Europe gets new spec PS3 hardware

[Billhouse]

Sony has changed the specification of the PlayStation 3 for Europe, raising doubts over the number of Playstation 2 that will be compatible with the next-gen machine. "Rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3," said David Reeves, president of SCEE.

Sony has said that 'a new combination of hardware and software emulation will enable the PS3 to be compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation titles, and a limited range of PS2 titles'.

Sony will publish a backwards compatibility list on the PS3's launch day, March 23, with additional titles becoming compatible through downloads via the PlayStation Network.
"The backwards compatibility is not going to be as good as in the US and Japanese models," a Sony spokesperson told Reuters.



Source:http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23003
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=73360

[bob808]

I wonder what else will be different - and why the change??

[{{909}}]

the current models of PS3 run PS2 games by actually having PS2 hardware inside the PS3, sony didnt want to do this originally due to the cost and software emulation was always the original plan.

Im guessing we are getting a machine without the PS2 hardware so emulation is all done via software, ala xbox360 and hence the lower compatability...ala xbox360.

This could be a good thing, Jap/USA machines still have flakey BC, a fully software solution has more potential for fine tuning, plus its more likely to be able to upscale and re-render PS2 games in more detail etc.

[garagekru]

"The backwards compatibility is not going to be as good as in the US and Japanese models," a Sony spokesperson told Reuters.

that seems a little unfair considering we are paying the most for the machine!

[tonys]

This news certainly doesn't make me less likely to buy a PS3, I can't remember actually playing a PS1 game on my PS2 as I want to play latest generation games.

It does annoy me that this is obviously down to cost and we are going to be paying a fortune for it over here, I'd be really happy if Sony would announce a proportional reduction in the price !

[Anakin]

The PS3 is doomed

Buhhaahahahahahahah

[Imran]

Interesting article on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6390657.stm

This lists the change due to more reliance on software rather than hardware, i wonder what other implications this may have?

- Will this mean it goes down the PSP route of firmware upgrades which are mandatory?
- Will US and JAP games be playable on the UK console?
- Will the machine be slower and in effect less powerful, due to more reliance on software as opposed to hardware?
- Was this a cost cutting exercise to remove costly hardware, or could it have potentially been to enable firmware updates in order to tackle piracy?

Cheers

Im

[bob808]

also - does this mean that anyone that imported a machine from the US/Japan/HK wont be able to run UK games on it?

Interesting article on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6390657.stm

This lists the change due to more reliance on software rather than hardware, i wonder what other implications this may have?

- Will this mean it goes down the PSP route of firmware upgrades which are mandatory?
- Will US and JAP games be playable on the UK console?
- Will the machine be slower and in effect less powerful, due to more reliance on software as opposed to hardware?
- Was this a cost cutting exercise to remove costly hardware, or could it have potentially been to enable firmware updates in order to tackle piracy?

Cheers

Im

[pizza-man]

we will find out on pal uk release
what games play on what

[tbops]

feck all of that, theres no motion sensing on the uk models either!!!

tomshardware has the report. no vibrate no motionsensing....loks grim.

[vgopal]

no motion sensing? that would be stupid, as its the controllers with sixaxis that provide the motion control.
i cant see them taking out a main feature like that.

Update 12:34 PM EST: In an earlier version of this article, we reported that Sony would also cut the motion sensing capability of the PS3, which, however, is not the case.

[bart22]

it would be a bit silly releasing controllers that are called six axis if they dont have any lol Think thats incorrect mate.

[Billhouse]

It is.

[tbops]

without them it would have been a proper cock up....

[Billhouse]

Just read from the NEOGAF forums that with the chips being removed and it becoming all software based is because Sony plan to upscale PSone and PS2 games upto 1080p.

Link: http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=59112

[SiE]

so we pay more for the console and get less than the rest of the world. Brilliant!!!

[Chubbs]

so we pay more for the console and get less than the rest of the world. Brilliant!!!

Sony plan to upscale PSone and PS2 games upto 1080p.

Isn't this better than the rest of the world?

Don't get me wrong the rest of the world can get this later but..... upscaling?

[Gunnzie]

upscaling on 20% of PS2 titles (thats the number I have heard work in the emulator). Rather than no upscaling on 98% of PS2 titles.

I know which I would choose. And the argument of "Sony will improve compatibility with future firmware" is rubbish because Sony came out at the weekend and said they will not be concentrating on BC.

[Chubbs]

oops!

[addictive1]

It won't be less powerful because the only bits of hardware removed, and replaced with a software solution was PS2 specific hardware. You are not allowed to access this hardware from a PS3 title, so it has no affect on the PS3 performance side of things.

All in all though a little bit of a piss-take from Sony. Reduce the cost to manufacture yet keep the end user cost higher than anywhere else.

Also, Sony made a huge fanfare when Microsoft announced that XBOX360 compatibility would be done in software, and it would not be 100%. I remember Sony saying that PS3 would be 100% backward compatible with PS1 and PS2.