Another PS5 exclusive might actually be coming to PS4

Demon's Souls boss fight
(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

A database entry for the Demon’s Souls remake has been spotted for the PS4 – suggesting the PS5 exclusive might not be so exclusive, after all.  

As per reports from Playstation Game Size, the entry was not discoverable prior to the PS5’s launch last November, implying the game is a new addition to the last-gen system’s database.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the Demon’s Souls remake is definitely coming to the PS4, mind – the entry may merely represent a test version for developers – but it does beg the question of why Bluepoint Games would concern itself with the now-outdated hardware.

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Currently, Demon’s Souls – which itself is a remake of the 2009 PS3-exclusive – is exclusive to the PS5, and has never been playable on the PS4. The game, which sees players hack and slash their way through monster-infested hellscapes, is often credited with being the inspiration for the Dark Souls series. 

It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Blueprint port the game to PS4, though. With the exception of games like Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition and Astro’s Playroom, all of the PS5’s launch titles – from Assassin's Creed Valhalla to NBA 2K21 – have PS4-compatible counterparts.

PS5 owners have only recently begun to benefit from true next-gen exclusives, thanks to the arrival of games like Destruction AllStars, Returnal and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart in 2021.

Analysis: An odd decision

It’s worth reiterating that a PS4-compatible Demon’s Souls remains speculative, rather than probable – as mentioned, there’s no telling of Bluepoint’s intentions behind the recent database listing.

Still, if we do see the game arrive on last-gen consoles in the near future, it would certainly be at odds with everything that makes the PS5 version so great – particularly from a visual standpoint.

Demon's Souls review

(Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

In our review, we described Demon’s Souls on PS5 as a game which takes “full advantage of next-gen hardware” by “providing lightning fast load speeds and probably the best graphics we've seen in a video game to date.”

The game also utilises the power of the DualSense controller to great effect, creating the sensation of steel clashing against armor or the flickering of fire at the end of your weapon, which ultimately works to draw you deeper into the game world.

All this is to say that everything that makes the PS5 remake so great would be impossible to translate to the PS4, and so players would be left with, well, the same game from 2009.

Only time will tell if Blueprint does indeed decide to take its fantasy dueller back a generation, but we’re not holding out hope for a particularly impressive last-gen experience.

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Axel Metz
Senior Staff Writer

Axel is a London-based Senior Staff Writer at TechRadar, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest movies as part of the site's daily news output. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. 


Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.