Which consoles play older games? Backward compatibility, console by console

Which console plays what?

This table sums up what our sources say about each machine. A dash means they say nothing on that point, not that the answer is no.

For PC games on modern Windows, see old PC games and copy protection.

Which PlayStation plays PS1 and PS2 discs?

The PlayStation 2 is backward compatible with almost all original PlayStation games¹. Original PlayStation memory cards work in a PS2 too, but only with original PlayStation games¹.

The slim PS2 dropped the 3.5-inch expansion bay, so it cannot use the internal hard drive, and that was criticised because some titles, such as Final Fantasy XI, required it¹.

Every PlayStation 3 model plays original PlayStation games through software emulation². PS2 games are another matter: support shrank on later models, and the last one with built-in PS2 compatibility was the NTSC 80 GB CECHE, the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle². The 40 GB model, the later 80 GB models (CECHL, CECHM and CECHK) and the 160 GB model cannot play PS2 games at all².

Region still matters on a PS3: region locking applies to backward-compatible PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games²¹. Our region locking guide explains what that means for imports.

The PlayStation 4 is not compatible with any disc from an older PlayStation console³.

Can a PSP Go or a PS Vita play PSP discs?

No: neither has a UMD drive²²²³. The PSP Go keeps its games in 16 GB of internal flash memory, and a Memory Stick Micro (M2) adds another 16 GB²². The PlayStation Vita can only play the PSP titles released digitally through the PlayStation Store, not physical PSP games or films²³.

One more PSP model to know about: the PSP Street (E1000), released only in Europe, lacks Wi-Fi and ad-hoc features²².

Which Nintendo home consoles play older games?

Nintendo never released an adapter for playing NES games on the Super Nintendo, but the Super Game Boy adapter cartridge plays Game Boy games on it⁸.

The GameCube lacks backward compatibility with N64 cartridges, and Nintendo said players could simply keep their N64¹². Its Game Boy Player add-on plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games¹¹. The add-on itself is region-free, but its boot disc is region-locked and must match the GameCube's region¹³.

The original Wii plays GameCube games and accepts GameCube controllers and memory cards, but not the Game Boy Player or other hardware that uses the GameCube's Expansion Slot⁴. Later revisions dropped GameCube support entirely: the Wii Family Edition (2011) and the Wii Mini (2012) support no GameCube hardware or software⁴. Korean Wii consoles have no backward compatibility either¹⁵. The Wii U does not play GameCube games⁵.

N64 games came back as downloads: several were released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console, and selected ones are in the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online¹⁴.

Which Game Boy plays which cartridges?

Start with the cartridge's case. Grey cartridges are the original Game Boy type¹⁶, black ones are Dual Mode cartridges with both a Game Boy and a Game Boy Color version inside²⁴, and clear ones are made only for the Game Boy Color²⁴.

Nintendo DS game cards have their own rules. The DSi and DSi XL play all DS games except those that need the GBA slot¹⁹. "DSi-enhanced" game cards also work on an original DS or DS Lite, while "DSi-exclusive" cards do not¹⁹. DSi-specific software is region-locked, though cartridge software that also runs on earlier models is not¹⁹.

The 3DS family keeps backward compatibility with DS software²⁰. It takes only DS and 3DS cartridges, and Game Boy, Game Boy Color and GBA games are on its Virtual Console instead⁶.

Do Sega consoles play older Sega games?

The Power Base Converter add-on (Mega Adaptor in Japan, Master System Converter in Europe) lets a Mega Drive/Genesis play Master System games⁹. The Genesis 3 plays standard cartridges only: it omitted support for the Sega CD and the 32X⁹.

The Dreamcast is not backward compatible with any earlier Sega hardware or software, so Saturn games do not run on it¹⁰.

Mega Drive games have been re-released in compilations for other consoles, such as Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems Collection for PS2, Xbox and GameCube, and Sega Genesis Collection for PS2 and PSP⁹.

How to check yours

• PlayStation 3: check the model code: the NTSC 80 GB CECHE was the last with built-in PS2 compatibility, and the 40 GB, the 80 GB CECHL, CECHM and CECHK, and the 160 GB models have none².
• PlayStation 2: if you need the internal hard drive, a slim model will not do, because it has no 3.5-inch expansion bay¹.
• Wii: an original Wii plays GameCube discs and takes GameCube controllers and memory cards⁴. A Family Edition, a Wii Mini or a Korean Wii does not⁴¹⁵.
• Nintendo DS: look for the Game Boy Advance slot beneath the touch screen: only the original DS and the DS Lite have one, and the DSi and DSi XL lack it¹¹.
• Game Boy cartridges: look at the case colour: grey plays on every Game Boy except the Micro¹⁶, and clear Game Boy Color cartridges do not run on the monochrome models²⁴.
• DS game cards: a "DSi-enhanced" card still works on an original DS or DS Lite, but a "DSi-exclusive" one does not¹⁹.
• Game Boy Player: the boot disc must match your GameCube's region, even though the add-on itself is region-free¹³.
• Imports on a PS3: region locking still applies to PlayStation and PlayStation 2 discs²¹. See region locking and product codes before you buy.

If you are not sure which edition of a game you are holding, the RetroReady app can tell you from a photo.

Frequently asked

Can a PS4 play PS1 or PS2 discs?

No: the PlayStation 4 is not compatible with any disc from an older PlayStation console³.

Which PS3 models play PS2 games?

Only early ones: the last model with built-in PS2 compatibility was the NTSC 80 GB CECHE, and the 40 GB, later 80 GB (CECHL, CECHM, CECHK) and 160 GB models have none². Every PS3 model plays original PlayStation games through software emulation².

Does the Wii play GameCube games?

The original Wii does, along with GameCube controllers and memory cards⁴. The Wii Family Edition, the Wii Mini and Korean Wii consoles do not, and neither does the Wii U⁴⁵¹⁵.

Can a Nintendo DS play Game Boy games?

The original DS and DS Lite play Game Boy Advance cartridges, single-player only, but not Game Boy or Game Boy Color games¹¹¹⁸. The DSi and DSi XL have no GBA slot¹¹. On the 3DS family, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and GBA games are Virtual Console downloads only⁶.

Can I play N64 games on a newer Nintendo console?

Not on a GameCube, which lacks backward compatibility with N64 cartridges¹². Several N64 games were released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console, and selected ones are in the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online¹⁴.

Sources

1. PlayStation 2, Wikipedia: "is backward-compatible with almost all original PlayStation games"; "original PlayStation memory cards will only work with original PlayStation games"; "it does not contain the 3.5" expansion bay and therefore does not support the internal hard disk drive. The removal of the expansion bay was criticized as a limitation to software, due to the existence of titles such as Final Fantasy XI, which required the HDD use."
2. PlayStation 3 models, Wikipedia: "All models support software emulation of the original PlayStation"; "support for PlayStation 2 backward compatibility diminished with later compatible models and the last model to have integrated backward compatibility was the NTSC 80 GB (CECHE) Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle"; "The 40 GB, 80 GB (CECHL, CECHM, and CECHK) and 160 GB models have two USB ports instead of the four USB ports on other models and do not include multiple flash card readers, SACD support, or backward compatibility with PlayStation 2 games."
3. PlayStation 4, Wikipedia: "PlayStation 4 is not compatible with any disc of older PlayStation consoles."
4. GameCube, Wikipedia: "The original version of the GameCube's successor, the Wii, is backward-compatible with GameCube controllers, memory cards, and games, but not the Game Boy Player or other hardware attachments that use the Expansion Slot"; "Later revisions of the Wii, including the "Family Edition" released in 2011 and the Wii Mini released in 2012, do not support any GameCube hardware or software."
5. Wii U, Wikipedia: "Unlike the Wii, the Wii U is not compatible with GameCube games"
6. Nintendo DS, RetroRGB: "The Nintendo DS and DS Lite systems can play Game Boy Advance games, but not Game Boy or Game Boy Color. ... The Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS systems (as well as the “XL” versions) can only play DS and 3DS cartridges. GB, GBC and GBA games are available on the 3DS’ virtual console."
7. Super Game Boy, Wikipedia: "The Super Game Boy is a peripheral that allows Game Boy cartridges to be played on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System console."
8. Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wikipedia: "Though Nintendo never released an adapter for playing NES games on the SNES, the Super Game Boy adapter cartridge allows games designed for Nintendo's portable Game Boy system to be played on the SNES."
9. Sega Genesis, Wikipedia: "The first peripheral is the Power Base Converter (Mega Adaptor in Japan and Master System Converter in Europe), which allows Master System games to be played."; "it can only play standard cartridges as it omitted support for the Sega CD and the 32X"; "Compilations of Genesis games have been released for other consoles. These include Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems Collection for PS2, Xbox, and GameCube; Sega Genesis Collection for PS2 and PSP; and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection"
10. Sega Dreamcast, Sega Retro: "It is not backwards compatible with any prior Sega hardware or software"
11. Game Boy Advance, Wikipedia: "This add-on allows Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color games to be played on the GameCube."; "Game Boy Advance cartridges are compatible with Nintendo DS models that support them with a dedicated GBA cartridge slot beneath the touch screen (specifically the original model and the Nintendo DS Lite), although they do not support multiplayer"; "The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL lack a GBA cartridge slot, and therefore do not support backward compatibility with the GBA."; "Games developed for it are incompatible with older Game Boy systems"
12. Nintendo 64 Game Pak, Wikipedia: "Because the new console lacks backwards compatibility with Nintendo 64 Game Paks, Nintendo said players could simply keep their Nintendo 64."
13. Game Boy Player, Wikipedia: "It allows Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges, as well as Game Boy and Game Boy Color (GBC) cartridges through backwards compatibility, to be played on a television."; "While the Game Boy Player is region free, meaning the units will function on any GameCube system and play cartridges of any region, the boot discs are region locked and must match the region of the GameCube system."
14. Nintendo 64, Wikipedia: "Several Nintendo 64 games have been released for the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console (VC) services ... Select Nintendo 64 games have been re-released via the Nintendo Classics service as part of the "Expansion Pack" tier of the Nintendo Switch Online service."
15. Wii, Wikipedia: "although Korean Wii consoles do not have backward compatibility"
16. Game Boy Game Pak, Wikipedia: "The original Game Boy Game Pak (also known as class A or grey cartridges) is compatible with all Game Boy systems, excluding Game Boy Micro."
17. Game Boy Micro, Wikipedia: "Unlike other Game Boy Advance models, the Micro lacks backward compatibility for original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games."; "As with other Game Boy Advance systems, there is no regional lockout on software."
18. Nintendo DS, Wikipedia: "The Nintendo DS is backward compatible with Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges. ... The Nintendo DS, like the Game Boy Micro, is not backward compatible with games made for the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color"
19. Nintendo DSi, Wikipedia: "All DS games are compatible with the DSi, except those that require the GBA slot."; ""DSi-enhanced" game cards contain DSi-exclusive features, but can still be used with earlier models; "DSi-exclusive" game cards cannot."; "Due to regional differences in Internet services and parental controls, DSi-specific software is region locked. However, cartridge software compatible with previous models, Internet browsing, and photo sharing are not locked."
20. Nintendo 3DS, Wikipedia: "retains the clamshell form factor and backward compatibility with Nintendo DS software"
21. Regional lockout, Wikipedia: "Region locking is present for backwards-compatible PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games"
22. PlayStation Portable, Wikipedia: "The PSP Go lacks a UMD drive, instead opting to only 16 GB of internal flash memory. An additional 16 GB can be added with the addition of a Memory Stick Micro (M2)."; "It released exclusively in Europe on October 26, 2011 ... The E1000 came in a matte finish and lacked support for Wi-Fi, ad-hoc features"
23. PlayStation Vita, Wikipedia: "its lack of a UMD disc drive limits this capability to those titles which have been digitally released on the PlayStation Network via the PlayStation Store, but not physical PSP games or films"
24. Game Boy Color, Wikipedia: "Dual Mode Game Pak (black case): These cartridges include both a Game Boy version and a Game Boy Color version of the game and boot the appropriate version depending on the hardware"; "Game Boy Color Game Pak (clear case): Designed specifically for the Game Boy Color ... these games are incompatible with the older monochrome Game Boy models."

How this guide was made. Written from facts we checked against the pages listed under Sources: each claim is quoted word for word from its source before it goes in. Spot a mistake? Write to support@retroready.app.

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