PS2 Memory Cards Require Adaptor for PS3 Transfers

It's already old news that PS3 will include the unified Emotion Engine/Graphic Synthesizer combo chip that currently resides in the slim PS2 model. The high level of backwards compatibility allows PS2/PS1 games to be played with the next-gen console, unlike Microsoft's Xbox360 efforts that are really lacking in this department. Furthermore, Sony is going to offer adapters to convert their older console memory cards to a PS3 format, thus enabling save game portability.

Adapters will be a separate feature from the PS3 packaging and the price is still unknown. It appears these adapters are one-time use devices, since files are copied from memory cards directly into the PS3 hard drive. The following announcement can be found on Sony's website:

"To use saved data on a PlayStation 2 memory card, you must copy the data onto a virtual memory card within the hard disk. This requires a PS2/PSone memory card adaptor to copy the data to your PLAYSTATION 3. A memory card adaptor is designed to edit, up/download game saves to and from EMS flash card or smart media card."

Regardless of price, at least it's an extra option, seeing that Xbox 360 has no official solution for getting your Xbox saves. On the other hand, should players be allowed to bring the saved games over, a lot of unwanted scripts will join the PS3 world just as well. In the end it's all a matter of console integrity. Considering the fact that Xbox 360's security is rock solid, it would be a serious drawback for PS3 to be running homebrew soon after launch.