Sony just confirmed a hugely important part of the PlayStation 5: It can run PlayStation 4 games (SNE)

Sony

• Sony revealed a wealth of details about its next PlayStation console on Tuesday, which will probably be called the PlayStation 5. 
• As expected, the console will be more powerful than the existing PlayStation 4.
• One huge detail that fans were hoping for was confirmed: The next PlayStation will be able to power PlayStation 4 games.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The PlayStation 5 is almost here — Sony detailed its next PlayStation console in an interview with Wired on Tuesday.

As you might expect, the console is said to be more powerful than the PlayStation 4. And Sony says it won’t arrive this year — after four years of research and development, Sony has at least another year before it’s ready to launch the next PlayStation. Beyond that, there are still a ton of unknowns.

But one huge question was answered that over 90 million PlayStation 4 owners will surely appreciate: Yes, the PlayStation 5 will run PlayStation 4 games.

Sony/Marvel

That’s because, according to Wired’s Peter Rubin, the PlayStation 5 is "based in part on the PS4’s architecture." 

Both Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One are built using what is known as "x86" system architecture — a genericized way of building computers that makes it much easier for software to function on successive devices.

In short: Because of the way Sony built the PlayStation 4, it’s much easier to enable the PlayStation 5 to run PS4 games.

And that’s a huge benefit for the 90 million-plus PlayStation 4 owners out there who own PS4 games. Whether this applies solely to disc-based games is the big remaining question: Will your entire PlayStation Network digital library carry forward to Sony’s next PlayStation?

That remains to be seen — we asked Sony and have yet to hear back — but general confirmation of backwards compatibility is a hugely positive step in the right direction.

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Ben Gilbert)