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Forums - Sony Discussion - Why PS4 needs to play PS3 games

PS4 needs to have backwards compatibility with PS3. Not via the cloud, but via the Blu-Ray discs and those PSN games we bought need to run as well.....PS4 owners get an intant game collection of PS3 games from Day 1, doesn't that sound awesome? Plus, games like God of War Ascenion and The Last of Us are coming out really late in the generation and letting PS4 owners play those games is the smartest thing Sony could do.



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Agreed, it would be a huge deal for PS4 to play PS3 games, especially with a good looking 2013 year upcoming for PS3.



Yeah backwards compatibility would be great. If the PS4 uses Blu-ray discs as well then I don't see why it would be hard (or expensive) to make it play PS3 games.



Uh yeah. Have you heard the rumor of a $70 dongle that provides backwards compatibility to the PS4. Rumor yes, and questionable as to how that's possible, yes, but it has been said.

Other than that there is the cloud solution that would open up the entire library for anyone with a strong enough internet connection. Limited of course.

As for having PS3 capabilities in the PS4 itself, that's a death wish most likely for Sony. Perhaps an elite version, but you will have to pay extra.

My suggestion is, you have a PS3 right? It is still pretty awesome, right? Media hub, huge collection of games, etc. Just keep your PS3.



Before the PS3 everyone was nice to me :(

even though is kind of odd the reboot process on the wii u to play wii games, it is really helpful for me to be able tp play great games like xenoblade or the last story. i have been thinking to buy some wii games i couldnt acquired few years ago. Yes, you are right. now that cartridges are gone, there should be some kind of backwards compatibility at least with the preceding console. it also boost hardware and software sales.!!!



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Backwards compatibility may not get used that much but it is a huge feature in terms of sales because of brand "lock-in" ...

If (like the Wii U) you can play all of your old games, and use all of your old accessories, with the new system it lowers the risk in most people's mind about buying the system. Once you're making a clean break, and you need to buy entirely new games and accessories, it reduces the need/value in sticking with the same manufacturer.

With that said, I think Sony should be releasing a system that plays and enhances most PS3 games but with the rumoured hardware I think that is unlikely; and I'm doubtful that there will be much in the way of backwards compatibility.



Since the ps1 i bought almost every system.
I never had the wish to play ps1 games on ps2 or ps2 games on ps 3 or xbox games on 360 or n64 games on gamecube or gamecube games on the wii(and for sure not ugly sd wii games on wii u on a big full hd tv.)
why?because of the graphics.
I bought several hd versions of old games(strangers wrath looks realy great on vita) but would never play the originals(and most people i know don't touch the old gen games as soon as they own the next gen and most of those who want a downwardcompatibility own the old gen console anyway)

but i think it would be necessary to avoid some shitstorm in the net,therefore i'd prefer the cloud.
this is cheaper than an extra chip or special coding to make old games run like xbox1 games on 360.
the companies can use the money they waste on this for more hardwarepower.



VGKing said:

PS4 needs to have backwards compatibility with PS3. Not via the cloud, but via the Blu-Ray discs and those PSN games we bought need to run as well.....PS4 owners get an intant game collection of PS3 games from Day 1, doesn't that sound awesome? Plus, games like God of War Ascenion and The Last of Us are coming out really late in the generation and letting PS4 owners play those games is the smartest thing Sony could do.


Not via cloud? There is only one way for Sony to get BC: Some Gaikai-solution.

No Alternatives? Yes, and here is why:

1.

PS4 contains hardware of PS3 (like the first PS3-version had part of PS2-hardware in it): not gonna happen because too expensive, too much power-drain, even bigger case...

2.

PS4 emulates PS3: *NOT* gonna happen. PS3 is too much of a complex console to emulate. 6 SPEs at high clock-rates, the PPE at 3.2 GHz... absolutely unrealistic to get playable fps.

 

Really, putting your PS3-BD into PS4 and just play won't happen.



It would certainly be a nice feature, but it's not really feasible unless Sony wants the PS4 to feature similar architecture, which they probably don;t.



Marks said:
Yeah backwards compatibility would be great. If the PS4 uses Blu-ray discs as well then I don't see why it would be hard (or expensive) to make it play PS3 games.

I will explain why it can be hard AND expensive.

The PS3 architecture is very different from every thing else in the market, and according to ALL the rumors the one that is going to be used for the PS4 is more standard, so the hardware itself cannot play the games straight forward. That leaves 2 options to Sony, first include parts of the PS3 inside the PS4, that would be easy but not cheap at all, they will have to include the components in the price (around 100 dollars extra), make a bigger case and maybe consume more energy. Second is to emulate, but the PS3 architecture is not easy to emulate, the CPU is very fast, powerful and complex, the GPU is a little more standard, but it will require a lot of development time to build a basic emulator lets not mention a perfect one, so this option will be hard and expensive.

It can be done, but the easier alternative is using Gaikai for it, and that is a hard sale for some of the owners of a PS3, that will most likely wait till they finish their games before upgrading, and may bring a slower adoption rate than desired. But they can manage.