Digital Library BC for next gen

[Cornbread78]

This should be a slam dunk for Sony/MS as they move into the next gen over the next two years.

At this point, should it be mandatory that the new machines play the current gen digital libraries as well as the next gen stuff?

I know I'll be a little pissed if tgey still don't allow it in this day & age

 

[Mifec]

Well I'm sure it will be for MS. We'll see for Sony. Though I doubt they'd drop the ball on this again.

 

[Bob Beat]

What do you mean, digital? If it can play it digital, it can play it off a disc. And that's usually based on the included hardware.

 

[Deleted member 11426]

Sony had BC for generations. There's a reasonable reason why there's no PS3 BC in the PS4, so I'm sure we'll see the PS5 being BC again. They would get shredded if not.

I'd like full BC though, not selective publisher approved stuff. MS has done a great job, but I still need a 360 hooked up to play NCAA Football or Outrun because they'll never be playable on the xb1.

 

[Themaddestgamer]

Sony will probably have it again (they used to)

Good for you guys that want it but I probably won't have much use for it, especially once the new games really start launching.

 

[Lashley]

Be very surprised if MS doesn't support it

 

[Rickenslacker]

This happened this gen as well, but there's this weird thought process as to how BC should work according to physical or digital games, as if BC itself is more of a disc reading concern rather than a deeper hardware and software one. Unless the next gen consoles discard blu-rays entirely, if the digital library would be BC, then the physical library would be as well. There's nothing about digital games that makes them lesser or easier to make BC than games you plop into the console.

 

[EvilBoris]

Remasters have been such big things for Sony this gen, it's hard to see how they could snub that. It feels like it would be commercial suicide to do so, but would a portion of their fan base just shrug it off if they tried it?
Would they be able to step in with PSNOW as an alternative, free to use for PSPlus subscribers, but limited to games you own and always online?

Isn't the PS4 already confirmed to have a Vita, Ps2 and PSX emulator built into commercial firmware anyway, but Sony have chosen not make it available in any shape or form?

 

[Ultranist]

If sony doesn't have it, Im done with playstation consoles.

 

[Mass Effect]

I don't know what I'm going to do if Sony doesn't have it.

 

[Mr Delabee]

I don't know what I'm going to do if Sony doesn't have it.

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The same thing people did with PS3 to PS4?
And not forgetting Xbox 360 to Xbox One.

 

[khamakazee]

Sony had BC for generations. There's a reasonable reason why there's no PS3 BC in the PS4, so I'm sure we'll see the PS5 being BC again. They would get shredded if not.

I'd like full BC though, not selective publisher approved stuff. MS has done a great job, but I still need a 360 hooked up to play NCAA Football or Outrun because they'll never be playable on the xb1.

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Does the PS4 have PS1 and PS2 BC? It would be a pretty scummy move if the PS5 doesn't have BC for PS4 games. Microsoft already made it pretty clear that is their direction moving forward.

 

[Mass Effect]

The same thing people did with PS3 to PS4?
And not forgetting Xbox 360 to Xbox One.

Click to shrink...

but I've switched from 360 to PS4, so it wasn't a concern. Funnily enough, if I had stayed with Xbox, I'd be able to play most of the 360 games I own on the Xbone

Also, it will be 2020 when these consoles launch. With the massive adoption of digital, people are understandably have different expectations this time around.

 

[LewieP]

Doubt it would be only for digital libraries, why not discs too?

Unless we're talking about consoles without disc drives, the technical challenges involved in solving BC are identical across digital and physical games.

 

[Cornbread78]

This happened this gen as well, but there's this weird thought process as to how BC should work according to physical or digital games, as if BC itself is more of a disc reading concern rather than a deeper hardware and software one. Unless the next gen consoles discard blu-rays entirely, if the digital library would be BC, then the physical library would be as well. There's nothing about digital games that makes them lesser or easier to make BC than games you plop into the console.

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Because digital copies of PC games have been BC for 30 years now probably.

 

[entremet]

I'm confident in Microsoft. Don't trust Sony. And am indifferent to Nintendo.

My confidence in MS is not out of hope. They're the ones that are moving aggressively toward this cloud centric services model.

 

[Mass Effect]

Does the PS4 have PS1 and PS2 BC? It would be a pretty scummy move if the PS5 doesn't have BC for PS4 games. Microsoft already made it pretty clear that is their direction moving forward.

Click to shrink...

PS4 has PS2 BC yes.

Not sure about PS1 emulation, but even a toaster could do that so it's a matter of will rather than technical feasibility.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Because digital copies of PC games have been BC for 30 years now probably.

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There is no special delineation between a PC game being physical or digital either, I have no problems plopping in a WarCraft 1 CD and having it read for instance. I think this topic has some confusion to how games actually work and what the circumstances are surrounding BC.

 

[Mr Delabee]

but I've switched from 360 to PS4, so it wasn't a concern. Funnily enough, if I had stayed with Xbox, I'd be able to play most of the 360 games I own on the Xbone

Also, it will be 2020 when these consoles launch. With the massive adoption of digital, people are understandably have different expectations this time around.

Click to shrink...

You do make a good point, people may be more invested in digital and not want to loose their library. Then again publishers may have a different idea especially if the performance is better on the new hardware and they can resell you the game.

 

[SpokkX]

If sony doesn't have it, Im done with playstation consoles.

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Yeah I would have to agree - no bcwould really infuriate me

However I expect them to be bc just like ms

 

[khamakazee]

PS4 has PS2 BC yes.

Not sure about PS1 emulation, but even a toaster could do that so it's a matter of will rather than technical feasibility.

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That's good. So how does it work, you put in your PS2 disk and it instantly plays like a regular PS2?

Yeah I would have to agree - no bcwould really infuriate me

However I expect them to be bc just like ms

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With digital becoming so popular I expect the PS5 to offer full PS4 BC. I think it will be Nintendo constantly a guessing game.

 

[Knight in Shining Armani]

I think they'll both have disc and digital bc. Sony because they must expect MS will have it. MS because they know Sony expects them to do it and because of that MS has to assume Sony will do it too.

 

[Coconico]

This is my primary reason for having switched over to PC in the middle of this generation. I primarily gamed on PlayStation since the PS1 days (for both first and third party) and but I really feel at this point that I may have backed the wrong horse in terms of third party games. It's a shame that the PS3 games on my shelf are completely useless except I have my PS3 connected to my TV; and that's not even factoring in the "digital" shelf from years of PS Plus membership!

It would behoove Sony to bring PS4 content over to their next machine, I would hope hubris doesn't get the better of them and they stick to the same system architecture so BC would be a much more open prospect--but who knows. If you would've told me during the XBOX One reveal that I would be more excited to see what Phil had up his sleeves come conference time over PlayStation, I would've thought you were crazy! But here we are.

 

[Thrill_house]

Sony really needs to have it for both physical and digital next gen. I have a strange feeling Microsoft might get my console money considering the power moves they have been making if sony does not get off their asses regarding bc

 

[monmagman]

Not sure what I'd do if Sony don't have BC with PS5.......oh wait,I do......I'll just keep my PS4 hooked up,problem solved.

Seriously though I do expect BC on PS5 and will be amazed if it ain't there.

 

[Crayon]

I don't get why this is often associated with just the digital library.

 

[Raboon]

I'll be mighty surprised if it isn't. I'm all digital on ps4 and really hope it'll be BC next gen. It's not a dealbreaker but I'd be happy if it was there on day 1.

 

[MPrza]

I hope they do. I bought most of my games on ps3 last gen and when xbox one started doing bc for a lot of 360 games; I felt a sense of regret and thought I should have bought all these games for 360 instead.

I no longer have an Xbox though. PS4 is my only home console now, (switch I mainly use portable). I fully expect ps5 to be backwards compatible with my digital library since we're no longer dealing with "exotic" architecture.

I really don't wanna have more than one console under the TV anymore.

 

[Syriel]

I don't get why this is often associated with just the digital library.

Click to shrink...

A generation that grew up with smartphones.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

It's such a non-issue for me, but I also can't imagine the PS5 not having PS4 BC. PS3 is probably something they're not going to mess with though, too much effort to deal with at the moment probably.

 

[Windrunner]

PS4 has PS2 BC yes.

Not sure about PS1 emulation, but even a toaster could do that so it's a matter of will rather than technical feasibility.

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No it doesn't.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

No it doesn't.

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My PS3 natively plays PS1 and PS2 games from disc.

 

[NavyPharaoh]

Seeing as how MS basically gave their lead away by going with a clean restart this gen I can't see one reason why Sony wouldn't have it. It's one of the clear incentives they have to make sure PS4 owners stay with Sony next gen.

 

[xabbott]

Only reason I can see for PS5 not having BC is if they really need to redo PSN and decide to start fresh with PS5. The name change stuff they're working on/testing now and whatever else is happening in the backend might just be enough of a bandage to deal with it though.

 

[SturokBGD]

Because digital copies of PC games have been BC for 30 years now probably.

Click to shrink...

So have physical. Weird distinction to make.

 

[Dragonyeuw]

Microsoft is headed right direction as it's obvious BC is a big part of their gamepass service moving forward. I'm not aware of any technical reason for why PS1/2 classics from PS3 didn't carry over to Ps4, they took a handful of PS2 classics and slapped some new paint on them ( trophies, better graphics/resolution I believe) but the licenses didn't carry over. A digital license of GTA 3 on the Ps3 does not entitle you to the Ps4 version of said game. I'd imagine PS4 BC would be pretty straight forward, and maybe PS5 can bruteforce PS3 emulation. I guess we'll see soon enough. For me at a point it becomes a space issue having multiple gens of consoles lying around.

With that bit of uncertainty in hand, most of my multiplatform and indie titles are bought on steam. I have an older gaming PC and I'll be upgrading to whatever gaming laptop I can best afford in the $2500 range next year, where I can seamlessly carry my steam account and games forward.

 

[tenderbrew]

All these consoles better allow this at this point.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Phil has all but confirmed that whatever console they put out next will be backward compatible.

 

[Trup1aya]

I don't get why this is often associated with just the digital library.

Click to shrink...

Probably because MS' current solution doesn't install from the disc. It just checks what the title is, then downloads an xb1 compatible version from their servers. So in essence, only digitally distributed games are BC.

 

[PenultimateFantasy]

Ah the weekly thread about bc on next gen

Ms will definitely do it
Sony almost certainly will but I don't trust them not to charge a Nintendo like upgrade fee or something

 

[Windrunner]

My PS3 natively plays PS1 and PS2 games from disc.

Click to shrink...

Okay, not sure what's that got to do with me saying the PS4 does not have PS2 BC.

 

[Jazar]

PS4 has PS2 BC yes.

Not sure about PS1 emulation, but even a toaster could do that so it's a matter of will rather than technical feasibility.

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You can't put a PS1 or 2 disc in a PS4 and have it work. Heck PS4 doesn't even support CDs as a format. (PS1 & some PS2 games) There are PS1&PS2 games on the PSN store that you can buy however, but you have games like GTA3,VC,SA play like garbage.

If PS5 can play PS4 discs & digital games then they may just have the next generation (and beyond) on lockdown due to keeping people in the system. If PS5 becomes incompatible with PS4 software then they've majorly dropped the ball.

Microsoft is not going to give up all this BC effort that they've spent to throw it away. They are safe.

 

[Ardiloso]

I think only Sony and Nintendo customers have a reason to be concerned about BC.

Xbox and PC are fine.

 

[SnatcherHunter]

Okay, not sure what's that got to do with me saying the PS4 does not have PS2 BC.

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Lmao!
I misread it. :-)

 

[Huey]

Certainly hope so. I'm all digital on PS4 and about 1/3 on ps3 so would be a brilliant move. I think sony's got to read Microsoft's writing on the wall - they are investing heavily in this and it is an advantage.

Plus just means you get to keep pushing that library with sales.

 

[Rosebud]

Sony would really shot themselves on the foot not having BC. They can start the next gen with GOW, Spider and TLOU 2 day one

 

[PenultimateFantasy]

Sony would really shot themselves on the foot not having BC. They can start the next gen with GOW, Spider and TLOU 2 day one

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Or they can come up with some term like remasters up res them and resell them to you.

Which options sounds more like 2018 Sony

 

[Rosebud]

Or they can come up with some term like remasters up res them and resell them to you.

Which options sounds more like 2018 Sony

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With MS offering BC upscaled games? they don't want to lose consumers.

 

[hydruxo]

Would be a big misstep for Sony if they didn't have BC. It's a must IMO.

 

[Flandy]

Or they can come up with some term like remasters up res them and resell them to you.

Which options sounds more like 2018 Sony

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It's hilarious how many people think Sony would rather have some short term remaster money over securing the PS4 audience transfers to PS5. If PS5 has no BC then PS4 owners have basically nothing to lose by getting the next Xbox over PS5. If they make you feel like you're losing something then you're much more likely to get a PS5.