10 Reasons Why The PS4 and Xbox 720 Need Backwards Compatability

"When looking forward to a fresh console generation, it's mostly the new things that get us excited. Extra features, better visuals and new games are all well and good, but there are other ways in which a good games console must earn its place under your TV. Multimedia has been a big part of this generation and, with rumours surrounding the Xbox 720 supporting digital recording and playback of your saved clips, playing various media is going to be on the agenda for sure."

[00001]

i really want backwards compatibility because im switching back to Sony next generation and want to catch up on the Playstation 3 games i missed this generation. so hopefully Sony will think of buyers like me and see the potential in making money off of consumers like me who will build their next generation game library with games from the current generation. not to mention, there are only a finite number of games at launch for a new console, so Sony should expect people to dip into the Playstation 3's library for games at the Playstation 4's launch as well.

[Manchild]

I don't want backwards compatibility because I didn't buy PS3 & Xbox 360. PS4 looks like its going to be awesome though....

[decrypt]

Console Gamers.. Dont care about BC.

Most say they can keep rebuying the PS2 and PS3 to maintain BC :P Will be funny though how these old consoles will look on 4K tvs in a few years(maybe console gamers intend to keep stock of old TVs too :P).

Bottom line BC on console is a joke. Want BC get a PC(it can play games from 25years back, even plays any console game with the exception of PS3 and Xbox 360).

Hell even console companies hate BC, cause it slows down sales of new games, hence they take down servers to MP games. You possibly cant name a single 10 year old MP game still running on console.

So yea BC on console is a joke, the gamers say they can buy the old consoles, the manufacturers on the other hand stop producing old consoles and ensure to take down MP support kind of a messed up situation lol.

[Bladesfist]

@Decrypt You do have a valid point even if you came off a little trollish. I have been playing through the kotor / battlefront games without having to worry about if it will run or not. It is one of the reasons PC is my platform of choice.

[user3915800]

well compatability with xbox 360 very likely, with ps3 not really, thats what happens when you used the over rated cell cpu.

So wii bc and 360 bc with ps3 not even posible unless they include a separate cpu for it since ps4 and 720 has the same cpu.

[-Superman-]

Backwards = more money and cost.
So, if they price 500 dollars with backwards, this means system will be much weaker.
If they price 500 dollars without backwards, this means system will be much more powerful.

I know people want backwards, but i think its better to be without it, so they can put backwards money into power. PS3 alone making cost 200 us dollars.
I dont want backwards

[knowyourstuff]

It actually doesn't make the system more or less powerful, it just means the company manufacturing it will need to take that much a bigger loss... or do something unthinkable and perhaps give people the option between a 500 and 600 dollar console to a bunch of whiney gamers who are evidently living off of their parents' allowance and paper route money given the outcry over the PS3 launch. I mean really, PC gamers pay console prices just for a top of the line video card, like what is everyone bitching about? lol

[reynod]

"PC gamers pay console prices just for a top of the line video card"

Thats a very small fraction of the PC market. Most buy mid range cards, ranging between 150-250usd.

Add in the cost to build the PC and it comes to around 600-700usd for a good one, thats almost next gen Console price, with the ability to play all your old games. I would call that a bargain.

[N4Flamers]

Sorry blue but because of the cell architecture you most likely won't get BC with ps3 games. The next Xbox is more likely but still not a guarantee.

[otherZinc]

720 will absolutely be backwards compatible.

[metroid32]

Who cares WiiU is and with Hdmi upscales wii games.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c...

[Relientk77]

Backwards Compatability is the main reason I bought a PS2, and a launch PS3

[NateCole]

It would be nice but not a deal breaker feature for me.

[N0S3LFESTEEM]

The new consoles most likely won't support BC... take a look back at the PS3 and 360 launches. 360 had shoddy BC for select titles and pretty much locked everything else out until recently with their marketplace downloads but it's not the same because "Hey... I've got this physical copy here in my hands but it wants me to buy it again to play it on my console". Ps3 started strong supporting full BC with their first SKU but have slowly dropped that option over time to the point where a PS3 bought in 2013 does less than a PS3 bought in 2006 though their both on even terms since sony has taken features away from early adopters (That is one of those things that should piss anyone off)... so with that said the new consoles won't support BC out of the box but will make you buy digital copies. Just the radical changes from the PS3 to the rumored specs of the PS4 should be enough to confirm but again it's all speculation.

[whatthedeuce]

Except that when they removed backwards compatibility, they dropped the price of the console. No one's pissed because the console is now half the price as it was when those features were in there.

[N0S3LFESTEEM]

completely focused on one point of my post...

[joab777]

1 reasin not to habe it. It is morevthan a game player. It is an enyertainment device amd can be used on other TVs to access all types of content.

If Sony is smart they make them compatible and continue to support the ps3. There are so many games to go back to and they should get cheaper. Many habe speculated that the ps4 may be free or cheap when it releases. They should do the same for ps3. Many ppl hunt trophies and the ps3 could continue to be viable. It could help bridge the gap. They own many studios and while many indie games r releasef, why not release some ps3 games in the same vein.

Either way, i would never sell it because it does too much and isnt worth what i would get for it.

[brave27heart]

Gaikai

Just throwing it out there. No BC in the hardware but the software is a possibility.

[ooquis]

People think they want it but they don't.

[falloutx]

I would be happy if it had PS2 backwards compatibility.

[cloud495]

Hopefully PS4 at least has backwards compatibility for digital PS3/ PSN games.

[asmith2306]

I see no reason for BC if the games can be gotten digitally. If you want to play PS3 games then keep your PS3, it's as simple as that. More than likely the vast majority of PS3 games will look redundant in comparison to the best PS4 games and you wont go back to them anyway with what will be available on PS4.

[Bathyj]

i think gaikai and ps± will be integrated together and they wont put bc in the hardware

[ziggurcat]

they don't need to be.

[whatthedeuce]

If it's going to impact the price of the console, at least make it a separate SKU so people have the option. There's always an outcry about backwards compatibility, but what's the percentage of people that would really use it after the first 12 months are over? If it's high, then great, throw it in. But if it's low, then at best make it an option so everyone isn't paying more for a feature they'll never use.

[DivineAssault]

Hopefully there is a few different models to get.. If sony makes all of them BC, it might cost alot more to have different processors in it.. They might be going with off the shelf parts this time so BC may not happen unless they make a premium unit

[Tyre]

It has practicality been confirmed by Sony, since Plus will be on the PS4 and all our purchases will transfer to the PS4. The same goes for XBL. I'm confident both consoles will be BC.

[R_aVe_N]

I would rather not have BC if it will cost me more money in the long run I already have a PS3 so I have no need for it at all. I have played the games I want to play, and ready for the next round of games. I don't typically play games after I have beaten them minus a few select games.

[mmj]

You'll be able to buy a PS3 for years to come even after PS4 is out so why is BC necessary? probably not the case for 360 but that's **** Microsoft for you.

Backwards compatibility will add unnecessary cost and waste time that could be better spent on improving the PS4 experience.

[Dogswithguns]

I do not care about BC..

[jagstatboy]

One day Sony will stop manufacturing PS3's and who knows how long a used one will last you. BC assures a much longer life span of the PS3 games we have now. I want to always be able to play the games I have and no BC will make that much more difficult in the future.

[jacksheen0000]

I don't understand Some of you gamers out there .

You complain to Microsoft/Sony about adding BC which bring the cost of a console up. And then turn around and complain about the price of the console.

Apparently,its a no win win situation if you asked me.

[N4Flamers]

What do people do with their old consoles? I just don't see me trading them in as soon as the new ones are released.

[tweet75]

what better way to celebrate 20 years of playstation next year than to allow every game from ps1-ps3 playable on ps4. For sony to announce every game playable on a home playstation console on ps4 in playstation history would be awesome. Than they could charge an optional $10 for the digital HD versions with trophies.

[mochachino]

Keep your old consoles, let MS/Sony spend the money on more power, bigger HD, better build quality, etc.

For people who don't own the old console - too bad.

[Starfox811]

May have been said before - far too many comments to bother reading at half 1 in the morning.

But if they are backwards compatible I'd be surprised. PS2 only was out of a need to establish a strong PS2 base at a time when decent PS1 titles were still out. The Xbox 360 had lacklusture backwards compatibility, as did the PS3 post 60GB model - again to help drive initial sales.

Now they all have online marketplaces, with many PS3 title being made available for digital download - with PS2 and PS1 games also making the jump, it's very hard to believe that Sony will bother with the expense of including old hardware or emulators to run games than can be downloaded from the PS Store. It'd also mean they'd get more money. Maybe an initial console model will support it, with later ones ditching it.

Microsoft on the other hand could go either way, but with their lacklustre model with the 360, it's hard to believe they'll do it much better next time around now they've started building Games on Demand more.

While backwards compatibility is a nice feature, it's only something the minority really want - while the majority would be pleased if it was there, it's not going to put them off.