PS4 No plans for backward compatibility (right now)

#1
G

G0 BIG 0RANGE

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
2,730
Likes
1,195
#1
Sony Responds to Xbox One Backward Compatibility News - GameSpot

"The PS4 does offer some kind of backward compatibility by way of PlayStation Now. However, this is a paid streaming service. But could the PS4 ever offer a native backward compatibility solution?

"I don't think we will change our approach," Yoshida said. "The PlayStation 4 doesn't have backward compatibility."

He went on to say that Sony will instead focus on building new features and services for the PS4. But Sony hasn't ruled out native backward compatibility entirely.

"Backward compatibility is hard," Yoshida explained. "I won't say we'll never do it, but it's not an easy thing to do. If it was easy we would have done that."
 
#3
#3
They need to ditch PS Now (think that is what its called). IMO you should not have to pay to play the old games you already own (not talking about remastered games)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#4
#4
They won't offer it because there's too much money to be made by remastering PS3 games and rereleasing them at full price on the PS4.

Sony execs know that a sizable percentage of PS4 owners switched from the 360 last generation and are itching to play the games they missed out on, so it makes more sense to just spruce up the graphics a bit and release those games.
 
#5
#5
kwebbvols2344 said:
They need to ditch PS Now (think that is what its called). IMO you should not have to pay to play the old games you already own (not talking about remastered games)
Click to expand...

They don't need to ditch it. They've invested way too much money in acquiring Gaikai and setting this service up to just "ditch it." You have to remember that PS Now isn't just a backwards compatibility solution for PS4 owners. It's a full blown streaming service that is being put in stand alone components like blu ray players, televisions, tablets, smart phones etc. Sony's long term plans for the service are to put it in hotels, airplanes, etc.

As far as BC goes, really the only solution to this for Sony is to A.) Provide PS1 and PS2 BC via software emulation and this CAN be done! B.) offer free streaming through PS Now for PS3 games that players already own either via disk detection or through PSN digital purchase history.
 
Last edited:
#6
#6
Brave Volunteer said:
As far as BC goes, really the only solution to this for Sony is to A.) Provide PS1 and PS2 BC via software emulation and this CAN be done! B.) offer free streaming through PS Now for PS3 games that players already own either via disk detection or through PSN digital purchase history.
Click to expand...

This would be cool. I have a hundred or more PS1-3 games just sitting there because my PS1-3 don't work as well as they once did.
 
#8
#8
BearCat204 said:
I may be in the minority, but BC doesn't appeal to me at all.
Click to expand...

Before I got my new TV, I did because I didn't have enough room to hook up all of my consoles and BC would help with the space.

But now I have 2 large TVs and I have my last gen consoles on the one TV and my current systems on the bigger one.

I think BC is convenient and I'd rather have it than not, but it's also overrated. Part of me thinks it's a bit sad when one of the biggest highlights of e3 is you get to play old games.
 
#9
#9
It is just frustrating knowing that is possible and they wouldn't want to put it on there. Microsoft was reluctant too, but changed their mind when they saw the consumer wanted it (it took two years though).

Considering I have purchased and still own 100+ PS1, 2, 3, and Xbox 360 games, and have no way of playing them because of aging hardware sucks - not to mention my games on NES, SNES, N64, etc.

I like the idea of enjoying and preserving the history of video games, but the only other way of doing it without Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony making BC or classic digital catalogs is through piracy, and I'd rather not get involved in that.

I can understand not caring if you just casually enjoy games and want the flashy graphics of today, but many people like to fire up the classics without resorting to using multiple TVs, piracy, or aging machines.

Imagine if the only way to watch movies or listen to music was to play them on the original hardware they were released on or pirating them.
 
Last edited:
#10
#10
Brave Volunteer said:
They don't need to ditch it. They've invested way too much money in acquiring Gaikai and setting this service up to just "ditch it." You have to remember that PS Now isn't just a backwards compatibility solution for PS4 owners. It's a full blown streaming service that is being put in stand alone components like blu ray players, televisions, tablets, smart phones etc. Sony's long term plans for the service are to put it in hotels, airplanes, etc.

As far as BC goes, really the only solution to this for Sony is to A.) Provide PS1 and PS2 BC via software emulation and this CAN be done! B.) offer free streaming through PS Now for PS3 games that players already own either via disk detection or through PSN digital purchase history.
Click to expand...


I know they can't "ditch it" but I highly doubt that many people are using it. I know it is impossible for you to see Sony doing anything wrong.

BearCat204 said:
I may be in the minority, but BC doesn't appeal to me at all.
Click to expand...

I think it is a great option but I probably won't use it on my Xbox. I will probably try out a few games.
 
#12
#12
my question is why do you guys have over a hundred old games?

You surely don't even think about 75% of them any longer. Why keep them?
 
#13
#13
Wylo said:
my question is why do you guys have over a hundred old games?

You surely don't even think about 75% of them any longer. Why keep them?
Click to expand...

Some people like to collect them.

Also it's not just for games you own, during times like this when the last gen is about done, you can get games for crazy cheap.

For example, you can get all 4 Gears of War games for about $20 total used at GameStop. You can get all 3 Bioshock games for about $25 total.
 
#14
#14
VolsSportsFan said:
Some people like to collect them.

Also it's not just for games you own, during times like this when the last gen is about done, you can get games for crazy cheap.

For example, you can get all 4 Gears of War games for about $20 total used at GameStop. You can get all 3 Bioshock games for about $25 total.
Click to expand...



Makes sense.
 
#15
#15
Wylo said:
my question is why do you guys have over a hundred old games?

You surely don't even think about 75% of them any longer. Why keep them?
Click to expand...

I'm a collector and like I said above, I want to preserve history. Video games are harder to preserve when there is a lack of backward compatibility in current hardware. We can't turn on the TV and see an old NES game like we can classic films. That, on top of ridiculous DRM, it is easy to lose stuff to the past without resorting to piracy.

The quest to save today

"In an industry with a nearly constant focus on the latest and greatest, it may seem silly to want to preserve old, outdated versions of today's games for posterity. But the current nostalgic and research interest in games from the ’70s and ’80s shows just how important it is to try to save a complete record of today’s titles, as ephemeral as they sometimes are.

"I totally get that people look at this and say all of this game history stuff is navel-gazing bulls**t... an irrelevant, wasteful, trivial topic,” Scott told Ars. “[But] mankind is poorer when you don't know your history, all of your history, and the culture is poorer for it. It doesn't matter if it's games or civil wars or highways or government machinations. If you don't have that historical context, you make poorer decisions, you make the same mistakes again and again, and you end up with an eternal present. You don't understand where things are and where they're going, because you're constantly in the now."
 
#16
#16
kwebbvols2344 said:
I know they can't "ditch it" but I highly doubt that many people are using it. I know it is impossible for you to see Sony doing anything wrong.
Click to expand...

kwebb,

This isn't about right or wrong. All I'm saying is they made a sizable investment in acquiring Gaikai. It would make no business sense for them to just say "welp, the X1 has BC now so **** it! Let's just ditch the 380 million dollar investment we've made"

Native backwards compatibility of PS3 games on PS4 CANNOT happen. The PS3 architecture was far too complicated and exotic. Every PS3 game would basically have to be completely re-programmed to even run on PS4. Game streaming truly is the only solution to BC for PS3 titles on PS4. I've used the service and it works extremely well. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with it, other than the current price. If they can get it down to something like Netflix at 9.99 a month with "buffet" access to the entire library or roll it up into everyone's PS Plus subscription, then it would be perfect. However as I said in my previous post, they SHOULD offer software emulation of PS1 and PS2 titles along with free streaming for the PS3 games that are on PS Now that people already own either via disk detection or through PSN digital purchase history. So your claim that it's "impossible for me to see Sony doing anything wrong" is inaccurate.
 
Last edited:
#19
#19
BearCat204 said:
I may be in the minority, but BC doesn't appeal to me at all.
Click to expand...

The most appeal for BC is at the very beginning of a new system's life cycle while the platform is still tying to find it's legs and there's the inevitable drought of high quality new titles available. However once the really good new gen titles start rolling, interest in older games starts to fade.

Having said that there ARE a couple of last gen titles on 360 that I hope wind up making the list of games compatible on X1. I'd love to have the Skyrim Legendary collection to play on X1. I also wouldn't mind trying out Alan Wake since I never played it or maybe the Left 4 Dead games.
 
#20
#20
Brave Volunteer said:
The most appeal for BC is at the very beginning of a new system's life cycle while the platform is still tying to find it's legs and there's the inevitable drought of high quality new titles available. However once the really good new gen titles start rolling, interest in older games starts to fade.

Having said that there ARE a couple of last gen titles on 360 that I hope wind up making the list of games compatible on X1. I'd love to have the Skyrim Legendary collection to play on X1. I also wouldn't mind trying out Alan Wake since I never played it or maybe the Left 4 Dead games.
Click to expand...

I played my PS1 classics 10x more than any of my PS3 games! And the only reason I owned a Wii was to play from the classic library lol I must be in the minority here

And yes, you do need to play Alan Wake and Left 4 Dead.
 
#21
#21
You are VERY much in the minority. If that wasn't the case, BC would be a bigger deal on new consoles.

The idea sounds great to most. Very few will play more than a few minutes on a few titles to say, "That's great. I can play this any time." It'll be just like 99% of people that buy DVDs every week and never watch them. Great idea, makes you feel good inside, but not something you'll actual use or watch.
 
#22
#22
DrRosenRosen said:
You are VERY much in the minority. If that wasn't the case, BC would be a bigger deal on new consoles.

The idea sounds great to most. Very few will play more than a few minutes on a few titles to say, "That's great. I can play this any time." It'll be just like 99% of people that buy DVDs every week and never watch them. Great idea, makes you feel good inside, but not something you'll actual use or watch.
Click to expand...

I guess we will see how popular it ends up. I know I'll use the hell out of it haha - and I watch every BluRay I purchase, thank you very much :p
 
#24
#24
Brave Volunteer said:
It sure helped Nintendo to sell tons of Wii U's. :)
Click to expand...

Haha that is Nintendo's fault. I may have bought a Wii U if my Virtual Console games on my Wii weren't such a pain to transfer and they didn't charge me a fee to transfer them, which is basically buying them again. Their whole online scheme is archaic.
 
#25
#25
G0 BIG 0RANGE said:
Haha that is Nintendo's fault. I may have bought a Wii U if my Virtual Console games on my Wii weren't such a pain to transfer and they didn't charge me a fee to transfer them, which is basically buying them again. Their whole online scheme is archaic.
Click to expand...

I wasn't even talking about the virtual console games. I was strictly talking about Wii titles. The Wii U plays all of the Wii games, yet out the 100+ million people who bought Wii's, only 10% bought Wii U's.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.
Advertisement



Back
Top