Sony tells devs that PS4 games must also run on PS5 from July forward

New documentation sent out to developers reportedly includes this mandate, as well as other details about compatibility.

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Sony has given developers a new mandate for titles going forward, according to a new report. PlayStation 4 developers who submit new games for certification must ensure their games are also compatible with PlayStation 5 starting July 13 and onward.

According to Eurogamer, developer documentation on the PlayStation internal partner website detailed the process developers must go through and an option to check to certify their game is ready for PS5. Apparently this new option was added near the end of April as a new part of the PS4 software developer kit.

The implication here is that all game received by Sony for testing following the middle of July will be forwards compatible, though it's too early to say whether all games will be available for this feature when the console launches later this year.

Sony has indicated that it will be contacting developers on an individual basis about how to test their PS5 compatibility. Eurogamer indicates that, according to the documentation, games will be considered compatible if code runs smoothly and without issues on the PS5 while offering the same features on PS5 as it does PS4.

The dev notes also indicate that if games were submitted to Sony before July 13, any patches or remasters following that date would not require PS5 compatibility, but Sony would "strongly recommend" it. Otherwise, if the game was submitted afterward, patches or remastered would be required to maintain the game's PS5 compatibility.

This is all in line with what Sony itself had indicated in the past about backward compatibility.

"We're expecting backward compatible titles will run at a boosted frequency on PS5 so that they can benefit from higher or more stable frame rates and potentially higher resolutions. We're currently evaluating games on a title-by-title basis to spot any issues that need adjustment from the original software developers," the developer offered in a March blog post.

All this, and we still haven't seen the system yet. Hopefully more information is on the way during the upcoming PlayStation 5 stream next week.

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Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!

From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 29, 2020 9:15 AM

    Brittany Vincent posted a new article, Sony tells devs that PS4 games must also run on PS5 from July forward

    • reply
      May 29, 2020 9:27 AM

      So, Ghost of Tsushima will run on a PS5. Hmmmm. Wonder if it will have ps5 enhancement on day 1. I've decided to get the game regardless, but ps5 vs xbx is still somewhat debatable. MS's announcement that you'll get hdr and other enhancements automatically on old games is a pretty big plus in their favor. I still have a lot of old Xbox and 360 games I wouldn't mind dragging about out.

      • reply
        May 29, 2020 9:45 AM

        It's expected it will be as a key 1st party title,. They had to be certed already for their July release, so they were ahead of the "required" date, but it makes no sense for them not to make sure its ready for PS5 too. (As Eurogamer is suggesting).

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