YottyTech

You can play PS4 games on your PS5 — but there's a catch

Gaming

Those lucky enough to get a PS5 on launch day may be wondering what to do with their old console: if the PS5 can play PS4 games and is better in every way, do they really need a PS4?

But the old console is not dead yet, and you might want to keep it on hand. In fact, now that a mysterious new remote play app is available, you may be able to play PS5 games.

The PS5 Remote Play app became available this morning on PS4 systems without any announcement from Sony. As expected, the app appears to allow users to remotely connect an older PS4 to a newer PS5 via the Internet, presumably allowing them to play PS5 games.

Of course, this does not mean that the PS4 will suddenly become upwardly compatible. This does not mean that all games will run on all consoles for the foreseeable future, as is the case with Xbox. No, from what we've seen so far (which isn't much, of course), this looks just like any other remote play app.

In other words, you still need a PS5, but if you enable the remote play settings and link it to your PS4, you can use your old console as a conduit for your new console. This way, you can play the PS5 from multiple rooms in your house without having to purchase multiple consoles. In any case, it is unlikely that multiple PS5 consoles will be purchased anytime soon.

PushSquare has tested this app on a pre-release PS5 and confirmed that it works. It also allows users to link their mobile devices to the PS5 and play games on those devices, as was already possible with the PS4.

The only question is how controller compatibility will affect gameplay. While the new DualSense controller is still functionally almost identical to the old DualShock 4, it offers a number of important upgrades. The DualSense cannot be used with the PS4, and the DualShock 4 cannot be used with PS5 games.

The PS5 is only a few days away from release, on November 12 in the US and November 19 in Europe. Pre-orders have long been sold out, but some retailers will have limited stock on launch day, so be prepared if you really want one now.