Sony's Jim Ryan On BC: "One Of Those Features That Is Much Requested, But Not Actually Used Much"

Perhaps the best thing about Xbox has been its backwards compatibility feature , and it is without a doubt a standout of the Xbox platform

[AspiringProGenji]

Whether he is downplaying it or not, with all these new games that keep coming on PS4 people are not going crazy with the lack of BC. Would be cool because why not, but I in particular wouldn't ne using it right now

[naruga]

however i would like full BC with PS1/2 ...PS4 is far from capable for it and it costs nothing for them and would make alot of old owners happy ..now they sell old PS1/2 titles on PSN which is unfair for those (like me) who own the games

[Forbidden_Darkness]

I'm not really sure you can call it unfair, considering you bought those games for the systems you had at the time and that was all that was promised for them. There wasn't no guarantee that future iterations of PlayStations would even play them. Would it be nice if they did PS1/2 games BC on PS4? Absolutely, but if Sony doesn't see it worth their time, they won't.

Honestly, how many out of the Millions of PS4 owners would actually play their old games on it anyways?

[nX]

I think BC hosts too many possible exploits for Sony to ever bother with it. It's just not worth risking your ecosystem for those few people that didn't abandon their old consoles when the new ones arrived.

Even though I don't agree with this arrogant statement, I fully support Sony in the decision to offer BC through remasters and PS Now - they really have more than enough amazing content within their library to not bother with full BC. For example, I wouldn't even care about Wipeout if I could play my old PS3 copy... but I'm hyped about playing it in 4k/60fps tomorrow :)

[Tapani]

For me, BC is huge. I want to access my classics from one place, and not pile up on consoles or have classics only on portable form on Vita which is locked by region. I want choice, I want to use all my bought digital items on all consoles. BC is why I'm thinking of getting Scorpio next to my PS4 Pro, because I want to play Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon on it, and wouldn't mind upping Pro's resolution and fps either, since it is not utilized nearly as much as it should be. He is downplaying it, and it is bad for business. My advice to Sony: Invest in it, so you can take care of it. Just do it, and stop with the excuses.

[UltraNova]

"Even though I don't agree with this arrogant statement, I fully support Sony in the decision to offer BC through remasters and PS Now - they really have more than enough amazing content within their library to not bother with full BC. For example, I wouldn't even care about Wipeout if I could play my old PS3 copy... but I'm hyped about playing it in 4k/60fps tomorrow :)"

That^^^

[DashArrivals]

The vast majority DO NOT want or care about BC.

The same goes for Xbox. Microsoft even said, with their special kind of PR spin, that 50% of gamers have "tried" BC... meaning that if it's a new feature people try it out, but the majority don't actually use it regularly at all.

My current Gen backlog is so freaking big it would break your back to look up at it.

[InTheLab]

I have an x1.... I don't use the feature. Especially since both console have new games I have yet to play.

The first few years of ps4 would have been great to have BC much like it was for ps3. I played GoW2 on my ps3 to pass time between releases and it was great. And then I never used the feature again.

[andrewsquall]

And even then, they don't even sell much of the PS2 games on PSN. Either release every game ever made on PSN so we can GIVE YOU MONEY AGAIN FOR THEM or just don't bother.

The same with PS Now. Just add every PS3, PS2 and PS1 game to it from every region with trophies and I will be an instant subscriber (lol actually I won't because its not in Ireland you dolts) or JUST DON'T BOTHER. Why are they only adding 10 titles to PS Now every month when the games don't need to be re-engineered or anything. It misses the entire point of making it a streaming service.

[manabyte77]

In all fairness, there are those that prefer the PS2 classics. Most people (not all) probably don't still have their PS2 discs. Further, I and obviously others are willing to pay for the 1080p resolution bump. It's a huge difference. And the trophy support makes it really enticing.

[DragonKnight]

"The vast majority DO NOT want or care about BC."

You spoke to the vast majority of people?

[Army_of_Darkness]

He is absolutely right! There are always complainers no matter what Sony does and if the ps4 had bc, it will for sure not get nearly as used as the complainers are claiming. In a business standpoint I can see why Sony isn't bothered by it considering how they are leading in terms of hardware sales as well as current gen software sales.so why bother wasting resources going backwards??

[showtimefolks]

Naruga

When I had it on ps3 I used it but than when new games started to come out I didn't care

If both ps4 and Xbox one had BC there wouldn't be any fuss about it. Right now xbox gamers call it must have feature and ps4 gamers say we gave too many newer games to be worried about ps3 games

I still have my ps3 and plan to keep it for few gaming series Like Yakuza and Mgs HD collection and Mgs 4 etc

It's amazing to me that xbox one gamers are asking Ms to add old Xbox 360 games to BC list and not asking why they haven't released much since last year

So yeah there are stats that prove BC is a feature used by very select few and I am glad Sony isn't worrying about the small vocal minority and instead are focused on giving us great games in present and more coming in future

[1Victor]

Sony learned they're lesson with PS3 they gave you full BC and there was a flood of negativity about it so much they had to pull the chip out. Now because a more vocal group of gamer are asking for it just to be cooler than the other side and say we got it too when it's little or not needed. Be careful of what you wish.
Personally I got the PS3 60gig to play all my old game slightly enhanced and we know that for the next system it will be fully BC with PS4 so hang in there

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

How exactly it doesnt cost a thing for them?

If they had all those games for sale I would understand, but they dont even make money re selling those, so that means it is not as easy as one would think!

[DarXyde]

I think if you can play the original
unenhanced version, that'd be neat.

Honestly, my backlog is bad enough on PS4 that revisiting games doesn't seem feasible for me, so I certainly cannot complain. It's bad enough I want to replay games I've beaten already but the urge to make progress takes precedent.

[indyman7777]

ummm They are saying the SAME THING MICROSOFT SAID BEFORE MICROSOFT CAME OUT WITH THEIR BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY!!! This is a hopeful sign.

IS Sony head faking just like Microsoft did? Stay tuned until E3!!!

[rainslacker]

Might be tough if you're hoping to use it for a physical collection though. The PS4 won't read CD's, which was the format for PS1, and some PS2 games. This would leave it as digital only. That wouldn't be that appealing to me, outside the free games that I've gotten from PS+, or a few PS1 games I brought for PS3 for games I didn't want to open a game from my collection.

Better than nothing though. But you know there would be those who would criticize them for not allowing all physical games to be used, and we'd just have some other stupid roundabout argument about what is mostly a niche feature.

@indy

Same thought occurred to me. But as I said above, physical BC may be tricky. Still, anything is better than nothing I suppose.

[Wedge19]

Costs nothing for them? Right, so it's no work whatsoever right? Nobody needs to ensure compatibility? Nobody needs to check the emulation on each and every game? That's not manpower and time? WHat is being said here is that the value is not there, because as much as it is demanded, it's not worth them implementing it because it realistically barely gets used. That's the reason they removed it from the PS3. People hem and haw about it, but when the feature is available it is a very limited subset of people that actually use it.

[Overload]

The PS3 had B/C, I used it for 2 or 3 games.

[kneon]

I used it for one game. BC is useful at launch when there aren't that many games, but after a few years, I expect it's hardly ever used.

[Gyarados]

@kneon

BC is useful for xbox gamers bacause they have nothing else to play.

[UltraNova]

I never used BC on my fat ps3. I was to busy basking in glorious HD and blu-ray movie eye candy. The moment I hooked up my ps3 on an HD Ready screen I never looked back.

These days I dont even have the time to play all ps exclusives let alone old games.

[Bennibop]

Same used once and played ps3 games.

Ps4 does not need bc it is not short of games releasing. Microsoft is using bc to prop up a lack of releases.

[WickedLester]

@Gyarsdos

BINGO!

[NapalmSanctuary]

I spent way more time playing ps1 & ps2 games on my ps3 than I did playing ps3 games.

[Death]

@Gyar,

According ot the wiki list of Xbox One games, there are 1177 games on the Xbox One. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

There are an additional 386 Xbox 360 games available via b/c. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

On PS4 there are 1668 on the list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

It's not fair to count the 360 games so we should use the 1668 PS4 vs the 1177 Xbox One numbers. Sony by far has more games available, but to say 1177 games is "nothing" seems a little absurd. I don't think we have seen anyone play all 1177 games and are now sitting with nothing to do. Attach rates determine how many games people own for their console. The average PS4 gamer owns 7.5 games. According to Ubi's financials, Xbox owners buy more games http://www.gamepur.com/news... EA has stated similar things in the past.

[4Sh0w]

Ahhh but I remember when Xbox 360 launched with No backwards compatibility and Sony fans made a very big deal about it, when ps3 actually had BC....now it's like 'meh, yeah riiiiight.

Also this is as arrogant as it gets= Sony themselves say it's a MUCH requested feature but then say it's not used much, that's BS, if people are requesting it's not so they can stare at a BC screen, no they want to play those old classics on their ps4, in between brand new ps4 releases. Yeah the usual defenders say 'meh only because they will agree with whatever sony does just like when sony denied them EA Access. This is even more sad as Sony continues to promote ps now.

It's not the greatest thing ever on a next gen console but dismissing it because you're the sales leader is the epitome of arrogance.

[trouble_bubble]

All that gamepur link says is in that particular Ubisoft 3rd quarter in 2015, for every $1.00 PS owners spent on an Ubisoft game, Xbox owners averaged $1.25.

THAT is what you're game-set-matching on?!?

LMFAO! You are literally boasting about an extra 25 CENTS spent on Ubisoft --who I haven't bought a game from in ages--, in 1 three month window. THAT is attach rate domination to you? You sound ridiculous. All that proves is during that quarter Xbox players averaged an extra 25cents on some Just Dance micro transaction garbage or something equally innocuous. Um, congrats, lol?

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Your point?

[mastiffchild]

I used BC on launch PS3 exactly twice before last week. I only began using it now to play PS1 and 2 games because I ran out of room for consoles in front room and its a space saver. Rarely used it on Xboxes or Wii U either.

Not saying it isnt useful, sometimes it is, but its not often that important to most gamers.

[Death]

@trouble,

You misunderstand, it's not a literal $1.25 being spent. The numbers were 41% of Ubi's quarterly revenue came from PS4 and 27% came from Xbox One. The 27% achieved by Xbox One was done with 1/2 as many consoles sold. This explains it pretty well, https://venturebeat.com/201...

[Why o why]

C'mon now. . I had a fat and didn't use the feature much. . Would the option be good. . Definitely but some are acting like bc is more important than current titles. . Who you trying to fool. . I've seen some n4g members actually add bc titles to the Xbox games listing. . .

Hold up. . Wasn't it the same clique that continued the mantra of the ps3 has 'no games'. . . . Obviously they didn't factor in the gluttony of ps2 games. . . pick and choose your hypocrisies I guess

4show. . .granted. . Hypocrisy
But look how exclusives don't matter anymore. . . The same mantra infects all parties. . Laud what you have, downplay what you don't.

[BlackTar187]

4show,

That's nonsense. When it had BC no one cared and when it was removed no one cared.

Get out of here with your made up crap. It most likely was used as THIS IS WHY PS3 COSTS so much along with all the other awesome things that the Fats had. When all of it was removed to save cost i don't remember anyone crying about BC. I was here back then so i'm not making it up.

[majedx9]

same i used it only with demo disc one (ps1) and silent hill 2 just to see if it's working or not.

[Tru_Ray]

I played one PS2 game on my PS3. It was Persona 4. This is one of the best JRPGs ever made, so I am glad that the PS3 had that feature.

With that being said, I currently have a backlog of about 8 PS4 games that I need to get through. I couldn't care less about the lack of B/C on the PS4. Between my PS4/PSVR/PSVita there is more than enough current generation content to keep me busy.

I guess if your an Xbox gamer B/C becomes more critical due to lack of content on their ONE hardware platform.

Tru_

[XanderZane]

@Gyarados
Got over 180+ games in my XB1 library. There are over 1100 games to play on the XB1. I wouldn't call that "nothing to play".Maybe it's you that has "nothing intelligent to say".

[rainslacker]

I use it regularly myself, but I tend to go through "retro" phases, and PS1/2 games often get put into the rotation. I still have my PS1 and PS2 hooked up though.

I realize I am far from typical though, and while there are a lot of retro gamers out there, and I do believe that BC is a feature that isn't used much, if at all, by the vast majority.

@4show

Ah, I remember at the beginning of this gen when users from both sides said it wasn't that big of a deal. In fact, I think most of them said exactly what Jim Ryan is saying here.

Most seem to say it'd be great if it's there, but they buy new systems to play new games.

Granted, I'm sure if Sony had some solution announced at E3, we'd see a lot of Sony fans saying how great it is again making it seem like the majority of Sony fans are flip flopping. In the end though, it probably won't matter to most of them for actual practical usage purposes.

[nitus10]

I still have my old FAT PS3 (2006) and it works fine. The reason why I purchased it day one even though I still had my PS2 which I used as a trade-in was backward compatibility.

At the start of a console generation, BC is a great selling point but further into the generation it still is a nice feature for a bit of nostalgia to play old but good (this is subjective) games however usually newer games take precedence.

Let's put it this way. How many people who have PS3's play PS1 games on it and how often?

For me, the answer would be very rarely and the same applies for all my PS2 games with my last PS2 game being played over a year ago. I have so many PS4 games that I rarely have the time.

Note: All PS3's play PS1 games it is only the first edition PS3's that can play PS2 games as well.

[meatnormous]

Castlevainia SOTN is a ps1 classic on the store for 5$. That fact alone has made the ps3 stay plugged in with no end in sight. Ps1 classics are great! I still have discs and they play those as well. Its a shame the ps4 doesn't play ps1 games or ps2 cause the power is there to emulate those systems. Hoping to get some old high school friends together soon for a tekken 3 tournament. Yes, im old as fuck.

[Quatron]

You and 60 others must have some garabage taste then. Cause I used it for 34 games.

[TitanUp]

I agree with his statement. I'm not to fond of playing older systems and games unless the games are remastered.

PS3 games and 360 games look garbage.

[badz149]

just look at the recently released Phantom Dust. free or not...it clearly doesn't age well. the only think that is up-to-date about it is the microtransactions

[Platformgamer]

God of war 3 and ascension, heavy rain, uncharted 2 and 3 looks like garbage for you then...
have you checked your eyes? are you sure you don't need glasses?
Even early ps3 games like heavenly sword and lair looks good

[NapalmSanctuary]

Not everyone is impressed with every new game that comes out. Most new AAA games, outside of the mass market shooters, rarely get purchased by more than 5-10% of the player base, if that.

[AspiringProGenji]

There are more people interested and buying new games than those who prefer BC. That is what matters. If they are not interested in new games then they should have stuck with the old consoles then

[NapalmSanctuary]

@AspiringProGenji
The two are not mutually exclusive. We all want new games that we would like, its just that some of us are a bit disappointed with the modern selection, and modern games, in general. BC just adds to the value proposition, even if not everyone uses it, kinda like single player campaigns in online shooters.

The ONLY reason PS4 doesn't have proper BC is because its the #1 machine this gen and Sony doesn't feel particularly compelled to go the extra mile for the consumer, because of it. I highly suspect that the only reason they are saying this now is because they are a bit butthurt that PSnow hasn't been very successful. Whatever the case is, they don't know how many of their consumers would actually utilize BC because they haven't implemented it. All they know is that it is "much requested", which speaks for itself.

[AspiringProGenji]

BC wouldn't have helped them to be on top if they were 3rd. It hasn't helped MS at all. You don't know their true reason why they don't have that. For now we have to go with what they say that it is because of the cell processor, whether we believe it or not

The fact that the majority of PS4 owners are not pressuring Sony over it means they don't care, not to say they wouldn't take it if offered. Meanwhile every, if not most, PS4 exclusive have sold very well. It doesn't matter if the dales don't match console unit sales. There's interest in new ips and cureent games. If you and some of you are disappointed with current games, then stick to Retro. You realize last gen games are also part of modern gaming right?

[NapalmSanctuary]

Sony has the best back catalogue in the business, especially where ps1 and ps2 are concerned. Xbox's back catalogue is mainly multiplats and other games mostly still available on PC. There is no comparison between Sony and Xbox on that front. Like I said, the fact that BC is "much requested" speaks for itself.

Spare me the "majority of PS4 owners" line. The system has a games attach rate of 7-8 games per system, which means the vast majority of PS4 owners don't buy games very often, if at all. I fail to see how they're relevant to this conversation.

"You realize last gen games are also part of modern gaming right?"
Whats your point? The ps3 era wasn't exactly the high point in Sony's back catalogue.

[rainslacker]

For the most part, anyone interested in playing old games typically keeps their old consoles. The PS1, PS2, and initial PS3's were kind of an anomaly in that they played older games. Nintendo picked it up for one prior generation up until the Switch, and for their handhelds, but beyond that, it's only been a big issue of it's inclusion or exclusion this gen.

BC is mostly just a console war talking point. Nothing more. There are those who can find a use for it, such as myself, but for many of those people, they will keep whatever is necessary to play those older games. BC just offers up some convenience.

Anyhow, even though any given game may only sell to a small percentage of the user base, when you look at total software sales, new games sell to many times the install base, while BC would be lucky to see 5% in new software purchases, and I'd wager that 1% is even being generous.

Why is the number one reason that Sony had the number one console this gen? Sony didn't have it from the start, even before it was annouced. At that time, they had no idea just how successful it would be, and I'd wager that given the time frame of BC's announcement, that MS actually did have plans to get it working somehow either before launch, or very soon after.

[AspiringProGenji]

I said the majority of PS4 owners are not pressuring Sony over BC, which os right. You don't see BV being a high topic in the PS forums. I also said the majority of exclusive have been successful too.

You bringing attatch rate to this means nothing. Did you see the recent report about how small the number of BC users are on xbox?

[YAO-BLING]

just read an article about 360 users on xbone.. he's absolutely right.

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

[nucky64]

I'd never use BC - I'd rather have new games.

[starchild]

I'd rather have both. Be able to choose whatever game I want from a library spanning decades.

[Notellin]

Yeah if they used me in their research I have downloaded just about every free 360 game on games with gold and still haven't played any. I put in the Halo Reach disc the day BC was announced played for 30 minutes and thought I'll play my newer games.

It's nice to have though but not for everyone.

[DivoJones]

Part of the lack of popularity on Xbox is the titles that have been made available (that and needing to have the disc in to play). There's been a couple quality additions recently, but prior to Black Ops 2 and Bioshock it was very lackluster. And unless EVERY game comes to backwards compatibility, there's always going to be someone who keeps their old system to play specific games. Take Burnout 3: Takedown for instance.. it's never coming back, and it's not available on Steam. The only way to legitimately own it is to have it on OG Xbox, Ps2, or 360..
From a business standpoint, I understand why Sony doesn't want to do it the way Xbox does. Sony prefers to add them to their classics or PS now so they can fully monetize older titles. It's not anti-consumer, but it's not as forgiving as Xbox's ability to allow you to insert the disc and download it, or buy it from the marketplace.

[starchild]

I never thought I'd see gamers arguing against being able to play more games on our systems. Good games don't stop being good games just because something newer came out. I would rather have the choice to play any game I want from a library spanning years. My PC has backwards compatibility and it's an essential feature to me and I use it all the time. I would love if my PS4 could play all my PS1, PS2 and PS3 games.

[AspiringProGenji]

I'm not againts , i just don't care atm.

While it is cool to relive classics and play them in slow season or whenever, I already played them to death in their time. Right now I'm focused on current games. I got Star Ocean 3 and haven't touched it yet because of Persona 5, for example

[Chevalier]

You mean the same people who complained about how PS4 was indiestation? Because more options are bad? Yeah we heard it from a very vocal Xbox group. Now that there are no new IP's they say we got plenty to play ironically. So that street goes both ways. There are still a contingency here that suggest that 'niche' games aren't a big deal yet suggest that they got plenty to play, but, again mostly indie games and some 3rd party stuff.

[uth11]

It isn't used much, and it wasn't the game changer some claimed it would be when it got announced for xb1

[Foraoise]

To that one guy who said vita is region locked, stop being wrong.

[XanderZane]

Well, they defnitely aren't going crazy about PSNow either. I have the original PS3 60GB that will play PS3, PS2 and PS1 games. So I could care less if the PS4 gets true B/C or not at this point. I'll never pay to use PSNow that's for sure. I'm happy with XB1 have over 300 B/C games, cause I don't need to run to my XBox 360 to play RDR, Gears of War, Lost Odyssey or any other great XBox 360 game. They are all in my library and just a click away to play.

[dumahim]

Almost never used BC anyway. Last time I did was with Final Fantasy 12 because it came out just a couple weeks before the PS3.

[corroios]

BC is very important when you go from one console to another, because the normal lack of games that you get at launch. Therefore you can play your old games on your new system until more and more new games come.

After that is just another feature.

[Neonridr]

Never a bad thing to have extra features provided it doesn't drive the cost of the unit way up.

[freshslicepizza]

Pretty much but Sony would rather push Playstation Now. Watch as Microsoft slows down on free Xbox 360 supported titles and push Game Pass.

Now if only Ryan could answer about changing your PSN ID and if that too is not going to be used much.

[Neonridr]

yeah, I think in the case of the PS4 though, since the PS3 architecture was so vastly different, they would have had to include a Cell processor inside to handle the BC which would have drove the cost of the PS4 way up I think. Sony needs to get more PS4 content on PS Now to compete with Game Pass, but it's going to be a hard sell since streaming is no substitute for having the game locally on your machine.

[freshslicepizza]

@Zingah3pac
"So what's your PSN ID?"

I don't share that here, sorry. It's awfully ironic on Sony's behalf to now suggest hardly anyone sues it when on the PS2 it was such a popular feature (to play PS1 games) and Sony would never dare say this back then. My how times have changed.

[freshslicepizza]

"And nobody cared when PS3 had BC. And nobody cared when Wii U had BC. Funny how having BC is such a big deal all of a sudden."

I have a PSN ID for my PS3 and if you don't believe me oh well.

What is really ironic is Sony fans downplaying everything from BC to no EA Access because they have no choice other than to accept it.

[BiggerBoss]

Man Moldy, tell Microsoft to release some games so you aren't stuck playing games from last gen😂😂😂

[Death]

@neon,

No matter how many times you say the PS3 architecture is vastly different, it's still PowerPC based just like the chip in the Xbox 360. Neither is x86 based like the APU's in PS4 or Xbox One. It's not an easy process but the issue isn't technical, it's financial. Sony's Jim Ryan says no one wants to play "old" games via b/c and Sony is only focused on the future. The $380 million Sony spent acquiring Gaikai so they could have a paid subscription service to stream "old" PS3 games must have been an accidental keystoke slip in accounting.

[DragonKnight]

Guys, you can't really put moldy into the Sony or MS camp because, last I checked, he doesn't own the current consoles and games on PC instead.

[Nitrowolf2]

Well, while id love bc on ps4 he is right.
I mean xbox has it and this survey was done with nearly 1 million users shows not a lot of xbox one owners use it.
https://arstechnica.com/gam...

Ill agree with the article though, it would be nice knowing its there.

[Kingcorey13]

I have had the same psn I'd sence 2007 and i wouldn't want to change it. I got lucky with it tho. Super simple and short. I do know a lot of friends who made ridiculous ones being that we were 15-16 when we made them.. I think it's straight up comedy.

[BlackTar187]

@Dragon

You don't honestly believe his bi-partisan i only play on PC made up nonsense do you?

I don't play on consoles but i only bad mouth sony. LOL don't be so naive.

[rainslacker]

OK. So now that you had your off topic rant, and jab at Sony on something even more off topic, how about addressing the actual topic at hand instead of trying to make Sony, and it's fans look bad.

Is BC used that much?

What are the benefits to having it?

Is there much incentive to make a feature that is hardly used both from a financial and support point of view?

Does it matter if a console has BC or not?

Do you think the vast majority give a crap?

I'm a huge retro gamer, and play plenty of old games, and love the BC on my PS3, or any system that has it to be honest, because it allows me to consolidate my play time to less consoles. But even I know the feature, while nice to have, is hardly something that I'm going to be upset about it's exclusion. While I can appreciate the feature where it exists, I don't need to make it into a console war thing, and would love for Sony to find a solution, but my life will go on without losing sleep over it if they don't.

I know you want to make PS fans look like hypocrites, but at the beginning of this gen, both fan bases were saying it didn't matter and wasn't used that much. If anything, Sony fans have remained consistent this gen, and haven't even made PSNow look like a viable solution. MS fans on the other hand have acted like it's a game changer, and used it to say how Sony is evil or anti-consumer, when they couldn't care less last gen, or at the start of this gen.

@Death

The problem is more the SPE's put around that PowerPC core. They don't run on powerPC code, or CISC code, and even the fastest general purpose processors nowadays can process data as fast as the CELL could back in the day. New CPU's can process more data, just not as fast.

@dragon

I'm sure if we dig through moldy's history far enough, we'll see him claim to own a PS4 and X1. It's unhealthy for anyone who isn't vested into the current gen consoles to harbor so much hate for either company, and if he was a PC gamer as he claims, he certainly wouldn't be down in MS pants as much as he is. That would be even more unhealthy.

[DragonKnight]

@BlackTar: You actually believe that a person has to be an Xbot to badmouth Sony? And I mean frequently? You need to visit other sites than this one because I can guarantee you that all kinds of people badmouth Sony, or Microsoft, or Nintendo, or PC without owning anything. Hell, on youtube alone you'll find plenty PC gamers badmouthing Sony but no Microsoft. People here are way too sheltered.

@rainslacker: I have a long history with moldy, and he has actually stated that he does not have any of the current consoles on more than one occasion. I mean that doesn't really mean that he's being honest but does that even matter? One does not have to own an Xbox One to bash Sony.

I'm just saying. People here take anything they can at face value. Dislike Sony? Well then you must be a bot. Because of course no one could either actually own a PS4, or none of the consoles, and still have a problem with Sony right?

Oh wait, I only own Sony consoles and have been greatly disappointed with them this gen.

[Chevalier]

Yeah you probably want to own a PS4 before you get that user name. No use otherwise Moldy. Plus its not like anyone believes you actually own one anyways. But you keep pretending and plead your case for Xbox some more. Hilarious.

[Chevalier]

@Death

" No matter how many times you say...."

No matter how you trump your horns about the importance of BC the facts blow right over your head.

1). If BC was so important want to explain how come Xbox sales are still low?

2) 98.5% of the customers do NOT use the feature. So you are overstating the importance. ONLY 1.5% of customers use the feature. Let me break it down further. For every TWO full pallets of PS4's I sell at my store ONLY 2 people will use that feature.

[rainslacker]

@Dragon

I understand what you're saying, but realistically, is it healthy to harbor such resentment and hate towards a single company that one feels the need to express with great frequency and great vitriol using off topic arguments,and taking shots at said company at every oppurtunity, while making more assumptions than actually thinking critically about the topic, when one is not that invested in the company in question.

All this while also cuddling up with their closest competitor as if they are the best thing to ever happen to the industry, and can do no wrong, despite the fact that that person's said preference is on PC, where I have never met someone who actually thinks that that competing company was in any way relevant beyond the necessity to use their product because of the lack of competition on said PC market?

If Moldy isn't a "bot"(as you put it), then he certainly is a troll.

I have seen and talked with moldy for a long time as well, and it wasn't until recently that I started seeing him claim to not own any current gen console, as if that made him less bias.

[da1writer]

Some here really need to drop their Console war arguments at the door and the necessary need to justify their plastic machine of choice. I'm a person that loves tech no matter the platform and just love games in general (especially retro stuff) and have no need to be a fanboy and worship an item I prefer or own, but it would benefit others to at least do a bit of digging before spouting off nonsense they don't understand.

Whenever I see people bring up backwards compatibility, you'll see hand in hand some bring up Microsoft's excellent miracle of a feature of disc-based/digital backwards compatibility (something PC has had in like forever) vs Sony's decision to do this in a streaming fashion via PS Now for PS4 like it's some sort of way to earn a paycheck from said companies (corporate slave like).

Does anyone even know the purpose of Sony buying Gaikai? Some would go into the fanboy category and say $380 million was used for PS Now only and misinform others (and repeat in nauseum). In reality, Sony purchased Gaikai for it's tech alone for future services they had in the future. There are currently five services utilizing it, one we have already been talking about with some using it for attacking purposes for some reason.
https://www.gaikai.com/#!/p...

PS Now - A way to play PS3 Games via streaming on Consoles (PS4), Mobile (Xperia Phone and tablets), and PC (No longer shackled in needing to buy a plastic box to play Playstation titles)
Remote Play - Continue playing your PS4 away from the console, same platforms as above
Shareplay - Play “Couch Co-op” with a friend over the internet, can also pass the controller to a friend to help you out or try the game before buying
PS Vue - Watch live TV or record your favorite shows on an unlimited DVR
http://fortune.com/2014/11/...
Playstation Store - Videos streaming in the background per game

So let's try to at least have a bit better conversations now and stop dragging up information we know little about to protect our feelings toward a device one owns. Sorry @Death, please be better in doing your research.

[Lennoxb63]

I don't think the point of BC is to be the most used feature of the X1. Just there as a convenience.

[SpaceRanger]

I disagree. If you were to take out BC for the Xbox, it would truly be a barren wasteland in terms of games.

[Lennoxb63]

No. Xbox has been getting 3rd party games, indies, early access games, etc. BC was never advertised as a fill in for lack of games because contrary to popular belief Xbox has been getting games. Just not as many as PS.

[nX]

It's not even much better with BC actually.

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

@SpaceRanger

Agreed, Xbox fans talk more about BC than any other thing for the box. Its as if they are playing the 360.

[Death]

@Space,

1177 games is now a barren wasteland over the course of 3 years? https://en.wikipedia.org/wi... I'm surprised you guys are so worried about the 386 and counting b/c titles. That's less than 1/3 of a barren wasteland. It will be interesting to see the difference when these games hit Scorpio. If Microsoft plays their cards right they might be able to stick a "remastered" sticker on the box and get $60 for them. That way they can count them as "new" games.

You guys are ridiculous.

[SpaceRanger]

@Death

You used Wikipedia as a source? 😂
Yeah your comment really isn't worth time to read if you're sourcing that.

But to reply to you, since I did read your comment. I guess Sony should place a "Halo, Gears or Forza" sticker on piles of regurgitated you know what. I've heard that that strategy has been working well for MS.

[BeOpenMinded]

Backwards compatible has much to do with playing 'old' games as much as solidifying a digital purchase indefinitely for the future. This promise alone helps me buy digitally more confidently. PS users should be given the same confidence in their purchase, which they do not have currently. We have to buy the game again, which is ultimately what the company wants

[gangsta_red]

@SpaceRanger

"Yeah your comment really isn't worth time to read if you're sourcing that."

But using "barren wasteland" is the epitome of a top tier comment right?

It's funny to read comments whenever a remaster drops, (Crash for instance) and see such excitement and anticipation from gamers but lord forbid actually having the means and the option for a console to play old games through BC.

But if folks would rather re-buy older games for 40-50/60 bux a pop because Sony has made the decision for you already and told you no one really uses it then that's great.

[BlackTar187]

@death

Hilarious to see Xbox people like yourself talk about all those games and then think back about the Indiestation comments and no games comments xbox fans thump there chest about the first couple years of ps4 and last couple years of ps3.

hahha you can't write better material

[Godmars290]

In which case, as much as many here will likely hate, they should charge for it on new systems. Preferably a one time fee, but at this point since lawyers have been involved with the process since post PS2, some concession has to be paid for the privilege.

[kneon]

It may also be that the third party publishers have a say in whether to allow their games to be playable on another platform. Just because it may be technically possible to provide BC for all games doesn't mean it's legally possible.

[UltraNova]

Well to be honest here, MS seems to have found the way...

[Godmars290]

@kneon:
That's exactly why things happened as they did. That and Gamestop.

What I'm talking about, if physical media was still a thing rather than fading out, is an app or hardware module that plays the original game. Emulations and ports of popular titles would still be a thing, while owners of the more obscure stuff wouldn't have to wait and hope.

[rainslacker]

Sony included the hardware in the PS2 and original PS3's to make it so technically, the games were playing on the hardware that it was intended. Lawyers may have been involved, but only to make sure that was a viable solution. Even when they removed PS2 BC on PS3, they kept the PS1 hardware, which was a pretty simple and cheap chip. The PSP and Vita also have the PS1 chips required. They're tiny little things.

But, honestly, I actually wouldn't mind a fully BC PS4, or maybe future PS5. I'd pay extra to have all those generations of hardware in one unit. Emulation would be cool if it worked, and they somehow found a way around the licensing issue that makes it so publishers have to approve like with MS solution.

@ultra

MS found a way by getting publishers to agree to allow it on their emulator. That's why it's not ubiquitous for all games.

I see a couple issues with Sony doing the same thing.

1. For physical media, the CD format from PS1, and some PS2 games, isn't readable on the PS4. Because of this, the only way to play those games is through digital purchase.

2. For PS2 games, most do not have digital copies on the store. Dunno if they wold be allowed to copy it over to the hard drive, but it would require publisher approval again, and seems like it may open up some back doors for piracy.

3. For PS3 games, the SPE's were very specialized hardware which would be extremely hard to emulate due to how fast they could process data. Current CPU's aren't fast enough to emulate it at the same speed, even though they can actually process more data overall. There is a possibility they could offload some of that to GPU compute, but it would require a rather extensive emulator design which basically reroutes large chunks of code which itself would be a headache and may not work for every game.

[UltraNova]

Yes it would be a very task to provide BC on ps4(at least for ps3). But ps5 BC is a given considering​ the fact that the CPU will be x86 based from AMD again.

[crazychris4124]

Seeing how well remasters and remakes sell I would say BC would be used a lot. Just look at the sales numbers.

Ratchet and Clank - 2 million
GOW3 - 750k+
Uncharted collection - 5 million
Borderlands - 1 million
Bioshock - 600k
Batman Return to Arkham - 500k
Last of Us - 5.5 million
Sleeping Dogs - 500k

This month were getting Crash Bandicoot and Wipeout Collections so there is clearly huge demand for older games. Even if it was just BC instead of a remaster for a certain game you would still see a huge jump in sales and players. Black Ops 2 was the 10th best selling game of April this year because of BC, it outsold Infinite Warfare and player counts went from under 10k to over 70K. Gamers will always go back and play great games of past generations if its available on their current gen console. I still play games like Red Faction Guerrilla, World in Conflict, Flatout UC, Battlefront 2 on my PC because they are still great games.

[UltraNova]

Wanting to play an old but enhanced, mostly entirely remade game using present day tech is one thing and wanting to play an old game the way it was originally made is another.

I would never go back to those pixel filled low poly games. I.e. i would never dust off my ps1 to play crush band. but​ now I'm seriously this close to buying the remake day one because it looks and plays pretty darn good +I'm getting 3 games for the price of one.

[DashArrivals]

My thoughts exactly. I own a PS3 and I own The Last Of us.... but I bought the remaster, why? Because I felt like playing it again and I'm an adult with money and I can spend it on whatever the hell I want to.

[Imalwaysright]

@ DashArrivals

Sony is counting on you to pay for TLoU again to play it on your eventual PS5. Do NOT let them down.

[DashArrivals]

@ Imalwaysright. Stop being a smartass. The graphics have gotten to a point that when the eventual PS5 comes out.... it NEEDS to be fully backwards compatible. Fully. People can archive this comment I don't give a shit, if PS5 is not backwards compatible, then I'll be pissed off.

[Imalwaysright]

@ DashArrivals

You said it yourself, its your money and Sony wants it. With the money that Sony is making on remasters let us see if they'll feel the need for the PS5 to have BC.

[DashArrivals]

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

[Whirlwind_Fanfare_08]

I hardly used it during my gaming on PS3. So i'm not upset that BC is not in PS4 because i wouldn't use it anyway when so many new games coming out that catches my attention.

[-Foxtrot]

Know what I want...PS1 CLASSICS

How can you have them on the PS3 and not have them on the PS4. I bought so many thinking they'd transfer over and nope...years and years later. By the time we get them the PS5 will be out.

[andrewsquall]

It is quite a bizarre move. As great as the PS4 is since day one, it never had PS1 games like PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP and PS Vita did, in some shape or form anyway. And they can't use the excuse that that is what PS Vita TV is for because it has already come and gone.
On PS2, the PS1 emulation was all in one tiny chip in the console. On PS3, contrary to popular belief, every single version of the console can play PS1 games. And it was all done entirely in software too. Maybe the fact PS4 can't read CD-ROM discs is the reason for lack of PS1 disc playback though.

Oh and PS4 was also the first PlayStation console to launch WITHOUT at Ridge Racer title :(

[Doge]

“When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much,”

“That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?”

Saying something like this while offering PSNow and PS2 re-releases? 🤔

[andrewsquall]

Lol and yet I would have literally bought Gran Turismo 3 and 4 again on PS2 for PS4 HD for their Platinum Trophies while waiting an eternity for a new Gran Turismo game. But how can I give them my money if they won't let me lol? The Getaway 1 and 2 would also be sweet. I would also love Namco to bring over Tekken 4, the best Tekken game. :)

[JasonKCK]

Downplay at its finest. Better stop PSNow and making remasters like GoW3, TLoU, and Uncharted Collection then hypocrites.

[BiggerBoss]

If you don't see the difference between a remastered game and BC, then you need to go back to school.

[JasonKCK]

GoW 3 remaster literally adds nothing but a new price tag.

You were saying?

[HotMoltenLava]

What about PSNow? I get it, it's ok to play your old games on a new system as long as you get to pay for them again. Sony Fanboy logic 101.

[starchild]

Jeez.. really? If minor upgrades in graphics really mean that much to you you should be doing most of your gaming on PC where the upgrades are even more significant.

[LexHazard79]

Wow, so in other words. Playstation gamers want BC but Sony has decided that you're better without it. A bit arrogant with that but hey we knew PS4 wasnt gonna have bc so if you're angry about it..deal with it.
I dont think having the feature is a bad thing.

[kneon]

No one is saying BC is bad, it's just not very useful once you get a steady flow of new games coming. I can probably count on one hand the games from the previous gen that I would ever want to play again. For those, I can use my old machines or for the really great games like TLOU, I'll gladly buy the remaster.

[trooper_]

You don't speak for PlayStation gamers. I, for one don't miss BC and prefer new games. It's an extra feature to have, sure but I'm not stressing over it.

[DashArrivals]

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD.

The vast majority DO NOT want or care about BC.

The same goes for Xbox. Microsoft even said, with their special kind of spinning, that 50% of gamers have "tried" BC... meaning that if it's a new feature people try it out, but the majority don't actually use it regularly at all.

My current Gen backlog is so freaking big it would break your back to look up at it.

[HotMoltenLava]

Do you have a link to that data that states that most don't care about BC or did you just pull that out of your arse?

[starchild]

The majority of people that buy a console are relatively casual and only use it to play a couple games, mostly multiplats.

Trying to use them as the standard for what core gamers want is misleading.

[DashArrivals]

@ HotMoltenLava

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

[LexHazard79]

@trooper; I never spoke on behalf of sony gamers. Where in my non edited comment does it say Playstation needs BC!?!

A Sony rep said its a "highly requested feature" so then why is Sony denying it to us gamers. Just because? Its whatever like I said Im ok with it. You guys disagreeing not gonna change m mind about it. Lol...

[Muadiib]

I don't know man, I use backwards compatibility on my PC all the time ;)

[pleasuretokill]

Actually, this is very true to me. As a person who has been gaming since the early 80's, I've already played all of these games. I want to experience new, amazing looking games. BC is great on Xbone, but I can't even tell you the last time I used it. Every one wants it, of course, because they want more options. Who doesn't want all of the options? but.... at the expense of what? How much extra time, how much extra money? It really doesn't matter much to me tbh.

[Father Murder X]

Didn't BC make Black OPS 2 a top ten seller last month? You cant argue with that. Didnt the NES classic sell out everywhere? What this dude is saying is bull crap. Making new money off of old investments is a win for the developer. Plus it gauges interest in whether not an IP can be profitable. BC is alright to SONY when they can make money off of it and there nothing wrong with that. But please get off of that SONY loves the gamer bull. SONY loves the money as they should.

[Gyarados]

Thank you for speaking the truth Jim.

[feraldrgn]

I agree with Jim Ryan.
Unless you have no new games releasing for your console, BC is a waste of resources & money.

[Mr Marvel]

I couldn't care less about BC. I just want new games.

[OsafuneKatana]

Well said. Ps4 get new games every week. BC is cool and all, but nobody has got time to play all the new stuff let alone BC games.

[OsafuneKatana]

Who needs new games when we can play last gen games. Kudos M$.

[AntsPai]

I have almosr 1100 trophy enabled games, most of which I've yet to finish, I keep my PS3 plugged into my tv and play it every now and then but I'd kill for them to be playable on my PS4.

As sad as it is I won't be buying a PS5 at launch like I usually do with PS consoles if bc isn't a feature this time around. I'll get it eventually but I've got enough to keep me busy for a long time.

[KwokXi]

I agree, I love playing my old games often, hopefully the PS5 uses a similar hardware setup to make bc easy and is powerful enough to run PS3 and backward with ease. Sony are winning by such a large margin and are becoming arrogant again :c I really hope a new PlayStation is feature rich and makes everyone happy within reason.

[Software_Lover]

...... I use it all the time. I know I'm in the minority but oh well.

[OldGuyStillGaming]

I'm using the hell out of it as well.
I never had a 360 last gen so I'm catching up on older games I never got a chance to play.
I think it's great

[Landcruzar]

I didn't buy a PS4 to play last gen games. Time to move on.

[BlakHavoc]

He's speaking the truth. BC is a wanted feature by a small number of hardcore gamers but in the grand scheme of things it's not a desired feature by the masses. Would it be nice to have it? Sure, but with 60 mil PS4s in the wild, no ones really asking for it.

[Good-Smurf]

Nice but not needed.
And I still have PS2 and PS3 and play older games there it didnt feel right playing on newer consoles anyway.

[senorfartcushion]

Go eff yourself

[DashArrivals]

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

MOST people do not care. Go eff YOUR self

[senorfartcushion]

Now you go eff yourself.

We pay a LOT of money. We need those bonuses.

So fanboyish, you're willing to be ran over by a huge company, moron.

[Tetsujin]

I'd welcome BC because it can save space and time. I hate the idea of having to boot up the PS2 when I want to play something, when I can pop in the disc and start from there. Even if they restricted BC to the PS3 digital catalog I'd be happy.

[_LarZen_]

And this is why people love PC as they can play all the games and not just the newest. And is one of the reasons I will be getting an Xbox Scorpio. Cant play other then the newest on PS4. And all games should in theory be better on Scorpio in the time ahead.

So my PS4Pro will just be used for some exclusives each year it seams. If you disagree then why not say why if not just salty.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I think sales of games like Red Dead Redemption and Call of Duty proves otherwise. The metrics say people do care about BC.

[_LarZen_]

I agree. But just as they did last year before E3. It seams Sony is at it again with trying to downplay BC and the competition with boasting about their sales. I dont think most gamers will fall for that kind of PR anymore.

[DashArrivals]

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

Yeah right

[343_Guilty_Spark]

@XsomedudeX

Why does it matter where they rank? If some dude in Nowhere, USA wants to play Bayonetta on his Xbox One/Scorpio they can. You think they care where the game ranks? The fact is there are ton of highl quality last gen games that people love and cherish and they aren't worried where some game ranks on a list .

But it is clear Sony would rather charge for BC on their PS NOW service which is $99 per year. Maybe we should ask Jim Ryan how many PS NOW subscribers there are and how much they care about PS3 games.

[DashArrivals]

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

[ocelot07]

I do think it's a silly comment from Jim Ryan. But I do sort of see where he is coming from.

[Yohshida]

That moment you are out of touch with gaming

[DashArrivals]

https://arstechnica.com/gam...

Yeah. Out of tough. Sounds like you're delusional

[Yohshida]

You may ask BO2 about that one

[Slevon]

"You dont know what you really want sony fans, anyway get hype about crash remaster!!!"

[AmUnRa]

Dont care about PS3 games anymore, all thegames that i really loved and played the shit out of it, i played on my PS3. Backwords comp.is overrated, Microsoft made a big deal of it, cous they lack in first party games. And Xboxfanboys are making a deal of it, for the same reason, but they dont tell that, instead they hype up backwords comp.
Sony did it before and they know it is not important. , yeah in the beginning of a new generation when the games are not yet there, but when you have enough games on your system, you dont need it anymore.
Gim me the games for the PS4 not for the PS3, that time has past.
And Sony is the one that puts out many many PS4 games.

[Kokyu]

Xbone has BC because it has to. If people are honest with themselves the Xbone doesnt have exclusives, has little exclusive content and has had a big drought of games lately. I think Scorpio is to blame for the game because devs are most likely holding back to publish on Scorpio. I had back compat on my 360 and used it maybe 1 or 2 time but thats because it had great games the xbone on the other hand is in a dissimilar situation as its in a slump so back compat makes sense.

[cfc83]

Remasters + ps now = why give ps4 users bc when they're already paying for it ?

[TheColbertinator]

Explain PS Now then

:/

[bluefox755]

He's likely right. Lots of people talk about it, but I think MS said, only 50% of Xbox users have ever even used BC? The number that use it with any sort of regularity is likely much smaller. I would much rather have a larger collection of ps1 and ps2 titles available to buy from the PSN store. I haven't had the physical copies of these games for years, and it would be much more appealing to be able to just buy them and play them rather than tracking down old copies and hardware on ebay. I certainly wouldn't be against BC, but it's not a priority for me.

[Youngindy21]

Bull. I missed some games on 360/PS3 and Xbox One allows me to go back and play the games I missed. Granted, I could buy some of those games on PC, but I don't necessarily like having to tinker with settings.

[Profchaos]

I've been using it recently to replay gta SA (I'm only one trophy away from a platinum).

My opinion is counter to popular belief and i feel some games are better experiences when left in the pure emulated state that bc provides compared to the remaster.

Gta SA is a perfect example the PS4 version is just the ps2 game emulated and 1080 support added it's perfect a great experience compared to the remaster which was good on paper but horrible when played stripping fog effects revealed just how ugly the core game is rather then hiding it behind weather blur which gave it that California feeling.

The remaster was terrible but the standard version still holds up quite nicely not every game is like this but bc should be something that is offered.

Also ridiculous pricing has held it back significantly $30 for a trilogy of 3 old games that can be picked up in a steam bundle or on ps3 for under 10 I only grabbed it because it was significantly reduced on sale

[DiRtY]

EA Access is a bad deal.
BC is requested, but our users wouldn't use it anyway.

But here is PSNow, you can rent the games you already own!

[il-JumperMT]

I still have PS1 2 and 3 connected to TV and Working, but I dont use them

[kevnb]

tons of people would use it and it would make it easy to add value to ps+, but whatever.

[EmperorDalek]

"Lol it's useless, Xbox has no games"

Sony fanboys in their full force. Just a question... If the PS4 suddenly got full PS3, PS2 and PS1 BC... would these same people be saying "Don't care, I don't want to play old games"... Or will they say something like "Yes! Thank you Sony! I guess Xbox has nothing now. I can't wait to revisit some older games."

I think it's fair to say they'll switch their stance.

[ILostMyMind]

If the PS4 suddenly got full PS3, PS2 and PS1 BC, I'd say 'Thanks, Sony!' And probably would never play any game that was already played.

[rainslacker]

I'd thank them, but wouldn't make it into a game changer feature, or think that it's suddenly going to be the primary reason people buy the system, or think that tons of people are suddenly going to play old games on it.

I'm sure people would make it into a big deal though. MS fans did the same from last gen to this one, or even from the start of this gen to when it was announced for X1 even though they(and Sony fans) said pretty much what Ryan said in his comment here....it's requested, but hardly used.

[EatCrow]

Why god of war remaster then? Why Crash remaster? Last of us remaster?
Uncharted remaster? Ratchet and Clank? The list can go on.

If people dont want to replay older titles why even bother?

[Chevalier]

Because 1/3 of the PS4 owners are new to the system! This is their first Playstation system they own. So remasters make sense in that regard. It is profit for Sony and a way to introduce those great games those people haven't had a chance to enjoy. Just consider that out of 60+ million PS4 owners over 20+ million are completely new to PS ecosystem! That's almost as many Xbox One owners out there. So yeah remasters make sense if you want those same people to invest and buy the new sequels of TLOU, Uncharted, God of War etc.

It seems you are suggesting that Sony pour in precious resources for the vocal 1.5% of the community that uses it rather than make new IPs?! And you think Sony is being ridiculous..... 1 million people being sampled using a bell curve and statistics is a absolutely huge sample size, that data would be pretty accurate within 3 standard deviations! That's 99.7% accurate data....

[EatCrow]

I highly doubt it. But with regards to the rest of your comment
"It seems you are suggesting that Sony pour in precious resources for the vocal 1.5% of the community that uses it rather than make new IPs?! And you think Sony is being ridiculous"

I never said any of that. Read the comment again. Its regarding whether or not BC is important. And it is.
Remasters would not be necessary if ps4 had BC. And gamers on ps4 would have a much larger library to choose from if indeed they are new to the ecosystem.

Common sense. If I am new to the ecosystem would I want only select older titles or access to a much larger library?

Of course remasters make sense I never said they didnt. But on a gamers point of view, BC makes much more sense. Cheaper + larger library.

[Chevalier]

Still 1.5% of Xbox users if they have 30 million units out there isn't even 1/2 million people. They have things completely backwards. They should get those 98.5% majority new IPs and a real reason to use their Xbox Ones then come back for the other portion later. I deal with customers regularly and it never comes up as a reason to buy a new system.

[Vanfernal]

Make PS1 classics playable on PS4!

[Razzer]

BC hasn't helped Xbox One sales. Lack of BC hasn't hurt PS4 sales. The demand for last gen games is obviously not high.

[EatCrow]

Its not about sales. Its about being pro gamer and not shafting. Both companies are good at shafting their player base but it does seem that some think its fine.

[Razzer]

Who is getting shafted? Folks bought PS4 knowing full well it doesn't have BC. There was no gotcha here.

[EatCrow]

@ Razzer

Like I said. Some people seem fine with being shafted.

[saint_seya]

I think is worse to buy a console with NOT EXCLUSIVES, people had to pay a higher price for a console with less power, but hey, not having BC is getting shafted, wonder how we call the other guys paying more for less?

Oh no double standars comming in 3,2,1...

[EatCrow]

@saint_seya

So I see you totally ignored the comment I made and pretended I said something I didnt.
You are fake news sir.
Lets read it again "Both companies are good at shafting their player base.."

There you go.

[GamesMaster1982]

Im fine without BC because i have my PS3 with loads of games sat right next to my PS4 so when i fancy playing it i just flip the TV switch. Plus there is no way in hell i would pay the rip of price that sony would charge for me to buy a game i own on ps3 to play on ps4.

[EatCrow]

What happens when the ps3 dies?

[GamesMaster1982]

Buy another ps3 for roughly the same price as sony would charge for a 2 BC ps3 games if they done them.

[Razzer]

What happens when your Xbox One dies?

[EatCrow]

@GamesMaster
assuming that by then you can find one at reasonable price. Games should be forward compatible. Stop the nonsense.

@Razzer
The likelihood of an xbox one breaking due to age is much lower then that of ps3. Common sense dude.

[Brohan]

Those that aren't gamers just won't understand the fact that even old games are good that's why BC is on Xbox and not PlayStation clearly Microsoft cares more for the consumer than Sony for PlayStation has or ever will be. Sony is out of all three major company's that don't care about there fans. Yet they are dumb enough to buy into their shit promises and excuses.

[Ethereal]

I am one of those people that thought they would use it and never did. I still own all my games and have my old consoles so if I really needed to play a past generation game, I could. Still, I am so far behind on this generation's games that I would never use it.

[rlow1]

Sony and its fanboys don't care about BC??? I see that tune changing when they come out with the PS5 and announce that all the PS4 games you own are BC. This is simple plain downplay by Sony period.

[ONESHOTV2]

I have my PS3 unplugged right now but and I do enjoy the games that came on it but who in their right mind would want to play a game at 18 frames instead of 60? and this is why I love PC where it's not about sales but the games you have at your fingertip I have notice that Sony fans on this site don't really care about games it's all about how much money they can put into Sony so they don't sink too early.

[chuckyj1]

Right... Didn't a Call of Duty Black Ops 2 recently released as a BC title make the top 10 in NA sales recently according to NPD data for April? Yeah... it's not used much...

[MilkMan]

Nah, I can't believe that. I still play my old games on a regular. The trick is not to just have BC but enhances them somehow? Like better load speeds and so on. You can't tell me that paying to play old games is someone more profitable than just simply allowing users to play older games on your newer system.
Can't use Microsoft's version of this since their BC program is a huge dung pile.

[PFFT]

It is widely used. This fool is just blind.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

Yup. I use it routinely. It's also good cuz you get twice as many free games on gold

[JasonKCK]

On nearly every platform but a PS4.

[JasonKCK]

What part of on "nearly every platform" did you not get?

[JasonKCK]

Again...

What part of on "nearly every platform" did you not get?

[starchild]

JasonKCK is right. The PC, for example, gets more games each year than any other platform, but we still love having backwards compatibility and being able to play whichever games suit our personal tastes regardless of when those games came out.

[Chevalier]

What part of 1.5% of the 1 million people playing used the feature did you NOT understand? Should Xbox care more about the 1.5% and give them what they want or the other 98.5% which have no NEW IPs to play? Those resources are better spent on NEW games. If it was such an important feature then why have the sales of Xbox Ones not increase? Facts are facts even if you don't like them.

You guys over emphasize the importance of a feature that 1.5% use instead of getting what the other 98.5% actually want. Sony shouldn't cater to the 1.5% instead of the 98.5% its counter intuitive. They are better off using the resources on New IPs and games. Their sales speak for themselves. The market that is buying PS4s don't spend $300+ for old games, its and NEXT gen system to play NEXT gen games.

[XStation4pio_Pro]

I use it all the time. It's nice to play stuff you already purchased... on one machine. You could argue that psnow is in the same boat as its entire library is PS3...except you have to pay. But even with that it still came loaded on both my smart tvs, is featured predominantly in the PlayStation store and in the tv menus and in ads... so if old games aren't used much, they sure are talked about a lot on both platforms and in this case the point is counterintuitive.

[Liqu1d]

I see lots of complaining from the vocal minority and the usual trolls yet no one is providing any facts to counter his claims.

[jmc8888]

Instead of BC, how about Ubisoft get on the ball and make a new Vegas and a real GRAW game. They made four of them last gen, and not a single one this one.

Not to mention Splinter Cell.

Not some MOBA fighting game, which would of been much better served if it copied the Chivalry: Medieval warfare, but instead they went for the MOBA.

I guess Rainbow Six: Siege is all we'll get.

[Skankinruby]

Yes, such an important feature. Why do I buy a new console? Oh yes of course, to play my old games for a console I also own. The logic on this argument makes so much sense now!

[Jon_Targaryen]

One of the reasons I sold my PS4.. No BC because "nobody uses it" but release about 5 "remastered" games every other month at full retail.. Fudge that, I'll stick to PC. There I can get that same game running at 1080 at 60 FPS at a fraction of the price. Thanks but no thanks...

[annoyedgamer]

Considering the lame games they make these days, BC would be quite useful for some of the last generations top MP titles, but the publishers are well aware of this and purposely block them from becoming available. IE MW2

[EatCrow]

Very good point. Games nowadays are pretty dull in comparison to past years.
Hence why I dont understand the ps4 n4g base resistance to it.
It is a good thing.

[sloth3395]

if its not used much then why have PSnow to play the older games

[TheGamez100]

Sure but its always nice to have the ability to play old games when your bored or waiting for the new ones. Its sony so its expected they dont focus much on bc when that work could be on new games instead.

[objdadon]

If backwards compatibility was so important than ps4 wouldn't be trouncing the xbox one like it is. Good morning......goood afternoon......good night! Thanks for coming🖐

[kevinsheeks]

Wait so they repackage old games to sale but there is no market for bc . .me confused >.< nvm I forgot where I'm at the comments are filled with users downplaying the option to play your old games without being charged a premium fee . .

[Many-hat5]

I have found BC quite good. Recently I played Prey, which kinda reminded me of a few old games like Dead space, so I have been playing DS 1&2 on BC at no extra cost, since I aready own these games. That's cool. Also, as we move away from distinct console generations BC is going to become essential, because consoles will be changing and advancing at a faster pace.Any one console may not be around for more than a couple of years. Therefore, it makes sense to have their games transfer to later iterations of your favourite console.

[milohighclub]

how would he know, the feature isn't there....

[Imalwaysright]

Then why waste resources on those PS2 and PS3 remasters? This guy thinks that people aren't aware of their actions. Sony doesn't want BC on the PS4 because that way, they get to make more money.

[Condemnedman]

say the company who want you to buy old games again! the hypocrites

[Gyarados]

Just like MS wanted you to buy that turd voodoo vince you mean? Lol

[jstark]

corporate damage control

[WelkinCole]

On the PS3 in particular it was true. I only played GOW2 on it and thats because GOW2 came out after the PS3 was launched.

[Kassanova07]

Just keep your old consoles. They will remind you of what it was.

[leeeroythe3rd]

So they get simeone to write an opinion peice seamingly unconnected then near same day make public comment on topic. Great stuff keep up the propaganda. How iz psnow doing?

[jairusmonillas]

Sony is right, BC is requested a lot but very few people would bother with it. I played over 150 ps1 games and I'm not missing any of them at all. I rather play online multiplayer on my ps4. I think some people here just want nostalgia when it regards to BC. PS3 had both ps1/ps2 BC but 360 dominated it in the first half of that gen. that tells alot how useless BC truly is.

[danknassty]

I am a *huge* Sony/PS fan and play 99% of my games on PS4 Pro (or Vita remote play), despite also owning a Xbox One which collects dust. That being said, I think that Sony really missed the ball on this one. Making us re-purchase the titles we owned digitally on PS3 (if they even make it over as remasters), or stream via PS Now (which is an OK service - not realistic for playing a game like Demon Souls which depends on perfect frame rate, etc) is not my idea of consumer friendly backwards compatibility. Last gen had many classics that shouldn't be lost when the PS3's hardware dies out.

I would love to be able to replay last-gen classics like Fallout 3, Oblivion, Mass Effect 1-3, Dragon Age 1 & 2, The Orange Box (Half-life 2), etc the way that you can on XB1. I value this feature and I would love to have it implemented by Sony, although I realize the cell architecture of the PS3 would make this a huge pain.

Once again, I'm a huge PS4 fanboy and this is my ONLY gripe.

Otherwise I love my PS4 and recognize it as the superior species. <3 Horizon Zero Dawn, Last Of Us, Bloodborne, etc

[IceKoldKilla]

Would be an awesome feature to play some games that never got sequels on PS4 or just those epic games that never even got remastered. Red Dead Redemption, Skate 3, Metal Gear Solid games, etc.

[fatbastard11]

What's Boston College have to do with gaming?

[gamer7804]

this logical reasoning doesn't make any sense. There is a demand for it, but until they execute it properly how would they know if it is used or not? I use it on my Xbox One, and i would absolutely use it on my ps4 to play ps3 games and be able to stream and take screenshots and video. Those capabilities of the newer consoles breathe some new life into the older games as well as just being able to play the old games.

[jairusmonillas]

There is no demand for it unless you that 1% nostalgia fans are considered majority now. LOL

[gamer7804]

or if you had a backlog that you want to finish and maybe catalog your progress or achievements with screenshots, videos or live streaming. It's not just for replaying stuff you have played.

[opinionated]

Just allow people to change their user name. Make a quick 10 bucks from a million people for providing absolutely nothing.... what is there to lose? Seriously.

[UltraAtomic]

No problem on xbox on this department.

[Gyarados]

They have problems in new games department.

[Knightofelemia]

I wish the PS4 had BC there are a lot of gems out there that are worth picking up at a cheap price. I use the BC on my Xbone I snagged Dead Space 2 and Bioshock Infinite both used copies and I only paid maybe $16 Canadian for them. I use the BC on my PS2 to play my PS1 games until I find a new laser and track for my old PS1. I played and enjoyed these games on the PS3 I was never a big Xbox 360 fan because of hardware issues. But I am enjoying these games again on my Xbone.

[Germaximus]

The ONLY good thing about the Xbox One is its backwards compatibility. You might as well just buy a 360.

[Mithan]

When a new console comes out, I do NOT want the old one kicking around. Period.

Right now, I would love to play Resistance 1, 2 and 3 if I had a chance on my PS4, but I can't. Not the end of the world obviously and I refuse to go into the garage and pull out a PS3.

I think it is a useful feature to have that deals more with "added value" and "eliminating annoyances" more than a must have category of item.

Ideally, since they are sticking with X86 platform for the next generation, this wont be such a big issue for the future. Alternatively, more powerful hardware and better software engines, make this easier to do.

[GreenUp]

Let us play SOCOM 2 via again. Just put up the servers back for us to play on. Thank you.

[gamerz]

Kind of a short-sighted since BC affects future and digital sales as well. For example I bought a lot of PS3 digital content but since it has no value on the PS4, I rarely buy digital content on the PS4 now. Instead I buy most digital content for the PC precisely because you can still play them years from now on the latest hardware.

[noksucow73]

I still have my old systems hooked up. I prefer it that way. It's nice if the next iteration can play the previous systems games, but not a necessity for me.

[dmetripaulpavlin]

They also used a sample size of a mere 900k....

Also it really isn't all that BC as people want to play it, they are just prepping for their future. PS4 to PS4 Pro, no need to buy new games. XB360 to XB1 to XB1 Scorpio no need to buy new games. I think people might be missing the bigger picture in that M$ is not doing another generation, its just going to be consoles that continue that exact same philosophy, bringing the XB into a closed PC environment where you don't lose anything moving forward.

[Tross]

Well, if they were to implement BC the time to do so would have been ages ago. Now there are enough PS4 games out that I don't need it. Also, I still have my PS3 so if I want to play PS3 games I have the means to do so.

[Evolve]

Well, Mr Ryan
If your that much hesitate to put out BC, make it as a paid feature of-choice for cheap price. That way you make money and you know how many people are interested. For instance, a $5-$10 range to unlock BC for PS4.
Problem solved!

[metalgod88]

I have a whole collection of PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4 games. It would be awesome if i could play them all on one system rather than having a console for each. But lets be real here. The more iterations of playstation we have, the more difficult to implement BC its going to become.

[mearl74]

The question/request that they KEEP dodging is the backwards compatibility for all PSN purchases. There is absolutely NO reason why I can no longer play Final Fight or KoF XII on my PS4.

[ShadowNextGen]

Sony needs to try listening to their consumers for once. Backwards compatibility and being able to change your PSN name would be a great start.

[TWB]

Not sure how up tp date that info is, but I can believe it. BC with PS1/2 is probably not going to be used that much, and PS3 BC is very unfeasible on the hardware side.

Better to just keep fingers crossed that now that they have a more PC like and less custom hardware, they are going to be able to provide a decent BC on PS5 for 4's games. I always saw that as one of the great benefits that could come with their current hardware.

[NotanotherReboot]

What a pathetic way to try and sell PS NOW. Sorry, but that service sucks

[welly300]

Im confused so whats ps now. People are only interested if they pay to play bc?

[Manubiggs]

It would be a cool feature, but with limited gaming time, I'm still trying to catch up with the new stuff I haven't played yet.

[NickAwesome]

Backward compatibility is very important to me, i hate to have to switch consoles every time i want to play an older game

[Mister_G]

I've been too busy playing PS4 games on my PS4 to be thinking about re-visiting PS3 games.

I still have a PS3 though, so it's not much hassle to boot it up again :)

Yes, BC is a nice feature but I don't think I'd use it that much to be honest.

[AmUnRa]

This, i was playing only PS4 games from day one, never looked back.
And o boy there are so much first and second party and third party games on my PS4
That i gave away my PS3 plus about 150 games to my cousin.
He was jumping up and down like a rabbit, and was screaming "thank you" 3 times.

And Xboxfanboys are scraming bc in every forum, bc is king blablabla, forgetting that bc on the Xbox One was not there the first years, and no, Xboxfanboys lost no words about it, they did not care about it.
And now they hype it up like hell??
Moving the goalpost again and again and again🙄🙄

[strayanalog]

At least make PS1 and PS2 games compatible and let's talk, Jim.

[C-H-E-F]

Ehh, times have changed, and people are so nostalgic, it's hindering progression. Yes, games graphics "doesn't matter" to an extent, it depends on what kind of gamer you evolved into. Initially I didn't care about graphics, until I went back and played my ps3 (for BC) and ran Street Racing Syndicate (one of my fav racers on PS2) and let me tell you, that sh!t was wack as you don't know what. Everything about it was horrible lOl. However, when I was playing it, in that era I lost days/weeks/months just enjoying it. I've been one of those who evolved into a Good Graphics + Good Gameplay = good game, However, there are some games like Indigo Prophecy, GTA Trilogy etc. that i have picked up (PS2 to PS4 ports), I haven't played through them (only GTA3) to the end, but I don't mind sacrificing graphics for those games.

[Robbiedont]

And he is absolutely correct. Something like 1.5 percent of xb1 users even use BC now. Sony understands the market far better than Microsoft.

[conanlifts]

The bigger question is whether bc boosts sales of compatible games. If so then what's the cost-benefit ratio.

[jokerisalive]

Whats he gonna say? THey do not have the ability in the hardware yet to do it like XB1 does so he has to make a strong case against it. They do have PS Now and it offers their version of BC for their users but its nothing like BC on XB1. At the end of the day Sony has made Playstation very successful again and it is turning a nice profit for them and the PS4 is having PS2 era success. Sony has invested wisely and is looking at the bottom line in everything to keep the profit margin going their way so charging for BC is their way of approaching it I guess instead of giving it away for free thru and update and emulation like MS does.