Confused about PS3 backward compatibility issue

Could someone list the pros and cons of this whole issue for me. I'm pretty sure I understand but I just need a little reassurance before I decide what to do.

 

A PS3 of a certain region will play any regions PS3 games, but only the corresponding regions DVD's/Blu-rays, PS1 and PS2 games. There is overlap between various countries and the region number they have been assigned for DVD/Blu-ray, which can be found by searching wikipedia.

 

Current PS3:

• Contains both the Emotion Engine and Graphic Synthesizer from the PS2.
• High (near 100%) compatability
• PS2 titles are displayed in 480i/480p

Euro PS3 / Upcoming US + JPN Revision:

• Contains only the Graphics Synthesizer (GS) and emulates the Emotion Engine
• Less Compatible; expected at launch to play about 1,000 PS2 titles (out of 8,000)
• Compatible games can scale up to 720p or possibly 1080p
• Compatability may improve with future firmware updates

 

Thanks Sonikku. That is pretty much as I figured it.

With that answered does any know if there are any technical reasons the early PS3's couldn't be made to use the emulation software as well? Would it be possible (purely hypothetical) for Sony to release a update that allows the Early systems to switch between the EE chip and emulator so that people could play the Emulated games in HD while still allowing the full backwards compatibility of the original systems?

 

Are you sure that the new PS3 can play old games in HD, since it still has the old graphics chip? I don't know either way, it would be cool if it could..

 

I don't have the facts to prove this, but I am pretty sure that:

-The PS3 cannot output 240p at all. This means PS1 games that run in this mode (just about anything 2D) will look bad (interlaced). There's a handful of PS2 games that fall into this category as well.

 

Here's my question: Will users with older PS3's be able to have emulation as a option as well?

 

Just keep in mind that in the same manner that MS eventually dropped B/C as a priority, this will also inevitabily happen to the PS3. For this reason, if I was asked to get a PS3, i d make damn sure it's the current American/Japanese model, if I were interested in PS2 B/C.

 

There's a good chance Sony will force you to update to play newer PS3 games, and in their update they may also force their software emulation on you, making your older model PS3 have no advantage at all for BC.

 

Sony may have made some anti-consumer moves recently but they aren't going to take away a feature that's already present. C'mon, that's nuts.

 

Exactly! Nuts. So you know they will do it

 

Nuts, eh?

It'd be absolutely *nuts* for a major company to purposefully distribute CDs with rootkit exploits on them, wouldn't it?

Sometimes logic befuddles executives (of all companies).

-hl718

 

Phil Harrison said 1000 European titles would be compatible at launch (from a library of about 2,400). Not 8000. No comment has been made about the Japanese/American compatibility rate.

 

My guess is this: At some point, Sony is going to have a firmware update that will require some sort of update for the emulation. They are going to have to either force the firmware update on them, offer a option to turn off the emulation for those who have the chip, or create two firmwares for each version of the PS3 for Japan and America (which I don't see them doing).

Granted, knowing Sony, whatever choice it will be will have issues for several months.

 

Look, I'm not a betting man, but if I was I'd stake money on Sony not taking away functionality from early adopters. The rootkit fiasco is one thing, but what you're talking about here is taking away considerable value from the >2 million consumers (link) who now own a PS3 with hardware BC. It's not going to happen, and if it did, you'd see a shitstorm that would dwarf every other recent Sony fiasco. Compared to the price of developing two firmwares each time, it's obvious what makes business sense.

(It's damn weird to be defending Sony's sanity, let me tell you.)

 

Granted, if Sony had business sense in the first place, they wouldn't have gone with the chip in the first place if they were going to do emulation and wouldn't have had a console that was as much as a months rent. I'm just curious about if they will provide the emulation option or not, because it would be great to have emulation and the chip.

 

Sony couldnt afford to delay its console longer. It was a quick decision, a shot in the arm if you will in order to keep up with US and Japan. For europe they had much more time to plan ahead and harmonize things.

 

I'm anticipating and on/off switch option for early adopters. I'd imagine there is some kind of unique serial number stored within the machine that firmware could reference to obtain the required flag in the future.

 

True, although I think the Christmas launch may have hurt them more then helped. If they had pushed the launch to Spring 2007 instead of getting greedy for christmas, then they would not only have more launch games, but a better reputation.