Playstation 4 Rumors: Backward Compatibility 'Difficult' Says UK Developer

Sony's Playstation 3 currently boasts one of the best gaming libraries in the console's history.

However, those hoping to hold on to their old discs for the upcoming Playstation 4 may have to look for ways to trade them instead.

According to Playstation Universe, the Playstation 4 looks like it might not have backward compatibility.

The publication spoke to U.K. developer Clever Beans about their upcoming title When Viking Attack, which featured cross play between the PS3/PS Vita. Clever Beans mentioned in the interview that backward compatibility on the upcoming PS4 would likely be difficult. "As to whether PS4 will be backwards-compatible, we can only guess; but I would think that is something that would be very difficult to achieve," said directors Martin Turton and Andrew Newton.

There were suggestions that backward compatibility could exist via cloud-based streaming. Sony recently acquired streaming service Gankai in early 2012 and it is possible that Sony may look to continue the sale of their massive PS3 library through this medium. It could be difficult considering the bandwidth and latency required for files as massive as PS3 games and could ultimately make the whole idea fruitless.

Clever Beans also added that it is likely that PS4's hardware is based on that of PCs, making upgrade easier in the future and also facilitating game development. The PS3 was notorious for its complex hardware and many developers expressed difficulty in developing titles for the machine.