No BC for PS4

[exdeath]

So....wait for it.... Unplug the cable and plug it into the other one...

Its HDMI, not coax, it takes 2 seconds.

 

[kami]

I'd guess that they'd need a much more beastly CPU to brute-force emulate the PS3. PS3 hardware in each system would add a lot to the cost (remember the $599 PS3 with ps2 hardware inside?)

I'm sure there would be interest in a premium PS4 that did backwards compatibility but it would be so niche that it wouldn't be worth the R&D probably.

Make room on that A/V shelf...

 

[zerocool84]

HDMI switch

 

[exdeath]

As a purist, I avoid emulation and switch boxes, but with HDMI a switch box doesn't hurt anything like it would with analog.

 

[mmntech]

It's a good thing IMO. The PS3 had full hardware emulation, which was great but it raised the cost substantially. The PS4 would also need full hardware BC because the Cell is too difficult to emulate. Just easier to drop it and keep the price to something more reasonable, which should spur adoption.

Also the PS4 is also substantially easier to develop games for, with it being x86. So in theory it shouldn't have the same growing pains that the PS3 had in its first couple of years.

 

[KaOTiK]

I'm not surprised in the slightest and no one else should be either that follows gaming. The PS3 is expensive to make due to the cell. BC is an important feature for me, but it isn't a deal breaker. I'll be keeping my launch PS3 to play my PS2/3 games.

For Sony to put BC into the PS4 (hardware wise) would have increased the price way to much and they would either have to absorb the cost or pass it along to consumers, in the end it is a feature that costs a lot that few will use and it benefits everyone overall with it being left out.

For the people that want the BC, keep your currently PS3. Consider the price you would have gotten for it by selling it as the cost of having BC. If you don't own a PS3 and are wanting BC, while I don't know what to tell you. Either wait till PS3's become cheaper in a couple of years or the more likely scenario we will see upgrade HD versions of current titles/series like we are seeing from PS1/2 to PS3 now and buy those as they come out or wait till their streaming BC system is up and running.

 

[DaveSimmons]

So....wait for it.... Unplug the cable and plug it into the other one...

Its HDMI, not coax, it takes 2 seconds.

You're forgetting the space and power. So: unplug HDMI and power, pull off the AV rack and put it in closet, get other console from closet and put on AV, plug in HDMI and power.

Yes, that's easy to do if you use one for a week then switch to the other for another week, but I also use my PS3 for Netflix and Amazon.

The PS4 should eventually get all of the streaming apps, but then it adds the hassle of re-authorizing devices.

/firstworldproblems I know, but the point of owning these things is to have fun, not to be annoyed.

 

[cmdrdredd]

You're forgetting the space and power. So: unplug HDMI and power, pull off the AV rack and put it in closet, get other console from closet and put on AV, plug in HDMI and power.

Yes, that's easy to do if you use one for a week then switch to the other for another week, but I also use my PS3 for Netflix and Amazon.

The PS4 should eventually get all of the streaming apps, but then it adds the hassle of re-authorizing devices.

/firstworldproblems I know, but the point of owning these things is to have fun, not to be annoyed.

Get an HDMI switch box with remote and add on a power bar for more outlets. Problem solved.

I don't think either system takes up that much space so as to prohibit someone from having both plugged in. I don't know what your setup looks like though, but I personally have plenty of space.

I only have so many HDMI ports on my receiver, and limited space on my AV rack.

I have a PS2 (component), PS3, 360, and HTPC connected now and have no room or spare ports.

If the PS4 and 720 both lack BC, I won't be in any rush to add them and remove an existing device.

Make sense now?

HDMI Switch fixes it all.

As for not wanting to have two sony consoles why does that matter? I had an NES, SNES, N64 all at once because none of them played the previous games. Also from Genesis, to Sega CD to Saturn to Dreamcast. *shrug*

 

[oivoodsio]

I have 2 PS3's and 2 XBox's, and would prefer to just swap them out when the new consoles come out. I don't have any spare HDMI connections and would also prefer a nice clean setup (I don't want a stack of consoles sitting around). So for me, I definitely would like to see BC on the next gen consoles, but I might just be out of luck.

Why collect the old dusty games and worry about them if the hardware isn't worth keeping?

 

[exdeath]

Youd hate my place. I have everything from NES and Sega Master System to PS3 and 360 and everything in between.

Er well almost, I need to pick up a Jaguar and another 3DO since I sold mine back in the day :c

 

[Tom]

Some of you are missing the point. It isn't that its technically possible to have 2 Playstations at the same time..

its that lots of people would see that as a waste. Particularly early on when there's not that many games for the PS4.

So the point is no BC means fewer sales at the outset, which means a smaller market, which means less incentive to develop games.

Btw, since I've been shopping for a PS3 for a couple of months I've been following the used PS3 market pretty closely. And just this past week there's been a spike in prices, mostly because the lowest priced ones are disappearing. But maybe its temporary.

 

[Anubis]

Some of you are missing the point. It isn't that its technically possible to have 2 Playstations at the same time..

umm yes it is, or am i totally missing your point
i technically have 3

 

[purbeast0]

i have a fat launch ps3 with bc and i think i used bc for a total of about 30 minutes since i've owned it. i purchased like 6 used ps2 games (ratchet and clanks, god of wars, jak and daxter) back in the day planning to play them and never did. and now all of those games have hd remakes, which i'd buy if i wanted to play them anyways.

this is 100% non issue for me.

 

[zerocool84]

Some of you are missing the point. It isn't that its technically possible to have 2 Playstations at the same time..

its that lots of people would see that as a waste. Particularly early on when there's not that many games for the PS4.

So the point is no BC means fewer sales at the outset, which means a smaller market, which means less incentive to develop games.

Btw, since I've been shopping for a PS3 for a couple of months I've been following the used PS3 market pretty closely. And just this past week there's been a spike in prices, mostly because the lowest priced ones are disappearing. But maybe its temporary.

If it was so important, Sony would have kept it in for all PS3 versions. Cheaper Console>BC

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Some of you are missing the point. It isn't that its technically possible to have 2 Playstations at the same time..

its that lots of people would see that as a waste. Particularly early on when there's not that many games for the PS4.

So the point is no BC means fewer sales at the outset, which means a smaller market, which means less incentive to develop games.

That's ridiculous. "Oh, I was going to spend $500 on this brand new console to play brand new games, but since it can't play old games that I've already played from a system I still own, I guess I'll just save my money." There's maybe three people on Earth who think that way, and the second PS4 gets a killer app, they'll cave. Backwards compatibility would drive the cost up, and if you ask people which they'd rather have, a cheaper system or backwards compatibility, the vast majority of people are taking the cheaper system. It's not going to impact sales in any significant way.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Original hardware is better anyway. Even PS2 sucked at playing a lot of PS1 games correctly.

Just compare FF7 title screen side by side on PS2 vs PS1 and you'll see right away... And thats just a title screen.

This.
I hang onto previous systems for this reason alone. I also hope this makes so there will be some kind of support even after newer systems come out.
Now if I was able to record PS1 without issue...