PS3 backward compatability = PS2

Razer · 4934 5157 5662 5658 Gender: Joined: 07 Oct 2002

from Gamepro.com

If a report from Japanese tech magazine Ultra One is accurate, the initial run of PlayStation 3 consoles will come equipped with a miniaturized PlayStation 2 chipset to aid backward compatibility.
Is there a tiny PS2 tucked inside the cavernous innards of the PS3?

Is there a tiny PS2 tucked inside the cavernous innards of the PS3?

The article comes in the July issue of Ultra One, with advance word and translation coming courtesy of IGN. The report claims that the PS3 will include the tiny Emotion Engine/Graphics Synthesizer chipset combination that powers the current slimline PlayStation 2 console.

Using this strategy would have the advantage of enabling near-perfect backward compatibility -- a feat Microsoft can't match on the Xbox 360, with its software-based emulation approach. But a key disadvantage to this unconfirmed strategy woud be cost. The report claims that Sony hopes to ultimately strip the tiny PS2 out of future PS3 hardware revisions, relying soley on an emulation approach.

Another interesting revelation from the article: the PS3 apparently contains a sizeable cache of flash RAM, which is used to store system data and other critical files.

Shino · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:30 am Post subject:

yeah I heard about this...

I'm happy they are doing it this way. That's the way they did the PS2 and it worked great!

I still want to know how I'm going to use my old PS2/PS1 data on the PS3 though.

Razer · 4934 5157 5662 5658 Gender: Joined: 07 Oct 2002

I don't know if you can use PS1 games. The PS2 had a separate laser for PS1/CD games and I doubt Sony will include three different media reading devices considering the money they are already losing on each system sold.
I think this is good in that the "emulation" will be tighter since it'll really not be emulation. However note that they are planning on removing that feature in future systems to go with a cheaper software emulation setup. Better grab that buggy first run!

Of course the hitch is what games will not run. There are always a list of games that are not compatible for whatever reason and the games I like are always on that list, lucky me.

Shino · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 9:50 am Post subject:

There probably won't be many games that won't run...

Also... Are you sure it was another lazer to read PS1 games... I thought they just had the cpu/gpu in there.

For all we know, they may have the PS1 emulation done for the PS3. That shouldn't be to hard for them.

Razer · 4934 5157 5662 5658 Gender: Joined: 07 Oct 2002

Well I know the PS2 has two lasers inside. I had to open mine up to realign them so I know is true. One's a blue and one's a red or green or whatever. I hope there is full compatability but that doesn't even carry over between remodels so I doubt it'll carry over between complete systems. I still have my PS1 running anyway (better than my PS2 actually), I was playing Poy Poy just this weekend.

Shino · Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

I guess for now, we'll have to wait and see.

I still have a working ps1 as well... 2 of them actually... a PS and a PSone.

I wouldn't mind seeing the ps1 support, but if it's not there... I won't be too upset... especially when they are going to have them for download for the PSP soon! Smile