The PS4 To PS5 Transition Will Take 3 Years, Says Sony Exec

Microsoft and Sony are like chalk and cheese with their approaches to the next generation of their gizmos. Microsoft is waxing lyrical on how valuable Xbox Game Pass is to anyone who will lend an ear, and with the addition of EA titles to the mix, that's bound to turn heads. Conversely, Sony has told us time and time again that the experiences on PlayStation 5 games made for the PlayStation 5 will be unlike anything we've ever seen, or heard, or felt. The Xbox Series X will also be compatible with all previous-gen knick-knacks, in order to avoid unnecessary expense and waste on the part of the consumer.

Though it's possible to use the PlayStation 4 controller to play PlayStation 4 games through the PlayStation 5 (say that three times quick), the DualSense is reluctant to talk to the PlayStation 4. But, it will work on the PlayStation 3, xCloud, and... the Nintendo Switch. All of this elastic trickery fades, though, when the console itself is able to go from a cold boot to the midst of Miles Morales' stomping ground in less than a minute. Amazing, right? It seems sensible to laud these achievements from the rooftops, and that's what Sony has done, but it has stated that it has no intention of leaving current-gen customers in the cold.

AV Watch spoke to Sony senior vice president of global product strategy and management Hideaki Nishino in an interview, and found out that "forward compatibility is important" to the company in the coming years. In fact, cross-generational content and play that will benefit PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players equally is its modus operandi. "The current assumption is that the transition from PS4 to PS5 will take about three years," said Nishino. "We have more than 100 million PS4 customers, but we will do our best to move to PS5 as soon as possible."

This is cheering news for those who haven't picked up their PlayStation 5 yet, and reiterated the recent sentiments of PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan. "Obviously, our eyes and our horizons have lifted with regards to what's possible with that PS4 community, based on what we've observed over the last six months," explained Ryan, citing the pandemic's impact on people's free time and habits as a core realisation of what the company is capable of. "That can be quite powerful, because in 2021, 2022... that PS4 community that we've spoken about, they will be the vast majority of people on PlayStations during that time. It is crucial that we keep them engaged and happy."

Furthermore, a number of the PlayStation 5's heavy-hitters have been revealed to be releasing for PlayStation 4 too. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Horizon Forbidden West are three examples, and fortunately, they will offer a free upgrade to their next-gen versions for PlayStation 4 players.