Yes, You Can Play Some PS2 & PS3 Games On Your PS5 – Here's How

The PS5 is a powerful gaming console that can run even the most graphically taxing titles at decent frame rates. The latest GTA VI trailer shot on the base PS5 looks amazing and speaks volumes about the console's hardware capabilities. The PS5 also makes a great upgrade if you have an existing library of PS4 games, as you can simply plug and play PS4 discs with the console. However, what if you wanted to play retro titles from PS1, PSP, PS2, or PS3?

The PlayStation 5 lets you play a catalog of classic titles from previous generation consoles with the PlayStation Premium subscription. While the library includes some legendary titles like Resident Evil and Tekken 2 from the PS1 and Tomb Raider: Legend from the PS2, the early-generation games seem somewhat limited. The classic catalog truly shines with a rich library of PS3 games, including Fallout and God of War titles. However, that's also where the PlayStation Premium presents its biggest dealbreaker. 

While you can download and play all PS1, PSP, and PS2 titles from the library, you can only stream the PS3 titles via Sony's cloud servers and cannot download them locally. Let's take a closer look at how you can play some timeless classics on the shiny new console, and whether the $159.99 annual fee is worth paying.

The PlayStation Premium features some great PS1, PS2, and PSP classics, but the subscription won't grant you the ownership of any of these titles. Alternatively, you can buy select titles from the PlayStation Store, if you only want to play some best PS2 games. Nevertheless, the subscription comes with a decent catalog of modern PS4 and PS5 titles as well, so it can be a good option if you are new to consoles and owning games isn't your topmost priority. Once subscribed to the premium plan, simply head to the Classic Catalog to explore the currently available PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games. The games, except the PS3 titles, can be downloaded but will only be available till you have an active premium subscription.

While there are some workarounds to emulating PS1 and PS2 games without the subscription that Sony certainly won't appreciate, locally emulating PS3 games is a tough nut to crack. If you are a PS3 enthusiast, paying the premium is a good way to enjoy a good mix of classic and modern titles on-the-go. That said, the performance of PS3 games will largely depend on your internet strength and distance from Sony's servers as these titles are streamed rather than run locally. According to some users, the games have largely been playable in the U.S. with a good internet connection with a few occasional lags. If you genuinely want to taste PS3 games in their actuality, you might find preowned PS3s that cost less than the annual PlayStation subscription on online marketplaces.

The common consensus on why PS3 games don't fare well with modern consoles is its unique architecture and Cell processor. That's also a reason why PS4 consoles weren't backward compatible with their immediate predecessors.