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Is PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility coming to the PlayStation 4?

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BC

There’s an old rumour that’s circulating anew, thanks to what’s likely a faked image. The image suggests that the PlayStation 4 may soon, via the magic of emulation, receive the ability to play old PlayStation 1 and 2 games.

Originally hailing from Reddit, the now-removed image – whose original poster says it’s a forgery – shows somebody apparently streaming Siren, a PlayStation 2 game from within the PS4’s PlayStation Live.

“When I try to watch [the stream] it gives me ‘there are no content items,’ maybe because they are testing this feature,” the original poster said.

This brings up a year-old rumour, hailing from the chaps from Eurogamer, who said that Sony was testing the possibility of bringing old games to the PS4 via emulation.

Said Digital Foundry last year:

“Backwards compatibility is coming to PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Now is only part of the story. A well-placed source working with Sony’s streaming service reveals that only PlayStation 3 titles are currently scheduled to use the “gameplay over IP” cloud service. PS1 and PS2 titles are set to follow the more conventional route of running locally under emulation on Sony’s latest console – but with the possibility of HD visual enhancements.”

I’d have easily brushed this off as poppycock at another point in time, but seeing how Microsoft’s managed to very nearly perfectly emulate the Xbox 360 with the Xbox One, and the loud rallying cries behind that initiative, I can believe that Sony’s looking to instantly increase the PlayStation 4’s library through emulation.

Some even suggest that the reason that the image was removed was because it had broken NDA – but I’m not convinced. Still, I’d love to see the feature – especially if that means fewer bloody remasters and remakes.

What do you think? Is the PS4 getting backwards compatibility via emulation? Is this something you’d want? While I think many more would prefer PS3 backwards compatibility, I just don’t see that happening, given the complexities of the PlayStation 3’s cell-driven hardware. Still, never say never.

Last Updated: September 22, 2015

32 Comments

  1. Sageville

    September 22, 2015 at 12:34

    I’m massively not interested in playing pixelated games…

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      September 22, 2015 at 12:52

      What you said.

      Reply

    • Bagel

      September 22, 2015 at 13:11

      Today’s games compared to the era of ps2 is pisspoor. gimme dem pixelz

      Reply

    • Nikola

      September 22, 2015 at 14:39

      Agreed.

      Reply

  2. Grand Admiral Chief

    September 22, 2015 at 12:47

    [checks if PC can run old-ass games]


    😀

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      September 22, 2015 at 12:49

      Well it’s not like we can play new games!

      Reply

      • Grand Admiral Chief

        September 22, 2015 at 12:49

        Indeed, MUST BE ON SALE FIRST MUAHAHAHAAAAA

        Reply

      • RinceThis

        September 22, 2015 at 12:52

        ^^

        Reply

    • Ottokie "Yahtzee"

      September 22, 2015 at 12:50

      Did the
      “…

      …”

      represent the sound your floppy disk made?

      Reply

      • Grand Admiral Chief

        September 22, 2015 at 12:50

        It was pause for dramatic effect, or dosbox starting up, pick one

        Reply

        • Ottokie "Yahtzee"

          September 22, 2015 at 12:51

          Ahhh never mind I can see at the end now you were actually accessing your 😀 drive.

          Reply

        • Ottokie "Yahtzee"

          September 22, 2015 at 12:57

          Also now I have this stuck in my head xD

          Reply

          • HairyEwok

            September 22, 2015 at 13:08

            Floppies will be the new Dubstep XD

  3. Boywonder1939

    September 22, 2015 at 12:56

    I have no interest in this. Plus TLOU remaster is so sweet.

    Reply

  4. (Umar) Must be Cipher

    September 22, 2015 at 12:57

    Man, would be SO AWESOME……..Especially with the rumors of Dark Cloud 2 being listed. Couple that with freaking Suikoden 3 and all dem SMT games….hnnnnng.

    Reply

  5. HairyEwok

    September 22, 2015 at 13:06

    Honestly I don’t think they’ll ever do the backwards compatibility thing ever again. They’re making way too much cash from the Sony store selling previous PS games for the PS4.

    Reply

    • Ken Coleman

      October 7, 2015 at 20:17

      Except that they still have to make the system backwards compatible in order for it to be able to play the games.

      Reply

  6. DrKiller

    September 22, 2015 at 15:42

    If this happens, I might go and buy a PS4… Then I can play all the Tekkens 😀

    Reply

  7. CypherGate

    September 22, 2015 at 15:45

    Id prefer PS3 backward compatibility than PS2. Sorry…

    Reply

    • Asmodai

      September 22, 2015 at 21:04

      Not going to happen. The Cell architecture of the PS3 was a pain in the butt to program native games for, trying to emulate it on the Jaguar class hardware in the PS4 is pretty much impossible. MS had a much easier task emulating the 3 core Xenon CPU of the Xbox 360 compared to the Cell with its PPE and 7 SPEs. PS Now and ports/remasters are the only way you’re going to get PS3 games on the PS4.

      Reply

      • CypherGate

        September 23, 2015 at 15:50

        Yeah i know that. Its just I still would have preferred a PS3 emulator if they ever were able to make one compared to the PS2.

        Reply

  8. Bret Taylor

    September 22, 2015 at 17:00

    I remember reading an article around d the time of the ps4s launch where someone at Sony said ps2 emulation works on the ps4 but they wanted a version that bring the graphic into a better resolution and then they announced PS Now and I never saw another word about ps2 emulation.

    There is definitely no reason the ps4 couldn’t handle ps1 emulation but it’s oddly absent from the ps4.

    Reply

  9. Jeremy Glenn

    September 22, 2015 at 17:36

    Sony needs to do this with PS3 games like micro$oft did for 360 games. PlayStation Now is RIDICULOUS. Why make us pay for games we probably already have on our shelves? I own a PS3 with close to 50 games. Just ONCE I would like to see a next gen console allow us to play those past gen games we sink so much money into.

    Reply

    • Derrick Reisdorf

      September 22, 2015 at 21:52

      I guess you need to find a PS3 to play them on. 🙁
      When my fat PS3 crapped out, I got a PS2 (and a new PS3).

      Reply

      • Jeremy Glenn

        September 22, 2015 at 22:52

        I have two ps3’s. My primary has served me well since Iraq, 2009. The other one I bought used for my daughter last year. Same model. I just wish I could play the games I own via PS4 and could trade my PS3 in on stuff to go toward my ps4.

        Reply

    • Derrick Reisdorf

      September 22, 2015 at 21:58

      But, yes. It would be nice if you could do 1 of 2 things (if straight-up emulation-off-disc doesn’t happen):
      1) Stick the disc in your PS4. Your PS4 recognizes it as a legit game. You can play the game on PS Now if it’s available on PS Now, while the disc remains in your system.
      2) Straight up mail Sony your game (if it’s one currently available digitally on PS Now or in the PlayStation Store). They email you a code to enter on PSN to allow you access to the game through PS Now or for digital purchase on PSN.

      The other thing that sucks about PS Now is that I don’t think it can use add-ons or some other dlc.

      Reply

      • Jeremy Glenn

        September 22, 2015 at 22:56

        I agree with this. M$ does this. In order to play the 360 game on the XB1 you put the 360 disc in and the emulator plays the game via the same downloaded game coded to run on the XB1. Sony’s earlier excuse that the PS3’s cell processor makes this emulation difficult has been proven BS by their own PS Now. I refuse to pay for twice for games that I already own. There is no reason NOT to do this other than gouging players even more than they do now via DLC and friggin “season passes”. Don’t get me wrong I love both my PS3 and 4, but there is no excuse not to allow for backwards compatibility in this day and age.

        Reply

        • Ken Coleman

          October 7, 2015 at 20:23

          “Sony’s earlier excuse that the PS3’s cell processor makes this emulation difficult has been proven BS by their own PS Now.”

          Maybe you don’t understand how PSNow works. PSNow streams the game to your system from Sony’s servers. That means all the processing is done from the servers, not your machine; your machine is just getting the results of the processing and then putting it on the TV.

          Reply

    • Ken Coleman

      October 7, 2015 at 20:12

      I sadly skipped over the PS3, which I regretted at several points in time because I was aware of all the incredible games that were released for it, so after the PS4 came out and I learned that PSNow was the only way we’d get PS3 games on PS4, I went out and bought a PS3, just like that. Considering how many games there are for it I want to play, and how long it will take me to play each one, it’s probably cheaper in the long run than paying five dollars for every two hour session, I’d probably end up paying at least $80 a game, as opposed to the $20 or $30 most of them run for now.

      Reply

  10. Nintendians

    September 22, 2015 at 17:41

    i don’t mind gong back and playing mgs2 and 3.

    Reply

  11. Asmodai

    September 22, 2015 at 21:07

    I’m interested in this if you can actually play the PS2 discs… yes, I still have some. If it only works by buying a new digital copy of the game then forget it. I’d love to run through Front Mission 4 again for example.

    Reply

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