Summary
A newly filed Sony patent might lend further credence to the recent rumors aboutPlayStation 3backwards compatibility being in the works for PlayStation 5. When it launched in 2020, thePS5was only backwards compatible with its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, while select PS1, PS2, and PSP games were made available through the PlayStation Plus rebrand in 2022.
It appears that could change in the future, though, as a recent rumor suggested thatSony is working on native PS3 backwards compatibilityfor PS5, but with no official evidence or hints to substantiate it. However, anew patentfiled by Mark Cerny, the architect of the PS5’s hardware, might allude to PS3 emulation being in development. Filed on 16 June 2025 and titled “Backward Compatibility Testing of Software in a Mode That Attempts to Induce Skew,” the patent describes a mechanism that allows a device (presumably the PS5) to run in a “timing testing mode” that purposefully induces skew.
Newly Discovered Sony Patent Possibly Hints at Native PS3 Emulation on PS5
Skew basically creates processor timing variations that can affect the way any software would run on it, which is intriguing considering the PS3’s notoriously asymmetrical CELL processor which assigned separate tasks to the CPU cores, rather than all of them working collectively like in modern x86 architectures. Using a skew-inducing compatibility layer for PS5 could be Sony’s way of getting PS3 games to run natively on the current-gen console, and finally allowPS5 owners to delve into must-play PS3 titles.
This information should be taken with a grain of salt, though, since numerous patents don’t end up bearing fruit as consumer-facing features. That said, Sony has lately been ramping up its preservation efforts internally, as it introducednew PS2 games for PS Plus Premiumin June. These games run on a brand-new emulator, so the company is clearly looking into methods to make its older games available on modern hardware. Many remain skeptical of native PS3 backwards compatibility, but it’s logical that Sony would have to prepare a dedicated solution in the future, since the current PS3 server blades have been in operation for over a decade and won’t last forever.
