Summary
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Modders ran RPCS3 on PS5 via Linux, allowing multiple PS3 discs to play on PS5.
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Works only on PS5 firmware 3.XX–4.XX, requires a Linux installation and your own decryption key.
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Setting it up is informal and complicated; refurbished or newer PS5s may not be compatible.
Having a library of physical games for an old console that never received backwards compatibility is a terrible feeling. You’ve had to keep your old hardware plugged in for generations to revisit your favorites, and every time you press the power button, you worry that it might be the last time before the console finally gives up the dream.
Fortunately for people who are fans of the PS3 library, work is underway to allow the PS5 to emulate them. Sony could have activated it, but never did. Now, another development in the modding scene allows you to use your physical PS3 discs on the PS5, although there are a few important caveats to keep in mind.
You can now play your PS3 discs on PS5 with some caveats
Modders did what Sony didn’t
A while ago, the PS5 modding community got a big boost when someone managed to install linux on it. On the surface, installing Linux on the PS5 is fine on its own; you can actually turn your console into a gaming PC and play Steam games on it. However, some people had another idea: to use the Linux base to install RPCS3 on the console. From there, they can use RPCS3 to read PS3 discs on a PS5 disc, meaning you can now run your PS3 physical library on a newer console. It’s not a native solution, but it’s the closest we’ve come to a key feature that people have been asking Sony for years.
Above, you can see tinkerer @retropierdolnik playing Motorstorm: Pacific Rift on his PS5. Here’s what they said with machine translation:
RPCS3 on PlayStation 5 is the best thing to happen to this hardware in recent times. Motorstorm Pacific Rift runs like a dream. Only on PS5 3.XX -4.XX with Linux.
Here’s one limitation: you must have a PS5 with firmware 3.XX-4.XX. If you’ve updated your PS5 or bought a newer model that comes with later firmware versions pre-installed, you’re out of luck. You also need to provide your own decryption key and install everything, which is not easy. However, if you can check all the boxes, you can get the PS3 support that PlayStation fans have wanted for years.
