PS Plus' Backwards Compatibility Could Breathe Life Into Forgotten Franchises

gamerant.com:

Late last month, Sony revealed major changes coming to its PlayStation Plus subscription service. PlayStation Plus is now taking the form of a three-tiered subscription, with each tier offering more PlayStation goodies. PlayStation Plus' first, Essential tier operates the same as it does now, and the second, Extra, allows buyers to download 400+ PS4 games. However, the final Premium tier is most exciting for longtime PlayStation fans.

PlayStation Plus Premium gives buyers the benefits of the two tiers below it while also granting access to a library of 350+ games to stream or download from PS1, PS2, and PSP, as well as offering a library of PS3 games for streaming only. This is exciting for both longtime fans looking to play old favorites from the convenience of a new console, or for those looking to experience classics for the first time. Most importantly, PlayStation Plus Premium could thrust seemingly forgotten game franchises back in to the spotlight, encouraging developers to create new entries or sequels.

PlayStation Plus: Essential, Extra, Premium Tiers Explained

Backwards compatibility on PlayStation consoles is a mixed bag. The PS2 is fully able to play PS1 games and the PS5 plays PS4 games just fine, but that's about it. The very first PS3 was backwards compatible, but that version of the console was prone to malfunction and the feature was dropped altogether in future hardware revisions. While not backwards compatible in the sense of inserting an old disc into a new console, the PS3 and Vita also had large selections of older games to re-purchase and download.

This means that one would need at least a first-gen PS3 and a PS5 in order to fully access PlayStation's console library. This is why PlayStation Plus