Sony’s next console will boast a huge library of games at launch according to a new leak, as it’s backwards compatible with the PS4 and PS5.
Sony hasn’t officially announced anything regarding the PlayStation 6, but there are several prevailing rumours around what to expect.
Aside from it obviously being more powerful, the home console is rumoured to be accompanied by a handheld device. However, it’s unclear if this is a standalone handheld like the PS Vita or a hybrid console like the Switch, but it does seem to be more capable than a remote player like the PlayStation Portal.
We’ve already heard how the handheld will be capable of running PlayStation 5 games at a lower resolution (possibly tied to Sony’s new power saver mode), but it seems the device, along with the home console, will be backwards compatible with PlayStation 4 titles too.
This comes from a new leak by YouTuber Moore’s Law Is Dead, who has been accurate in the past when it comes to console specifications. In a new video, he claims the PlayStation 6 and its rumoured handheld will support the prior two generations, citing leaked documents which are ‘years old’.
‘The PlayStation 6, yes, it has backwards compatibility to [PlayStation 4] and [PlayStation 5] and they explicitly say it all over the place,’ he said. ‘And even the handheld, they explicitly say, it runs PlayStation 6, it runs PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 games.’
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Considering how closely entwined the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 generations are, this isn’t exactly surprising. In the age of digital games, there’s also an expectation that you will be able to carry your library forward, incentivising players to stay within Sony’s ecosystem.
Regardless, it’s reassuring to hear it spelled out – even if it isn’t exactly confirmation. Like prior leaks, this suggests the PlayStation 6 handheld will be able to run games natively, and won’t be a streaming device like the PlayStation Portal.
However, It’s unclear if this backwards compatibility will only apply to your digital game library or if, like the PlayStation Portal, you could stream your physical games from the base console via remote play.
The big question is how well this rumoured handheld will run PlayStation 6 games, and how much it will actually cost if it is as powerful as these leaks suggest. The PlayStation 5 recently went up by £90, with the PS5 Pro now costing £789.99, but some insiders have suggested the cheapest SKU of the PlayStation 6 will be cheaper than you’d expect.
The other key question is when Sony is planning to launch the PlayStation 6 and its respective handheld. All signs at the moment point to late 2027, despite the ongoing memory shortage.
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