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Sony patents PS2 Emulation through the Cell Processor?

June 30, 2009 in News comments 12

Sony has recently patented the means of emulating a PS2 via a PS3. Technically it's completely possible, if not overkill being as how most of the hardware the PS3 uses is likely a step above that of the PS2's. This would enable any PS3 without Backwards Compatability to be able to play PS2 games.

This means that Sony intends to bring B/C back eventually, if not soon. Possibly even launch it alongside the PS3 Slimline, when/if that ever is released.

PlayStation 3's without PS2 backwards compatibility are missing the Emotion Engine, a chip Sony designed as the PS2’s CPU. What if the PS3’s cell processor could emulate the Emotion Engine? Theoretically, all PlayStation 3s would be able to play PS2 games even if a console didn’t have the proper hardware. According to a recent patent filed by Sony Computer Entertainment in the US, Sony has the code and technology ready to do this.
Shattered via siliconera.com »
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  • 0
    Sakuraba Neku Jun 30, 09
    WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING SONY?
  • 0
    Dragoshi1 Jun 30, 09
    Backwords compatability hopefully? And I hope my PS3 gets an update to do PS2 B/C, and not have to go and buy a slim PS3 for it
  • 1
    Metallica Jun 30, 09
    To be honest backwards compatinility doesn't interest me one bit now.
  • 0
    Goldva_X Jun 30, 09
    Finally. Now all the people that refuse to buy one unless it plays PS2 games can shut up
  • 0
    Sindrak Jun 30, 09
    This would actually be great news to me. I still play my PS2 all the time, but my launch PS2 is just now looking like it doesn't have much more time left. This way I won't have to buy a PS2 slim and could just get a PS3 that can play all my PS2 games on it.
  • 0
    Shattered Jun 30, 09
    Yeah, strangely when I heard this I wasn't the least bit happy. I guess no one really cares about B/C anymore - Sony took too long to do this; They could have at least told us something rather than saying "We have no plans for future B/C" all the time. Because of it no one gives two shits about it now.

    Gawd dammit they need to just spill the beans rather than keeping all the info bottled up like they do now.
    • 0
      Smoke Jun 30, 09
      Because the PS2 was their cash cow. They make more money from PS2 console sales than they do with PS3. My guess is they only wanted to announce something when PS2 sales started slowing down.
    • 0
      Fallen Royalty Jul 1, 09
      @ Shattered:

      What the hell are you talking about? Backwards compatibility to the PS2 is something that the players have been wanting ever since they discontinued it to make the console less expensive. The PS2 has some of the best games ever created. A lot of people "give two shits about it now" simply because the PS2's library contains some of the most historically acclaimed titles created to date. If you don't want to download it, then don't, but I'll be downloading it the first day they release the emulation software on PSN.
  • 0
    Neo Windu Jun 30, 09
    The original 60gb PS3 is backward compatible. They strip the machine down and now they want to put it back. Good news. But. That sucks for the people that have a PS3 and it isn't backward compatible and want it. If its not an add on who in their right mind is going to buy another PS3 when they can just get a PS2 for $100.
    • 0
      Fallen Royalty Jul 1, 09
      I imagine they would just release the emulation software for download on PSN. Maybe free, maybe for a small charge (think <$5) because of the huge bandwidth needed to facilitate the numerous downloads for such a (prospectively) popular piece of software.
  • 0
    RabidChinaGirl Jul 1, 09
    Backward compatibility would make me consider getting a PS3 for sure. I just have to get over how it looks.
  • 0
    Existence Jul 1, 09
    Most of the techincal stuff flew right over my head, but still good to know that theres a chance PS2 compatibility will be coming to all consoles.

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