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Sony Releases PS3 Back-Compat Checker
With the 60GB version now 'sold out', the 80GB version of the PlayStation 3 is quickly going to be the only option for consumers in stores. Besides the hard-drive size, though, the two systems have another fundamental difference: the 80GB unit handles backwards compatibility with software and not hardware. What games work on the two console versions is now a bit trickier. To aid in your comprehension, Joystiq notes, Sony has released a handy online game checker to let you know how your library will fare. Over at Curmudgeon Gamer, they have an examination of a game library looking at both a PS1 collection of titles and a group of games from the PS2 era. Assuming this random sampling to be in any way indicative, it looks like there isn't much difference between software and hardware compatibility for PS1 games ... but PS2 games might not have an easy time of it.
Why does the more expensive PS3 use Software for emulation instead of hardware? It's clear that the software is worse than hardware, yet the hardware emulation machines were cheaper. Is there a site that explains this at all?
The PS2 games will have a hard time of it all the way till the day that they stop manufacturing PS2s, then the software will magically work.
I think Sony noticed the PS2 sales dropped lower than they originally anticipated, so they killed the 60gb PS3 in order to control the emulation abilities.
As the above posters have mentioned, Sony removed the hardware emulation to cut costs on the unit and added another 20GB to make you feel like you got something in exchange. The problem (or not depending on how you look at it) is that they increased the price by $100 for 20GB...yea thats not what I would call an "acceptable" cost trade-off. Thus they made the 60GB look much more lucrative for those who care about the backwards compatibility, die-hards, or to those looking for a better deal. In turn the 80GB looks like you get something for the extra $100 to the ill-informed.
Which is precisely why the 60GB model is a better deal. It possesses both hardware and software emulation, thus insuring near 100% backwards compatibility and the ability to scale-up games that work with the software emulation. And it's $100 cheaper then the 80GB version. Of course this is all an attempt to clear the 60GB model out of the warehouses, so they can push their cheaper to manufacture 80GB. Which should receive a price drop by about $100 or so sometime shortly after the 60GB model is entirely sold out. At least it should, it would be very stupid of Sony not too.
And thats the best explanation I can give of Sony's current actions, hope it helps.
"Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!"
Apparently, it has been Sony's plan all along to drop the hardware solution for backwards compatibility after some time. Facts follow:
When the PS3 was launched in PAL regions, it was launched without the hardware solution already. At that time, emulation was even worse than now, but has people said, it has been improving. There are still lots of problems though from what I've heard.
Now that they've improved software emulation a bit, they're ready to force it down the throats of American customers too. They stopped manufacturing the 60 GB units, and from now on will only produce 80 GB PS3 without software emulation, which will reduce their huge losses due to selling hardware at a loss.
They have said in their latest financial report conference that they expect to reach profitability in hardware sales later rather than sooner.
More likely than not, the new 80 GB PS3 is cheaper to produce than the soon-to-be-discontinued 60 GB one, because they cut out the PS2 chips, and, in terms of hard drives, 80 GB might even be cheaper than 60 GB, due to 80 GB being a very common disk capacity for laptops (note that the PS3 hard-drive is 2.5 inches, meaning the variety used in laptops).
I hope the above wasn't too confusing, feel free to ask any questions you might have...
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
since the PS2, to play PS1 games on the newer systems it wa entirely a software emulation. there is no hardware emulation hence why PS1 games should play identically between the hardware and software based PS3. the hardware emulation was that the PS3 had an Emotion Engine Chip (PS2 processor) next to the Cell proc. Every system software update, it makes the software emulation better anyway so just because you cant play a PS2 game on it now doesnt mean you will never be able to. Many of us still have our PS2's anyway.
>With the 60GB version now 'sold out', the 80GB version of the PlayStation 3 is quickly going to be the only option for consumers in stores.
Kotaku/Ars Technica says otherwise
http://kotaku.com/gaming/rumor/40gb-ps3-with-spider+man-3-for-christmas-298145.php
for those too lazy to click Sony may be coming out with a 40GB system for $399 and dropping the price of the 80 gig system to $499 (and including spiderman 3 as a packin for both). Yeah it's an odd move but I've stopped trying to explain Sony's product moved logically long ago.
From what I've heard PS2 games looked horrible on the PS3 due to scaling issues, so i'm wondering that while you lose 100% backwards compatibility losing the hardware chip you could potentially gain better scaling with software emulation with updates. is this the case, or should i go and find me a 60gb?
Am I the only one who is laughing now that this site it up? I mean for almost a month now, I have heard countless people whine about how the 60 gig PS3 has "perfect backwards compatibility", yet from checking out that website, it seems that the 60 gig has it's share of problems as well. Of course, the 80 gig appears to have more problems, but the margin isn't as wide as most people are claiming. Besides, as people have already mentioned, further software updates mean further backwards compatibility. I don't think Sony will pull a Microsoft because the PS2 is actually selling quite well so it is in Sony's best interest to have very good backwards compatibility. IMHO, people are buying PS3's mostly for the PS2 upscaling (though Blu-Ray is probably a good reason too).
It is for that reason that I firmly believe that Sony will, eventually, just turn off support for the EE chip in favor of software emulation across the board. Think about it, if Sony could just flip a switch and have all 60 gig PS3s switch to software emulation and create a uniform setup across all PS3's, then I see no reason why they wouldn't. After all, the fancy PS2 upscaling that everyone loves is done via software, so it's not that far of a stretch to think that Sony would favor software emulation across the board.
Really, in the end, you have to buy, or not buy, the system that is best for you. I, for one, think this whole uproar about software emulation is utter bs. Don't buy into what some idiot blogger says just to generate hits on his stupid blog. Make your own damn decisions. Personally, I'll be picking a 60 gig myself because it's cheaper and I'm not that interested in Motorstorm (and I can get a HDMI cable for a relatively cheap price on Amazon). The EE chip is nice, but I don't value it like the blind majority do.
All joking aside, of course the PS3 isn't able to properly emulate PS2 games. I mean, the Emotion Engine produces graphics [that] are so amazingly lifelike, for Christ's sake!
FTFA:
Sony and partner Toshiba say the new graphics processor has enough power to show humanlike motions such as facial expressions, as well as to learn, and to recognize speech. One analyst says it will merge TV and video games.
I mean, how can the PS3 compete with that?I bought a PS3 in the UK a month or so ago, it came with software version 1.6 which couldn't play the few PS2 games I threw at it. Once I setup the wireless connection I was imediatly upgrade to 1.9 and my small library of PS1 and PS2 games (probably a total of 60) all play on it. I'll agree some games (GTA SA) don't look as good on the PS3 as they do on the PS2 but Sony do seem aware of that. I'm more than willing to believe Sony will fix the issue considering how many times they've released software updates for my PSP. This is only my expearence there are probably games out there which don't play but I'm betting Sony will get the emulation upto 99% before jacking it in. I just wish PS1/PS2 memory cards could be connected to my PS3.
You do know that Sony sells a USB reader for the PS2 cards.
Perhaps there was a problem whent he system came out (I honestly just don't know).
But PS2 games usually are upscales and smoothed very well. The effect is a minimal improvement, since my TV is much better too and requires the new resolution, but it is technically a significant improvement.
But to be honest, the ability to play PS2 games is way overrated. I want next gen games. If I wanted to play new games with PS2 graphics, I could always borrow my daughter's wii (not trying to be mean, but seriously PS3 owners want Gears of War type stuff).