Backwards compatibility became the new plate for sandwiching-bull-horned Sony into the spotlight. Here is Sony telling us the enhanced console right now can run over 8,500 PS4 games fine with an option for enhancement of image quality. With two ends of the spectrum formed, there are mixed sentiments among gamers, who are split between what the features provide and what, in their opinion, they could lack.
The tweet by the official PlayStation account explained that users could achieve a higher image quality of eligible PS4 games gifted upon the PS5 Pro’s activation of the feature “Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games.” The official account also put a link for instructions on how to turn on the feature, supporting the notion that with it, Sony is trying to make backward compatibility a bit better. But, as they say, ‘the devil is in the details,’ and several weak points were brought up by the gaming community, further fueling the debate.
One user kind of agonizingly commented about the feature turning itself off for PS3 games on PS4 Pro systems: “What about PS4 Pro Enhance Image Quality for PS3 Games?” This is once again another voice shedding light on the never-ending frustration experienced by the community while comparing Sony’s very ask-now and patch-later approach to backward compatibility, with Microsoft‘s all-or-nothing solution for Xbox consoles.
Next came the conversations on which games members feel should be enhanced but currently are not: Bloodborne was brought up numerous times, with one user asking, “why bloodborn still 1080p 30fps on my PS5pro” after the enhancement was activated, and the other one directly questioning Sony; “Why do you ignore Bloodborne? Why can’t we get a frame patch?” This FromSoftware classic is a sore point for many PlayStation fans awaiting the next-gen treatment in earnest.
Another problematic question concerned challenges in getting the patch to work technically. Another more knowledgeable person also added, “It’s worth noting this only applies to games that run at native 1080p or lower. Games that run higher than that get no enhancement, but those that do benefit look A LOT better,” in explanation of why some titles get no love and others a great visual uplift.
Yet another problem emanated from the halfway backwards compatibilities while running that arose in the comments. An uncommon user stating that “ps5 base cant even run Final Fantasy XV on high profile ps4 pro patch in playable framerate, runs in 20 fps,” and that “should Sony focus on fixing the current compatibility issues instead of new hardware” adds to the disgruntled downright and sayin’ Dead Island Definitive Edition is still stuck at 30 fps, even with the new enhancement options.
The price of the PS5 Pro came under fire, with one user plainly stating it was worth less than what they paid for it. This is a continuation of the argument on whether that extra price tag for enhancements is justified.
Following that, gloom and doom forecasts start flowing down the page: “20 fps hahaha.” The subject then turns to the lack of Dolby Vision: “And NO Dolby Vision,” which is another sore point under discussion for many consumers, about what should possibly have been featured on good gear.
Some of the discussions stirred up with PlayStation policies, one launching for “a ps5 pro that doesnt have online drm for disks,” while others took up debating censorship policies that affect certain game updates. These little byways are how often discussions about backwards compatibility morph into bigger platform discussions.
What’s truly intriguing is how a single announcement could unearth such divided expectations within the PlayStation community. Some are just happy with the realization of visual enhancements for their supported games, while others maintain Sony should be going farther with the big hits. This difference vis-à-vis Xbox’s approach to backwards compatibility has always been a point of reference, with someone comparing, “I thought we can play PS1,2,3 games too natively on PS5 just like Xbox.”
Regardless, the apparent combine of this feature is one step ahead in the backward compatibility mix of PlayStation, which started with these lines of having most of the PS4 games actually playable on PS5. By providing for the enhancement of image quality for the games which would have originally run at 1080p or lower, Sony is trying to fix one of the fundamental drawbacks of playing old games on a new 4K screen. Nevertheless, as many of the community responses revealed, there is an entire host of players clamoring for fully-fledged upgrades, especially in the form of frame rate upgrades to beloved titles.”
The introduction of PS5 Pros will give an interesting platform for Sony to solve those community questions in the future and think about the possibility of some new kind of enhancements through updates from the system or patches from developers. For the time being, it’s truly a welcomed enhancement for the games that support it. Still, the argument of what is missing and what could be upgraded shows that retro compatibility will always be a tough topic within the gaming community. There is, in fact, a huge chasm between what the gamers want and what Sony is delivering on, and it is a hot topic over social media channels and game forums, with every knowledgeable person on the topic of playing old games on the new hardware having their own opinion on what count as proper support.
