Sony Baffled by XB1 Backwards Compatibility - Unlikely to Come to PS4

[Scarim Coral]

They making it sound like they used dark magic to make it backward compatible. I wonder if they going to send a spy to see how it work?

 

[Viper114]

Honestly, I don't think it really matters with this. PS4 has "backward compatibility" in the form of PS Now. It's not true backward compatibility like the past, sticking an old disc in a new console, but it's something if someone REALLY wants to play a PS3 game and they don't have a PS3. Which is a nice idea, as long as they have the internet capabilities for streaming it.

Otherwise, I think we're harping on backward compatibility too much these days. Just let the current consoles focus on current games, and if you so want to play older games, either get and keep an older console, or use the PS Now service.

 

[Laughing Man]

Lol, I am a tad lost as to why folk can't see the very obvious marketing move here.

Without actually saying it he has basically questioned MSes ability to follow up on this 'backwards compatibility' claim.

I am interested in just how much time effort and cash MS is willing to put in to this rather redundant feature. I am also rather amused at the fact that of all the games and stuff that MS announced the thing that got the biggest response is what can only be called the most half arsed attempt at 'backwards compatibility' I have seen.

Here's the thing Sony got more talking points from the NEW GAMES they are planning to release on their console, not from making their console capable of playing a select few of their old games.

Well Sony you finally got your wish after losing the format wars, but the console wars may end up going to Microsoft because of the backwards compatibility thing.

Original PS3s where fully compatible with PS2 and PSone if folk didn't buy the more expensive under powered console then what's going to make them buy the more expensive less powerful console now that MS have announced the most lacklustre attempt at backwards compatibility I have ever seen.

 

[Shocksplicer]

Microsoft plays the long game...

Ah, so thats why that launched a console with a pitiful 4GB RAM and announced it with always online DRM despite the stigma against it being plain as day everywhere on the inernet, and made it require a Kinect to function at a time when the NSA's dealings with Microsoft were coming to light.

Obviously, plans we simple folk dont understand.

Ports, they are ports XbOne is not Backwards compatible.

So, didn't read the article then?

No, hes right. Simply being backward compatible would mean dropping a 360 disc in the tray and playing normally.

In this case, your disc is used to verify that you own the game and then the game is downloaded to your system. What youre actually getting is a ported version.

True back compatibility would also mean all titles available at the start.

Huh. Well, thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Can I just point out it's not backwards compatible with 7th gen hardware, but rather you can download ported versions for free?

 

[Hyperstorm]

Yes, Sony, I know: I'm shocked that Microsoft doesn't want to get people to pay a second time for a game they already own too!

Clearly these tree-hugging commies are spitting in the face of true Capitalism!

 

[Ulquiorra4sama]

Did he not talk to his PR people? I think backwards compatibility is largely overrated, but nevertheless seems a poor choice to acknowledge your competition as having done something beyond your expectations.

He's just being honest. Isn't that refreshing to see from business people?

It's also worth keeping in mind that, like the article links to, Mattrick basically said that backwards compatibility was stupid. It's kind of a 180 from where Sony probably thought their competitor was at. Spencer really seems to've been good for Xbox as a brand. If the Xbox One had more games i was interested in playing i'd be tempted to get one, because under Spencer's lead it's become a much more attractive console.

 

[lionsprey]

Well you see, Sony, the 360 wasn't engineered by eldritch horrors, so it's probably very similar to the xbone, hardware wise.

Really shouldn't have outsourced that PS3 design to incomprehensible beings of unspeakable intent.

Hey the fungi from yuggoth are the best damn console designers out there. it's not their fault the sony engineers couldn't build a console in 4 dimensions.

 

[J Tyran]

Well you see, Sony, the 360 wasn't engineered by eldritch horrors, so it's probably very similar to the xbone, hardware wise.

Really shouldn't have outsourced that PS3 design to incomprehensible beings of unspeakable intent.

The 360 chip is based on the core of the PS3 CELL, IBM sold it too Microsoft even though Sony had paid for it to be developed.

Thank you, my inner nerd was boiling up until I read this. The first person to understand that the 360 chip as a power PC chip is closer to the PS3 CPU than it is the x86-64 in the Xbone/PS4. They share the same IBM Power PC architecture (same as Macs used to use as well, its basically well into entering a legacy phase now), the "pipelines" in the PS3 chip and the way it shuttles data internally is just a lot more complicated and takes a more specialised instruction set to get the most out of it.

I am interested in just how much time effort and cash MS is willing to put in to this rather redundant feature. I am also rather amused at the fact that of all the games and stuff that MS announced the thing that got the biggest response is what can only be called the most half arsed attempt at 'backwards compatibility' I have seen.

Personally I'm going to speculate that the "backwards compatibility" is just a bonus, a side effect of what Microsoft are really up to here and they are pushing it as a PR "coup". I think we're going to see a huge dump of 360 titles onto the PC in some fashion after the launch of Windows 10.

Microsoft might be finally realising what a gold mine they are sitting on with the huge PC sector profits for those that can take advantage of them.

 

[VoidWanderer]

I mean it's not like Sony are offering anything similar...

Apart from Playstation Now, which will allow a similar thingg, but will have prices for renting the games you wanted to play, but this is likely to be a failure as I doubt they will bring back the Dark Alliance series, Predator Concrete Jungle, etc

 

[RicoADF]

It's funny really ... when Xbox One was first announced, people hated it with a passion because of Microsoft's desire to put poor business practices on the darn thing. Everyone cheered and adored the PS4 for what it was, along the selling price at that.

Fast forward to a few years if less ...

Xbox One got rid of DRM, has adapted to suit the customer's needs, provided plenty of games worthy of our attention and NOW is going to be backward compatible ... while the PS4 has no clue on why anyone (or how they themselves) would care to include that feature. Now I am not saying the Xbox One has won over the PS4, but it certainly has come a long ways and beginning to live up.

I must admit, the XBO has gone from a "never buy" to a "maybe when there's a sale". Credit to Microsoft where it's due.

I mean it's not like Sony are offering anything similar...

Apart from Playstation Now, which will allow a similar thingg, but will have prices for renting the games you wanted to play, but this is likely to be a failure as I doubt they will bring back the Dark Alliance series, Predator Concrete Jungle, etc

Playstation Now is nowhere near similar. It's a streaming service, and like Netflix is not a substitute for buying a real physical copy. There's a reason I have my PS3/360 sitting next to my PS4. It's annoying as I would happily pay $1000 AUD for a proper fully functional backwards compatible PS4 as it'd both save space and ensure my games wouldn't be under the mercy of the lifespan of my PS3.

 

[Banjo-Kazooie Blue]

This is such Bullshit. Sony can "rent" PS3 games digitally. There is no reason they can't simply let us download games from the previous system onto the PS4. I am so tired of This PlayStation Now crap.

 

[Strazdas]

Xbox 360 ran on PowerPC technology, which, while not the same, is actually quite similar to regular PC technology. This means that porting/emulating them isnt a hopeless task. The main problem i see is that XboxOne has a weaker CPU than Xbox 360 and 360 was using its CPU to the max, especially in the end of generation. Perhaps they somehow managed to get the APU to compensate.

PS3s cell architecture however.... i agree with Sony here, "its not possible".

Er...pretty sure Sony WON that war, BluRay IS the standard now. And arguably it was a much more important long-term battle to fight given the importance of formats. >_>

Porn won that war. Porn chose BluRay. BluRay is standard. Porn can singlehandedly wipe out formats, its that big. its way bigger than sony and microsoft put together.

Also Internet won the format war. physical media is dieing.

Not to be that guy but you can play the old games. The PSPlus or what ever has alot of them and they keep adding more. Heck I just finished the uncharted games x-com and infamous. Yeah I know monthly subscripting and all. Still not much to have a lot of games.

You have to pay for PSPlus. You dont for Xbox version. you have to own the disc, though.

They making it sound like they used dark magic to make it backward compatible. I wonder if they going to send a spy to see how it work?

If its dark magic wouldnt it make more sense to send a wizard?

This is such Bullshit. Sony can "rent" PS3 games digitally. There is no reason they can't simply let us download games from the previous system onto the PS4. I am so tired of This PlayStation Now crap.

Well you could download games from previuos system onto the PS4, but they wouldnt work.

 

[Schadrach]

Why do BC, when you can have customers pay 20 dollars a month for PS now? Or have them buy remasters?

Sony used to do good on BC, better then MS ever did, I mean you can play PS1 and PS2 games on the PS3 (At least the original models did at least).

You know, they could always offer gratis PSNow access to a game if you have it's disc in the drive, if they wanted to manage some faux backwards compatibility...

 

[Lufia Erim]

It's funny really ... when Xbox One was first announced, people hated it with a passion because of Microsoft's desire to put poor business practices on the darn thing. Everyone cheered and adored the PS4 for what it was, along the selling price at that.

Fast forward to a few years if less ...

Xbox One got rid of DRM, has adapted to suit the customer's needs, provided plenty of games worthy of our attention and NOW is going to be backward compatible ... while the PS4 has no clue on why anyone (or how they themselves) would care to include that feature. Now I am not saying the Xbox One has won over the PS4, but it certainly has come a long ways and beginning to live up.

That's the problem though. Had they done all of that from the start, this generation would have gone a lot differently. If course hindsight is 20/20.

As for playstation. As long are they release some proper jrpgs ( seriously where are they?) I'll be happy.