Backward compatibility is a major selling point of whatsoever video game panel, as existence able to play your erstwhile games on a new organisation increases its value. It's a good thought to know whether a organisation has this function before investing in information technology.

Thus, you might wonder if you tin play PS3 games on the PS4. Let's reply this question and examine your options.

Tin can the PS4 Play PS3 Games?

The short answer is that no, the PlayStation four is not astern-uniform with PlayStation iii games. Inserting a PS3 disc into the PS4 will not work. And you lot cannot download digital versions of PS3 games from the PlayStation Shop onto your PlayStation 4. This is the case with all editions of the PS4, including the slim PS4 and PS4 Pro.

The reason for this, similar well-nigh backward compatibility situations, is that the PS3 and PS4 have different system architecture. PlayStation 4 consoles don't have the hardware of the PS3, and then they can't run the older games natively. And Sony decided it wasn't worthwhile to build a software emulator to handle the older titles, leaving the PS4 only able to play PS4 games.

Thankfully, there are other ways to play PS3 titles on your PS4, even without native astern compatibility.

Stream PS3 Titles on PS4 via PlayStation Now

PlayStation At present is Sony's cloud gaming service, available on the PS4, PS5, and Windows. It allows you lot to stream PS4, PS3, and PS2 games, so you can relish some of the best titles the family unit of consoles has seen over the years.

Thus, if you subscribe to PlayStation At present, you lot can play certain PS3 titles on your PS4 past streaming. At the time of writing, at that place are around 370 PS3 games available on the service, though the verbal number changes as titles are added and removed.

As long as you accept a steady enough connection and don't mind the toll, this is the all-time fashion to play large numbers of PS3 games on your PS4. See our comparing of PS Now and Xbox Game Pass for more information. We've also picked out some of the best games on PlayStation Now as a starting point.

Play Remasters and Remakes

Thankfully, due to the huge number of video game remasters and remakes that launch these days, you tin can often enjoy games fabricated for older systems with a fresh coat of paint on a electric current console. Sometimes, these release in compilations, so y'all get multiple games from a series in one bundle.

Below are a few examples of PS3 games you lot tin can play remastered on PS4:

  • Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a remaster of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, along with loads of DLC.
  • The Last of U.s.a. Remastered is an enhanced version of the monumental PS3 title.
  • BioShock: The Collection bundles in remasters of BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite.

While you're technically playing a PS4 game and not a PS3 title, these are effectively the aforementioned games with some small-scale enhancements. If you missed out on the best of the PS3 generation but accept a PS4, give these a try.

Employ Cross-Buy and Cantankerous-Gen Offers

The only other way to play PS3 titles on your PS4 is through cantankerous-buy promotions. These grant you lot access to a game on multiple systems when y'all buy it on 1. For example, if you bought Doki-Doki Universe on PS3, you lot automatically have admission to the PS4 version at no actress toll.

Similarly, when the PS4 generation started, some cross-generational games also offered upgrades to the new arrangement for a pocket-size fee. For instance, if you bought Battlefield 4 on PS3, you could upgrade to the PS4 version for another $10. Physical copies of the games had a code within to activate the offer, while digital purchases automatically discounted the next-gen versions.

Check your game library on PS4 to run across if you have access to any of these. The codes have probably expired by now, simply digital offers could still be valid.

Workarounds to Play Your Favorite PS3 Games on PS4

While PS3 games don't piece of work on PS4 directly, we've seen how to enjoy PS3 titles on your PS4 through other methods. Whether you subscribe to PS Now or bank check out the many remasters available, you'll observe a way to play the PS3'due south superlative games on your PS4.

Thankfully, the PS5 is astern-compatible with near all PS4 games, but it still can't play PS3 titles.

Image Credit: Dado Photos/Shutterstock

Is the PS5 Astern-Uniform?

Tin you play older titles on PlayStation 5? Hither, we await at whether the console supports past-generation games.

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Ben Stegner (1798 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Primary at MakeUseOf. He left his IT job to write total-time in 2022 and has never looked back. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more as a professional author for over seven years.

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