PS5 claps 👏 back 👏 at Xbox Series X with must-have feature gamers will love

(Image credit: Sony)

last updated 7 August 2020

Things are hotting up between the PS5 and Xbox Series X with Sony and Microsoft's respective next gen strategies proving to be very different - and very divisive. So far, the PS5 seems to be all about platform exclusives and ushering fans to upgrade their hardware as soon as possible, making the jump from the PS4 to the PS5.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has been telling players that they can play upcoming Xbox Series X games on the Xbox One family of consoles, with no need to shell out for pricey new hardware right away. It's also been touting the Xbox Series X's backwards compatibility, which will see all Xbox One games run on the next gen console - something which Sony hasn't been able to match, but that could be about to change, getting rid of the huge advantage the new Xbox has over the PS5.

Lance McDonald, a popular streamer, took to Twitter to drop a huge bombshell that could turn the tides back in favour of Sony, appealing to players who want to be able to enjoy their games across console generations. In a now-deleted tweet (screen-grabbed and posted to ResetEra for posterity), McDonald said:

"There’s been some confusion about this in the past and I can clear it up now: The PlayStation 5 can run all PlayStation 4 games without per-game whitelisting. Sony continue to test titles but the system will not prevent you from launching untested games."

This is a big deal for the platform, as Sony itself has only said that almost all of "the top 100 PlayStation 4 titles" will be playable on the PS5 at launch - the 'top' titles being "ranked by playtime". The news is sure to set players' minds at ease, who have been anxious about losing access to a good portion of their existing game library should they choose to upgrade their hardware.

McDonald later deleted the tweet, explaining in another (now also deleted) tweet:

"I deleted a tweet out of respect for the platform holder, feel free to interpret that however you like."

Recent updates about the PS5 have made the platform seem potentially less appealing to gamers when compared to the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has just announced the September roll-out of Project xCloud which will allow Android users to play Xbox games on the go.

We already know that the Galaxy Note 20 will be optimised for Project xCloud thanks to Samsung's collaboration with Microsoft, and at Unpacked it was revealed that Galaxy users would be getting their own version of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate app with unique rewards and benefits.

Microsoft has also just unveiled its new line of officially licensed Designed for Xbox mobile gaming accessories to make gaming on the go even easier.

Meanwhile, Sony has just broken the news that the DS4 controller won't actually be compatible with PS5 games, and will only play PS4-supported titles on the new console. By contrast, Microsoft's family of consoles will support cross-compatibility with its controllers, and they'll also work with PC, Android, and iOS.

The news of PS4 backwards compatibility is the win Sony sorely needs. Let's hope it has more good news in store to incentivise players to stay in the PlayStation ecosystem as we head towards the holiday 2020 launch window.

Source: VG247

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.

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