Is Ex-Sony Man Right About Xbox One and PS4 Backwards Compatibility? We’re Not Convinced

Shahid Kamal Ahmad, now there’s a pessimistic sourpuss. He’s the ex-Sony fella who reckons that backwards compatibility is a niche that prevents consoles from having their own vibe. But is he right? Gamespulp investigates.

[psnoob]

Very important. I am not rich to have a gameroom or something. I cannot have many boxes in my room along with games and other stuff. Going forward it is absolute must.

[Skate-AK]

It likely will now that the architecture across all the platforms are so similar

[Sly-Lupin]

That's an odd assumption given how platforms are trending *away* from backwards compatibility. The PS3 emulation being too difficult is a decent excuse, yeah, but the PS4 could emulate PS2 and PS1 games with zero real trouble. Thing is, Sony figures it's better to re-sell a small number of older games as ports than to provide persistent digital libraries.

[xxjabberxx]

I'm not rich to have a game room or something but I bought my PS4 to play PS4 games. If I was limited on space and could not afford to have too many boxes and games in my room I would stick to what I have if I'm just going to play my current games.

[Sly-Lupin]

Pretty much. Right now I've got a tower with a PC, PS3, PS4 and WiiU on it. As the NX approaches, the deciding factor for me is whether or not it will have full BC with my digital Wii and WiiU content--if it doesn't, I'm not gonna buy it, because even if I could juggle five different gaming platforms, why the hell would I want to?

[Automatic79]

@Psnoob

I agree I am getting to old to save systems so overall Xbox One allowing me to keep and play my old games in one system is fantastic. Also, Xbox 360 generation had a fantastic lineup of titles from Racers to fighters to shooters to action games, allowing a system to go forward with new games and Backwards with old games is the reason why Xbox One is my primary system. Just imagine having family or friends getting nostalgic about a game they loved and your response is Xbox go to ________ game. Love it

[KiwiViper85]

I tripped my sister out with Xbox go to Banjo Kazooie...

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Backwards compatibility with the most recent gen should have been a thing with the PS4 and XBone from the get-go, even if only as an optional secondary SKU.
And sadly, I have this horrifying feeling that the NX is going to ditch it this time too.
Which sucks really freakin' hard.

Also why is this showing up in the Wii U section?

[_-EDMIX-_]

Not if they go with a better architecture. The reality is, if they go with one more common like x86, that will be better for them in the long run in terms of development, then if they seek to use something similar to the Wii or Wii U JUST for BC...

So whats better for PS4.

Using something like cell AGAIN JUST for native BC, or getting rid of it in favor of x86 to make development easier for developers?

If NX doesn't have Wii U support because of this, I honesty don't care. I care about them getting great development and support, more then the ability to play something I CAN ALREADY JUST BUY!

Think about the big picture here. We want new platforms ,for new experiences. I don't want that hindered JUST to allow for BC, an option I can actually just buy. XONE can do that with emulation as 360 was closer to a PC and was easier to develop on last gen. That is Sony's fault for making Cell as confusing and complex as they did, but in order for them to right their wrong, they need to get rid of the older set up, in favor of one that can be used with ease.

Nintendo needs to go the PS4 route and just get rid of the last style. I didn't see Wii U having native BC giving it any help in sales bud.

Yet the fastest selling console currently has zero BC to speak of. I'd say, folks buy new consoles MAJORITY of the time to play new games, not simply to play old games.

If NX gets rid of the old style in favor of x86 and won't have BC because of it, I'm telling you right now...that is the BEST thing that can happen for them. Mind you, you KNOW I don't personally own a Wii U and I'm telling you this. They need to focus on having a easier device, not keeping an old one for a select few fans.

I once again didn't see that Wii native BC to Wii U helping them in sales.

[DLConspiracy]

Nah I'm pretty sure Nintendo knows that since the Wii U didn't really have that great a start the NX will need to play Wii U games.

I agree with you though about BC. I don't know how anyone can sit there and say its a bad feature or downplay it to any degree. Let us decide if it's worth it. Don't give these corporations any room to think it's OK to limit how we play their games. We should always have the option regardless who is selling more consoles. Hopefully moving forward the other consoles will catch on and actually offer it as part of their new system from the get.

[cfc83]

He's wrong. Playing Alan Wake to me adds to the experience. I'm also greatful to xbox for incorporating it into the system.

[DillyDilly]

Hes wrong & jealous that Microsoft has a better grasps at Backwards Compatibility so of course Sony people current & old are dismissing it

[yomfweeee]

Only grasping growing on here was MS trying to come up with features to catch up to the PS4. You'd probably never have BC on X1 if MS had the 2-to-1 sales lead.

With how limited the X1 BC is.... you still can't get rid of your 360 if you're that into playing old games.

[yomfweeee]

Putting out the best games isn't doing shit in my mind. They focus on the games, not petty features.

[AllRoundGamer36]

xbox ones bc is better than ps4s tho lol even if it is limited as you put it.

i bought gears of war ultimate edition and got gears 1 2 3 and judgement all for £30
rainbow six siege and got rb6 vegas 1+2
quantum break and got alan wake plus both dlc and american nightmare.

id say thats pretty damn good and id say its ps fans that are missing out because sony is lazy and does not want to put the effort in for their fanbase even if it means that only select ps3 games would work, but i guess that would mean they didnt have to remake every successful game just to repackage it as a ps4 title to sell it again.

look at all the exclusive remasters on ps4 so far

ratchet and clank
uncharted collection
heavy rain
god of war
the last of us

those games could have easily been made bc if they wanted to

[DLConspiracy]

Who cares? You seriously going to spin this into some BS about consoles? Is this just to take another redundant blow at an already dead horse that people keep repeatedly hitting to prove PS is better? When has consumer friendly practices turned into some pissing contest about console sales? Tell these corporations you want it and they may listen. Don't discourage them from being consumer friendly to make more money by cutting corners.

This is something that should come stock with any new system. We have the technology to make it work. Its been anti consumer to not allow people to bring their games forward.

Regardless of how it came about. PS, XBOX and Nintendo have all been around long enough to figure it out. Nintendo already does. I also don't care if xbox BC is limited because they have to resign contracts with developers/publishers. At least they are building for the future so that any console (moving forward) can bring those titles with. As it should be.

[Pogmathoin]

Yom,
MS asked people for features that they would like to see on X1. They answered, and gave an incredible BC program. The people came up with this, not MS. Feel free to use the 'edit' feature to change your cock and bull story.

[yomfweeee]

Microsoft didn't ask anyone what they wanted until they were already getting their crap kicked in. I fail to see how you proved me wrong?

Microsoft's plans for the X1 were 100% "we'll tell you what you want". That backfired on them big time and lost them this generation before it even started.

To try to get back in the game, they had to change to "you tell us what you want".

I've got no "cock and bull story" to change.

[Pogmathoin]

Sorry Yom your right.... It was similar to Sony telling people to buy the PS3 because it had a Cell processor, Bluray, and that you should work two jobs to afford it..... Also, when they never told people that there credit card info was exposed.... Sony did not care back then, they assumed they could dictate. They only listened after that debacle, the PS4 is a result of listening. MS screwed up too.... They listened, people asked for BC, they gave it in style. But no, MS is evil..... Sony is great, they can give my personal details to anybody, I love them.......

[ShaunCameron]

@ yomfweeee

Exactly. Microsoft didn't change their tune until the pre-order sales came back The XBOne had to be stripped of its original features just to save face.

[Imalwaysright]

I'm glad that this idiot doesn't work at Sony anymore.

[Manic2014]

In my opinion giving backwards compatibility to gamers as an option, is only a positive. Playing your old games when you move on to the next gen is a feature i would prefer console manufacturers keep in mind when transitioning.

[gamespulp]

Exactly. There's a lot of pros to backwards compatibility, that effortlessly outweigh the cons.

[ShowanW]

he is definitely wrong...

I have to go buy another 360 because there are a ton of games that I miss playing...

The other day I wanted to fire up Blue Dragon, then it hit me that i couldnt...

I put a ton of $$$ into my game collection... And if I can have 1 box to play them all on... I welcome it all day, everyday...

[MilkMan]

Umm, This is a horrible way of seeing things.I know what my PS3 and Xbox 360 and my Gamecube times where like. Im not trying to relieve the past or seek the vibe of those years. What I want is the option to play my thousands of games in my newer device. Thats it.
By far and large I have not had the same experience this gen than I had last.
There is nothing wrong with throwing in my older games, while I wait for something this gen to interest me.
Also it saves on space which (i dont know about others) is HUGE factor for me.
I have 5 kids now, and a separate room or a man cave or hiding my games and consoles from little hands is not possible. Not if you are a responsible parent and your not neglecting your kids (or wife for that matter)

So I need the most gaming for time that I can muster with maximum space saving.

[rlow1]

Hell no I don't need B.C.!! I just want to buy all my games over again and have them streamed to me over my crappy internet. Lol The fact that a console can play a lot of my old games helps define its vibe. When you don't have to re-purchase a game or you can go to your local video store to buy a cheap used copy, I see that only as a plus!

[corroios]

No impact whatsoever. Sales show that.The machine is not selling more. Its just another feature. But some thought it would matter. 2 year after launch .

[gamespulp]

Backwards compatibility should for all gamers, all consoles. Not as a feature but as standard. Important for gamers and devs, not sad men in suits who worry about the bottom line.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I like backwards compatibility because it allows me not only to trade my old console for a next generation one removing less clutter but allows me to have fun with it during the early years when there are usually a lack of games to purchase.

[christocolus]

I couldn't agree more with your comment. Well said. This Ahmad guy has no idea what he is talking about. I imagine he would have said the exact opposite if the PS4 featured BC similar to Xbox One. He comes off as such a tool.

[rainslacker]

I like it because I have an extensive collection of past gen games numbering in the thousands. It's why I keep my Phat PS3 in service, and wouldn't have minded retiring it for the more efficient PS4 which has a better controller and interface.

Not fussed about it, and wouldn't have sold my PS3 if it were available, but I can't deny that it would be an awesome feature to have.

[Movefasta1993]

i was mainly on ps3 last gen from 08 onwards so i missed out on gears 3 and halo reach which i have for my xbox one.Which is awesome for me

[holtzy]

he could not be more wrong if he tried

[gamespulp]

What worries us is, we're not sure he was even trying.

[Blaze929]

This that "1080p 60FPS for all PS4 games or give me death" guy right? haha

[Brohan]

Backward compatibility games don't effect the new ones coming out. Just because someone wants to play L4d2 and doesn't want to get themselves the new Dark souls 3 then who else cares what that person does. It's not gonna determine others to grab the game you decided to buy BWC or BC how ever you want to abbreviate it.

[Enigma_2099]

Backwards compatibility is always a selling point for me. I'm not one of those people that can just throw out ALL THAT MONEY I SUNK INTO A CONSOLE OVER THE YEARS for the new hotness... especially for the standard $350-$400+ they ask for with the new consoles. You ask that much for a new system, and can't just leave that feature in it? And then you cram in a bunch of feature that I don't even care about?

[Pogmathoin]

BC on Xbox 1 is much better than the way the 360 tried with original Xbox games. It has definitely added to the value of the console. Playing Fallout 4 gave me the buzz to go back to F3 and New Vegas, and to do that in the one place is awesome. To find an issue with this, which is free, is crazy.

[IWasHere]

That guy talks too much. Maybe Backwards Compatibility doesn't decide if a console succeeds or fails but it is a nice feature. CDs only playable on a CD player and DVDs on a DVD player? No, this isn't the way it's meant to be. I like it that my BD player has CD and DVD playback. In terms of consoles it is complicated. No one denies that (or should denie it) but I hope that a PS5 (with x86) will play all my PS4 games.

[strickers]

Overrated feature by far. Early PlayStations had it and it was rarely used. I used it twice in 2 generations. This gen I have PS4 and PS3. Haven't used my PS3. It's set up in another room with my sons PS4. Neither of us has used it. Maybe for XB1 , due to a lower amount of games (80 less last year I believe. Gap probably be bigger this year). Since the advent of online ,byheh can see how little it's used. If you care that much, why didn't you keep 360?

[kaizokuspy]

I still have my old consoles hooked up and my game library. I don't need BC because I play the new games every month and rarely turn my old hardware on. That being said, I'd like the idea of BC, but it is not a selling point for me. The selling point is cross play and a library of new games.

[yomfweeee]

Backwards compatibility is something for the hardcore gamer. Most people who buy these systems aren't. They're not going to put the resources into something for a select few.

Hardly anyone cared when PS3 removed backwards compatibility.
Less than 30% of OG Xbox games could be played on the 360. Some of the ones that did work, weren't fully compatible.

Hardly anyone cares about it. He is right.

[gangsta_red]

"Hardly anyone cared when PS3 removed backwards compatibility."

That is seriously incorrect, there was a huge uproar when Sony continuously removed features, especially BC.

"Less than 30% of OG Xbox games could be played on the 360."

I seriously doubt that, the list of Xbox games that could be played on 360 was massive. Hardly less than 30%, unless you have an original number of how many games were released for OG Xbox.

http://support.xbox.com/en-...

[esmittystud101]

Xbox One B.C. was the biggest announcement last summer in gaming. Sony would be dumb not to take advantage of B.C.

If I wana play Demon Souls for instance. I would have to go buy a PS3 just for that one game. I already have a PS4 and if PS4.5 has the B.C. feature..............I'm buying it for sure. It is a good selling point for the new console.

"Just go buy a PS3"

The cheapest one I could find is $219 for the 500GB model. Just give me PS4.5 with B.C. because I'm buying that anyways. A used PS3 is still $150. Like I want a three plus year old PS3 anyways that someone probably played to he*l and back and just because the "referb Gods" gave it the green light its "Good to go, right?"

I'll never buy a referbed anything gaming wise again. Learned the hard way with PS2 and then a Xbox 360 later. It can bite you hard sometimes and a gamble I'm not willing to take anymore. I buy everything new now, including all games.

But I think B.C. is a great feature. I'm running through Dark Souls on X1 right now using the feature. The game is so good.

[yomfweeee]

Most over-hyped announcement sure.

[esmittystud101]

Why does adding great features make you so but*hurt?

So casual gamers is why the console industry is so popular and has done so well the last three years? Not the Hardcore gamers. LOL

[yomfweeee]

I'm butt-hurt because I said it was over-hyped? It is a great feature, but also over-hyped. Get it?

[NatFanBoyRestricted]

Yomfeeeee - you've been replying to comments on this article, downplaying so hard, I bet you always got a point to argue every time somethings on sale for buy 1 get 1 free like it's something bad

[343_Guilty_Spark]

What does it hurt by having it?

[Bzone24]

It only hurts those who don't have it.

[yomfweeee]

No one. But, what would it hurt to make it happen on the PS4? Everyone knows it would be a monumental task due to the change in architecture from PS3 to PS4. Any resources Sony would spend on that would be resources they can't spend elsewhere.

I'm really tired of gamers thinking things are so simple to implement when they have no clue how things work.

The good news for you is they seemingly do have it in their plans for future consoles considering PS4 Neo requirements. If the architecture is kept the same in the future, it will be something easier to implement in PS5 potentially.

[JasonKCK]

I don't know why PS gamers don't stand up and force Sony's hand like Xbox gamers do. Sony is in 1st place with console sales but dead last on features.

[yomfweeee]

Sony is in first place because it is the best gaming console. You can have your features.

[JasonKCK]

The one that does less is better?

[yomfweeee]

The one that puts out better games does better. Is that hard for you to understand?

[JasonKCK]

That's subjective, the PS4 having less features is not.

[yomfweeee]

PS4 clearly has the better games already released. Better exclusives and the better version of any multiplats. They also have more games announced for the future. You can say it is subjective, but review scores say otherwise.

One can argue the PS4 has better features. Share Play is arguably the best innovative gaming feature on either console. PS4 has better sharing/streaming capabilities.

[BiggerBoss]

Seeing as Xbox has like no exclusives, yes the console that does less is better.

[JasonKCK]

There are plenty games on X1 that are "not" on other consoles. Windows and Xbox only. What makes it the best again?

[BiggerBoss]

If it's on Windows and Xbox, it's not an Xbox exclusive. All I'm saying.

[BlackTar187]

There is features PS has that xbox doesn't you make no point at all. Xbox gamers forced MS? LOL lack of xbox gamers forced MS <===truth

[Retroman]

Some gamers still love B/C
(that's for me personally) "ONLY" reason i bought ps2 to continue playing ps1 games while playing ps2 games. just as i bought ps3 to continue playing ps2 games while playing my ps3 games from time to time.
unless Sony ps4 neo able to play ps3 games i will continue the tradition. why wait 10-20 years to play what you have now for reimaging rehash.

[ScorpiusX]

I think its a great feature but to each their own.

[gangsta_red]

I love the BC feature for Xbox One. Especially now that every GWG is BC with Xbox One.

And if the rumors are true about consoles being released more steadily then BC should be extremely important this gen.

BC is definitely a great, very convenient feature to have. I'm hoping the NX has it because if I do get that system there are a few Wii U games I would like to try out.

[ninjazfistz]

Ditching the cell processor and how radically different it was (and complicated) meant they could focus on creating a new platform on amd. I think ultimately though the ps4 platform was rushed out and we are seeing the ill affects of that now being it was a mid range pc when 4k was already on the horizon and 1080p was a difficult target even on their first party games. I bought it thinking like when ps3 first came out games would be better optimized and look where we are they still can't do it (uncharted 4 they struggling to get it 1080p/60fps in single player)

[danny818]

i honestly dont care about BC on any console. Im more interested and only have time for present and future title.

[Sy_Wolf]

So the Wii and the PS2 didn't have their own feel because they had full backwards compatibility?

[3-4-5]

* BC isn't the same everywhere.

* BC is the best on the 3DS. You get All the 3DS games + 1,000 DS games to play.

* I don't need BC on a console or handheld....it's just a nice bonus if it includes it and is kind of an after thought if the current console has enough games for it to keep me entertained.

[Elda]

I rather play new games on my PS4,I still own my PS3 to play PS3 games.

[Ratty]

I kind of disagree with both. You should be able to play your old games if you want to but I still think new games matter more. I can always find a way to play my old games anyway. If some people can't live without it then I suggest moving to PC.