The initial PS3's were backwards compatible because they had PS2 emotion engine CPU's in them. PS4's do not have the PS3's Cell CPU's in them, and the overall architecture is so different it's not an easy thing to emulate.
MCV: PlayStation on Xbox backwards compatibility
- Thread starter TGO
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The initial PS3's were backwards compatible because they had PS2 emotion engine CPU's in them. PS4's do not have the PS3's Cell CPU's in them, and the overall architecture is so different it's not an easy thing to emulate.
Zeyphersan
Banned
Thanks to small DD games, even the average person owns many, many times more games from the PS360 generation than any prior one. Asking someone to abandon 5-10 games going from Xbox to Xbox 360 is a lot different than asking them to abandon 40-50 going from Xbox 360 to XBox One
Like I said before, encouraging people to invest in a digital library that is hardware locked is super shitty, and actively discourages me from buying a lot of titles on console
That's a port. That took a chunk of money and lots of dev time. What MS is doing is either doing some sort of binary wrapper or recompilation like they did with 360 BC with the OG Xbox. So one takes a dev team 8 months; the other a dev team 1 week. Even so, expect BC on the XB1 to be like BX on the 360, buggy.
Not This! PSNOW and BC are NOT the same thing.
PSNOW ultimately will be Sony's Google Movies&TV for games (would say Netflix, but you have to pay per)
PSNow isnt just to play last-gen games on the current gen. Its to stream games via multiple media displays.
Once MS announces that you can play your Xbox Library on your Smart TV without the need to own their console, then I will agree with your statement.
xplicitone
Member
It's too bad. But they couldn't have sold things like ffx remaster for ps4, most likely.
I love xb1 BC. I can't wait to unhook my 360 and box it up. 1 less console to maintain and display and connect to my TV/power outlet. It's fantastic.
Wish I can out away my airplane ps3 as well but I'll take anything I can get.
I love xb1 BC. I can't wait to unhook my 360 and box it up. 1 less console to maintain and display and connect to my TV/power outlet. It's fantastic.
Wish I can out away my airplane ps3 as well but I'll take anything I can get.
To be completely honest, It slipped my mind that was a port. My mistake.
Karak
Member
Absolutely. For countless reasons this gen really did matter more and man this is amazing news.
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
You let me know if PSNow stops you from playing your PS3 library on your PS3. Because clearly it doesn't and that was not its purpose.
KillerSloth
Banned
Ps now is not the same man holy crap...can MS BC play games on Tablet or tv? Nope its a different platform, why is this hard to understand?
RipperGrim
Member
They learned what a waste of time BC was with the PS3. When they dropped it for the PS3 there's barely any resistance to the move at all.
Personally I do not see the BC for the 360 as that much of a game changer at all, just technically impressive I suppose and also begs the question as to why it wasn't a feature in the first place.
Personally I do not see the BC for the 360 as that much of a game changer at all, just technically impressive I suppose and also begs the question as to why it wasn't a feature in the first place.
Ploid 3.0
Member
PS Now is supposed to be a netflix of gaming like Onlive. That's different than backwards compat. I like BC a lot on PC and it was fun to get PS2 and PS3 to try the old games and see how they improved with the BC features (they were very limited but I really liked how FF Tactics looked on PS2). The beast of BC is PC where you can gain huge graphical upgrades via GPU features, and mods.
After I collected a good amount of games on PS2 and PS3 BC was hardly ever needed. I used them as something to hold me over as I transitioned to the new games on a new system. With a service like Onlive and PS Now I can just feel like playing a certain game and play it for a bit. I don't know if PS Now have a subscription for access to a huge catalog of games, if it has that kind of subscription it's much more than a BC replacement, especially since it's not limited to PS4 at all.
Did you have a large digital library they you left behind in that PS2?
I think a lot of folks forget that last Gen is when the digital console game really took off. If you don't think something exclusive like Shadow Complex is something people would like to revisit or play for the first time is appealing...
Out also gives you a sense of ownership of digital titles you thought you lost to last Gen.
TerryWogan
Member
To be honest, I don't even care about putting a PS2 disk in the drive and playing a game. I'd happily buy emulated PS1/PS2 games digitally. It blows my mind that the PS4 doesn't have this option yet. The PS2 in particular has probably the most impressive library in console history.
Ewww! No!
They mentioned a limited roll out. It does sound like they're doing exactly the same thing. Recompiling the binaries and throwing it out in the wild. They did mention a dozen right now and 100 later. It's not full EMU.
It was a very smart move by MS and more than that it was endearing to the consumer. MS didn't do this because it's beneficial to their bottom line, they did this as a good will gesture to their loyal fan base.
As someone who not only owns many ps3 games but still has quite a backlog of ps3 games to play through - many of us on Gaf probably find ourselves in a similar situation- I would find it useful to finally retire my old 60GB ps3 and simply have my ps4 to play my ps3 games on.
I do realize I am in the minority but like books, there are a couple of games that I play annually and for people like me MS has made that a reality.
Good move on MS's part indeed.
Neuromancer
Member
This is how: it was a ton of work for Naughty Dog.
http://www.shacknews.com/article/84560/the-last-of-us-creative-director-says-porting-to-ps4
Michael F. Assbender
Banned
I don't know about you guys, but I know I paid $400-$500 in order to play the same games I've been playing for a decade. It's not like I have anything new and interesting to play.
Ninja Scooter
Member
I'm not understanding what the difference is between physical and digital BC. Like, if BC was not available, you'd have to keep your old console around whether the games you owned were physical or digital.
Zeyphersan
Banned
This is where I'm at too. At the end of a gen when I've finished up with all the games I'm going to play, I'll sell off the physical copies and the console. But I will HAPPILY rebuy my favorites as digital, emulated titles if it meant I can carry them forward
I don't buy physical PS2 games anymore, but would invest heavily in digital ones that played on PS4+
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That's all. Not all countries have the gold standard seen in the 'minority', in my opinion.
IMHO PS Now's main goal is not and has never been backward's compatibility. It's main goal is to allow the playstation ecosystem to reach people that don't own a console and or occasional gamers
autoduelist
Member
I'm fairly sure they mentioned metrics on it with PS3... and almost nobody used it. That's why they removed it, and PS3 sales didn't suffer.
I still think we'll get classics for ps1/2.
PSnow has nothing to do with BC and people thinking that's part of the strategy aren't looking long term at what PSNow is really for -- reaching people without consoles.
Whitman's Ghost
Banned
Yeah, I don't get people these days when they talk of this. There is 0% this can happen. Have you seen the emulation scene for PS3? Basically dead bar a few things here and there and let me tell you even if they get it running it's going to be full of so many bugs and problems as to be worthless for years and years. The PS3 is the ultimate bitch when it comes to emulation. Sony would never even waste their time when they can monetize ports.
Because people use it for the same thing; playing old games. If Sony would offer both, BC and streaming I would agree with this argument, but if you want to play one of your old games on your PS4 you're forced to use PSnow
I probably have hundreds if not a thousand plus dollars in my Xbox live account. Already have written then off as a loss and honestly wouldn't even have time to make much use of bc
"I mean, yeah, if you want to play PS3 games on your PS4 it's what you would use. And of course you'd have to pay for it. But it's not for that. It's just the only way you can do it."
That's like saying that Netflix and Blu-ray discs are not the same because one uses discs and the other is streaming. They're different solutions for the same problem: I want to watch a movie. That there are differences between those platforms doesn't mean they can't be compared or are not in competition.
Also, for those saying BC is rarely used: We're in a different world now. The rise of "indie" games has brought with it an acceptance/appreciation of all kinds of art styles and technical achievements. In case the fact that most "indie" PS4 games are also playable on the Vita didn't tip you off, we're not exactly pushing the limits of power in these cases.
Super Meat Boy coming to PS4 was a big deal last week, and now you can play the exact same game on the XBO (and immediately instead of sometime later). The lines are blurring across the board, the only difference between making a downloadable game playable via BC or by porting it are a) you may have to pay for it again and b) a lot more work for the developers. It's really easy to see the benefit here.
TalentBurke
Member
If you already own the game wouldn't that mean you already own the system to play it on? In that case why would you buy the game again or should I say rent it on playstation now?At least Microsoft doesn't charge us for the games we already own
TechnicPuppet
Nothing! I said nothing!
KillerSloth
Banned
You have the option to use it for BC but it is not the same thing period....it is a streaming service for Multiple devices. 360 and x1 = x86 architecture....Cell made BC impossible on ps4.
Mendax
Member
see this, people? read this.
it was already proven that BC is not important and it doesnt make a difference, especially not later on in the gen...
With how things are going, I suspect the PS5 will definitely be able to be BC with the PS4 titles. As far as native support of PS3 titles on PS4, I think we should accept that this is the "cross-game chat drama" of the PS4, as the architecture of both consoles are so different. BC is a valuable underused feature imo, but such a great bullet point to have on your side as a system seller.
I guess the PS3 will forever be a valuable machine.
I guess the PS3 will forever be a valuable machine.
It's amazing how many people don't grasp this.
Sony started PS Now with PS3 games, but all along the intention was to branch out into other games both old and new.
That said, It would be wise of Sony to remind people.
Can Samsung TVs play ps3 games without PS Now?
As a gamer who owns a ps3 and ps4, making the ps4 backwards compatibile with a relative handful of titles is definitely a waste of time in my eyes. I'm glad they're prioritizing other features and fixing the ones that still need work. MS needs an edge so it makes sense for them to go this route if they feel their audience isn't transitioning fast enough.
MikeE21286
Member
I think it's a great answer actually.
It's honest obviously.
We evaluated it. We are not doing it. And this is why.
It's honest obviously.
We evaluated it. We are not doing it. And this is why.
Neff
Member
It's definitely early days, but I think Ryan's comparison with the PS3/PS2 BC issue misses -or deliberately dodges- some important points. For one thing, PS2 games absolutely were being played and enjoyed on PS3 for the first year or so, and helped offset the lack of quality titles for PS3 at the time. For another, his comment overlooks the staggering amount of player investment sunk into software last gen, and much of it digital, therefore being tied to hardware without the ability sell it. PS4 simply doesn't represent the same technological leap PS3 did to enable gamers to forget about last gen so quickly, in addition to suffering bare release schedules. These issues conspire to make PS3 something that will refuse to quietly dissolve and potentially hold PS4 back, while XB1 can march confidently into the future as a contained gen 7/gen 8 experience, assuming they really double down on compatibility. PS Now just isn't going to cut it for many people, particularly when MS' solution is looking damn good. I do think it's something Sony needs to look at and take seriously.
small44
Member
did they really promised that
Neuromancer
Member
Let's not get too carried away. It was a business decision, probably one aimed at converting 360 owners to X1 owners with the promise of getting to play (some of) their old games on the new system.
I never understand why people think digital downloads should be easier to emulate.
Doesn't matter if it's on a disk or it's a download, it's still 1 and 0s and it's still designed to run on a certain architecture.