With PS4 BC confirmed for the PS5, are you more comfortable buying PS4 games digitally?

[Netherscourge]

I feel more comfortable getting a cheap PS4 Slim with Spiderman for $199 than buying a PS4 Pro a couple months ago.

Turns out to be a good investment if you think about it.

I'll eventually be trading-up the Slim console for a PS5 and be playing Spiderman (and all my other PS4 games) at a higher quality on the PS5.

 

[OSHAN]

So, they've confirmed BC isn't limited to just discs? I wasn't sure if my digital content could be redownloaded on PS5.

 

[inner-G]

How did they piss on you?

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When I got a PS2 it would play my PS1 games

When I got a PS3 it would play my PS1 and PS2 games

I just assumed my PS3 stuff would work going forward, maybe that was wrong to assume, but it's what the customer had experienced before and therefore what I had expected. Instead we got a slim launch lineup and none of our other stuff would play on it. Then they put out PS2 games for sale, but you couldn't play PS2 games you already had on your account because 'trophies'. They they couldn't be assed to make a PS1 emulator when even the PSP could run one. Then they wanted me to pay a monthly subscription to stream old games. No thank you. If I'm going to be pissed on I'd rather just move out of the way.

 

[leburn98]

So, they've confirmed BC isn't limited to just discs? I wasn't sure if my digital content could be redownloaded on PS5.

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I'm curious about this as well. I have to assume that the PS5 has native PS4 support and because of this, they won't run into any issues. The issue for Microsoft was their hybrid approach for BC.

To me BC is all about getting old games I never played before. I don't care about if I can play the game I own ten years from now as I never replay games.

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This is why physical is important. Digital makes this difficult due to delisting. The main issue for me was always having the ability to buy a game when I want and not within some unknown window of time. There have been countless games I've purchased many years after release. Sometimes life got in the way, other times it was simply because I was not aware of it or assumed it was something I wouldn't be in to. Having the threat of delisting would mean I would likely miss out on many hidden gems that I may have skipped out on previously.

One of the common examples I continue to give is the James Bond game Everything or Nothing. I played this game for the first time in 2017, a full 14 years after it's release on PS2, Xbox and Gamecube. One day on YouTube I saw a hidden gems video where they showed the game and I was interested. Went to eBay, grabbed a copy for the original Xbox and enjoyed it. I might even consider it the best James Bond game (yes, even better than Goldeneye). The thing is, this is a licensed game, made by a developer that no longer exists (RIP Visceral), by a publisher that no longer holds the rights to the license. I have a better chance of winning the lottery (twice) than this game receiving a re-release.

 

[Firima]

I went all-digital with precious few exceptions (games from other regions on Switch, for example), so yes, it does give me a little more relief, but only to the extent that I have plans to purchase a PS5, which are similar to my plans to purchase an Xbox One in 2013 (not at all). Still good to know that my library would have a nice new home to move into if a purchase is ever in the cards, however.

 

[MPrza]

Hell yes! Everytime another game went bc on xbox, I secretly wished I amassed a digital collection on xb360 instead of ps3. I went 99 percent digital around 2011 or so with the ps3 as my main console.

 

[Themaddestgamer]

Ive been comfortable with the idea. Im mostly physical though because i can loan it, sell, or trade it in.

If PSN has sales though I buy it that way.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Very much so. Will now spend the next year or so waiting for sales on games I have on disc

 

[Imitation Of Life]

When I got a PS2 it would play my PS1 games

When I got a PS3 it would play my PS1 and PS2 games

I just assumed my PS3 stuff would work going forward, maybe that was wrong to assume, but it's what the customer had experienced before and therefore what I had expected. Instead we got a slim launch lineup and none of our other stuff would play on it. Then they put out PS2 games for sale, but you couldn't play PS2 games you already had on your account because 'trophies'. They they couldn't be assed to make a PS1 emulator when even the PSP could run one. Then they wanted me to pay a monthly subscription to stream old games. No thank you. If I'm going to be pissed on I'd rather just move out of the way.

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So what if they have BC for PS 1,2 and 3 as well?

 

[Deleted member 12833]

I never really doubted it. Only reason PS4 didn't have BC is because of the PS3 architecture. Pretty obvious PS5 would be BC since PS4 was announced

 

[Mass Effect]

It was never an issue for me. I figured they'd have PS4 BC in the PS5 because it would be monumentally stupid not to with the competition promising it and, most importantly, if the PS5 was going to use the same exact architecture.

I just assumed my PS3 stuff would work going forward, maybe that was wrong to assume, but it's what the customer had experienced before and therefore what I had expected. Instead we got a slim launch lineup and none of our other stuff would play on it. Then they put out PS2 games for sale, but you couldn't play PS2 games you already had on your account because 'trophies'. They they couldn't be assed to make a PS1 emulator when even the PSP could run one. Then they wanted me to pay a monthly subscription to stream old games. No thank you. If I'm going to be pissed on I'd rather just move out of the way.

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If the PS4 had PS3 BC, people would complain because the system costs $600 again and no one would buy it. PS3 BC was never happening because of the Cell.

Now you absolutely make valid points about the PS1/2/PSP BC situation. Sony has handled that poorly.

 

[Musubi]

I mean what would be the difference here? Either your physical and digital collections come forward or they don't. I don't get how anyone would be more comfortable if they already haven't bought in to all digital.

 

[chrisPjelly]

More comfortable? Definitely, but I've been all over digital purchases ever since Sony started doing excellent flash sales. Still don't see myself doing day 1 digital purchases tho

 

[Willy]

In a word, yes. I own a fair amount of PS4 games (150+) and only two of those are digital. There are a number of digital exclusives that I want and now that BC is confirmed, I''ll happily buy them.

 

[SweetBellic]

How quickly they forget...

After PS2, BC was guaranteed on PS3 right? No? And PS4?!

Sony itself has already demonstrated that BC on PS5 is no guarantee of BC on PS6, PS7, etc.

If you want to confidentally enjoy your digital games collection in perpetuity, your best bet is PC/Steam. I'll stick to physical releases on PlayStation for as long as they're an option.

 

[Adder7806]

I buy everything digitally. I don't care at all about BC. Glad they have it for people that do but I will probably never use it.

 

[Riderz1337]

I'm already 95% digital so it makes no difference, but it's nice to know my games will be playable on PS5.

 

[[Sigma]]

Nope

 

[Hucast]

No. I wanna see their solution first. Whether ps3, 2 and 1 stuff will be there too

 

[EdgeXL]

It's a big step forward and I applaud Sony for that.

There are a few issues that made me uncomfortable purchasing third party games on PS4 and Sony's previous callous attitude towards BC was one of them. There are still come concerns I have with Sony that they will need to address before I consider PS5 a good platform for third party games but this was definitely an important one.

 

[FIREKNIGHT2029]

I'm mostly digital already this gen due to the deals on the PS Store being too good to resist. The fact we get BC makes me more comfortable buying stuff from the PS Store and It's exactly the kind of news I was hoping for.

 

[Mona]

No, because it's not the core issue with game preservation/ownership. My fear is having my owned content taken away, not the platform(s) I can play it on because physical media has those same limitations.

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pretty much

 

[Silky]

As long as my purchases from the last generation aren't suddenly revoked, and I can use nearly everything that I've purchased on my older platform, I will continue to buy games digitally.

Both my downloads on my PS3, and 360 are all secure and I don't see the latter being discontinued anytime soon. So, I'm good? I'm good.

 

[Lukar]

I'm curious to know if they'll allow delisted games to be downloaded and played on PS5. Stuff like Driveclub and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. I'm sure discs will be fine, but I dunno about downloads.

Would also be interested in seeing if they'll allow you to transfer games via USB or over a local network or something from a PS4 to a PS5. If they do, you might be able to play PT on a PS5 lol.

 

[Silky]

No, because it's not the core issue with game preservation/ownership. My fear is having my owned content taken away, not the platform(s) I can play it on because physical media has those same limitations.

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I really don't get this fear when there isn't a precedent set on purchased titles being unplayable after a short while, for any of the platforms on this gen and last gen?

unless you count Afro Samurai 2 lol

 

[Deleted member 3010]

Not really, I'll just be glad to be able to rock my physical library on it.

 

[Equanimity]

When I got a PS2 it would play my PS1 games

When I got a PS3 it would play my PS1 and PS2 games

I just assumed my PS3 stuff would work going forward, maybe that was wrong to assume, but it's what the customer had experienced before and therefore what I had expected. Instead we got a slim launch lineup and none of our other stuff would play on it. Then they put out PS2 games for sale, but you couldn't play PS2 games you already had on your account because 'trophies'. They they couldn't be assed to make a PS1 emulator when even the PSP could run one. Then they wanted me to pay a monthly subscription to stream old games. No thank you. If I'm going to be pissed on I'd rather just move out of the way.

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I understand your frustration but you bought it under an assumption with no such indication.

I don't know why they haven't bothered with PS1 games though, it makes absolutely no sense given their support on PSV, PS2 and PS3.

 

[anexanhume]

I really don't get this fear when there isn't a precedent set on purchased titles being unplayable after a short while, for any of the platforms on this gen and last gen?

unless you count Afro Samurai 2 lol

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I deal with Apple making cds I own and import into iTunes unplayable all the time.

 

[Silky]

I deal with Apple making cds I own and import into iTunes unplayable all the time.

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Gonna need an explanation for this, I'm not in Apple's ecosystem

 

[MadMike]

Back compat doesn't change anything for me. I prefer physical because of the fact that I can resell my games once I'm done in order to greatly decrease the cost of this hobby.