PS3 backwards compatibility gone for good

It’s official: Sony has confirmed that backwards compatibility definitely isn’t returning to the PlayStation 3. During a recent interview, John Koller, Sony’s Director of hardware marketing, said: “It’s not coming back.” The PS3 did feature support for PS2 games when it launched back in 2006. North American and Japanese …

[Daniel Harris 1]

PS2 Games

I got my PS3 at the launch in the UK, and at first was glad I would be able to play a lot of PS2 games and most PS1 games, but turns out it wasn't something I would ever bother with.

It's good to be able to play all of the Metal Gear Solid games on one console, but not essential. Still don't see why they don't leave the software emulation like we got on EU launch models in there. What's the point of taking it out?

I always thought it was 100% software emulation, and didn't need additional hardware inside the box.

Do we know if future PS3 (including the Slim) will still play PS1 games from Disc? Because at the moment I think all current ones play pretty much all PS1 games you can buy, just the 60GB is the only one that can play PS2 games via emulation.

The 360 and PS3 are the last consoles that will feature any Backwards compatibility anyway I think. It's going to be too complicated with the next generation of consoles.

Anybody with a 360 (including myself) probably also never played many original Xbox games on their 360.

It's true there are plenty of decent titles on the current systems that you likely won't play your old games that much, but if it is software based why remove it?

[The Avangelist]

He's not totally wrong

Sure I had a few pangs, I never got to finish my MLB 97 season when I got my PS3, and I had a stack of games that were great replayers, but at the same time, you got to move on. Why would you be going out buying PS2 titles owning a PS3? You don't it simples!

I am never sure of the legacy concept, you are buying into something new and exciting, OK, so we might want to play Gran Turismo Aspect III for a bit longer (since they can't sort their asses out and give is a new title) but come on, who cares?

[Martin 10]

progress?

Whilst there are some that will want to retain their investment in old titles, this debate has been going on since the days of 8-bit computing..... In what other significant industry do you expect to get trade-in or freebies from the manufacturers.... even cars and houses are really sold and then the money invested in the next model... do the same with your IT stuff?

As soon as i bought a Playstation (as they were called back in the days of yore) i only actually played my amiga once, and it was so %$£%$ I never bothered - sold the lot and spent the money on new games such as wipeout and Fifa soccer etc

As for the Playstation to PS2 migration, i had a PS looked at the PS2 and could see where it was going but the games whilst visually better not as revolutionary as the jump form amiga to PS.

Therein lies the rub, if you dont get a jaw dropping jump from one generation to the next.... it will be harder and harder each time to convince people to trade up and dump the old stuff.

The trouble is jaw dropping change is expensive from a R&D and production perspective.

Evolution has the problem that if you cant find sufficient differentiation in the early stages of a product release you will have trouble selling it. Its no good being able to compare the end of life pinnacle of a product in retrospect, you need to convince people to buy earlier in the adoption curve.

[MarkOne]

PS1 games are fine

It's all done in software, so the Slim plays them just fine too. (as does the PSP and PSP GO).

It also means the PS4 will still play PS1 games too (and I suspect by then, PS2 and PS3 games), as the PS4 when it arrives 5+ years down the road, will still be Cell based, so PS3 emulation will be a doddle...

[Bassey]

Not sure why you'd need it

Not sure why you'd need backward compatibility. That would suggest that someone who owned, say, as PS2 long enough to build up a back catalogue worth bothering about, was STILL playing video games when the PS3 came along.

I mean, sure, I loved playing manic miner on the Spectrum, but by the time the next set of machines had come out, I was probably about 12 and had grown out of playing computer games! Can I suggest that, if you think the lack of backwards compatibility in consoles is a tremendously important issue, you should maybe turn off the machine, open the curtains and, heaven forfend, maybe step outside and talk to a girl!

[Anonymous Coward]

Total bollocks

They have realised there is a market in selling the old games through the playstation network.

I have used my PS2 games with the PS3, titles like God of War and ICO are total classics and well worth revisiting. Esspecially when you realise that some of the later titles have HD textures in them and they work with the PS3 fine.

I imagine alot of these titles will mysteriously appear in the online store for download and generate revenue for Sony, rather than them let you have the games for free. I'll just stick with the PS2 and play the games I want to play without buying them a second time.

[My Opinion]

Both in our house.

My 12 year old son has a PS2 and a PS3 (80GB) and uses both.

He has even bought some more (admittedly used) PS2 games recently.

Why? Well, he claims he totally finishes many PS3 games within a couple of days, even 1 day for one!

And as well as offering longer play time the PS2 games are a lot cheaper - particularly used!

So, had we been able to buy a new PS3 with backwards compatibility for PS2 games we would willingly have done so.

[Sarah Baucom]

I play as many PS2 games as PS3

When my PS2 started having problems reading games two years ago, I started thinking about getting a PS3 (I had originally been waiting for the price to drop). When they announced that the new models would no longer have PS2 compatibility, I had to find a 60GB model on eBay.

While some people might not see a reason to want to play old games, I'm guessing they mainly play games that are all about graphics rather than story. Sometimes I just like to go back and play an old RPG again. They don't normally remake those for new consoles, so if my PS3 didn't have the ability to play PS1 and PS2 games, I'd have to connect the older consoles (and buy a new PS2 since mine died).

I believe even the "software" emulation of the European models still uses some special hardware, just not as much as the "hardware" emulation models. They're probably saving $5 by not including that extra chip in the new PS3s.

[Jolyon Smith]

Why bother with (potentially) flawed emulation...

No matter how you cut it, emulation is gonna run into edge cases where the emulation just isn't quite as good as the real thing, be that in terms of glitches, performance or whatever. So why go to the bother, when anyone who has a back catalog of PS2 titles that they want to play will, *by*definition* already have a 100% compatible system to play them on... i.e. their old PS2.

iirc most of the "complaints" about the PS3 in the early days were about issues with it's PS2 emulation. The perception is/was perhaps that they are/were complaints about the PS3 itself tho... why invite criticism by officially supporting something that is fundamentally unnecessary?

In the meantime, anyone who still has a hankerin' to play PS2 titles but doesn't yet have a PS2 can get one for a *fraction* of the price of a PS3.

No HDMI output on a PS2? Who cares - it wasn't a HD console anyway. In fact, if nothing else, owning a PS2 will give the S-Video or component inputs on the back of your HD TV a reason to exist!!

[Kev - LG]

Of course I want to!

I never understand this "why would you want to" mentality. I have a hankering every few years to dust down Ico, Shadow of the Collosus, God Hand or Gradius V on a regular basis, and have to unpack the PS2 every time. I'd love it if I could just pop it into the PS3 and be ready to rock ...

[Jim_aka_Jim]

Utter RUBBISH

Check earlier REGhardware posts to do with console sales: PS2 is still selling well, some quarters better then the PS3.

So 'no one' is interested in PS2 games? From other responses on this board, it's obvious that Sony has performed a lobotomy on itself and is content on IGNORING IT'S CUSTOMERS.

Lack of backward compatibility is the ONLY reason why I didn't buy a PS3 on the day of release. Very much a personal point but the ONLY reason I bought a PS3 over and XBox was for Final Fantasy 13, and now that's no longer an exclusive, do I regret buying a PS3?

No: the PS3 is an amazing machine. But backwards compatibility would make it perfect for me. Till that day comes I will have both machines hooked up the TV, if only for FFXII, Wipeout Fusion and God of War.

Hell, bring out a PS3 slim V2 with the extra chips in. Made it a modular add-on or something like that.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ Jim_aka_Jim

there are other games worth having a ps3 for, ps2 games are last gen, something the majority of us dont care about anymore.

heavenly sword

gran turismo 5

resistance 1 & 2

mod nation racers

uncharted 1 & 2

killzone 2

ridge racer 7

god of war 3

metal gear solid 4

the agent

all these games are exclusive to the ps3, there are more but these are all really cool games either out now or within the next 6 months.

[Anonymous Coward]

Singstar backwards compatibility

Hold the phone. The only reason I was holding back from getting a PS3 was because it couldn't play my 9 PS2 Singstar games (that's £270 worth of tracks from the Singstore). But I've just found out that the newer PS3 Singstar games can read the tracks off the PS2 disks too now. Hooray!

[Jamyskis]

Sony out of touch with its consumers

I know gamers with different consoles - PS3, Wii and XBox 360 - I personally have a PC and PS3, and we all play last-gen games, some dating back from the mid-90s on the PS1. Those that claim that "nobody" plays last-gen games are generally wannabe "hardcore" gamers that want to look "cool" because they have the "latest" tech. They probably buy PCs with atrociously fast processors and weak onboard GPUs and sound for gaming too, believing that they've found a "bargain".

I think I would have refused to buy a PS3 had I not already had my PS2. Likewise, I'm not sure what's going to happen should my PS2 ever kick the bucket. To be honest, I bought the PS3 because I was sold on the Blu-Ray capabilities and a couple of games (MGS4, Ridge 7) but now the PS3 only ever gets used for PS1 and Blu-Rays these days. Such a waste.

In any case, Sony has just lost the plot over the past few years, deluding themselves with what they think gamers want and never actually asking them. PSP Go? Destined to fail from the outset.