backwardscompatibility
Latest
'Halo: Reach' runs poorly on the Xbox One
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games has largely worked as promised, but there's now one glaring exception. Microsoft has confirmed reports that Halo: Reach (aka one of the 360's biggest titles) runs much slower than you'd expect. While talk of it being "unplayable" is extreme, Bungie's shooter fell from a largely steady 30 frames per second on the original hardware to the mid-teens -- enough to throw you off during intense action scenes. Others report audio glitches, too.
Xbox One adds 'Halo: Reach' and 15 more playable 360 titles
Microsoft's Xbox One has had a stellar release slate over the last few months, packed with exclusive games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and multiplatform hits such as Fallout 4 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Still not satisfied? Well, there's now an additional 16 games from the Xbox 360 era that you can play on your Xbox One via backwards compatibility. Some of the highlights include the head-scratching puzzle-platformer Braid, indie darling Spelunky, Portal and Fable 3.
Eight classic PS2 games launch on PlayStation 4 tomorrow
A few weeks ago Sony acknowledged its plan to get PS2 games running on the PlayStation 4 and today it announced which ones are first. According to exec Shuhei Yoshida, the company will celebrate its "PS2 heritage" by launching eight games for purchase in North America and Europe tomorrow: Dark Cloud, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rogue Galaxy, The Mark of Kri, Twisted Metal: Black, and War of the Monsters. It's similar to the backwards compatibility that the Xbox One just added for Xbox 360 games, but there is one big difference: like on PlayStation Now, you'll need to pay for these games again. Most of them will cost $15 in the US while a few cost $10, but you can see the prices (and a trailer) after the break.
Sony is adding PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility to the PS4
Sony and Electronic Arts have a Star Wars: Battlefront PlayStation 4 bundle available right now and with it comes a quartet of games from a long time ago and a galaxy far, far away (or at least as far as the PlayStation 2 era). Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, Star Wars Racer: Revenge and Super Star Wars come with the bundle via a single download code, and all bar one appear to be the original PS2 games running in emulation. The discovery comes via the tech-minded folks over at Digital Foundry who spotted a number of clues suggesting backwards compatibility had finally arrived. The evidence is in the details. As DF noted, the sophomore console's select and start buttons have been mapped to either side of the DualShock 4's touchpad, something only Sony, rather than Lucasarts Interactive can do.
Microsoft wants 'Red Dead Redemption' on Xbox One, too
You aren't alone in your desire to play Rockstar Games' old West epic Read Dead Redemption on your Xbox One -- Microsoft's director of program management Mike Ybarra wants to play it again, too. "I would love to see Red Dead," he said of making the Xbox 360 game backwards-compatible. In a recent interview, Ybarra revealed that it's a personal favorite and that he's played hundreds of hours of the dusty 2010 open world game. Behind Call of Duty: Black Ops II, it's number two on the list of fan-requested titles for the just launched Xbox One backwards compatibility feature.
Xbox One Windows 10 update begins rolling out
After months of teasing, beta testing and announcements, the Xbox One's big update for Windows 10, an all-new UI and backwards compatibility with some Xbox 360 games will arrive tomorrow. According to Major Nelson, the new software will start rolling out at 3AM ET, although we wouldn't advise waiting up for it for a couple of reasons. First, it's a staged rollout, so you may not get it right away. Second, the ability to play Xbox 360 games (here's the list) won't switch on until 3PM ET, so you've got some time to get ready. Finally, assuming your Xbox is setup for "Instant-on" it should automatically grab the update and install it without you needing to do anything at all. The new Xbox One dashboard has a completely refreshed layout, but there's a lot of info available to help you get used to it.
Xbox One's big backwards compatibility update arrives November 12th
During tonight's Halo 5: Guardians launch festivities, Xbox boss Phil Spencer just announced that the Xbox One will receive its Windows 10-based update on November 12th. That's the one that will put a new UI on the console, as well as give everyone the ability to play certain Xbox 360 games. Some Xbox One owners in the preview program has been beta testing the new OS for a few months, and the experience has occasionally been a bit rough. Hopefully all that testing means the bugs are appropriately squished once this software rolls out wide in a couple of weeks. You can see the announcement in the video embedded after the break, or jump to the live broadcast as the Microsoft folks count down to midnight.
'Borderlands' is the latest backwards compatible game on Xbox One
Even if you spent $399 on the ultra-crazy edition of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection there was a pretty gaping hole in it. No, I'm not talking about what that purchase did to your bank account, I mean the anthology's distinct lack of the series' first game. Well, for Xbox One owners that's changing because the Vault Hunters' first trip to Pandora was recently added to the list of Xbox 360 games playable on Microsoft's newest console -- something that was teased back at E3 this year. Folks in the Dashboard Preview Program can start playing right now, of course, but everyone else who got stuck on Dr. Ned's zombie island (Microsoft says all save files, add-on content and achievements will transfer over) have to wait until the feature launches to the public this November. You still had a few lunar side-quests left to finish for Handsome Jack in the meantime anyhow, right?
New Xbox dashboard and backwards compatibility come in November
At E3, Microsoft unveiled a revamped dashboard for the Xbox One that put an emphasis on speed and community. It's now here at Gamescom when the company has revealed when exactly this revamped user interface will be filtering down onto your console: this November. The biggest additional feature is backwards compatibility, which means that around 100 Xbox 360 titles will be available to play on the hardware. Of course, if you've already paid for these games for the older console, you won't be charged again for the privilege.
Here's how Xbox One backward compatibility works
The Xbox 360 had a dedicated spot in millions of living rooms, bedrooms and offices for nearly 10 years, and during that time, players purchased massive libraries of games. However, when the Xbox One launched in 2013, it didn't include the ability to play or transfer Xbox 360 games, a disappointment for many fans. That's why Microsoft's announcement at its E3 showcase was so exciting: The Xbox One is getting backward compatibility this holiday, with a lineup of more than 100 fan-requested Xbox 360 games to start and more to be added as demand warrants. Xbox One backward compatibility runs an Xbox 360 emulator right on the console, which is no easy feat, Microsoft General Manager of Games Publishing Shannon Loftis explains during a chat at E3.
PS Vita TV can 'technically' support PS3 games through the cloud, according to SCE CEO
We know that the PS Vita TV will play PSP, PSOne and Vita titles, and will even (eventually) be able to stream PS4 titles once both devices are on sale. But how about PS3? Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO, explained in a round-table interview that the tiny streaming set is "technically" capable of supporting PS3 titles through the same cloud-based streaming that will bring PS3 titles to its successor. It makes sense, (if it can stream fancier games from the PS4, titles from console iteration no.3 should be a cinch, right?) but it's the first time we've heard that Sony is considering it. We're hoping the feature eventually makes it, if only to make amends for the confusing backwards-compatibility saga that the PS3 previously suffered.
Microsoft's Don Mattrick talks Xbox One, calls backwards compatibility backwards
One of the more controversial bits of news to come out of yesterday's Xbox One reveal was the discovery that the newly christened console would not be able to play Xbox 360 games. Backwards compatibility has been a sore subject for some gamers but Microsoft's Don Mattrick says the company is looking forward, not back. "If you're backwards compatible," he told The Wall Street Journal, "you're really backwards." While the news was met with some chagrin, it's not terribly surprising. The Xbox One's architecture -- equipped with a new x86 CPU -- prevents it from being able to run games designed for the 360's eight year old Xenon processor. Additionally, Mattrick claims that players making use of backwards compatibility were a negligible percentage of their consumer base. While Mattrick's words are sure to stick in more than one craw, they reflect the reality of the market. With Nintendo struggling to juggle Wii games on the Wii U and Sony's Playstation 4 abandoning current gen PSN games, it looks like backwards compatibility is a thing of the past.
WSJ: Sony will use Gaikai streaming tech to play PS3 games on the PS4
We're just a few days away from Sony's February 20th "see the future of" PlayStation event where we expect to see the next edition of its home console, and the rumor mill is buzzing. The latest one tonight comes from the Wall Street Journal, with a report that connects Sony's $380 million purchase of cloud gaming service Gaikai last year with a method to provide backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4. The WSJ reports Sony has been "investing heavily" in preparing Gaikai for an influx of PS4-equipped gamers, while also developing better cameras for its Move and the DualShock+touchpad controllers we've seen recently. What's not revealed, however, is any potential pricing plan, or whether cloud games will work using existing cloud saves. While buying fully digital copies of games we already own is less than appealing, if Sony can implement something like the abandoned UMD-to-PSP Go "good will" plan, then there may be benefits for all. In the last gen Sony used hardware, then software and then nothing at all for backwards compatible gaming, while Microsoft went all software -- we'll see how it balances out this time around.
Sony NGP confirmed to be backwards compatible with downloaded PSP games
There was a bit of confusion over what sort of backwards compatibility the Sony NGP would have when it was announced earlier this year, but it looks like that particular mystery's now been cleared up. Eurogamer reports that the NGP (or whatever it's eventually called) will be indeed compatible with existing PSP games -- of the downloadable variety only, of course. What's more, the site says that it has actually seen Resistance: Retribution demonstrated on the handheld, and that all PSP games are run via a software emulator that will let you turn upscaling on or off to suit your preference -- games will also be able to take advantage of the NGP's dual analog sticks (to control your character's view in Resistance, for instance). As Eurogamer notes, that sounds similar to Sony's remastering effort for PSP titles on the PS3, which also promises to add cross-device playability. Might the NGP also get in on that act? We should know more at E3 next week.
Intel VP confirms ARM versions of Windows 8 will offer no compatibility with legacy apps
We already knew that there would be multiple flavors of the next version of Windows. This is, after all, Microsoft, and if it isn't available in dozens of different SKUs, one for each rung on the ladder from student to corporate executive, then it isn't worth stamping to a disc and throwing in a box. However, thanks to Intel Senior Vice President Renee James, we now know for sure that there will be a decisive split between the various ARM and x86 editions. James confirmed yesterday that x86 versions will work just fine on Intel, AMD, and other compatible chips, running all your legacy applications with aplomb. However, the ARM versions of the OS (which may number as many as six) won't include any sort of instruction emulation, James saying "Our competitors will not be running legacy applications. Not now. Not ever." That's something that Intel CEO Paul Otellini hinted at back at CES, which means Office running on ARM must have been a re-write -- or at least a re-compile. That's bad news for anyone hoping they'd be able to install Command & Conquer Collector's Edition on the Tegra-powered Windows 8 tablet of their dreams. James additionally indicated there will be four separate Windows 8 ARM SoCs, meaning someone has joined NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and TI since the CES unveil. Intrigue!
Wii HD rearing long-rumored head at E3 2011?
Another year, another chance for Nintendo to deliver what it's alternately denied and teased since day one -- a successor to the Nintendo Wii capable of displaying games in high resolution. Will Nintendo finally make it happen? Multiple totally anonymous sources say yes: they told Game Informer, IGN and Kotaku that just such a system will debut at E3 2011 in June, possibly with a teaser of some sort next month. While the ninja moles didn't provide many hard details -- mostly just the typical iffy claim that the system will wipe the floor with competitors in terms of speeds and feeds -- they told IGN that it will support 1080p resolutions and be backwards-compatible with games for the Wii. Naturally, we'll believe it when we see it... so here's hoping we see it fairly quickly. Update: Rumors are bursting out of the woodwork at this point, and we're going to refrain from posting them all here, but anonymous sources tell IGN and CVG that the new console might have controllers which double as the console's display -- each sporting a sizable screen.
Blu-ray Disc Association (still) working on a 3D standard, promises 1080p & backwards compatible discs
Just in case there was any doubt since the task force was announced in May, the Blu-ray Disc Association is still hard at work on a standard to bring home 3D movies the way they were meant to be seen. Ahead of IFA, the group squeezed off an announcement, mentioning its decision of minimum specs including requiring 1080p resolution to each eye and backwards compatibility for discs and players, so any 3D flick will have to include a 2D version for older Blu-ray players. Of course, we're sure Panasonic has something to do with this push, it's already planning to tour the country with 3D capable Blu-ray players in tow, so it shouldn't be too much longer until final decisions are made.
Sony patents software-based PS2 CPU emulation
In Sony's on-again/off-again relationship with PS2 backwards compatibility on the PS3, we've had our hopes raised to the stars and dashed again more times than we imagined possible. Today, Siliconera discovered what appears to be but one more volley in the company's neverending game with our hearts, filing for a patent for software back in December of last year (published publicly just last week). According to the report, the software is intended to "decode and recompile" the hardware used in the PS2's defining chip, the Emotion Engine, possibly allowing for previously unplayable PS2 games to become playable.While this patent could certainly suggest things to look forward to in the rumored PS3 Slim, we've been burned in the past and aren't exactly holding our breath. Maybe more possible, Sony's Eric Lempel said in February of last year that "There are possibilities through technology and software emulation to make that possible," speaking on the subject of downloadable PS2 titles -- rather than disc-based software support, mind you. If you're into the technical side of things, Siliconera was so gracious as to shoot us the whole patent, which you can see for yourself in the gallery below.[Via Siliconera][Thanks, Bryan!]
Nintendo announces DSi-only and "DSi Enhanced" software
While Nintendo has been pretty good so far with the Game Boys of yore and the DS / DS Lite at keeping backwards compatibility pretty much at a maximum, the DSi's added functionality and processing power is going to test that a bit. Nintendo has confirmed that there will be two new types of DS software, "DSi Cards" and "DSi Enhanced Cards." The former will only work with the DSi (and with the current DS install base, we're guessing they won't be incredibly common, but the DSi's off to a strong start) and the latter will offer expanded functionality on the DSi (like mapping a photo onto a character) but will still downgrade gracefully to regular DS handhelds. This could certainly cause some confusion, but hopefully anything DSi specific will be very obviously DSi-centric, like a camera app or something to automatically spend thousands of Nintendo Points on classic titles in a flailing attempt to relive your childhood.
SCEA's Jack Tretton on BC, DRM and Home
Our friends over at Engadget sat down to talk with SCEA CEO Jack Tretton, who questioned him about things on just about every PS3 owner's mind. Regarding backwards compatibility, Tretton saw the lack of it as a way to cut production costs, and even though implementing BC isn't particularly expensive, the company wants to be "selling PS2 software to PS2 customers, and selling PS3 software to PS3 consumers." He does express some hesitation about this though. "I would like to have had it in there, but Sony's collective strategy determined we could afford to lose it. We've now gone down that road, and we're not going back."With the new PS Store video service, some were dismayed to find that their video purchases could not be transferred to anything except for their PSP. Tretton feels this is absolutely necessary and that it " is way too hard a business to make money in to allow people to own multiple copies for the price of one." He's "all for allowing an individual consumer having the freedom to do with their content what they want," but Sony has no plans to remove the current restrictions.As for Home, the problems are arising because of "the disconnect of when Sony took Home out of the creative minds and put it the hands of business minds..." Tretton would rather have Home ready at a much later time with good content, than open it now as "some ghost town." Read the rest of it here.
