New Sony Patent Explains How PS5 Backwards Compatibility Will Work
One of the most publicized features of PS5 in the last period is backwards compatibility. Surely it is a desired feature by many players. The credit is partly also from Microsoft that, finding itself at a disadvantage during this generation, has proposed backwards compatibility on Xbox One, making it again a discounted feature on consoles. Now, a new Sony patent allows us to find out more details about the issue.
To be precise, it is a patent published some time ago and now updated with new information. Thus we can read the following: “Real-time adjustment of application-specific operating parameters for backward compatibility.” From this, we can understand that developers aim not only to offer backwards compatibility, but also to improve game performance when possible, without having to act directly on it.
Furthermore, it is explained that it is possible, on the developer side, to act on the various operating parameters of the new console, limiting the influence of the new machine on the game in order to bring the performance of the video game as close as possible to those of the original version for PS4, so as not to run into compatibility problems with the game. Developers can then test and optimize the game in a “backwards compatibility” version to make sure that the result is equal to or greater than the old-gen version.
This is very interesting especially for all those titles that will come out between the two generations; works completely developed on PS4 can also be perfected for PS5 and advertised as “PS5 Enhanced” (inspired by Microsoft’s “Xbox One X Enhanced”). One of the first titles that could undergo this treatment is Rainbow Six Siege: as, according to reports, in fact, Ubisoft does not seem willing to develop a sequel of the game but prefers to continue to support the current game on the next-gen console. This feature of backward compatibility seems to be exactly what it does for the French company.
Is backwards compatibility a key point for you? Let us know about your opinion in the comments below.