While Sony Interactive Entertainment just recently announced its new live streaming endeavor State of Play, which is set to provide PlayStation fans with fresh information regarding the PS4 and PlayStation VR platforms, it's safe to say many are starting to turn their attention to the company's next generation of hardware. Speaking of the PS5, a newly discovered patent has potentially unveiled the possibility that the forthcoming iteration of SIE's consoles will feature backward compatibility.
This is according to a US Patent and Trademark Office filing from 2017 done on behalf of Sony Interactive Entertainment by PS4 lead architect and Knack creator Mark Cerny and Naughty Dog project manager David Simpson. Apparently, the company has secured a patent entitled "Backward compatibility by algorithm matching, disabling features, or throttling performance", with many speculating the PS5 will benefit from its effects.
Based on the patent's description, it sounds as if Sony is working on potentially incorporating a backward compatibility feature into the PS5 by utilizing a form of emulation with the use of a new CPU that would mimic the performance of an older one. To put it more simply, this patent seems to show a method for backward compatibility that won't require the integration of an older, "legacy" CPU. Those interested can find the full abstract for the patent directly below.
"A new device executing an application on a new CPU determines whether the application is for a legacy device having a legacy CPU. When the application is for the legacy device, the new CPU executes the application with selected features of the new CPU that are not present on the legacy CPU disabled, or with a latency of instruction execution of the new CPUs altered to match or approximate a latency of the legacy CPU, or with algorithmic details of operation of one or more units of the new CPU altered to match or approximate algorithmic details of operation of corresponding units of the legacy CPU."
For those unaware, this backward compatible patent is one among many evidencing that Sony is likely planning on having the feature be a component of the PS5 once the console is finally prepared to release to the public, as rumors regarding the matter have been swirling for quite a while. That said, though, a patent filing is never definitive proof of something actually coming to fruition, as companies file for patents all the time without ever ending up using them for products.
All things considered, it will definitely be interesting to see if the PS5 does support backward compatibility, and how far back it could go in terms of supporting the long lineage of PlayStation systems. As it so happens, another patent has suggested that the PS5 could have backward compatibility that supports PS4, PS3, PS2, and even PS1 games. That said, though, we will simply have to wait and see what Sony has planned for the PS5 when it comes to the feature.
Source: USPTO (via GamesRadar, ResetEra)