Hackers have reportedly discovered a “native” PlayStation One emulator suitable for PlayStation 4. The news comes from a number of data miners across social media, where it’s reported that gamers have discovered the phenomenon via the game files for the PS4 remaster, Medievil.
According to those who’ve attempted the feat, the emulator can be used to play a number of original PlayStation games on the current-gen console, including the original Silent Hill. The resolution is up to 4K, depending on your choice of game. Of course, since this isn’t a polished feature, there’s quite a few issues when it comes to running a PS1 game on PS4.
Over on Twitter, one user criticised the emulator’s colours and glitches, which can sometimes make actually using the thing pretty unpleasant.
Also, if you want to try this for yourself, you’ll need to have a modded PS4 to make it work, so before you go running to your living room you may want to take a seat.
The emulator was found after a new firmware exploit gave players the opportunity to have a bit of a deep dive into the game files of 2019’s Medievil. From here it was discovered that the unlockable PS One version of Medievil which comes with the game is actually being fuelled by an emulator, which was then taken advantage of.
Games that have been played so far using the emulator have varying degrees of success, but include Wipeout 3, Spyro the Dragon, and – as mentioned above – Silent Hill.
It seems the tech’s been there all along, we’ve just not been able to see it. This might mean that Sony has – or at least HAD – potential plans for more backwards compatibility for the PlayStation 4. We know the PS5 will be able to play some PS4 titles, but fans are still hoping for the full back catalogue. Does the Medievil news mean they’ve tried – and failed – in the past?
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