Bug Briefly Shows All PS4 Trophies as PS3 Games, Sparking More Backwards Compatibility Rumours

2 years 2 months ago

A recent bug on the PlayStation Network briefly displayed all PlayStation 4 trophies as if they had come from PlayStation 3 games, causing further rumours around unannounced backwards compatibility plans.

As spotted by VGC, an issue on PSN recently meant that trophy lists on both console and the mobile app were showing incorrect data for PlayStation 4 trophies. Instead of displaying trophies as standard, many players reported that their PS4 titles were instead showing up as PlayStation 3 games.

While the issue was quickly resolved and trophies across the network should now be displaying correctly, some fans have questioned whether or not the accidental bug could provide further evidence to a future where Sony releases its PlayStation 3 catalog of games via some form of backwards compatibility system.

This isn't the first time that PlayStation glitches have led to these kinds of rumours. Last week, several PlayStation 3 games were said to have been spotted by fans on the PlayStation 5 store. Reports included the likes of Dead or Alive 5, which was listed at a display price of £7.99 in the UK, as well as the PS3 versions of Bejewelled, The Forgotten Sands, The Two Thrones, and the Prince of Persia games.

While Sony hasn't stated that it has plans to release its PlayStation 3 catalog via backwards compatibility or any other service, there have certainly been plenty of rumblings around the topic. Back in 2020, IGN reported that a Sony patent had surfaced suggesting that PS1, PS2, and PS3 games could be emulated via the cloud while more recent reports have conveyed that the studio may be working on its own service to compete against Xbox Game Pass.

As reported by Bloomberg, sources familiar with Sony’s plans allegedly shared details with the outlet of a new service codenamed “Spartacus” where PlayStation owners can pay monthly for access to a catalog of modern and classic games.

According to the report, documents on the project revealed three tiers for the upcoming service with the highest of those including extended demos, game streaming, and access to a larger library that includes PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP games.

While these rumours should all be taken with a pinch of salt, it's no wonder that Sony fans are beginning to question whether the prospect of an expanded collection of PlayStation titles could be on the horizon.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer recently responded to rumours of a 'PlayStation Game Pass', saying that he sees competitors as "an inevitability" and "the right answer".

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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