The next PlayStation will be able to stream PlayStation 3 games, according to unnamed sources "familiar" with Sony's plans. The claim comes from a new report published by the Wall Street Journal, and suggests that online streaming of current PS3 games will be paired with new games sold on optical media through regular channels.

Sony's cloud service hinges on its $380 million acquisition of streaming company Gaikai, which was announced last year. If the PlayStation 4 houses architecture different enough from the PS3 to preclude effective backwards compatibility, streaming may be pitched as a solution.

Sony's official word on the matter is expected during the PlayStation event next week on February 20.