How to Play PS3 Games on PS5 (Beginner Guide)

One of the things that Sony is doing great with PS5 is improving the backwards compatibility program. Sony knows that the older-gen consoles have many iconic titles like The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption that people get nostalgic about and want to play again. If you are in this situation and want to know if you can play PS3 games on PS5, you should be pleased to know that this is possible.

You can play PS3 games on PS5. While physical copies of PS3 games are not supported by the next-gen PS5, you can still play PS3 games by using the PlayStation Now service. The service focuses on backwards compatibility and it offers PS5 players access to a bundle of popular games such as God of War, Portal, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the popular Call of Duty: Black Ops II that launched back in 2012.

If you are unsure how PS3 can function on PS5, we are here to help. I’ll show you the exact steps you need to follow to play PS3 games on PS5, even if you are not an expert when it comes to the PlayStation backwards compatibility program.

Can You Play PS3 Games on PS5?

Even though PS3 launched back in 2006 and PS5 in 2020, you can still play PS3 games on the next-gen console. The trick here is that you can’t insert the physical disks into the PS5 and instead, you have to play PS3 games via cloud. While this might sound like a complicated process, it actually isn’t. All you need is access to a PlayStation Now subscription.

Do you love gaming on your PS5? If that is the case, you might want to learn how to use the Picture in Picture mode to stream Twitch or YouTube videos while playing. Read now to check out my full guide!

How to Play PS3 Games on PS5

The key to making PS3 games work on PS5 is to access them via cloud. This is possible by getting a PlayStation Now subscription. The subscription costs $59.99 for 12-months and $24.99 for 3-months. Nonetheless, after getting the subscription, the next step is to select the game you want to play and install it on the PS5. It’s that simple!

Sidenote: it’s important to highlight that there is a downside to playing PS3 games on PS5 via PlayStation Now. You need to have a stable internet connection because otherwise, the game will lag. My advice is to use an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi connection if possible.

What PS3 Games Can You Play on PS5?

There are many PS3 games that you can play on PS5. Here are some of the most popular titles:

• Crysis;
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves;
• E.A.R;
• The Last of Us;
• Red Dead Redemption;
• Ratchet & Clank;
• Metal Gear Rising;
• Infamous 2;
• God of War II;
• Castlevania;
• Devil May Cry 4;
• Killzone 2;
• Batman: Arkham City;
• Dishonored;
• The Wolf Among Us;
• Yakuza 5;
• Guacamelee;
• Damnation;
• Ultra Street Fighter IV;
• Legend of Kay;
• Genji: Days of Blade.