDS OF TROY
WET
WHEN VIKINGS ATTACK!
WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES
WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES 2
WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER

X

X BLADES
XCOM: ENEMY WITHIN

Y

YAIBA: NINJA GAIDEN Z
YAKUZA 4
YAKUZA 5

Z

ZACK ZERO
ZEN PINBALL 2
ZENO CLASH 2
ZOMBIE TYCOON 2 – BRAINHOV’S REVENGE

If some of those games interest you, then you should absolutely sign up to PS Now to play PS3 games.

Setting up a PlayStation Now subscription is relatively painless. You can go to the PS Store on your PS5 and sign up. Often Sony runs promotions such as 7-day trials or money off near Christmas and Black Friday. So it might be worth waiting until then.

It’s also worth buying a year upfront as it dramatically lowers the cost of signing up.

A year’s worth of PS Now normally costs $59.99. Whereas a month’s subscription is $9.99. So if you pay monthly you’ll end up paying double the amount over a 12 month period.

You can save even more money by buying a PS Now voucher from sites Like Amazon. Christmas time I bought a 12 month PS Now voucher for only £22 which is about $30! So take a look on Amazon to see if there are any Playstation now Voucher Deals.

If you do get a voucher, you’ll need to redeem it on the Playstation store.

Once you have purchased/redeemed your subscription, you can select PS3 games to stream on the PlayStation Now app on your PS5 home pages.

Why Can’t the PS5 play PS3 disk games?

There are a number of reasons why the PS5 doesn’t play PS3 disk-based games. These include the lack of hardware power to emulate the PS3 Cell CPU, the cost of creating emulation software, a lack of market interest in retro gaming, and the lack of profitability for Sony supporting retro gaming.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why Sony doesn’t support PS3 disk-based games on the PS5, below.

The PS5 isn’t powerful enough

The PS3 was home to one of the most enigmatic and downright befuddling pieces of hardware in console history: The infamous Cell processor.

The Cell processor, a component born of a marriage between Sony and IBM, was known for being extremely difficult to code for early in the PS3’s life.

The Cell used a then foreign multi-core architecture. A main dual thread CPU controlled 8 other mini CPUs. The idea was that the main dual thread CPU would hand off tasks to the eight powerful mini-CPUs.

That was in theory, anyway…

The fact was the Cell CPU was so difficult to use effectively that many early games completely ignored the 8 mini CPUs, opting to run all code on the dual thread main CPU.

Eventually, developers, with the help of Sony, wrapped their brains around the Cell’s architecture and started getting fantastic performance out of it.

However, the Cell is so complicated it’s almost impossible to emulate. Some have succeeded at emulating the Cell architecture on PC. Unfortunately, games are only recently approaching playable frame rates. And that’s on high-end PC hardware that’s well beyond the PS5’s capabilities.

No clear route to return on Investment.

Making emulation for the PS3 would be a tough, expensive task for Sony. And that expense is magnified even more when you consider there is nearly zero potential return on investment for Sony.

People who want to play PS3 games on their PS5s likely have the games they want to play already or can buy them used incredibly cheaply on the second-hand market.

So there would be no easy way for Sony to monetise the emulation. Even if they did start selling Digital PS3 games on the Playstation Store, the games would have to be very cheap to entice gamers.

And keep in mind, Sony knows how many people are playing Playstation 3 games on the PS4 and PS5 by collecting data on Playstation Now usage.

There isn’t a big enough market

One of the biggest reasons Sony is reluctant to build PS3 emulation into PS4 is the perceived lack of market interest in emulation.

This is backed up by what Jim Ryan, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO, has said in the past:

“When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much. That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?” – Jim Ryan Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO

The PS3 Architecture is expensive

In the past, Sony has taken extreme measures to emulate past hardware. For example, the PS2 actually included the original PS1’s CPU inside it.

So why can’t Sony just drop a Cell CPU and the rest of the PS3’s architecture inside the PS5?

Simply put, it would be very expensive.

Though the Cell CPU and adjoining GPU are old technology it would still likely cost at least $50-$100 to include ageing hardware in the PS5.

What options do you have to play disk-based PS3 games?

Ok, so the PS5 wont play PS3 disk games. Sadly, outside of buying another Playstation 3, your options are limited. Let’s explore them:

Buy a Playstation 3

Your first option is to just buy another PS3. Or if you already have one, keep it out next to your TV.

If you don’t have a PS3, you can find them readily available on eBay. Click the following link to take a look at what PS3s are currently listed on eBay.

Emulation on a PC

Another option is to use your own PC and download emulation software such as that offered by RPCS3.

However, PC emulation of the Playstation 3’s Cell architecture is in its infancy due to the complicated multi-core cell structure.

There are not many games that can be emulated at playable frame rates. Plus, you’ll need a very high end game PC. However, the team over at RPCS3 have a clear roadmap to success. You should expect the emulation to improve by leaps and bounds over the coming years.

If you’re interested, check out the RPCS3 website.

Play PS3 classics remade for the PS5/PS4

Another way to get your Playstation 3 gaming fix is to play remade PS3 classics that have been remade for the PS4 and PS5.

For example, you can play:

And many more.

You can find a comprehensive list of PS3 games remade for PS4/PS5 here.

Summary

Let’s take a look at the main points from the article:

PS5 can’t play disk based PS3 games.
PS5 can only play PS3 games on it’s subscription service PS Now
- PS Now costs $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month
- There are over 375 PS3 games on playstation now
There’s multiple reasons why the Playstation 5 can’t play PS3 disk games
- PS5 isn;t powerful enough to emulate the PS3’s hardware
- There’s no way for SOny to make good money from emulating enabling PS3 back compatibility
- There isn’t a big enough market
- PS3’s architecture is too expensive to physically include in the PS5
There are limited options for you to play PS3 games:
- You can buy a PS3 console
- You can emulate the PS3 on a powerful PC
- You play PS3 remakes on your PS5