Sony Patents Method To Emulate PS2 On PS3

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:30:00 MDT

My single biggest problem with the PS3? The loss of backwards compatibility. It's a gaping hole in the system's feature set. Then again, it may also be one that's on the way back.

Some background: when the PS3 first launched, it was backwards-compatible, meaning you could play PlayStation 2 games on your new PlayStation 3. The 20GB and 60GB units released in North America and Japan featured hardware emulation (they literally had a PS2 chip inside), while those released in PAL territories featured software emulation (similar to how the 360 handles original Xbox games).

Later, though, this feature was removed. Anyone buying a 40GB, a later model of the 80GB or the 120GB PS3 can't play a single PS2 game on them. It was a stupid, stupid move on the part of Sony.

A patent discovered by Siliconera, however, suggests that Sony might be re-thinking this stance. Filed in December 2008, it's basically a patent for a method that would allow the PS3's Cell chip to translate code from the PS2's Emotion Engine. Not half-assed software emulation (which in previous PS3 models couldn't run some games), full, total replication of the functionality of the Emotion Engine.

Which means, theoretically at least, you could play any PS2 game on any PS3, regardless of the model or year of release.

Whether this would allow you to play actual PS2 discs, or would just be the advance party for the sale of PS2 downloads on the PlayStation Store is unclear. We'd like the former, but with Sony being a business and all, would expect the latter.

Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors [Siliconera]

Don't Expect PS3 Software BC To Grow

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:40:18 MDT

As you're surely aware, the new method for achieving backward compatibility for the PLAYSTATION 3 will be done mainly by software emulation, following the removal of the Emotion Engine chip from PAL-region PS3s. But despite promising to "continue to offer firmware upgrades to increase the number of titles that are compatible" you really shouldn't hold your breath for, say, Metal Gear Solid 2 to show up under the working list.

Instead, the company reiterated it will focus on "innovative new applications and services" for the PS3. So says Nick Sharples from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to 1UP.

We will test all forthcoming PS2 titles, but it would be unrealistic to expect significant increases in the number of playable PS2 titles in future firmware upgrades given the above. Whilst J&D and MGS are not listed as playable, their successors MGS3 and Jak and Daxter 2 are playable.

Oh, that's comforting. Who knew I'd be so damn pleased to own a launch version of the PS3? Now let's all cross our fingers that it doesn't break. Michael McWhertor

Sony Won't Focus on Updating 'Old' PS2 Games [1UP]

Kotaku: emotion engine

Sony Patents Method To Emulate PS2 On PS3

Don't Expect PS3 Software BC To Grow