The studio behind the PlayStation Classics on PS5, Implicit Conversions, has expressed interest in developing a PS3 emulator for Sony’s modern consoles. This announcement highlights growing enthusiasm for making PS3 games natively playable on the PS5. Implicit Conversions is the team responsible for porting many classic PlayStation games to the PS5, including PS1 and PS2 titles available through PlayStation Plus Premium. The studio’s co-founder also previously worked on PS2 emulation for the PS4, giving them a strong background in tackling complex emulation challenges.
The PlayStation 3’s unique Cell processor architecture has long been a hurdle for emulation. Unlike the x86-based architecture of modern consoles, the Cell processor requires significant computational power and software optimization to emulate effectively. Despite these challenges, third-party projects like RPCS3 have demonstrated that full emulation is possible on high-end PCs, leading fans to question why Sony hasn’t implemented native support for PS3 games on its consoles.
Currently, PS3 games are only playable on the PS5 via cloud streaming through PlayStation Plus Premium. This solution has faced criticism due to latency issues and inconsistent performance. A native emulation solution would allow players to run games directly on their consoles, offering better performance and potentially enabling features like upscaling and improved frame rates.
If Implicit Conversions successfully develops a PS3 emulator for the PS5, it could revolutionize backward compatibility on Sony’s platform. Players could potentially play their existing digital or physical PS3 game library without relying on streaming, experience enhanced versions of classic titles with improved visuals and performance, and gain access to a broader range of legacy content through PlayStation Plus.
While this project is still in its conceptual stages, it underscores Sony’s potential interest in addressing one of the most requested features from its fanbase. Whether or not this dream becomes a reality remains uncertain, but it reflects a growing recognition of the importance of preserving gaming history. Fans will have to wait and see if Sony officially supports this initiative or if Implicit Conversions can independently push forward a breakthrough in native PS3 emulation.
