Rumour: 40GB PS3 backwards compatibility come October

[Niclas]

It may be of no importance to some, but for me (as a regularly Sony-screwed European), it's about fucking time they pulled themselves together:

According to German game site InPlayStation, an October firmware update for the PS3 will bring full b/c for PS2 games. Now, Sony has said they plan to make PS2 games downloadable on the Network at some point, so perhaps this is a very plausible rumor.

source

As for the poll, what significance does backwards compatibility have for you? My PS2 was busted pretty badly during a birthday bash that included Guitar Hero 2, so I guess the "use your PS2" argument doesn't really work that well for me.

[BDGE]

The system deserves BC, it's a real shock that Sony ever pulled it to begin with for only a slight price drop. Outside of MGS4 right now, my only real playtime with the PS3 in 2008 has been with PS2 titles...Persona 3: Fes, MGS1-3 collection, and I still plan to buy Godhand one of these days.

40gb is too small though. My 60gb drive is already down to 20gb left and all I have on the drive are installs from games and a scant few demos(DMC4, Motorstorm, GT5). MGS4, Uncharted, RR7, Resistance, HSG5, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, R&C, and Heavenly Sword all take up nearly 2/3rds of my drive just to play them. This is my entire library culled from a year and a half of ownership. I can't imagine adding all the multiconsole releases like GTA4, CoD4, Lego games, etc... that I wouldn't be playing on 360 on top of those.

The expense of the 80gb drive can't be THAT much of a premium.

[delirium]

Makes or breaks for me. I never owned a PS2 and missed out on a lot of great games I've always wanted to play. I could just buy a PS2 cheap, but if the Ps3 gets backwards compatibility, it makes sense to go for that.

[id4698]

I got a 40gig for Christmas, and have realized since how much of a game-breaker it is for me not to have the PS2 compatibility.

It pissed me off then and it still pisses me off...their strategy seems ludicrous to me.

[Omniscia]

My PS2 is still working, for the most part. Sure, it freezes every once in a while, and refused to play NOLF (but I've got a PC for that), but it's still going strong, after 8 years...

Given that I'm still attached to some of those PS2 games, and even some of my PS1 games, I'd like to have the peace of mind of backwards compatibility in case my PS2 ever decides it's had enough.

I've given up on the PS3 for now, though. I'd rather spend the dough on sprucing up my PC, and use the spare parts to build a Blu-ray system for the back room.

[GuildBoss]

I've got my finger on the trigger of a $300 Amazon gift card! Just waiting for that trophy PS3 to wander nearby...

[forgeforsaken]

If the 40 currently supported BC I probably would have bought one during the latest Walmart promotion.

[BobJustBob]

Backwards compatibility is a crucially important feature, but this (if real) will merely be a nice replacement for the 80GB. It's still a slap in the face compared to the 60GB's real BC.

[TheRock]

Backwards Compatability means absolutely nothing to me. I use the PS3 for BlueRay and to check the Net before I go to sleep....console games, meh.

[Aleck]

If the 40 currently supported BC I probably would have bought one during the latest Walmart promotion.

As someone who is only mildly interested in the PS3 for its games, I can say that opening the PS2 library (which was awesome) on the PS3 is definitely make or break. As is a major (to $300) price drop.

[Thierry Nguyen]

I got the 40 last November simply because the 60 was out of stock in my local area. While I have a working PS2, it's not hooked up to the main TV (other consoles, receiver, satellite box taking up room), so BC isn't an absolute necessity, but it'd be a nice bonus to be able to play PS2 games in the living room without re-arranging crap.

[EvilIdler]

Make or break, if the price also comes down bit more. My reason is that I don't want to buy a frickin' TV, and there are no
monitors for sale with component inputs at reasonable prices. I am not happy with the input on my TV card from the PS2,
so it's largely unused now. I do have sizable collection of games for it tucked away till better times :)

[Moore]

If the 40 currently supported BC I probably would have bought one during the latest Walmart promotion.

I'd have been pretty tempted, though I still say $200 is my magic price.. I dumped my ps2 awhile back but still own most of my games.

[MikeSolita]

this was hinted at in EGM's playstation cover story a few months back. a Sony exec alluded to a "downloadable solution" that would allow PS2 emulation, but his partner cut him off in the interview.

i really hope it happens b/c it's just a waste of a massive, excellent library not to include the ability to play those games under 1 unit.

[Wendelius]

For me, it would mean 2 purchases quite probably. My sons have a PS2 and this would be my chance to give them a PS3 as a present at some point and allow them to both still play their older games and the newer ones with only one box.

As for me, just the ability to revisit some of the PS2 classics I missed by never owning a PS2, the possibility for my sons to bring their games along and play together and dualshock controllers (they will finally be out by then, right?) would be strong factors, along with the Blu Ray player and some PS3 games to finally tempt me into getting one.

Wendelius

[Not One Of Us]

I'm curious: how can they do full backwards compatibility with a firmware upgrade? Wouldn't it require the actual PS2 chips to do that?

[EvilIdler]

Remember that the PS3 is powered by magic. It will happen. Have faith in Sony.

[jfletch]

I'm curious: how can they do full backwards compatibility with a firmware upgrade? Wouldn't it require the actual PS2 chips to do that?

It of course would not have "full" compatibility. It will be like the 360 backwards compatibility, totally done in software, but I would expect Sony to, unlike Microsoft, keep working on it consistently throughout the system's life.

The initial releases would probably only have 50% compatibility or so but even then that is a massive addition of value to the system. I have a 60GB and find myself playing a lot of old PS2 games with it.

[Coca Cola Zero]

It will be like the 360 backwards compatibility, totally done in software, but I would expect Sony to, unlike Microsoft, keep working on it consistently throughout the system's life.

What is that expectation based on? Sony's previous commitment to BC on the PS3? Wishful thinking?

[mojovonio]

I got an 80gb, but I rarely use BC if at all. I don't think this is that much of a factor as people claim it is.

[Hanacker]

Just depends what you're into. If you want to play any RPGs and/or Strategy games you don't have much choice but BC. If you're more into action and sports you probably wouldn't need it that much (although God of War 2 doesn't run on my modded Japanese PS2 so that's one of the big reasons I'm looking into a PS3).

[MyNameIsWill]

I still use the PS3 for SingStar and Buzz!, which I don't want to give up support for. Buzz! (PS3) isn't released and I don't want to re-purchase songs I own for SingStar (PS3).

[Equisilus]

Freaky. I just bought the 80 GB MGS4 bundle today. I wanted the PS2 backwards compatibility, not for PS2 titles I own, but because I might want to pick some up cheap from time-to-time and like the wider variety (which is why I selected that it had some significance).

[jfletch]

What is that expectation based on? Sony's previous commitment to BC on the PS3? Wishful thinking?

Well, for one thing, the 80GB "one chip" emulation has gotten constant improvements over the course of its existence (you can see that in the BC list, they show what problems have been resolved and in what firmware updates). And I still think Sony deems BC to be more important to the PS brand than Microsoft - I really do think Sony released the 40GB when they did (without BC) not because they necessarily wanted to, but because they had to, the more expensive models were just not selling. I do not think Sony is going to abandon BC for the PS4 and I also doubt they want to put EE/GS chips into that system, so they will have to do it by software.

[DennyA]

You guys will note that I predicted this when they first dumped BC. :)

Sony figured at this point in the lifecycle, BC wasn't critical to growing the market. It's still the hardcore/early adopter/Blu-ray crowd buying most of the PS3s. But once they want to grow the market and pull in more of the mainstream PS2 crowd, BC's going to be an important selling point. So they drop it for a year to get system costs down, knowing they can add software BC down the road before it's critical to their marketing.

[Hanacker]

How could they possibly decide on October right now? That seems way too far in advance to accurately predict.

[Brad Grenz]

How does any software developer predict a release date?

[Misguided]

I think what jfletch has said makes a lot of sense.
I hope this happens. The number of models at retail really confuses customers.
I've been worried they were going to add an 80GB unit without BC, further complicating matters.
Adding BC to the 40GB would help a lot.