PlayStation 3 titles could soon run on the PlayStation 5

So far, the only way to experience PlayStation 3 games is via an actual console, emulation or pay for an expensive PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe subscription. In the latest XboxEra podcast (at the 2:58:03 mark) industry insider Shpeshal_Nick says that could change soon. Sony plans on making some PS3 games playable on the PlayStation 5. This complements an earlier report which said PS3 emulation was coming to the PS5.

The key word here is 'some' meaning you probably won't be able to pop in any PlayStation 3 disc you have lying around. Unfortunately, it is not known if the games will get a resolution/framerate boost. That will likely require a patch and the reason why Sony decided to limit titles. Plus, the PlayStation 3's unconventional cell architecture means a game will have to go through a translation layer to run on x86 hardware.

If accurate, Sony should show off the feature alongside the PlayStation 5 Pro later this year. It would be a bummer if the feature is exclusive to the PS5 Pro, but given the tepid hardware upgrades, it would definitely help sell more consoles. As always, the above information is a rumour and should be treated as such.