A Tweet from PlayStation senior build engineer Garrett Fredley has got the internet buzzing. The game developer revealed he has begun a new job at a new Game Preservation division inside PlayStation; Tweeting he has begun "working as one of their initial hires for the newly created Preservation team!"
It appears Sony is finally getting serious about preserving its fantastic back catalogue of PlayStation games. For years Sony's approach to game preservation has been lacklustre. In 2018 Sony did release the PlayStation Classic Console, as found in our best retro gaming consoles guide, but this was met with muted reviews due to some poor emulation and a mixed games list.
News of an actual Game Preservation division inside Sony PlayStation is welcome. It looks like Sony is finally taking its heritage seriously, and making steps to safeguard its classic games and their design. This could mean classics such as Vib Ribbon (below) that turned your music, played from PlayStation's CD drive, into a game level, could finally officially resurface properly.
This news comes on the back of PlayStation announcing a new subscription service that will combine its PS Plus offering (online play and monthly free games) with its streaming platform PS Now (some back catalogue games). The new PS Plus launches from June 1 in Japan, then the US on June 13, and finally Europe on June 22.
The signs are that Sony is finally getting serious about its classic games and delivering proper emulation to owners of PS4 and PS5, and even PC gamers via the new PS Plus service. The most expensive 'Premium' option will enable gamers to play classic PS3, PS2, PS1, and PSP games.
Sony does currently offer PS4, PS3, and PS2 games as part of PlayStation Now, but these have been limited and PS1 games are mostly absent (only those emulated for PS3 or PS2 have been offered). If nothing else, now Sony has discovered the value of retro gaming, as its PS Plus Premium offer is priced at $17.99 / £13.49 per month, $49.99 / £39.99 for three months, or $119.99 / £99.99 per year.
For game designers and retro gaming fans, however, the value will be in rediscovering some genuine classic games – Final Fantasy Tactics, G-Police and Bishi Bashi Special, perhaps – and knowing Sony is prepared to protect its heritage properly. One sting in the tail of the PS Plus news is PS3 games are still streaming only, perhaps Garrett Fredley's first job is to build a PS3 emulator for PS5? We hope so.
Get top Black Friday deals sent straight to your inbox: Sign up now!
We curate the best offers on creative kit and give our expert recommendations to save you time this Black Friday. Upgrade your setup for less with Creative Bloq.
If you are a game designer or want to get into games, we have a great guide to everything you need to know about game design and a list of pro tips to get started in game development. Are you a seasoned pro? Why not splash out on one of the best laptops for game developers.
Read more:
- These are the best retro controllers
- Unity vs Unreal Engine: which game engine is for you?
- Get the best Nintendo Switch deals
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.
Related articles
- “We knew it would be special”: how design team Fluid created art and ad campaigns for two decades of Final Fantasy
- Incredible weather visualisation in Unreal Engine 5 can show real-time conditions in any city
- Adobe claims surrealism isn't just for AI in its 2025 creative trends
- Oh my days! The Sony PS1 boot screen is back for PlayStation's 30th anniversary