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The PS3 had a bad history with backwards compatibility. The original model had hardware based compatibility, by adding in the additional components, which I wil

The PS3 had a bad history with backwards compatibility. The original model had hardware based compatibility, by adding in the additional components, which I will admit had a cost associated with it. But then they switched to software compatibility, which on its own is not a bad decision. But the issue was they removed the software backwards compatibility from later PS3 hardware without a good explanation. I think there is a very good reason that the ps4 was not backwards compatible with ps3 games, the architecture was very different. But at the same time they are pushing playstation now as a way to play those older games, and it appeared anti consumer. Why could you not just put in the game and it would start streaming it. On the flip side we had Xbox. Which a couple years after the launch of the Xbox one started their backwards compatibility initiative. Which allowed you to put in the disk for an older game and it would download a version of the game that would work on your new hardware. Now this was not for all games, but it was ultimately a free addition. Sony was also very wishy washy on PS5 backwards compatibility, which was very frustrating. It felt like working with ps4 games was an afterthought for them. Ultimately it turned out fine, but it caused a lot of confusion. Previously this was more of an issue than it was today. Since consoles are basically a PC now compatibility shouldn't be much of an issue, but previously it would have been a big issue.

goosedragons 4y ago
Original release PS3s in North America and Japan had both the PS2 CPU and GPU on the board for full backwards compatibility. Later models and the European release units lacked the GPU and so that was emulated in software which caused a few issues. So it was a partial software emulator. Sony later removed the PS2 CPU from later PS3 Phat models and onwards. Later they released PS2 classics on PSN that use full software emulation. A lot of PS2 games don't seem to work well with that emulator from what we know from jailbroken PS3s. Games also needed specific tweaks to the emulator to work. Perhaps they could have done what Microsoft did with 360 and had but maybe they felt like that was too clunky?
- nerdjon 4y ago
  I purposefully have the original PS3 for the hardware compatibility. But I thought it was fully software emulation in later hardware but it was partial? Well I guess that would at least give an explanation. I knew it was buggy, but it always felt odd to remove it since even a buggy option would have been better than no option. But if it did still have some hardware component that would explain it.
ajmurmann 4y ago
It seems to me that your description confirms that this was mostly caused by the technical decision to use rather unusual architecture for the PS3. With the PS4->PS5 compatibility it also feels from the outside like they genuinely didn't know for certain and the internal verification process want going as planned. Very different from an anti-consumer money grab

goosedragons 4y ago

Original release PS3s in North America and Japan had both the PS2 CPU and GPU on the board for full backwards compatibility. Later models and the European release units lacked the GPU and so that was emulated in software which caused a few issues. So it was a partial software emulator. Sony later removed the PS2 CPU from later PS3 Phat models and onwards. Later they released PS2 classics on PSN that use full software emulation. A lot of PS2 games don't seem to work well with that emulator from what we know from jailbroken PS3s. Games also needed specific tweaks to the emulator to work. Perhaps they could have done what Microsoft did with 360 and had but maybe they felt like that was too clunky?

nerdjon 4y ago
I purposefully have the original PS3 for the hardware compatibility. But I thought it was fully software emulation in later hardware but it was partial? Well I guess that would at least give an explanation. I knew it was buggy, but it always felt odd to remove it since even a buggy option would have been better than no option. But if it did still have some hardware component that would explain it.

ajmurmann 4y ago

It seems to me that your description confirms that this was mostly caused by the technical decision to use rather unusual architecture for the PS3. With the PS4->PS5 compatibility it also feels from the outside like they genuinely didn't know for certain and the internal verification process want going as planned. Very different from an anti-consumer money grab