As PS Plus Premium approaches on PS4 and PS5, Sony is taking another step in the preservation of legacy PlayStation games with the creation of a team dedicated to this particular mission.
In recent years, Sony Interactive Entertainment has come under fire for its actions against older PlayStation consoles and their game libraries. The PS Store PS3 and PS Vita have almost been shut down, Sony’s latest laptop will not feature the new PS+ and the PS5 is not natively backwards compatible with PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games. Some worrying examples for some, but the Japanese firm seems set to change all that.
PlayStation wants to save its old games
Garret Fredley, a former Electronic Arts engineer, has joined the ranks of a brand new SIE team tasked with the task Preserving the legacy of PlayStation games. A golden opportunity for him.
Today is my first day as a Senior Build Engineer at PlayStation. I’m one of the first recruited with the goal Work for the newly created conservation team. Preserving games was my first passion, so I’m excited to be able to return to my roots.
I would like to thank Mike Bishop and the team for leading me on this adventure. Let’s make sure that the history of our industry is not forgotten.
Heading towards a natively backward compatible PS5?
Garret Fredley wasn’t more specific as to the tasks he’ll have to perform, but presumably he’ll have his say when he adds legacy PlayStations like the Siphon Filter saga to PS Premium. And to make sure they work properly. But from there to the idea that Sony would offer “true” backwards compatibility, like the Xbox series, there’s a step we won’t take. During his time at EA, Fredley helped archive several games in the FIFA franchise.
What do you think of forming a team to preserve the legacy of PlayStation consoles? Is it an absolute necessity for you? Do you play old titles again? Will you take the PS Plus Premium considering this? Tell us everything in the comments.
