Can the Sony PlayStation 4 play PlayStation 3 games?

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The Sony PlayStation 4 is an awesome console full of awesome games, but it’s important to remember where we came from.

I’m talking about the PlayStation 3, of course. If you own a PlayStation 4, you might be curious about the status of your previous generation games. Let’s dive in.

Can the PlayStation 4 play PlayStation 3 games?

• Short answer: No

Sadly, the PlayStation 4 cannot play your old PlayStation 3 games. Sony did not include backward compatibility on the console. The upcoming PlayStation 5, however, could include the feature.

If you want to play some classic PlayStation 3 games, you do have a few options.

The PlayStation Now service serves up close to over 800 PS4, PS3, and PS2 games. For $9.99 a month, you get access to all of those titles, with over 300 that you can download and play when you want.

If you are on the fence about the service, you can try out the service with a 7-day trial here.

For those not ready to make the jump, emulators are another option to play PlayStation 3 games, but we will not be linking to any of those options. If that is the route you decide to go, and you enjoy your time with the games, please consider supporting the creators by buying the games once you’ve had the chance to play them.

So, there you have it – sadly, no, the PlayStation 4 is not backward compatible with PlayStation 3 games.

Surprised that your PS4 can’t play PlayStation 3 games? Plan on trying out PlayStation Now? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Josiah Motley

Former KnowTechie editor.