PS3 SKUs compared, no PS2 backwards compatibility found

[wraggster]

t's been at least an hour since Sony has released a new PlayStation 3 SKU, so our friends at Joystiq took the time to take a breath. In that moment, they came up with a handy -- and somewhat startling -- chart that explains which PS3 model has what, including Cell chip size (the more efficient and quieter 65nm vs the older 90nm), USB port count, pack-in freebies, and which ones have PS2 backwards compatibility. It's charts like that that remind us that no currently-shipping PS3 comes with HD video cables or PS2 backward compatibility, for better or worse. Hit the read link for the breakdown, and start your fanboy engines.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/26/p...ibility-found/

[jamotto]

PS2 backward compatibility is too expensive and not really necessary as they still are selling the PS2 anyways.

[Triv1um]

Software isnt too expencive.

Im not sure how it works, and why it cannot be included in the new ones.

But the PAL 60gb runs PS2 games through software. Why cant all?

[DPyro]

They don`t want to compete with the PS2.

[Napalm-Death]

Nice way to increase profits in the hardware division.

[JLF65]

Software isnt too expencive.

Im not sure how it works, and why it cannot be included in the new ones.

But the PAL 60gb runs PS2 games through software. Why cant all?

Well, I'm sure most people don't RTFA, so let me summarize it:

There have been three main designs of the PS3 released. The first PS3 design (released in the US and Japan) had both the EE (CPU) and GS (GPU) for the PS2 as part of the circuitry of the PS3. This was hardware backwards compatibility and ran more than 90% of PS2 software.

The second design coincided with the release of the European PS3. This design didn't have the EE (CPU), but DID have the GS (GPU). It used software to emulate the EE instead. This is the "software" backwards compatibility mentioned, and ran about 70% of PS2 software.

The third design it what is currently shipping and has neither the EE nor the GS anymore. It also only has 2 USB port and no card reader. Since it has neither the EE nor the GS, it would have to emulate the entire PS2 in software, and so far Sony isn't doing that. As a result, the current shipping PS3s have no PS2 backwards compatibility at all.

[Baboon]

It a shame there is no BC on the the new ps3's. Ive got quite a few classic ps2 games and having perfect backwards compatibility for me was a great selling point. It just sounds like a cheap cop out that all new ps3s have had this feature removed??

[mcdougall57]

How much money will they gain by removing this feature?

I'd love to see my FFXII upscaled to 1080p so there wouldn't be any more jaggies.

[jonezybaby]

i have a 60gb ps3 with BC and ill admit FFXII was by far the worst to be upscaled, so jagged, wasnt at all smooth, and makes FFVII look half desent!!

to make FFXII looks resonable i have 2 revert the output back to 576p and then it still wasnt smooth! the best upscaled game ive seen so far is the getaway!

[onetwentyeight]

for the few nuts willing to pay for the few remaining, incredibly marked up 60GB units, minus upscaling to 1080p anyone should be able to fit a ps-two (the size of two dvd cases - smaller than a wii) into their gaming setup. i plan to get a new 80GB this holiday as my first entry into the world of ps3, and i haven't even turned on my big phat ps2 in over a year (though every once in a while i pine for some gt4 action to go with my logitech racing wheel about which i'm unsure whether it will work with the ps3 at all - usb?).