A new patent hints that Sony may be developing a system that would allow the PS5 to play classic PlayStation games.

While the PS5 can play most PS4 games, it lacks the robust backward compatibility that the Xbox Series X and Series S enjoy. Rumors this week that Sony plans to shut down the PS3 and PS Vita digital stores further disappointed some die-hard PlayStation fans, but the patent details may help to allay those complaints.

The patent was first discovered by a Reddit user and revolves around the ability to earn trophies through emulated games. For those who don't know, trophies are a PlayStation system-level achievement system that must be included in all PS5 games.

The gist of the patent is that "a trophy trigger is detected during emulation of a game by comparing a memory value of the emulated game to a predetermined value, and one or more trophies are assigned to the user based on the detected trophy trigger.

Since the filing date of this patent is November 30, 2020, it is clear that this system of assigning trophies to emulated games is something Sony is currently considering or has recently tested.

This could suggest that Sony is trying to implement stronger backward compatibility in the PS5, which could include PS1, PS2, and PS3 generation games.

While this is very exciting and it would be great to not have to dust off the PS2 to play classic PlayStation games, it is worth noting that companies like Sony often file patents without actually intending to use them. It is worth noting that companies like Sony often file patents without actually intending to use them.

There are numerous PlayStation patents for products and services that never came to fruition, and this could be the latest in a long line of such patents. Still, even if Sony ultimately chooses not to use this emulation trophy system, it is encouraging that the tech giant is at least investigating ways to add backward compatibility to the latest PlayStation consoles.

Of course, if Sony adds support for PS1, PS2, and PS3 games to the PS5, the console will be even harder to come by. If you're still looking for a next-generation PlayStation, be sure to bookmark our guide to where to buy a PS5, which is updated regularly with the latest inventory information.