Backwards Compatibility now an offline affair

Microsoft has quietly tweaked the infrastructure of its shiny Xbox Series X hardware to now allow the playing of Xbox One games wi?thout the need for an online DRM check.

The new "feature," which is included in the console's 2206 Update, will allow Xbox Series users to?? play their Xbox One games in an offline capacity. Previously, the console would always do a?? brief online handshake to ensure that the Xbox One game in question was an authentic, licensed title and not a copied disc �The Xbox Series S, being discless, obviously had no need to perform this additional step.

Speaking on Twitter??, Xbox engineer and great-named person Eden Marie confirm??ed the update.

"Yes, this is true since the 2206 update," wrote Marie. "We examined data since Series X/S launch & determined the online compatibility check isn't needed in the vast majority of cases for Xbox One discs. Some games may still need to be updated online after install?? to ensur??e the best experience."

While this is a different situation entirely, one cannot help but recall the PR disaster that occurred prior to the Xbox One console's release, where Microsoft stated that an online connection was a mandatory demand for the playing of Xbox One games, to ensure that the player had indeed purchased a license for each and every ??title. While this would eventually prove not to be the case, there's no denying whatsoever that the initial statement was a Sword of Damocles over the brand, and certainly contributed to sales of Xbox hardware declining at the start of th?e eighth generation.

The 2206 Update is now live on X?box Series X/S p??latforms.

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Is it a glitch, or a portent?

Over the past weekend, a small selection of PS3 games appeared, complete with price, on the PS5 version of the PlayStation Network. The appearance of these PS3 titles, as spotted by Jordan Middler for VGC, has sparked hope?s in fans that backward compatibility could be headed to Sony's shiny new console.

Currently, PS5 users are unable to actually purchase any of the games in question �including titles in the Dead or Alive and Prince of Persia franchises �but while these games are available on the PlayStation Now service, they should not be appeared as priced, purchasable titles within PSN. Dead or Alive 5, in fact, shouldn't even be available as part of the European PlayStation Now service.

Of course, glitches gonna glitch, and this could simply be a coding error providing false listings. After all, there is testimony of similar store slip-ups happening before. Regardless, it's difficult not to find this intriguing, given not only PlayStation architect Mark Cerny's recent backward compatibility patent, but also the rumor that Sony is getting set to launch its own Xbox Game Pass-style subscription service. We're unlikely to hear official confirmation either way. So, for now, this is something of a wait-and-see situati?on. Whether this is smoke or fire, clearly PlayStation has the concept on its desk either way.

Would be great to have that huge PS3 catalog back in action though... Let's go, WWE All-Stars.

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Even if the controls aren't ideal, the backward compatible Xbox version is such a gift

[Update: If you were struggling to aim in the Xbox backward-compatible versions of TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the team has implemented an update for the controller sensitivity, according to Xbox's Jason Ronald. Granted, it's not what I would call "perfect," but it's a noticeable step up from before. In TS2, I was abl??e to get a silver medal in Simian Shootout after a few attempts, so it has alrea??dy made an impact.]

Just in case you didn't hear the recent good news, the Xbox team dropped one big final batch of backward-compatible Xbox games, and fans got not one but two TimeSplitters titles. You can fire up TimeSplitters 2 or TimeSplitters: Future Perfect on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S with a disc, or pay a super-reasonable $10 for the digital versions. It's not that easy to find BC titles on the Xbox storefront unless you already ??know what to look for, so I feel like the word is still getting out. There is one thing to note about the aiming, though.

The aiming in this backward-compatible Xbox version of TimeSplitters 2 is, in a word, hyper. And I don't just mean in comparison to contemporary shooters, which is a stark contrast on its own. It even stands out in relation to the Xbox/GameCube/PS2 originals. I'd say the aiming goes from zero to 100 in an instant, but it's actually more like zero to 1,000. Anythi?ng but the absolute slightest nudge of the right?? stick will whip your aim around.

In the chaos of split-screen multiplayer with bots and other players and wacky modes and modifiers, it's not the worst. With very patient stealth (and map/AI knowledge), the campaign can be bested. But in the higher-stakes Arcade League and Challenge Mode missions, which are just as much of a draw as anything else in TimeSplitters 2, oh boy.

Arcade levels like Can't Handle This �the one where you have to kill way too many sentient hands with Tommy Guns as a mobster �and Golem Guru �where you're dueling a Stone Golem who can shrug off rockets �were hard back in the day. Getting gold medals now, in 2021, feels like even more of an accomplishment. In some cases, like the Simian Shootout challenge with flying tar?gets, I will absolutely settle for silver.

Granted, the aiming in TimeSplitters 2 is something you can potentially get used to with time, as I kinda sorta have. I've developed this weird new muscle memory where I rely much more on my character's movement than normal to try and get the reticule lined up. I'm still having a wonderful time, though. Nothing else scratches that TimeSplitters itch.

The Xbox BC version looks great and generally runs really well outside of some rare, short-lived hitching I've noticed in a couple of spots in TS2 �it could just be a bit better.

Other players have expressed their concerns, too. It's unclear if any additional work can be done by the backward compatibility team to tone down the way the aiming ramps up, or if we're stuck with it. For what it's worth, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect is easier to acclimate to, and it has more options, so if that's you??r preferred game, you're better off.

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Beautiful Katamari, F.E.A.R., Dead or Alive Ultimate, Max Payne, NieR, Skate 2, Jedi Outcast, Otogi, and TimeSplitters 2, among many others

One of the best parts of modern-day Xbox gaming has been the commitment to legacy games, and today, we've got a ton of new (old!) games to revisit from the Xbox and Xbox 360 days. Announced during the laid-back Xbox 20th anniversary stream, Microsoft is rolling o??ut over 70 backward-compatible games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Fans were hoping for some more move?ment in Xbox's backward compatibility program, and I'd say this is it. It really felt like they were saving 'em up for one final wave.

Courtesy of The Verge, here's t??he list of backward compatible games coming to Xbox platforms today. You just nee??d your original disc or a digital copy to play them.

• 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
• Aces of the Galaxy
• Advent Rising
• Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade
• Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Burning Earth
• Bankshot Billiards 2
• Beautiful Katamari
• Binary Domain
• Black College Football Xperience: Doug Williams Ed
• Cloning Clyde
• Conan
• Darwinia+
• Dead or Alive Ultimate
• Dead or Alive 3
• Dead or Alive 4
• Death by Cube
• Disney Universe
• Disney's Chicken Little
• Elements of Destruction
• F.E.A.R.
• F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
• F.E.A.R. 3
• F.E.A.R. Files
• The First Templar
• Gladius
• Gunvalkyrie
• Islands of Wakfu
• Lego The Lord of the Rings
• Manhunt
• Max Payne
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
• Max Payne 3
• Mini Ninjas
• Mortal Kombat
• Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
• MX vs. ATV Alive
• MX vs. ATV Untamed
• NieR
• Novadrome
• Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
• Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad
• Otogi: Myth of Demons
• Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors
• The Outfit
• Outpost Kaloki X
• Quake Arena Arcade
• R.A.W. - Realms of Ancient War
• Red Dead Revolver
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Ridge Racer 6
• Rio
• Risen
• Risen 2: Dark Waters
• Rock of Ages
• Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
• Scramble
• Screwjumper!
• Secret Weapons Over Normandy
• Skate 2
• SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam!
• SpongeBob's Truth or Square
• Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition
• Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
• Switchball
• Thrillville
• Thrillville: Off the Rails
• Time Pilot
• TimeSplitters 2
• TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
• Toy Story Mania!
• Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment
• Viva Piñata: Party Animals
• Warlords

Everything on the list today supports optional Auto HDR on Xbox Series X/S, some of the "new" games like NieR, Binary Domain, and F.E.A.R. have FPS Boost, and 26 games from the existing lineup are also getting FPS Boost �Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Dead Space 2, Sonic Generations, and Dragon Age: Origins among them.

As a reminder, original Xbox games will have a resolution bump: a 2x increase on Xbox???? One S and Xbox One, 3x on Xbox Series S, and 4x on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X.

"Your constant requests for specific titles and enhancements encouraged the Backwards Compatibility team to partner with the original creators to preserve thousands of games from over four generations of Xbox," said compatibility program lead Peggy Lo. "While we continue to stay focused on preserving and enhancing the art form of games, we have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog? from the past due to licensing, legal and technical constraints. Thank you for being part of this journey with us."

So, it's a bit of a bittersweet note. I'm stoked to see a lot of these fan-favorite names �for my part, it doesn't get much better than TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect�and ?I hope Microsoft was able to check off a few of your wishlist items too with this last b??atch.

As for the games getting FPS Boost today, I'm excited about Kameo, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (the GOAT), and the Gears of War series. I want to replay them all.

Here's the list of backward-compatible games getting a higher frame rate on Xbox Series X/S today (via The Verge), and a reminder: you can toggle FPS Boost by selecting "Manage Game" (with the Menu button) on an individual title to find its co?mpa??tibility options.

• Alan Wake
• Assassin's Creed
• Binary Domain
• Black College Football Xperience: Doug Williams Ed
• Darksiders
• Dead Space 2
• Dead Space 3
• Disney's Chicken Little
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Dragon Age II
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• F.E.A.R.
• F.E.A.R. 3
• Fable Anniversary
• Fable III
• Fallout 3
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Far Cry 3
• Final Fantasy XIII-2
• Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War: Judgment
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Lego The Lord of the Rings
• Medal of Honor: Airborne
• Mirror's Edge
• NieR
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
• Rock of Ages
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
• Sonic Generations
• Sonic Unleashed
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars
• Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment

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That's a whole lotta frames

Microsoft has added even more old games to its FPS Boost lineup, bring??ing the total up to 97.

FPS Boost is a special feature of the Xbox Series X and S that pumps up the framerate on older games, often either a lift up to either 60hz or 120hz. It's a part of Xbox's backward compatibility plan that's added a nice boost to modern classics, ranging from Dishonored and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to Titanfall 2.

Today, we're releasing our largest drop of games featuring FPS Boost to date, bringing the total titles boosted to 97, many of which are included in @XboxGamePass and @EAPlay (included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription). //t.co/eCyB8KgAbQ pic.twitter.com/DDjMbRB9TL

— Larry Hryb ðŸ¡ðŸŽ®â˜ (@majornelson) May 3, 2021

Games getting a boost this time around range from Alien Isolation and Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection to SUPERHOT. You can find the full list on the blog here, which also notes what boost each game receives on each Xbox Seri??es. Xbox also noted that many of its 97 FPS Boosted games are available through Xbox Game Pass and EA Play (via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate).

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And now Pandora's box is open for game requests

Microsoft has outdone itself with backward compatibility on Xbox, to the point where – in the absence of regularly scheduled big-hitting exclusives – it's one of the main selling points for th?e platform. And it gets better: with a new FPS Boost feature, certain game?s will run even smoother on Xbox Series X/S.

As outlined today by Microsoft, FPS Boost will work behind the scenes to boost select Xbox One ti?t??les to 60 frames per second or, in some cases, 120fps. The internal team says it has "partnered closely with developers to enhance the experience while maintaining the game's original intent."

You can see the results in action ??with this analysis from Digital Found?ry:

To start with, FPS Boost will be available in a handful of games on Xbox Series X/S – New Super Lucky's Tale, Watch Dogs 2, Far Cry 4, Sniper Elite 4, and UFC 4 – before rolling out to a wider selection.

The starting lineup is a sampler ?of what's possible. I'm sure Xbox fans are already sending in requests.

"Starting this Spring, you can go into the 'Manage Game' secti?on for any title, where you'll be presented with a new 'Compatibility Options' butt?on that will allow you to toggle FPS Boost (as well as Auto HDR) on or off," said senior program manager Paul Eng. "There will also be a new indicator informing you when a game is running with FPS Boost whenever you hit the Xbox Button on your controller. You decide how you want to play your favorite games, whether in its original form or with FPS Boost."

It's cool to see Microsoft make its backward-compatibility initiative such a priority, particularly when there are above-and-beyond perks sprinkled in that need little to no effort from the original game creators. I wish Sony was willing to go to some of these lengths to bolster its? legacy platforms.

On a happier n??ote, I'm just pleased to see frame rates matter this much in the console space.

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I'll never forget the maintenance tunnel route

Just a quick Friday afternoon reminder before the weekend gets here: you can now grab Dead Rising and Breakdown for free on Xbox through Games with Gold. The promo just popped up?? today.

Most of us have played Dead Rising before, and many of us adore the original in ways that the later entries – not even Dead Rising 2 – could completely top, but maybe you don't have the 2016 edition. There's something about the intricate mall shelves that I hold near and dear even in the modern era. I used to stress ??out about the time limit and missable story beats, but I've learned to appreciat??e them.

As for Breakdown, I mostly know it for the weirdly iconic "glowi??ng red fist" box art. Having never played Namco's first-person action gam??e on the original Xbox, I'm expecting to feel bewildered.

It's also not too late to redeem Little Nightmares, and I suggest you do. Nice little creepy romp. (The cutoff is January 31 for Breakdown and Little Nightmares, and February 15 for Dead Rising.)

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Larry David wrote that headline

Xbox has sputtered and come up short with Games with Gold for most of 2020. That's an unfortunate byproduct of Xbox Game Pass being so well-rounded. Having so many titles on Game Pass means that Games with Gold suffers when it comes to finding more things to add to subscription services? -- especially when Xbox probably gets more value out of adding them to Game Pass and making that an even more attractive offer.

New year, new me. Xbox is starting 2021 off on the right foot with a Games with ?Gold lineup that has people excited. Chances are there's at least one game in the batch that most subscribers will find worth downloadin??g.

 The headliner -- or at least the most recent game -- is 2017's moody horror indie platformer Little Nightmares. It's a bizarre piece of art, a lot like Playdead's Inside in some ways. Funny story: Jordan actually played Little Nightmares a couple weekends ago and then described it to me as "insane? but short." Then he s?howed me the level with the chefs.

There's more brand name recognition by moving back another console generation. The Xbox 360 games are generally well-known. Dead Rising and The King of Fighters XIII are also part of the lineup. I'm curious as to how Dead Rising runs on Xbox Series X. I'd assume it doesn't have too much trouble pushing all those zombies on-screen at once. Lastly, Namco's first-person become-a-superhero-and-escape-from-a-lab game from the original Xbox, Breakdown, rounds out the freebies.

Here's the full, ahem, breakdown of January? 2021's X??box Games with Gold:

• Little Nightmares (Xbox One, available January 1 to January 31)
• Dead Rising (Xbox One, available January 16 to February 15)
• The King of Fighters XIII (Xbox 360, available January 1 to January 15)
• Breakdown (original Xbox, available January 16 to January 31)

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IO wants to make sure all PlayStation VR owners 'can experience the game in VR'

IO Interactive is in a slightly strange place with Hitman 3's PlayStation VR support given the way PS5 currently works with the four-year-old headset. If you haven't dug into the details, here goes: you'll either play Agent 47's hilarious-looking VR mode "natively" on a PS4, or you'll experience it with a PS4 copy of the game running on a PS5 via backward compatibility – those are the only two options.

What gives? Sony didn't ?want to drop support for PSVR on PlayStation 5, but it also isn't ready for the next model. As such, we're in this weird middle ground that's better than nothing but far from?? ideal.

The good news, as confirmed on the PlayStation Blog, is that IO Interactive will include "a free digital copy of the PS4 version of Hitman 3 with all PS5 copies, whe?ther you choose to buy it via disc or digital."

The studio also reiterated that Hitman and Hitman 2 locations will be playable in first-person VR, and it detailed Hitman 3's DualSe??nse usage, which is going to give every weapon "?unique haptic feedback."

My fingers are still crossed that there will be some added benefits to playing Hitman 3 in VR on PS5 hardware (like how Blood and Truth looks and runs better), but we'll have to wait for more details.

Hitman 3's DualSense controller feat??ures unveiled, plus more gameplay info [PlayStation Blog]

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There's actually some decent stuff here though

Just as the se?asons change, so too do the console generations. Not long ago -- like, two weeks -- the Xbox 360 was just last-gen. Now, it's last-last-gen. Or, more succinctly and better-phrased, two gens ago.

And that's where you have to look to find the gems in December's Games with Gold. There's some decent stuff here, but it's very old stuff. Highest on my list is Double Fine's Stacking, which is a puzzle adventure game about Russian stacking dolls in the industrial age. It has been nearly 10 years since I played it, but I remember loving Stacking.

Stacking's Xbox 360 companion is the absurd Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell. This one's a spinoff to Saints Row IV, and it's about pissing off Satan, a wedding in Hell, and it's tied to Agents of Mayhem. Gat Out of Hell is quic?k but that's probably ??not a bad thing.

There's less excitement on the Xbox One side. The Raven: Remastered is the first Games with Gold freebie, and it's an overhaul of the classic murder mystery adventure. Maybe it has Poe-tential. Later, indie action platformer shoot-'em-up Bleed 2 takes over. As always, everything here can be played on Xbox Series X through the magic of backward compatibility?.

Here's the full brea??kdown of December's Games with Gold:

• The Raven: Remastered (Xbox One, available December 1 through December 31)
• Bleed 2 (Xbox One, available December 16 through January 15)
• Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell (Xbox 360, December 1 through December 15)
• Stacking (Xbox 360, December 16 through December 31)

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Shadow Complex has been patched

Officially there were 10 PS4 games that wouldn't be able to make the transition to PS5 via the magic of backward compatibility. (Although, Chris and other people found their own examples of additional games that weren't functional.) "Were" is the operative word in that first sentence beca?use the offici??al list has now been pared down to nine.

Chair Entertainment has patched Shadow Complex Remastered so that it's now backward compatibl??e on PS5:

Our team has patched Shadow Complex Remastered for PS4 and it's now playable on PlayStation 5! ðŸ‘

— Shadow Complex (@shadowcomplex) November 19, 2020

Even though the roster of excluded games was pretty acceptable (and mostly only featured rather insignificant titles), seeing it shrink is kind of nice. Shadow Complex Remastered was easily one of the best games on that list, so it's nothing but a positive that it won't be lost to the ether. It's also reassuring to know that th??ese games can be fixed up to meet the criteria for PS5 backward compatibility -- if the development team is willing or even still around.

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The lengths Konami will go...

Konami has already gone to great lengths to scrub P.T. from existence, that much is well-documented. Following the cancelation of Silent Hills, P.T. was abruptly pulled from the PlayStation Store and unable to be downloaded ever again. The only way to play P.T. was to already? have it on your PS4's hard driv??e.

Now, Konami has made sure the beloved playable teaser's ghosts remain in the past. After some will it/won't it discussion over P.T. living on through PS5 backward compatibility, it seems as though Konami has delivered the coup de grâce.

Polygon reports that P.T. can't ??be transferred from a PS4 to the PS5's SSD storage. Because of this, it's not supported through backward compatibility??.

Here's what's weird though: Polygon also reports that P.T. worked on the PS5 at one point. In late October, Polygon did a data transfer and played P.T. from the beginning. It was perfectly playable. However, after a factory reset, the transfer couldn't be initiated again. The functionality was removed sometime in the few days leading up to this morning's PS5 review embargo.

Sony points the finger at Konami and calls this "a publisher's decision." Konami had told us in the past that P.T. wouldn't work on PS5, but the logic behind that statement seemed shaky. Konami said that P.T. wasn't PS5-compatible because you could?? no longer download it from the PlayStation Store. We had already known that. It seemed to reason that anyone who simply transferred the files would be all set.

Not so, and it's entirely because Konami is hellbent on making sure P.T. dies. At this point, it's probably best to not even try the transfer just in case something happens to the file on your PS4. Someone needs to preserve history because Konami's actively try??ing to erase ?it.

P.T. is not playable on PlayStation 5 [Polygon]

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PlayStation wins this round

There's an inevitable comparison between every month's PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold games. Sometimes it's a knock-down drag-out war, as ??it's tough to declare a ?definitive winner. This month, it's a massacre.

Yesterday, Sony revealed Bugsnax, Hollow Knight, and Middle-earth: Shadow of War as the three PS Plus games that will ??welcome the PS5's arrival. Today, Xbox announced its Games with Gold, and none of the four freebies live up to any single?? game in PlayStation's lineup. 

Here's the Games with Gold offerings that ushers in the Xbox Series X: Stealth platformer Arigami, underwater shooter Swimsanity, original Xbox tactics game Full Spectrum Warrior, and LEGO Indiana Jones (which I admittedly have nostalgic love f?or).

The problem is that Xbox Game Pass is cannibalizing any real value that Games with Gold could offer. Gam??e Pass is a tremendous service that has near-universal love. But it has impacted Games with Gold to the poi??nt where we're left wondering why it even exists anymore. At this rate, it can't be long before Microsoft just kills it altogether and makes Xbox Live Gold perks free or rolls them into various Game Pass tiers.

Here'??s the full breakdown of November's Games ??with Gold:

• Arigami: Shadow Edition (Xbox One, available November 1 through November 30)
• Swimsanity (Xbox One, available November 16 through December 15)
• Full Spectrum Warrior (original Xbox, available November 1 through November 15)
• LEGO Indiana Jones (Xbox 360, available November 16 through November 30)

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Every non-Kinect Xbox One game makes the cut

Backward compatibility is a big point of emphasis for both Microsoft and Sony heading into the new generation of consoles. Sony came out a few weeks ago and confirmed that only 10 games won't make the transition from PS4 to PS5. That's a very acce??ptable percentage. Xbox has similar results, but with more peripheral-induced constraints.

Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald has confirmed that every non-Kinect Xbox One game, and every single b??????????????????????????ackward compatible game from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 that doesn't require Kinect will be playable on Xbox Series S/X:

After 500K+ hours of testing, we’re are excited to share that all Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games playable on Xbox One today, except for the handful that require Kinect, will be available – and look and play better – on Xbox Series X|S at launch.

— Jason Ronald (@jronald) October 28, 2020

However, some stuff is lost to obsolete motion-tracking cameras that are stashed away deep in closets. The writing was on the wall for Kinect for a long time now, and no one really expected the Xbox Series X to support it. (In fact, Microsoft actually confirmed as much back in July.)

But even if we didn't already have explicit confirmation, Microsoft stopped prioritizing and pushing Kinect a long time ago. In late 2017, it stopped production of Kinect. In early 2018, Microsoft stopped producing the adapter that was needed to use Kinect on any models of Xbox One after the original launch model. K??ine??ct is dead and a new generation of Xbox has no interest in reviving it.

Let's focus on the haves and not the ca?n't-haves for a second, though. It's great that more or less the entire last generation makes the trans?ition to the new generation. Sprinkling in a bunch of stuff from two and three generations ago is even sweeter.

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The clock is ticking with Ragnarok looming

Aside from playing actual PlayStation 5 games, one of the first things I want to do with the console is revisit old PS4 favorites – especially ga??mes with uncapped frame rates that ??stand to benefit the most.

One such release is 2018's God of War, which will be even better on a PS5. As Sony Santa Monica tweeted this morning, God of War will run at 60 frames per second (with the Favor Performance option selected), your PS4 save file will transfer (this is a backward-compatible game, after all!), and New Game+ is still an enticing opportunity for those of us who never made time for a se??cond playthrough.

Whether you’re picking up the game for the first time or looking to finish that NG+ save, God of War (2018) on the #PS5 will offer:

ðŸŽžï¸ Up to 60 FPS using the ‘Favor Performance’ video option
🎮 Save Transfers – start right where you left off on the PS4!

— Santa Monica Studio Is Hiring (@SonySantaMonica) October 26, 2020

This summary might not come as a surprise – the original PS4 game already had visual/performance options (that you probably messed around with if you played on a PS4 Pro), so it makes sense that it would fare ??even better on PS5 without needing a significant update – but it's worth reiterating.

It's also interesting that this is how Sony is handling (at least two of its) high-profile PS4 games on PS5. God of War will just work on the new console – that's it! Nothing wild. Don't expect bells and whistles. If you were really hoping for 4K and 60fps, it doesn't sound like that's in the cards (?barring an update).

Sony Santa Monica also noted that God of War III Remastered save files will transfer to PS5,?? which, 1) any takers? and? 2) I didn't know that needed to be clarified. (Maybe it's more of a PSA than anything.)

With Ragnarok seemingly still coming?? in 2021, I can't procrastinate much longer.

@SonySantaMonica [Twitter]

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Transfers should still work

Two weeks ago, Sony revealed the 10 PlayStation 4 games that won't work on PS5. It's a small list, and there's nothing of real consequence being ??left behind. One game wasn't mentioned meaning it's de facto backward compatible, but people wanted confirmation anyway.

That game is PT. We asked Sony whether PT could be played on PS5, but we never heard back.?? Everyone was just left to assume that it'd work. Why wouldn't it work?

Hold up. GamesRadar+ got ahold of Konami who confirmed that PT wouldn't be backward compatible. Konami says "[PT] will not be available on the PS Store, so users won't be able to re-downl?oad the content through the backwards compatibil??ity feature to the PS5."

That seems wrong though, doesn't it? Konami's statement only appears to address what we already know (and have experienced) with PT. It was delisted in April 2015 after the announcement that Silent Hills was canceled. Nobody has been able to download PT for more than five years.

But, Konami's seemingly ignoring the option to transfer it from hard drives for people who already have it downloaded. Sony has said the transfer process works for both wired and wireless connections. Simply moving the game from PS4 to PS5 should work. Or, at least we don't have any evidence as to why it shouldn't work. Time will tell, but it?? kind of appears as though Konami missed the intention behind this q?uestion.

PT won't be backwards compatible with the PS5 [GamesRadar+]

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For Those About to Rock

When you consider backward compatibility, a lot of times it's just nice to know the option is there. Like "I know I'm probably never playing the Deadliest Warrior fig??hting game again but at least I know I can if I want to." 

Rock Band is kind of different. A lot of people have generations full of paid-for songs and closets full of plastic peripherals. It's the sort of game??? you definitely want to bring with you into the next generation because, if you couldn't, it's good enough to keep the old systems hooked up to keep playing.

The good news is that won't be necessary. Harmonix has published a post that explains Rock Band 4 is pretty much completely compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X. Hardware, DLC, saves -- all of it. There's a weird limit?ation where PS5 detects the DualSense's controller microphone as the default mic; to combat that, you'll need to change your PS5 settings at the system level before using a USB mic.

Otherwise, Harmonix says that everything should work on next-gen consoles. If it ever worked with Rock Band 4 (including electronic drum kits and legacy wireless adapters), it'll still work on PS5 and Xbox Series X. There's even a note about how the DLC transfer stuff is much cleaner this time. It was, infamously, a trainwreck redownloading all your old DLC for use in Rock Band 4.

Speaking of old DLC, let's wrap this up with a PSA. The license to export Rock Band 3's songs into Rock Band 4 will expire on December 1. So, the next month-and-a-half serve as last call to export those --but you need the Rock Band 3 disc. After that, they're? lost to Father Time (unless you feel like hooking up your old console just to play that game).

Rock Band 4 and Next-Gen Consoles [Harmonix]

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Any old SSD will work

As information continues to trickle out about next-gen consoles, we keep getting new pieces of the puzzle that inform our purchasing decisions. Here's a relatively niche one from Digital Foundry that's going to become increasingly relevant over time: Any old SSD is a good option for storing and running backward compatibility games o??n Xbox Series X.

Digital Foundry's extensive breakdown is embedded above, but the gist of it is that the Xbox Series X's expe??nsive proprietary nVME SSD doesn't offer much of an advantage over a SATA SSD when it comes to the backward compatibility library. We're talking load speed differential of around one second.

The reason for this is that backward compatibility titles don't make use of the Velocity Architecture that Microsoft has developed for video games on Xbox Series X. Without that optimization, the proprietary SSDs are just acting like SSDs. Considering the price point of an average SATA SSD versus the $220 Seagate Xbox Series X SSD, it'd be foolish to wast?e precious internal storage space on backward compatible games.

However, and this is important to note, any Xbox Series X optimized title has to run off of the internal storage or the proprietary external SSD (which functions the exact same as the internal SSD). The SATA SSD option is only applicable to backward compatibility for tha??t reason. But, seeing as how every generation of Xbox coming together is one of Microsoft's selling points, most people will probably have some old stuff that they want to keep installed.

The other takeaway is that everyone should probably stop running their games off of HDDs if they can afford to. Spinning disk drives lag way behind everything else in these tests. If the next generation is largely about getting you into your games quickly, why pay for the new m??achines just to undo those advantages with inferior tech? 

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Playable on day one through backward compatibility

After hearing the good news today about the PlayStation 5's backward compatibility plan for PS4 games – in?? short: a??lmost everything will work on the new console – we're now left to think about which of our PS4 games will be particularly well-suited for PS5. Ghost of Tsushima is in that conversation.

According to Sucker Punch Productions, PS5 players will be able to benefit from "frame rates up to 60FPS" in Ghost of Tsushima ??using the Game Boos??t feature. They'll also get even faster load times.

PS5 owners playing ?with Game Boost will see an? extra option to allow frame rates up to 60FPS, and while loading speeds on the PS4 are already great, just wait until you see them on the PS5!

— Ghost of Tsushima 🎮 OUT NOW (@SuckerPunchProd) October 9, 2020

"Select PS4 titles will see increased loading speeds on the PS5 console, and will also leverage Game Boost, offering improved or more stable frame rates," Sony explained today in a blog post. "Some titles with unlocked frame ra??tes or dynamic ?resolution up to 4K may see higher fidelity."

It makes sense that a late-PS4 gem like Ghost of Tsushima would use this PS5 feature, but it's always nice to hear these things confirmed ahead of time so we aren't left wondering. It's also interesting that the frame rate increase is coming as an "extra option." Performance over resolution, always.

If you've got Ghost of Tsushima already, or you're planning to start soon, note that your PS4 save file will transfer and the game will be playable on PS5 "on day one" through backward compatibility. Talk about a convincing reason to pick this back up again with the soon-to-be-released New Game+ mode.

If most othe?r major PS4 exclusives can see improvements like this, the PS5 will be off to a strong start.

@SuckerPunchProd [Twitter]

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Nothing you can't live without

Ever since Sony confirmed that the PlayStation 5 would be backward compatible with PS4 games, there has been a cloud of confusion hanging over its functionality.? It doesn't extend to any generations before PS4, and PlayStation architect Mark Cerny says "nearly all" last-gen games will run on PS5. We've been left wondering how vast that list of omissions will be.

As it turns out, it's not bad at all. Sony released a list of the 10 games that won't be available via b??ackward compatibility and are only playable on PS4. Here they are:

• Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume 1
• DWVR
• Hitman GO: Definitive Edition
• Joe's Diner
• Just Deal With It!
• Robinson: The Journey
• Shadow Complex Remastered
• Shadwen
• TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2
• We Sing

There's not much here that will leave people in tears. Hitman GO and Shadow Complex are fine games, so pour one out for them. Just Deal With It ??is an ironic title in a list about having t?o make concessions.

It's not clear whether this list is completely exhaustive at this point. Back in March, Sony empha??sized that it was still testing every single PS4 title to see if it'd function with backward compatibility. Also, there's no mention of which games can make use of the boosted mode that enhances PS4 titles on PS5 with higher frame rates. Still, out of 4,000-some games, leaving 10 behind ain't bad.

There isn't much on the rest of the backward compatibility support page that will perk up ears. However, it's noted that digital games and save files can be transferred from PS4 to PS5 over WiFi. That's huge. Also, Sony recommen??ds playing PS4 titles on PS5 with a DualShock 4 controller rather than the PS5's DualSens?e. Don't throw those old DualShocks out just yet.

Backward compatib??ility: PlayStation 4 games playable on?? PlayStation 5 [PlayStation]

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At least a couple of treats

A lot of times, Microsoft misses the mark with Games with Gold. That's not in terms of th?e quality bein??g crappy -- although that has certainly been a problem in the past -- but in terms of disassociating months from their biggest holiday. Everyone's in the mood so just give us what we're already vibin'.

That is ??not a problem for this October's Games with Gold. It is Halloweened to the max, with no time f?or anything other than scares and slayings. This is exactly how October should be. 

It starts strong on Xbox One as Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is the first to die freebie. I actually wrote a?bout this little gem a few years ago. It's a cutesy block-moving puzzle game where the goal is to murder everyone in any given scene. It's well worth a try. Also, its name is a nod to Sleepaway Camp which is my favorite camp slasher movie. Joining the festivities halfway through the month is Maid of Sker which certainly loo??ks more the part of a traditional horror game.

On the backward compatibility side of things, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is available for the first half of October as an original Xbox game. Next up is Double Fine's Costume Quest which I unapologetically adore. It might be time for a replay of that one. It's breezy and light in all the right ways. This one doesn't even hav??e a Hardcorn ?mode to trip you up.

Here's the full Xbox Games w?ith Gold breakdown for October:

• Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut (Xbox One, available October 1 through October 31)
• Maid of Sker (Xbox One, available October 16 through November 15)
• Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy (Xbox, available October 1 through October 15)
• Costume Quest (Xbox 360, available October 16 through October 31)

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The latest word on PS5's backward compatibility support

It's not the most in-depth quote, but according to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, "99 percent" of the PS4 games tested for backward compatibility on PlayStation 5 will ?be playable.

That's the latest according to The Washington Post. Previously, it was the "overwhelming majority."

As for wider backward compatibility with PS3, PS2, and PS1 games on PS5, no dice – Ryan confirmed to Famitsu (via Siliconera) that those three? legacy systems won't be? supported. A shame.

Before it was announced that Demon's Souls will arrive as a day-one PS5 launch game, I toyed with the idea of making Bloodborne – as in, the dearly beloved PS4 title – one of my first experiences with the new console. Honestly, I'm still considering a November replay on PlayStation 5. That feels right to me.

Bloodborne is among the many powerhouse PS4 titles featured in the just-announced PlayStation Plus Collection, so if you happen to?? have a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition lined up and you're in the mood to relive some of your PS4 favorites (that you potentially own on disc, not digitally), you'll still be covered.

As for the "99 percent" backward compatibility plan, I'm expecting some caveats here and there.

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan says m?ore PlayStation 5 ?units will be available than PS4s in 2013 [The Washington Post via The Verge]

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A reason to jump right into backward compatibility

Sony added a tremendous perk to PlayStation Plus for anyone?? who plans on ad??opting the PlayStation 5. It's especially useful for those who haven't been entrenched in the PlayStation ecosystem for a long time.

Sony is making use of the PS5's backward compatibility functionality to offer up a ton of PlayStation 4 first-party exclusives (and a lot of quality third-party titles too). Anyone who has an active PS Plus membership will be able to access these games on PS5 for free at launch on No??vember 12:

• Battlefield 1
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• Bloodborne
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
• Days Gone
• Detroit: Become Human
• Fallout 4
• Final Fantasy XV
• God of War
• inFamous: Second Son
• The Last Guardian
• The Last of Us Remastered
• Monster Hunter: World
• Mortal Kombat X
• Persona 5
• Ratchet & Clank
• Resident Evil 7
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
• Until Dawn

That's a list of absolute bangers suddenly rolled into a subscription that most people probably already have. This group, dubbed the "PlayStation Plus Collection" won't be the headliner when it comes to this afternoon's stream, but it seems like one of those value propositions that people w?ill come to really appreciate over time.

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Legacy support is lacking outside of PS4 games

[Update: Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has confirmed that PS5 won't natively support PS3, PS2, or PS1 games through b??ackward compatibility. We'll see about digital re-releases, though.]

Don't pack up your original PlayStation 3 just yet if you're invested in PS3 games or backward compatibility with PS1 and PS2. If anything, superglue that sucker in place – it's not going anywhere.

While Sony hasn't divulged the full details on how extensive backward compatibility will be on PlayStation 5, reading the room, it's looking like support for the "overwhelming majority" of PS4 games is our best bet on the new console and everything else – PS1, PS2, and PS3 – is wishful thinking.

While this isn't the be-all and end-all on the subject (and it sure would be nice to have clarity from Sony), according to a Ubisoft support page, backward compatibility "will be availab??le for supported PlaySta??tion 4 titles, but will not be possible for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation games."

[Update: After widespread circulation, Ubisoft removed that sentence from the suppor??t page.]

The meaning behind that wording could be interpreted in a few different ways, so for comparison's sake, it's worth looking at the equivalent support page for Xbox Series X. As Ubisoft puts it, backward compatibility "will be availab??le for supported Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox titles" on Xbox Series X.

It's a stark contrast. I get that BC support isn't a priority for Sony and many players, but for those of us who do care about it – enough to dig up a Ubisoft support page for details – it's such a big ?deal.

Mentally, I'm at the point where I just hope all of my PS4 games work on PS5. The bar is tha??t low.

Transitioning PlayStation 4 titles to next-?gen versions [Ubisoft via @Nibellion]

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Hey, a pandemic game!

When news broke two weeks ago that Forza Horizon 3 would be delisted toward the end of September, I wondered whether it'd go out with one last hurrah as a closing time freebie in next mo??nth's Games with Gold. It wa??sn't meant to be, as Microsoft's instead giving out a different old game that has similarly been made redundant by newer entries in its series.

The Division is the biggest name in September's Games with Gold lineup, as Ubisoft's 2016 open-world RPG team shooter takes the spotlight. It's a fine enough game, but the sequel vastly improves upon the original in most areas. Also, Ubisoft sold The Division 2 for $3 ea??rlier this year, so plent??y of people have tried their hand at the newer of the games.

The rest of the list is less remarkable. The other Xbox One title is point-and-click adventure The Book of Unwritten Tales 2. As far as past-generation games go, Xbox 360's De Blob 2 and original Xbox's Armed and Dangerous a?re up for grabs. As always, those older games are playable on Xbox One thr??ough backward compatibility.

Here's the full rundown fo??r Xbox's Games with Gold in ?September: 

• The Division (Xbox One, available September 1 through September 30)
• The Book of Unwritten Tales (Xbox One, available September 16 through October 15)
• De Blob 2 (Xbox 360, available September 1 through September 15)
• Armed and Dangerous (original Xbox, available September 16 through September 30)

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One's getting better as the other gets worse

Xbox Game Pass is an excellent subscription service that offers one of the best (if not the best) values in gaming. Xbox Games with Gold, on the other hand, has been ?on a s?teady decline over the past several months.

That trend doesn't change in August, as there's no clear-cut headliner out of the bunch. On Xbox One, it's Minecraft-like Portal Knights and fighter Override: Mech City Brawl. There's a double dose of original Xbox nostalgia for the backward compatibility games as 2004's MX Unleashed and 2002's Red Faction II round out the month.

Is there a correlation between Game Pass' ascent and Games with Gold's descent? Is Game Pass' ever-expanding library snuffing out candidates for future Games with Gold freebies? The business side of it all is obviously confidential and unclear. But one thing is increasingly apparent: Games with Gold is routinely underwhelming while Game Pass?? becomes more and m?ore of an essential service.

Here'?s the full Xbox Games with Gold breakdown?? for August:

• Portal Knights (Xbox One, available August 1 through August 31)
• Override: Mech City Brawl (Xbox One, available August 16 through September 15)
• MX Unleashed (Xbox, available August 1 through August 15)
• Red Faction II (Xbox, available August 16 through August 31)

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Cars are the most relatable protagonists

A??ny committed Xbox Live Gold subscriber would've done well to buy a racing wheel by now. Nearly month after month in 2020, the biggest Xbox One freebie is a simulation racer. After a one-month reprieve, that trend is back.

Rally racer WRC 8 is the most notable Xbox One title in July's Games with Gold. You should be plenty acclimated with fast-but-cautious racing by now. This year, we've gotten: TT Isle of Man in February (a motorcycle racer but a racer nonetheless), Project CARS 2 in April, and V-Rally 4 in May.

The other Xbox One game sticks to sports. Dunk Lords -- which just released in March but with no buzz -- is free starting midway through July. It's seemingly NBA Jam by way of a hero shooter. It's two-on-two arcade basketball where players have special abilities. Maybe it'l??l be surprisingly fun for a ??freebie.

The biggest name of the bunch comes on the Xbox 360 side. Saints Row 2 (considered by some if not most to be the best Saints Row) is the first last-gen offering. Later in July, 2D mascot platformer JUJU takes over. As always, the Xbox 360 games are playable on Xbox One throug??h backward ??compatiblity.

Here's the? full Games with Gold breakdown for July:

• WRC 8 (Xbox One, available July 1 through July 31)
• Dunk Lords (Xbox One, available July 16 through August 15)
• Saints Row 2 (Xbox 360, available July 1 through July 15)
• JUJU (Xbox 360, available July 16 through July 31)

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Hope it's not the creatures from above

Try to find the throughline with next month's Games with Gold. It might be impossible. We have an action platformer, a visual novel, a sandbox shooter,?? ?and a bullet hell shoot-em-up. Not everything fits in a box all nice and tidy, man.

On the Xbox One side of things, we get a little bit of old and a little bit of new. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse kicks off June, and is nearly a throwback to last-gen consoles; it's available on PS4 and Xbox One, but it originally launched in 2014 on 3DS and Wii U. (It's also the second dose of Games with Gold Shantae in recent months, as the newer Half-Genie Hero was included as part of March's offerings.) Halfway through the month, visual novel Coffee Talk sets up shop, orders a tall skinny vanilla latte, logs onto the wifi, and works on its screenplay. Moyse says it's fine, bu??t has ??unfocused writing that merely glosses over the topics it needs to address with more depth.

We have to look all the way back to 2005 to find the most interesting inclusion in June's Games with Gold. The original Destroy All Humans from the original Xbox is free for the first half of the month. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Destroy All Humans remake launches in late July. Here's a chance to see what it's all about before the modernized version arrives. Later in June, Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality's time-manipulating shmup Sine Mora joins the lineup. As always, Games with Gold's origin??al Xbox and Xbox 360 games are all playable on Xbox One through backward compatibility.

Here's the full br??eakdown of June's Games with Gold schedule:

• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (Xbox One, available June 1 through June 30)
• Coffee Talk (Xbox One, available June 16 through July 15)
• Destroy All Humans! (original Xbox, available June 1 through June 15)
• Sine Mora (Xbox 360, available June 16 through June 30 )

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May flounders

Xbox's Games with Gold has looked a little thin lately, and May's offerings won't do much to change that perception. There's a huge tabletop property i?n the mix (who wil?l license itself to anyone anywhere), but there's not a lot in the way of household names outside of that.

On the Xbox One side of things, Games with Gold subscribers get yet another racing game -- seriously, so many racing games -- as V-Rally 4 is available for the entirety of May. Halfway through the month, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor -- Martyr joins the fray. It got decen??t reviews back in 2018, and it seems like a fine enoug?h action-RPG. 

Moving over to Xbox 360, the first half of May takes to the pitch as budget footie game Sensible World of Soccer kicks things off. Finishing off the month is Overlord II, which has yo?u controlling?? minions and taking over hell. As always, the Xbox 360 titles are playable on Xbox One through the magic of backward compatibility.

Here's the full breakdo?wn of ??May's Games with Gold schedule:

• V-Rally 4 (Xbox One, available May 1 through May 31)
• Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor -- Martyr (Xbox One, available May 16 through June 15)
• Sensible World of Soccer (Xbox 360, available May 1 through May 15)
• Overlord II (Xbox 360, available May 16 through May 31)

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Vast majority of PS4 games will work

Sony ran into a communications snafu earlier this week when Mark Cerny's dulcet tones about hard drive seek reduction lulled everyone's eyes into glazing over. Everyone simultaneously snapped awake when Cerny mentioned that "nearly all" of the most popular PlayStation 4 game??s would be?? backward compatible on PS5.

It took a couple days, but Sony has finally clarified the extent of PS5's backward compatibility capabilities. In an update to the PS5 deep dive post, Sony says "We believe the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 t?itles will be playable on PS5." As expected, there's no menti??on of any generation before PlayStation 4.

Cerny evidently called out th?e top 100 most popular PS4 games because that's where Sony started when evaluating backward compatibility on PS5. That led people to believe the PS5 backward compatibility library would be confined to those games. However, Sony claims it? has already "tested hundreds of titles" and that it's going to "test thousands more" leading up to launch.

PS5 aims to run PS4 at a boosted frequency which allows for better frame rate stability and possible higher resolutions. It doesn't just automatically work, though. Sony needs to? individually test every single game to make sure it's compatible. As Cerny said on Wednesday, "some game code just can't handle [the boosted frequency]."

So, Sony's prioritizing those 100 most popular games because they're the ones players have spent the most time with, and apparently moving outward from there. The result is a new console generation that is largely compatible -- but not fully com??patibl??e -- with the previous generation. That's a simple message that was communicated very poorly.

Un?veiling New ??Details of PlayStation 5: Hardware Technical Specs (Updated) [PlayStation Blog]

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