Sony’s new 40GB PlayStation 3 will not have backwards compatibility only support PS1 games, not PS2. I find this confusing and strange. It was only last year they said that backwards compatibility is a a natural, core part of the PlayStation experience.
Sony’s take is that they want to spend the money elsewhere and that they feel their extensive library of 65 PS3 games is enough to satisfy the market. Sure, the PS2 is still available, so it’s not a huge deal, but the way the PS3 is a very complete package, hardware-wise, just took a hit. And once again, it’s Europe getting the shaft. Sony talks about choice, but Europe only has one model available, and that’s the new 40GB one – the 60GB model (with limited BC) is being phased out, and the 80GB model (with full BC) was never released here.
Regardless of how big a deal this is to the average console-buyer (not very), I find Sony’s mixed messages disconcerting. Where’s their gameplan? Even Nintendo’s tight-lipped approach would be better.
Eurogamer has the official line.
Edit: Sony’s statements change so fast, I have trouble keeping up. It looks like PS1 games are supported, after all, yei. It’s the 8000 title PS2 library we’re really talking about, though.
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