A new PS5 patent has been filed by Sony which appears to point towards some kind of PS3 compatibility via emulation in the future.
The new patent (opens in new tab), which was spotted by Game Rant (opens in new tab), is titled 'Systems and methods for converting a legacy code into an updated code' and was filed by Sony earlier this year. The official documents for the patent reference several PS3 accessories from days gone by, including the PlayStation EyeToy, PlayStation Move, PlayStation media remote, DualShock 3, PSP Go and more.
It's not clear what Sony plans to do with this newly filed patent yet, and its description seems to confuse things, but it's thought that this could be somehow linked to bringing more PS3 games to the PS5 via emulation. We already know that the new PS Plus Premium membership offers some of the PS3’s back catalogue to players but only via Cloud streaming. Perhaps, this new patent will be used to better emulate older games (specifically from the PS3-era) via PS Plus.
That isn’t to say that you should start digging out your DualShock controller or EyeToy camera yet, though, as it’s unlikely that Sony will ever make these accessories compatible with the new-gen console due to the majority of them no longer being available for purchase. What’s more likely is that Sony is attempting to figure out a way to run older titles on newer consoles without the use of the PS3 peripherals.
Wondering what games will be worth replaying if they ever do come to PS5? Take a look at our list of best PS3 games.
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