PS5 Will Likely Be Backwards Compatible With PS4 Pro, Will Possibly Launch In 2019

A couple of weeks ago, PlayStation’s America boss Shawn Layden confirmed that they will be developing a PlayStation 5 which will represent the next major step for the brand. This indicates that Sony will likely won’t release another mid-gen refresh for the PlayStation 4 and the PS5 will be a generational leap over the current gen console.

We recently spoke to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, and asked him about the successor to the PS4. Pachter believes that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with PS4 Pro (which also means that it will play base PS4 games) and it will probably release in 2019.

“I really like Shawn and I don’t think he is attempting to mislead anybody. The PlayStation 4 Pro is better [from a technical perspective] than the PS4, so I think that’s a half step towards the PlayStation 5. I think the PS5 will be another half step. So he is being honest when he said he is not doing a half step but the PlayStation 5…how much faster can it be? It will surely support 4K. Will it support 240 frames per second? Great. Will it play games that were made for the PlayStation 4 PRO? That’s the question. I think it will. So I think they will build a console that will backwards compatible with the PS4 Pro. So I think it will be perceived by the consumers to be a half step and I think Shawn is telling the truth when he says it’s will be a full fledged console,” he said to GamingBolt.

He also believes that the PS5 will launch in a market that is much more receptive to 4K content than it’s currently, giving Sony an edge.

“My expectation that is that it’s not coming out in 2018. That is a 2019 0r 2020 but probably 2019. Sony is probably timing it better because they are going to bring out a 4K capable device when the 4K TV market reaches 50% in the USA and 35% in the rest of the world. I think Sony has probably got the next console cycle nailed down already. I think, they already know what they got to do,” he further stated.

I think I agree with Pachter. The PS4 already has a great line-up of games launching in 2018 and they will most likely complete 2019 with The Last of Us Part 2 and Death Stranding, which will probably lead to the launch of the PS5 later that year.