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Home > News > Games > Play Station

February 14th, 2008, 10:05 GMT · By Calin Ciabai

PS3 Backwards Compatibility to Return with PS2 Game Downloads?

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There are still a lot of questions
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It was a reason of sadness for most of the PS3 fans when they found out that they were going to be unable to play PlayStation 2 classic games on their next-gen consoles. This backwards compatibility was dropped with the introduction of the 40GB PlayStation 3 and, since then, nobody thought that Sony could change their mind... again. But it seems that there still might be a possibility to enjoy some PS2 classics in the near future (hopefully).

In the most recent issue of EGM, PlayStation Network
director Eric Lempell has admitted that it is practically possible to offer PS2 games as downloadable software via PSN. Of course, even though it is possible and everybody would like to have at least that option, Sony has "no specific plans at this point". I smell online petitions that will probably have no results, anyway.

Still, as an idea, or as an upcoming project, it sounds pretty exciting. There are already rumors surfacing the world wide web that the releases of games such as GTA and GTA II are already planned for the PSN, as well as more pessimist voices who "know" that such an option will never be offered by Sony.

With the 60GB version of the PlayStation 3, things were quite simple: you had a software emulation that allowed you to play PS2 games. Still, this procedure was removed to cut the production prices, so a rebirth of the software as downloadable content would not have much sense either. Probably the success had by the Microsoft rivals with their Xbox Classics is a strong enough reason to make Sony give this situation a second thought.

However, there are still questions to be answered if such a feature is taken into consideration. The most important of them is, by far: How would this actually work? Will people have to purchase for a smaller sum the PS2 games that they probably have already as physical discs or everything will be free? Uhm... sorry, I got a little carried away with this. There is no such thing as "Free", everybody knows that!

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: RichB93 on 25 Feb 2008, 19:02 UTC reply to this comment

Wouldn't it be much eaiser to release a free ps2 emulator for the PS3? I say free as all 60GB models have this, although they did pay more so maybe £10~20 for an emulator and i'd be happy to buy it, or failing that a download of each game i.e Insert PS2 game machine dectects it and if a download is available it offers a download.


Comment #2 by: Alex on 05 Jun 2008, 11:47 UTC reply to this comment

I have just bought a 40gb version updated the software version to 2.35 and installed some updates through gta 4 disc.. Ive had a 360 before this and i am more of a p.c. man than console but i must say that sony have done brilliantly with the operating system for the ps3.. Surely they or a subsidery can release the emulation software either as a download from sony's server or simply the internet itself. I have downloaded and used them before on my p.c. and most have worked fine.. it cannot cost sony anymore to do this as the emulation software is already created and has been implimented on the 60gb version.. changing the format so that it can be executed through the sony OS would be the easy option or making it available to download to a flash drive and plug in. I see no reason to hold it back from playstation consumers.. if this was recitified it would make millions of 40gb customers very happy and in my opinion blow the 360 completly out the water as the hardware itself inside the PS3 surpasses the 360 10 fold!


Comment #3 by: charlie on 07 Dec 2008, 16:39 UTC reply to this comment

The release of compatibility for a fee via download makes a lot sense to me. I like to have it for free but it is better then nothing. My ps2 is dieing and my choice is a new ps2 slim, ps3 metal gear or a new ps3 and no old games(wost choice). The compatibility is simply software and if we pay for it then maybe even more games will be compatibility.

It was silly of ps3 to even do this, they just want to sell more ps3 and stop haveing to compete with ps2.

Also why Sony is there 6 or more version of ps3 this confuses me and makes me wonder what is next. When spending 600$ on a game system you don't want a new one to come out every 3 months.


Comment #4 by: gamer on 01 Jan 2010, 00:09 UTC reply to this comment

why don't they either bring out a backwards compatibility device or reprogram the either the most commonly bought (or best few games of each genre) and post them on the PSN.


Comment #5 by: deamon on 17 Feb 2010, 20:10 UTC reply to this comment

why not simply offer the ps2 compatability as a download and offer no tech support for said feature since the support would make up most of the cost for backwards compatability.


sorry for the poor layout of my post.


Comment #6 by: quadzillakilla on 06 Mar 2011, 17:41 UTC reply to this comment

that sux how hard would it be to pay 50 bucks to buy the b/c than sony would get there money and we wouldnt have to buy all our ps2 games all over again


Comment #7 by: booba on 09 Aug 2011, 23:32 UTC reply to this comment

as a new owner of a PS3 160 mb I'm a bit ticked I was told in the store it would play ps2 and obviously I can't... now I have this great system and can't play my older games on it.. yep not happy


Comment #8 by: MSTER232 on 08 May 2012, 17:28 UTC reply to this comment

Anyone who is reading this comment can call me stupid if they wish, but I just want to make a point. It may have been a while since this article was written, but a few PS2 games are now up for download on the PSN store.

My point that I am trying to make is that SONY is trying to make more money out of the past and caring less about backwards compatibility and actually making us as gamers happy by giving us what we want. They stopped making PS3 consoles that are compatible with PS2 games because it didn't cost us anything other than what the PS3 was worth. But now that they have replaced them with PS3 consoles that can recognize PS2 games but can't play them. By putting some PS2 games on the PSN store, they get extra money from you because you buy the games that you probably already have as discs which is unfair for you as a gamer.

If in the unlikely event of SONY reading this comment, then all I ask of you is to send a download to the PSN store that can play our PS2 games. Our PS3 games CAN recognize when a PS2 game is put into them, but why can't they play them? And putting a small collection of PS2 games on the PSN store is no excuse; none of the classics I used to play on my PS2 like Gran Turismo 3 and 4 are on there just to name a few. Bring back the backwards compatibility!

Sorry if my comment is poorly structured, but this is the point that want to make which is very important to me.

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