Nearly a month has passed since Sony officially revealed its upcoming console, the PlayStation 5. Since the PS5 discussed its newest hardware, a Solid State Drive (SSD) which allows games to load faster and the system to hold more data, players have been hoping for backwards compatibility on the system. While the SSD would significantly impact backwards compatible games, Sony has yet to reveal the device's full potential. When the PS5 launches, Sony has revealed that it will play a majority of currently released PS4 games, but it has neglected to say anything further.
One Redditor known as Tulipanzo was watching the trailer for the PlayStation 5's built-in launch game Astro's Playroom. According to Sony's PS5 event, this is a full length game, intended to show players the ropes and configuration of the new controller and system. This game will come pre-loaded on all PS5 consoles and will provide hours of enjoyment, despite its focus on controller mechanics. But Tulipanzo noticed some smaller details in the trailer, potentially referencing the system's ability to run games from past PlayStation consoles.
In the post, Tulipanzo quoted Astro's Playroom and used the trailer to support their theory, saying: "In Astro's Playroom you 'explore four worlds, each based on PS5’s console components'. Judging from the trailer, one of these worlds could be based around backwards compatibility with previous PlayStation systems." Although this speculation is currently unconfirmed, Tulipanzo recognizes Sony's past consoles making appearances throughout the trailer. Insider sources claim that they have heard nothing about backwards compatibility for the new console, but it is possible that Sony wants to keep that secret until the system launches.
In the first part of the trailer, one Astro-bot can be seen playing with a classic PlayStation 1 controller, while another cheers them on. However, this may be part of a larger demonstration, one that emphasizes the changes that the system's controller has undergone over the years. Recently released footage reveals an Astro-bot showcasing the new PS5 controller, which would tie into this assumption very easily. But with each question that fans have disputing their claim, Tulipanzo has adequate reasoning behind this speculation.
In the post, Tulipanzo stated: "it does seem odd for all systems to appear, and for them to appear in a game based on your system's functionality is very curious. This also works with the PS History tease we saw at the beginning of the Future of Gaming video." The end of the Playroom trailer also features a PlayStation 2 UI in the background, while Astro-bots pull a PS2 console from the ground beneath them. Additionally, about midway through the trailer, a group of bots are dancing on a PlayStation 3 slim, with a mural depicting the classic PS3 sits on the wall behind them. Completing each level will also give players an in-game collectible PS system, as Geoff Keighly revealed on July 18.
While this is still pure fan speculation, many players are excited for the promise of a fully backwards compatible PS5. Not only would this help the system capitalize on sales, but the PS5's SSD would apply to these past games, giving them faster load times despite their age. If anything, further information about backwards compatibility will be reported at the next State of Play event, currently rumored to debut in early August. Although a lot of speculation and hope is revolving around the PS5, Sony has already proven that their newest console is capable of next-generation gaming with its beautiful graphics and nearly nonexistent load times.
Astro's Playroom will come pre-installed on all PlayStation 5 systems, which are set to launch in Holiday 2020.
Source: Reddit
