How important to you is backwards compatibility in your console purchasing decisions? Is the ability to play PlayStation 3 games on a PlayStation 4 (or Orbis, or whatever) something that will make your purchase of any new console more likely?
Backwards compatibility has always seemed a bit of an odd feature for people to demand in a new console. Don’t we buy a new console because we want the new, exciting features and increase in power? Isn’t a large part of the reason we upgrade to get away from the restrictions of a previous generation? And even if you want to continue playing your library of games from the previous generation, won’t you still have that machine?
And yet, it’s an issue that appears in comments sections and on forums over and over again. It’s obviously something that many people are very passionate about.
It’s not exactly a staple of console hardware, either. The SNES didn’t play NES games at all. The N64 didn’t play SNES or NES games and the Gamecube failed to play N64, SNES or NES games. The Wii did have backward compatibility for the Gamecube and emulated a lot of older consoles through its Virtual Console system and the Wii U works similarly, although without any Gamecube titles just yet.
If you wanted backward compatibility on a Mega Drive (or Genesis), you needed an extra device known as the Master System Converter in Europe, Mega Adapter in Japan and Power Base Converter in the US. That was a pass-through device that converted the cartridge slot to accept Master System cartridges. The Master System Converter cost about £40, roughly the price of a new game, and wasn’t universally functional. The Saturn didn’t play Mega Drive games and the Dreamcast didn’t play Saturn games either.
The functionality was much more common in home computers. The new iterations of Spectrum computers ran programs made for older machines. The Amiga was compatible through each step of the system’s life. But it could be argued that the console business has always been slightly different, with larger generational leaps and more defined, lengthier periods with a single hardware focus.
So, backwards compatibility is a relatively new thing for consoles.
Only the PlayStation 2, Wii and Xbox 360 have reliably supported it in home consoles (Nintendo’s handhelds have a good track record for backwards compatibility, to be fair). Sony even removed the ability from the PS3 in the first hardware revision and sales certainly didn’t suffer for it. So why does it seem that many are expecting it in the next generation?
It’s not something that worries EA’s Chief Financial Officer, Blake Jorgensen. He recently said, during an investor call, “an important thing to remember is that next-gen consoles will most likely not be backwards compatible.” He went on to imply that this was a good thing for EA’s business as it would mean they could maintain sales of current generation software.
He also pointed out that incompatibility between generations would mean that groups of friends who enjoy playing online would all upgrade around the same time, assisting sales of next generation software when the time comes.
It’s easy for us older folk to forget that many modern console owners are too young to remember a change in generations that didn’t at least feature plenty of discussion around backwards compatibility. The PS2 had it, and dominated that generation. The Xbox 360 was almost entirely backwards compatible. The PS3 launched with it and there was a lot of backlash, at least online, when Sony removed it. So it’s reasonable that anyone under 20 years old would feel like it’s an assumed feature to at least seriously consider when they’re upgrading.
How imperative is it, though? If Sony unveils the PlayStation 4 and there’s no possibility of playing PlayStation 3 games on it, would you be put off from buying the new console? How far back do you want them to go with it, is one generation enough or would you demand PS2 and PS1 compatibility too? What are your plans for your existing generation of consoles, after you own the next generation?
Of course, some newer questions about backwards compatibility will arise with this generational shift. We now have large libraries of digitally distributed games, made for PS3 or Xbox 360 and sold via PSN and XBLA. We’ll most likely still be using some version of the PSN and XBLA on our next generation of consoles, so will those libraries fragment into games compatible only with this current generation and those compatible only with the next generation?
It would be, I believe, a major selling point if Sony or Microsoft can claim to have an existing library of hundreds of digitally available games when they launch their next consoles. Quite aside from the convenience of being able to re-download or even transfer my existing purchases to a new machine, I think the appeal to newcomers would be significant. But it’s certainly not a deal breaker for me.
Ultimately, when I buy the next generation of consoles, it will be because I want something new. I won’t pack away my PS3 or Xbox 360 until I’ve finished playing games on those consoles and when I do, it will be because there’s more excitement in the new than there is temptation in the old. But we’re all different, so let’s hear how you intend to bridge the generational leap with your own buying and playing habits.
Bilbo_bobbins
Not bothered about it and I don’t understand those who are to be honest. If you have a lot of games and still want to play them, then do it on the system you have. It’s different if you downloaded them from PSN, they should be compatible with the next gen.
bunimomike
…and there it is for me. Up until this gen I haven’t really minded about backward compatibility but this gen has been embraced by a world of online purchases. My computer has scores of great titles from Steam and when I fork out a grand for a new computer I get to play all of those titles once more.
With my PSN account bursting at the seams with splendid games to be enjoyed it means that, for the first time in a console generation, I want to know that I can play those on the PS4 and take them with me. If not, I’ll be pissed off. It doesn’t mean I won’t buy a PS3 but it will severely dent my opinion of things as we edge closer to an age of game downloads only.
KeRaSh
Exactly. I personally care more about PSN backwards compatibility than disc backwards compatibility. Even if I invest in a PS4 early (depending on the launch line up) I will keep my PS3 plugged in until I’m sure there are no more games that I’m interested in left to play. After that has been the case I will pack my PS3 away to make room in the living room. I will most likely not sell it because I’m too lazy to do it, which is why I still have around 20-30 PS3 games at home that I could simply use to fund new purchases. Selling everything in a bundle would be a great way to fund maybe 50-100% of a PS4 but I’d first have to find a way to get “rid” of UK imported games in Germany, where mature games are not allowed to be sold through ebay or Amazon…
If anyone from Germany found an easy way to solve this issue, let me know! :)
ron_mcphatty
Well put guys. I’d like full backward compatibility but I can understand that’s not likely to happen, hardware wise I think a good stack of PSN only titles will probably need the same Cell power as the blu-ray PS3 games, which isn’t encouraging for those of us who want PSN backward compatibility. At the end of the day our downloaded games aren’t truly ours, the only way have a game permanently available is to buy the physical media and keep your PS3.
eye8have9you3
when I first got my ps3 I played on the same old CRT tv I used with my ps2, and I played loads of ps2 games on it even getting one of the memory card to usb adapter so I could use my oLD saves. Then my parents got an HDTV and suddenly my ps2 games looked horrible, so I quickly stopped playing them. Now however, I’m a poor student and have an old SDTV again. Now me and my mates play things like SSX and Burnout 3 for hours on end, lamenting the loss of decent splitscreen play in modern games. I can’t see there being the same jump from HD to any other type of TV now, I use 3D when playing games on my computer, but don’t miss it if it’s not supported, and even if 4K becomes a new standard, it shouldn’t make HD as defunct as SD became.
Jakster123x
The only thing that really bothers me is all of the games i have on my hard drive just now from PlayStation Plus that i’ve barely played yet.
Ultimately though, once I upgrade to the next PlayStation i don’t thing i’ll want to play previous generation games.
DeathByNumbers
A lot of people do want to play previous gen games though hence the deluge of HD collections from previous generations.
Jakster123x
Yes i know, but even then Sony ended up making more money there because you were essentially buying the same game for your new console.
Gaikai will solve this problem in some capacity, hopefully. I’m not too bothered either way, i’ll pick up the next PlayStation at some point and while i wait i’ll continue to play the games i already have.
Unterred
No interest in backwards compatibility but it will be a shame if those that want it cannot pay for the privilege of having it. I will just keep my ps3 if I buy a PS4. I would hate backwards compatibility to push the PS4 price up or result in an inferior console for PS4 games because backwards compatibility is provided.
Youles
With the money I’ve spent on PSN games, I would certainly like and almost expect them to be compatible, but I don’t think it’s totally unreasonable for PS4 not to play PS3 discs.
Origami Killer
As with the PS3 launch model, I think it should be included at the start but then removed. Only because new PS4 games will be expensive to buy, and for those with huge PS3 libraries there is something to play. That’s what I did with the PS3. Never play a PS2 or PS1 game now.
LTG Davey
Not a big deal to be honest, at least not for me. I have played exactly one Xbox game on my 360 and it looked like arse when viewed on my new HDTV (slightly ironic, lol). I have a PSP to play older games – the smaller screen size keeps everything looking reasonably sharp
dude90
If backwards compatibility is on the 4Orbis, it would most likely be through Gaikai. Well only a mere week till we possibly find out.
An-dz
Well if they gave us backwards compatibility, they wouldn’t be able to sell us PS3 Classics in a few years.
DeathByNumbers
but then, and in the meantime, they could keep selling classic PS3 games with no further development costs.
MuggleMind
Maybe they will integrate your PSN download list with Gaikai, so you can play those games without problems.
With regard to playing PS2 games on the PS3, the only PS2 games to ever get played on my PS3 were Killzone and Buzz Junior Jungle Party (because my grandchildren loved it when they were younger). Not put a PS2 disc in for over 3 years now.
However, this time I won’t be queuing up on release day to buy a PS4… will wait and see what sort of games appear (though, if KZ4 appears, and is truly amazing, I may be tempted).