Introduction
The Sony PlayStation 5 is a powerful and sophisticated console with a lot of features. One of the most notable features that have been announced for the upcoming PS5 console is its new backward compatibility feature, which will give players access to PS4 games. This could potentially lead to PS4 games being automatically upscaled to 4K on PS5.
Sony’s new gaming console will have backward compatibility with most PS4 games, so you’ll be able to play all the old PS4 games that you missed out on playing on your striking white PS5.
Sony announced this at the PlayStation E3 conference and it’s been highly anticipated by gamers all over the world.
We know that some PS4 games will get enhanced for the PS5.
But, will Sony’s more powerful Playstation 5 upscale all Playstation 4 games to 4K? By the end of this article, you’ll have your answer.
In this article, I’ll be answering:
- Does the PS5 automatically upscale all games
- Why doesn’t PS5 upscale all games
- Does PS5 increase all PS4 game’s frame rate?
- What games have been enhanced on PS5?
Ok, let’s get cracking with the first section and start by answering, Does the PS5 upscale all PS4 games…
Does PS5 Automatically Upscale All PS4 Games to 4K
The PS5 will not automatically upscale all games to 4k. Each game developer has the option of whether they would like their games to be upscaled or not.
Some developers may choose not to upscale their games as it may require more work on their end. While others may choose to upscale because it is a new console and they want the best visuals possible for their game in the hope of getting more sales.
Sadly, though it would be fantastic if the Playstation 5 did upscale every game to 4K, it’s simply not possible. Some games on PS4, especially later games, are simply too graphically intense for the PS5 to upscale to 4k while maintaining a stable frame rate.
This is because Sony believes that there are some limitations with regards to how powerful their system is and they do not want to compromise on other aspects of their system’s performance in order to achieve this goal.
Also, some games a designed to run at lower resolutions. Stylized games often rely on a lower resolution to mask low-resolution assets such as textures.
Finally, a lower resolution might have been chosen for stylistic reasons.
Does PS5 Automatically increase frame rate of All PS4 Games?
Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will not automatically increase the frame rate of all PS4 games when played on the new console.
It is possible for developers to increase the frame rate of their games up to 60 fps. However, Sony says there is no guarantee that every PS4 game on the system will be able to run at 60 fps and developers will have control over what frame rate they want their game running at.
However, the majority of native PS5 games will likely have a higher frame rate, or the option for a higher frame rate, than most PS4 games, but it’s not guaranteed.
Again, one of the reasons why the PS5 can’t run every PS4 game at 60fps is simply because the console isn’t always powerful enough.
However, another reason why a PS4 game might not be able to run at a higher frame rate on PS5 is that some games are designed to run at lower frame rates. And running them at higher frame rates can lead to game-breaking bugs.
Lastly, as touched on above, some developers choose not to increase the PS4 games frame rate on PS5 simply because it would take resources away from current games in development.
What PS4 games have been enhanced on PS5?
The PS5 is set to be released in 2020 and will be able to play some PS4 games with better graphics, smoother gameplay, and better resolution. however, these games need to be enhanced by their developers in order to take advantage of the PS5’s extra power.
Some of the games that will be enhanced on the PS5 include:
- Kingdom Hearts 3
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Resident Evil 2 remake
- Control
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- The Tomb Raider games
- The Last of Us: Part Two
- Horizon: Zero Dawn.
- And many others.
For a comprehensive list of Playstation 4 games that have been enhanced for the Playstation 5 check out this great list from PushSquare. I was going to make my own list. But Push square did such a good job I thought I’d link to them.
Summary of the article
Now we know that PS4 games will not automatically get a resolution increase and/or frame rate increase when played on PS5.
Let’s revisit some of the main points from this article:
- PS4 games will not automatically be upscaled on PS5
- Developers will need to actively enable increased resolution on PS4 games
- Some PS4 games will never get a resolution increase on PS5 because:
- PS5 isn’t powerful enough
- PS4 games not designed to run at higher resolution
- Developers would need to dedicate too much time to increase resolution
- PS4 games will not get an automatic frame rate increase when played on PS5. This because:
- Some games were not designed to run at higher frame rates
- Developers would need to dedicate too much time to increase resolution
- Some PS4 games are enhanced for PS5.
- Check out this list on PushSquare to see what games have been enhanced.