Can You Play PS3 Games on PS5? How to Access Classic Titles

One of the great bonuses of buying a new console is when platform holders add the ability to play classic games, such as having the option to play PS3 games on the PS5.

Not everyone has access to these retro titles, so the more places they’re available, the better.

While the PS5 is known for its backwards compatibility with PS4 titles — by simply inserting the disc or purchasing the game digitally — the ability to play PS3 games is slightly more complex.

For one, backwards compatibility is done via streaming, rather than the physical games themselves.

Thankfully, it’s worth the effort to gain access to a tremendous library of classic PS3 games, with entries in popular franchises like Castlevania, Ratchet & Clank, Ninja Gaiden, Star Wars, Dynasty Warriors, Resident Evil, LEGO, Sam & Max, Motorstorm, Devil May Cry, Fallout and many, many more.

In fact, there are more than 300 PS3 games available, as of January 2024.

Taking this all into consideration, we’ve laid out the details of how to play PS3 games on PS5, as well as listing out every single title that is currently available.

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Can you play PS3 games on PS5?

While the PS5 cannot play PS3 discs directly, a selection of PS3 games can be played digitally.

This works via a PS Plus Premium subscription, which costs £13.49 per month, £39.99 per quarter or £119.99 per year.

Once an internet connection is established, numerous PS3 games can then be streamed to the PS5 console.

How to play PS3 games on PS5

To play PS3 games on PS5, you need to first sign up for a PS Plus Premium subscription before following the below steps:

• Head to the PS Plus app on the navigation bar
• Scroll to the Classics Catalogue
• Search for the PS3 game you want to play

There’s no specific PS3 filter on the PS5 console, so it’s best to just scroll through the selection of PlayStation games until you find the one you want. That’s at least good for providing some inspiration as to what to play next.

Alternatively, you can find the list on the official PlayStation website.

From our experience, a decent internet speed is required to enjoy streaming to its fullest. It’s fine for single-player experiences, but can be restrictive in anything multiplayer or fast-paced.

This was taken from the average download speed as of March 2023 (via Ofcom) of 69.4 Mbps in the UK. If you want the best streaming experience, we’d recommend investing in higher speeds.

Which PS3 games are on PS5?

The following list is compiled of all the PS3 games available on PS5 via a PS Plus Premium subscription. As of January 2024, there are 352 games in total. See below for the complete list:

• Afrika
• Air Conflicts: Secret Wars
• Air Conflicts: Vietnam
• Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed
• Alien Rage
• Alien Spidy
• All Zombies Must Die!
• Alone in the Dark: Inferno
• Anarchy: Rush Hour
• Anna – Extended Edition
• Anomaly Warzone Earth
• Aqua Panic!
• Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star
• Arcana Heart 3
• Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!!
• Armageddon Riders
• Asura’s Wrath
• Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk
• Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
• Atelier Meruru – The Alchemist of Arland 3
• Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland
• Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea
• Baja: Edge of Control HD
• Bang Bang Racing
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Battle Fantasia
• Battle of Tiles EX
• Battle Princess of Arcadias
• Bellator: MMA Onslaught
• Bentley’s Hackpack
• Beyond: Two Souls
• Big Sky Infinity
• Biohazard: The Darkside Chronicles
• Bionic Commando Rearmed
• Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
• BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
• Black Knight Sword
• Bladestorm: Nightmare
• Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War
• BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
• BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend
• Blood Knights
• BloodRayne: Betrayal
• Bolt
• Brink
• Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back
• Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
• Burn Zombie Burn!
• Capcom Arcade Cabinet : All-In-One-Pack
• Carmageddon: Max Damage
• Cars Mater-National Championship
• Cars Race-O-Rama
• Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
• Cel Damage HD
• Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer
• Chime Super Deluxe
• Class of Heroes 2G
• Comet Crash: Bionic Bundle
• Crash Commando
• Critter Crunch
• Crossing Thesis of Gods and Destiny Awakening
• Crysis Remastered
• Cuboid
• Cuboid Ultimate Bundle
• Danger Zone
• Dangerous Golf
• Dark Mist
• Dark Void
• Darkstalkers Resurrection
• Death Track: Resurrection
• Deception IV: Blood Ties
• Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess
• Devil May Cry 4
• Devil May Cry HD Collection
• Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
• Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
• Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
• Dishonored
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• Disney Universe
• Disney·Pixar Brave
• Disney·Pixar Cars 2: The Video Game
• Disney·Pixar Toy Story Mania!
• Double Dragon Neon
• Dragon Fin Soup
• Duke Nukem Forever
• Dynasty Warriors 6
• Dynasty Warriors 7
• Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires
• Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends
• Dynasty Warriors 8
• Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce
• Earth Defense Force 2025 (SIEJ: Earth Defense Forces 4)
• Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
• Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
• Eat Them!
• Echochrome: Prelude
• Elefunk
• Enemy Front
• Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
• Escape Dead Island
• Ethan: Meteor Hunter
• Eufloria
• FEAR First Encounter Assualt Recon
• Faery: Legends of Avalon
• Fallout 3
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Final Exam
• Final Fight: Double Impact
• Frogger Returns
• Fuel Overdose
• Genji: Days of the Blade
• G-Force
• Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
• Go! Sports Ski
• God of War HD
• God of War II HD
• God of War: Ascension
• Greg Hastings Paintball 2
• Guilty Gear Xrd – Revelator
• Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi
• Hamilton’s Great Adventure
• Hamsterball
• Heavenly Sword
• Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
• Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear
• High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition
• Hoard
• Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds
• Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
• Hunted: The Demon’s Forge
• Hustle Kings
• ibb & obb
• ICO Classics HD
• inFAMOUS
• inFAMOUS 2
• inFAMOUS Festival of Blood
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition
• Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
• Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom
• Jetpack Joyride Deluxe
• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine
• Joe Danger 2: The Movie
• Judge Dee – The City God Case
• JumpJet Rex
• Karateka
• Knytt Underground
• KoeiTecmo the Best Majantaikai Ⅳ
• Kung Fu Rabbit
• Last Rebellion
• Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West
• Legasista
• LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
• LEGO Batman: The Videogame
• LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
• LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• Leo’s Fortune
• Linger in Shadows
• Limbo
• LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
• Lost Planet
• Lost Planet 2
• Lost Planet 3
• Machinarium
• Magic Orbz
• Magus
• Majo to Hyakkihei
• Mamorukun Curse!
• Mars: War Logs
• Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
• Mega Man 9
• Mega Man 10
• Meikyu touro Legasista
• Metal Slug 3
• Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge
• MotorStorm Apocalypse
• MotorStorm RC Complete Edition
• MX vs ATV Reflex
• MX vs ATV: Alive
• MX VS ATV: Untamed
• Narco Terror
• Ninja Gaiden 3
• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
• Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence
• Not Harem Heaven, It Is Yanndere Hell
• Numblast
• OKABU
• Papo & Yo
• Paradox of Gods and Destiny Revolution
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two
• Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension
• Pid
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
• PixelJunk Eden Encore
• PixelJunk Monsters
• PixelJunk Monsters Encore
• PixelJunk Racers 2nd Lap
• Piyotama
• Planet Minigolf
• Planets Under Attack
• Pool Nation
• Port Royale 3 Pirates & Merchants Gold Edition
• Prismatic Solid
• Proteus
• Puppeteer
• Pure Farming 2018
• Puzzle Agent
• Quantum Theory
• Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic
• Rage
• Ragnarok Odyssey ACE
• Raiden IV: OverKill
• Raiden V: Director’s Cut
• Rain
• Ratatouille
• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando
• Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time
• Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
• Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked
• Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault
• Ratchet & Clank: Nexus
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
• Realms Of Ancient War
• Record of Agarest War
• Record of Agarest War 2
• Record of Agarest War Zero
• Red Dead Redemption
• Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
• Red Faction: Battlegrounds
• Red Faction: Guerilla Re-MARS-tered
• Red Johnson’s Chronicles
• Red Johnson’s Chronicles – One Against All
• Resident Evil 4
• Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition (Alternative Edition)
• Resident Evil 6
• Resident Evil Code: Veronica X
• Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City
• Resident Evil Revelations
• Resident Evil Revelations 2
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 – Complete Edition
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resistance 3
• Retro City Rampage DX
• Retro/Grade
• Ricochet HD
• Rocket Knight
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
• Rogue Warrior
• Rotastic
• R-Type Dimensions
• Rune Factory Oceans
• Sacred Citadel
• Saints Row 2
• Sam & Max BTS: Episode 1 – Ice Station Santa
• Sam & Max BTS: Episode 2 – Moai Better Blues
• Sam & Max BTS: Episode 3 – Night of the Raving Dead
• Sam & Max BTS: Episode 4 – Chariots of the Dogs
• Sam & Max BTS: Episode 5 – What’s New Beelzebub?
• Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone
• Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 2 The Tomb of Sammun-Mak
• Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 3 They Stole Max’s Brain
• Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 4: Beyond Alley of Dolls
• Sam & Max The Devil’s Playhouse Episode 5: The City That Dares Not Sleep
• Samurai Warriors 2 Empires HD Version
• Samurai Warriors 3 Empires
• Samurai Warriors 4
• Savage Moon
• Shatter
• Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution
• Siren: Blood Curse
• Skullgirls Encore
• Sky Fighter
• Skydive: Proximity Flight
• SkyDrift
• Slender: The Arrival
• Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
• Smash Cars
• Snakeball
• Sniper Elite V2
• Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype
• Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer
• Space Ace
• Split/Second: Velocity
• Star Wars The Force Unleashed II
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition
• StarDrone
• Starwhal
• Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition
• Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People – Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
• Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People – Episode 2: Strong Badia The Free
• Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People – Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands
• Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People – Episode 4: Dangeresque 3: THe Criminal Projective
• Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People  – Episode 5: 8-Bit is Enough
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
• Syberia
• Tales from Space: About a Blob
• Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
• The Awakened Fate Ultimatum
• The Darkness
• The Darkness II
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Guided Fate Paradox
• The King of Fighters XIII
• The Last Guy
• The Last Tinker: City of Colors
• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
• The UnderGarden
• Thunder Wolves
• Tokyo Jungle
• Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters
• Toro to MorMori
• Toy Home
• Trash Panic
• Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll
• Tron: Evolution
• Truck Racer
• Urban Trial Freestyle
• Velocibox
• VelocityUltra
• Vessel
• Voodoo Chronicles: The First Sign
• Wakeboarding HD
• Warlords
• Warriors Orochi 3
• Warriors: Legends of Troy
• Way of the Samurai 3 Plus
• Way of the Samurai 4
• When Vikings Attack!
• Whispering Willows
• White Knight Chronicles
• White Knight Chronicles II
• Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls
• XBlaze Code: Embryo
• XCOM: Enemy Within
• Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
• Z/X
• Zack Zero
• Zen Pinball 2
• Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov’s Revenge

Remember, only these specific games can be played on PS5, with PS3 discs incompatible with the next-gen console. This list is also updated regularly, so check out the official PlayStation website for further information.

(Main and featured image: Remy Gieling/Unsplash)

This story first appeared on www.radiotimes.com

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