Sony patents backwards compatibilty adapter

[quote name='Josh5890']When you have a 20 GB PS3 like me, you don't need an adapter ;)[/QUOTE]
But if it dies, an adapter could be nice.
 
Looking forward to this. My only regret waiting to buy a (much) cheaper PS3 was no PS2. As my PS2 takes 2min to load a disc, and won't play some PS1 games.

Hopefully the price is right
 
I still have both of my ps2s in working order, sadly I do not have a crt tv which makes them pretty useless. If this thing upscales, I might be all for it.
 
[quote name='j-cart']I still have both of my ps2s in working order, sadly I do not have a crt tv which makes them pretty useless. If this thing upscales, I might be all for it.[/QUOTE]
Your TV can't accept 640x480 input with composite cables? I don't see why not having a crt tv makes them any less useful?...

If your monitor doesn't accept interlaced input, you can force your ps2 into progressive mode by holding x and triangle when it's booting up (assuming the game doesn't have a progressive mode option in the options menu).
 
[quote name='madcatz1999']Your TV can't accept 640x480 input with composite cables? I don't see why not having a crt tv makes them any less useful?...

If your monitor doesn't accept interlaced input, you can force your ps2 into progressive mode by holding x and triangle when it's booting up (assuming the game doesn't have a progressive mode option in the options menu).[/QUOTE]


it just doesnt look very good on my hdtv thats all. playable, but not very good looking. There is also hints of lag too.
 
In the schematic, it appears that there would need to be an input on the back of the console... which the PS3 does not have. Haven't looked at the back of my PS3 since I stuck it in my TV stand, but I believe there's only an HDMI out and an Optical out.
 
[quote name='j-cart']I still have both of my ps2s in working order, sadly I do not have a crt tv which makes them pretty useless. If this thing upscales, I might be all for it.[/QUOTE]
Just use component cables on your PS2.
 
If it upscales and can play ALL PS2 games (or at least, nearly all) then I'll buy it. The PS3's upscaling makes a significant difference with PS2 games when playing on HDTVs and it would be a welcome addition.

Of course, this doesn't seem all that logical.. since there's more money to be made in HD Collections.

[quote name='metaphysicalstyles']In the schematic, it appears that there would need to be an input on the back of the console... which the PS3 does not have. Haven't looked at the back of my PS3 since I stuck it in my TV stand, but I believe there's only an HDMI out and an Optical out.[/QUOTE]

I don't think the drawing is supposed to be accurate. The PS3 definitely isn't presented accurately... if what you are talking about is front/back, then the PS3 shouldn't that deep.

The device itself looks like it'll need its own power and need to use wired controllers. That would suck if we couldn't use the built in PS3 memory cards and DS3s.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I bet you it'll look like this:

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-2-Console-Slim-Black/dp/B000TLU67W/

Though, if they do some bolt-on BC adapter, I wonder how they'll hook it into the system. Maybe over the PS2/PS3 video connector, with some pass-through cable if you're using component cables for your connection?[/QUOTE]

Judging by the size of the add-on, I'm guessing the PS2 chips in a small case (no need for a DVD drive)...makes sense actually. I'd buy that too if it's under $50. Still some PS2 games I want to play.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I bet you it'll look like this:

http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-2-Console-Slim-Black/dp/B000TLU67W/

Though, if they do some bolt-on BC adapter, I wonder how they'll hook it into the system. Maybe over the PS2/PS3 video connector, with some pass-through cable if you're using component cables for your connection?[/QUOTE]

I had proposed the idea to make a little Emotion Engine box a few years ago when they first removed BC, and the main inspiration for the idea was Play TV's box. Sony could definitely do the same here, and people would no doubt buy it

ps3-play-tv.jpg
 
Color me skeptical, but the idea is Redonculous. PS2's are plentiful, relatively cheap, and there's no way this device will be cheaper than a PS2. Sony has begun releasing HD collections which Trophy support and are way cheaper than any hardware peripheral. Also, people overestimate the usefulness of playing PS2 games on a PS3. I played SOCOM on my 60GB PS3 for 10 minutes, thought it looked a little more pretty, and never did it again.

And would someone kindly hide this thread before IATCG sees it. Think of the children!
 
[quote name='Jodou']Probably for PS4.[/QUOTE]
I agree with you. It wouldn't make any sense (especially as a add-on due to various tv models, console limitations/versions, etc) for the PS3. On top of that, they know most of us have already stopped griping about it and have accepted the fact it's not happening (at least on this console). This would be the only way Sony could push a new console out within the next 4-5 years and have us buy it (instead of keeping our PS3s).

But then again, dropping this at the same time the Next-Gen Xbox console hit the shelves in 2-3 years would be utter genius!!

Me thinks someone from Sony got wind of the specs for MS' next-gen and are freaking out (or trying to beat them to the punch).
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']Color me skeptical, but the idea is Redonculous. PS2's are plentiful, relatively cheap, and there's no way this device will be cheaper than a PS2. Sony has begun releasing HD collections which Trophy support and are way cheaper than any hardware peripheral. Also, people overestimate the usefulness of playing PS2 games on a PS3. I played SOCOM on my 60GB PS3 for 10 minutes, thought it looked a little more pretty, and never did it again.

And would someone kindly hide this thread before IATCG sees it. Think of the children![/QUOTE]
Too late.

As for me I'll just wait till stores start clearancing out PStwo's and buy one for $20 rather than pay Sony fifty fuckin' dollars for the same bullshit.

Mind you in the end I'm still paying Sony if I buy a PStwo, but maybe I'll skip waiting for a clearance on new PStwo systems and just buy a used one from CL so they don't see a dime of my money.
 
If they actually make this, it won't be out for a good 3-4 years, it's only a patent.

Forget about it.
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']Color me skeptical, but the idea is Redonculous. PS2's are plentiful, relatively cheap, and there's no way this device will be cheaper than a PS2. Sony has begun releasing HD collections which Trophy support and are way cheaper than any hardware peripheral. Also, people overestimate the usefulness of playing PS2 games on a PS3. I played SOCOM on my 60GB PS3 for 10 minutes, thought it looked a little more pretty, and never did it again.

And would someone kindly hide this thread before IATCG sees it. Think of the children![/QUOTE]

Keep in mind Sony makes a PROFIT on EVERY PS2 they sell. Included in the box is a PS2 (with a DVD drive and networking built-in. AV cables, about 4-5x the plastic needed to encase the whole thing, and finally, a controller. I honestly think Sony could get away with selling this for between $29.99 and $49.99. They wouldn't sell it if they couldn't make a profit since it's essentially at the end of it's development life-cycle (the PS2 components that is) so why not?

I mean, I'd pick one up if I had a coupon or some sort of sale to bring the price down a bit (depending on where it starts), and I still have a few games I'd like to play that are only on the PS2. I don't have the room or enough outlets to plug the PS2 in and it's a hassle to swap out so this would be great. That said, it'll be great ONLY if it upscales the games like the original PS3's do.

[quote name='Space Cowboy YGI']I agree with you. It wouldn't make any sense (especially as a add-on due to various tv models, console limitations/versions, etc) for the PS3. On top of that, they know most of us have already stopped griping about it and have accepted the fact it's not happening (at least on this console). This would be the only way Sony could push a new console out within the next 4-5 years and have us buy it (instead of keeping our PS3s).

But then again, dropping this at the same time the Next-Gen Xbox console hit the shelves in 2-3 years would be utter genius!!

Me thinks someone from Sony got wind of the specs for MS' next-gen and are freaking out (or trying to beat them to the punch).[/QUOTE]

Here's what I don't get; there are PS2 emulators that can run on PC's from a few years back. And said emulators can run games at damn near 100% perfection...so why can't a PS3 with a 3.2GHz CPU (1 PPU and 7 SPEs) run PS2 games? Surely Sony has the right engineers software-wise? I just don't get why they would need to wait until the PS4.
 
Why say it's for PS3 or PS4, couldn't it work fine on both?

[quote name='JasonTerminator']If they do release this, it better have memory card slots. I'll be pissed if we have to buy the memory card adapter too.[/QUOTE]

Probably no slots to make it cheaper & smaller. There's a lot of memory adapters on the market now so it won't be too bad to do the transfer and then sell it. Still sucks a bit.

[quote name='Vinny']If it upscales and can play ALL PS2 games (or at least, nearly all) then I'll buy it. The PS3's upscaling makes a significant difference with PS2 games when playing on HDTVs and it would be a welcome addition.

Of course, this doesn't seem all that logical.. since there's more money to be made in HD Collections.
.[/QUOTE]
There's more money to be made in HD Collections but they really can't achieve that and cover enough games if 3rd parties are not releasing their own collections. 1-2 collections a year isn't adequate and demand is going down each year. Even if Sony increased their output they don't have enough high demand PS2 1st party games. While I do love the idea of collections, I would prefer an adapter if 3rd parties don't really get on the bandwagon.

[quote name='SynGamer']Keep in mind Sony makes a PROFIT on EVERY PS2 they sell. Included in the box is a PS2 (with a DVD drive and networking built-in. AV cables, about 4-5x the plastic needed to encase the whole thing, and finally, a controller. I honestly think Sony could get away with selling this for between $29.99 and $49.99. They wouldn't sell it if they couldn't make a profit since it's essentially at the end of it's development life-cycle (the PS2 components that is) so why not?

Here's what I don't get; there are PS2 emulators that can run on PC's from a few years back. And said emulators can run games at damn near 100% perfection...so why can't a PS3 with a 3.2GHz CPU (1 PPU and 7 SPEs) run PS2 games? Surely Sony has the right engineers software-wise? I just don't get why they would need to wait until the PS4.[/QUOTE]
I agree they should be able to sell it for $29.99-$39.99 and still profit, especially with another reduction in components. As far as software emulation, it was reportedly very expensive for MS to get games emulated on 360 and time consuming so maybe it's just easier and cheaper to do an adapter. I don't know why it would be so expensive given there are emulators out there made cheaply, it's gotta be the testing of each game and making sure it runs well enough?
 
I wonder how this would work? An even smaller PS2 chipset in a case smaller than a slim PS2 that hooks into the PS3, but that uses the PS3's internals to upscale? Seems like something that could be pretty cheap, though I wonder about whether it would need its own power supply.

I would totally buy it day one if it were $79 or less.
 
Unbelievable, take it out of the PS3 and then charge for it separately as an add on? Ugh! These type of add-ons have never been successful.
 
[quote name='bsesb2003']Unbelievable, take it out of the PS3 and then charge for it separately as an add on? Ugh! These type of add-ons have never been successful.[/QUOTE]

When has something like this ever existed before? Closest thing I remember is Super Gameboy and Gameboy Player, which did pretty well on SNES at 49 million userbase and Gamecube at 22 million, both of which were no longer in production before those reached those userbase figures.
 
It's existed more often if you look at it from the point of view as an external device that allows you to play different games attached to current hardware. I'd count the SegaCD and Sega64 add-ons. And really, The fact that manufacturers seldom make external devices to play old games, but include backward compatibility or software emulation built-in, is kind of telling. If Sony wants to make money on selling a PS2 emulator, they'd put more effort into getting software compatibility built into the PS3 and resell people downloadable PS2 games. That's been proven to work and will make them way more coin over some bulky add-on. That's why I think such a device will never see the light of day, or if it does will be a failure.
 
Well, I know for people with PS2s already, it doesn't make much sense, but for ppl like me, who do not have a PS2 or any PS2 games, this is great. I really hope it is an actual product that Sony's working on. Hopefully it will be less than $99 (price of a PS2).
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']It's existed more often if you look at it from the point of view as an external device that allows you to play different games attached to current hardware. I'd count the SegaCD and Sega64 add-ons. And really, The fact that manufacturers seldom make external devices to play old games, but include backward compatibility or software emulation built-in, is kind of telling. If Sony wants to make money on selling a PS2 emulator, they'd put more effort into getting software compatibility built into the PS3 and resell people downloadable PS2 games. That's been proven to work and will make them way more coin over some bulky add-on. That's why I think such a device will never see the light of day, or if it does will be a failure.[/QUOTE]
Good. I hope it fails if it does release so I can buy one on clearance for $10 and get the BC I want to be able to play my old GTA games on my PS3.

As for selling downloadable PS2 games, if they're $5 each I'll buy them. Anything more than that and the companies releasing them can get fucked.
 
[quote name='J7.']When has something like this ever existed before? Closest thing I remember is Super Gameboy and Gameboy Player, which did pretty well on SNES at 49 million userbase and Gamecube at 22 million, both of which were no longer in production before those reached those userbase figures.[/QUOTE]

Another couple examples are the Atari 2600 adapter for the 5200 and the Power Base Converter for the Genesis.

I really, really hope that a BC adapter box comes out. I worry about my 60GB PS3 all the time. I play PS2 games on it so much, and it's just the most awesome system ever.
 
I have a PS3 Slim and an old fat PS2 that is about to die probably. I can't understand why you people would rather buy a new PS2 for $99 than this add on. Personally I hate having a separate system I have to hook up with extra cords, plugs, old wired controllers. And fucking memory cards.

I want saves on my HDD unlimited not puny 8MB. I don't want to hook up old dusty systems that clutter up everything. And if the upscale on a HDTV works correctly, that's awesome. My PS2 library is huge and I love going back and playing those games, but the hassle oh hooking up old systems is getting ridiculous. Doubt my original PlayStation (not PSOne) even works anymore.

I'd pay $30~$70 for this add on. Less if it destroys the price of new PS2s. That is assuming this adapter is even for PS3, what if it's an option for PS4? Then I'd never get it.
 
the memory cards.. oh yes i forgot about it. in terms of desire memory cards alone makes this worth the purchase.

I don't care if it upscales or reHD's or whatever. it can be the same old PS2 we've always had but with my storage space as memory cards that's a dream right there
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']As for me I'll just wait till stores start clearancing out PStwo's and buy one for $20 rather than pay Sony fifty fuckin' dollars for the same bullshit.

Mind you in the end I'm still paying Sony if I buy a PStwo, but maybe I'll skip waiting for a clearance on new PStwo systems and just buy a used one from CL so they don't see a dime of my money.[/QUOTE]
Good luck with that. I'm assuming Sony will probably stop making them before they drop the price, after which they'll probably get scooped and sold on eBay/Amazon/etc. for a profit (kinda like when it was impossible to find a PS2 earlier this year and they were going for $130 and up).

I'm also assuming that Sony gets paid when the stores buy their systems, not when customers do. If you wanted to "hurt" Sony, you should've bought a 60GB PS3 at launch when they were losing $200+ on each system they sold.
 
[quote name='Kazaganthi']I have a PS3 Slim and an old fat PS2 that is about to die probably. I can't understand why you people would rather buy a new PS2 for $99 than this add on. Personally I hate having a separate system I have to hook up with extra cords, plugs, old wired controllers. And fucking memory cards.

I want saves on my HDD unlimited not puny 8MB. I don't want to hook up old dusty systems that clutter up everything. And if the upscale on a HDTV works correctly, that's awesome. My PS2 library is huge and I love going back and playing those games, but the hassle oh hooking up old systems is getting ridiculous. Doubt my original PlayStation (not PSOne) even works anymore.

I'd pay $30~$70 for this add on. Less if it destroys the price of new PS2s. That is assuming this adapter is even for PS3, what if it's an option for PS4? Then I'd never get it.[/QUOTE]
I still have an SDtv that I watch tv on as well as a multi-out AV cable to hook it up to the tv with, so I'd settle for a PStwo if I could find one cheap. I don't move my systems around and plug/unplug them often once I plug them in, since I learned my lesson by constantly doing so on the front ports on my tv, which I burnt out from doing so.

As for the HDD over memory cards thing, I still have a two pack of the red/blue PS2 cards sealed that I picked up from a Sears for $5 last year and I still have my old Sony and Nyko branded cards with all my saves on them. So I'm set for memory for a PS2.

I only have a handful of PS2 games left(GTA III, Vice City, a couple others)so it's not like I'd be using it for tons of hours a week, though I did like the vigilante missions in Vice City enough to play it for 6-7 hours at a clip.

But as for buying a PStwo at $100, fuck no. I'm not buying one unless it's a cheapo from Craigslist or it's a clearanced system once Sony stops producing them. As for the add-on, if it comes to be I'll pay 10% of MSRP once it fails and Sony stops producing them, but no more than 10%.
[quote name='lmz00']Good luck with that. I'm assuming Sony will probably stop making them before they drop the price, after which they'll probably get scooped and sold on eBay/Amazon/etc. for a profit (kinda like when it was impossible to find a PS2 earlier this year and they were going for $130 and up).

I'm also assuming that Sony gets paid when the stores buy their systems, not when customers do. If you wanted to "hurt" Sony, you should've bought a 60GB PS3 at launch when they were losing $200+ on each system they sold.[/QUOTE]
I found a PSone with an LCD screen about 6 months or more after Sony discontinued them for $15, but that was largely due to the fact that the Kmarts I hit tend to bury stuff in the bottom of their cases. Case in point, the one Kmart by here has a mish mash of systems and accessories all along the bottom cases in their electronics department, so I wouldn't doubt if there's even an old PS1 system buried in there someplace.

Up until about a year ago the closest Kmart to me had a PS3 60gb model sitting in the back of the case, so that just further goes to show how disheveled their cases are and what old hardware you can find.

So I'm not worried at all about finding a clearanced PStwo in the case long after Sony stops making them.
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']It's existed more often if you look at it from the point of view as an external device that allows you to play different games attached to current hardware. I'd count the SegaCD and Sega64 add-ons. And really, The fact that manufacturers seldom make external devices to play old games, but include backward compatibility or software emulation built-in, is kind of telling. If Sony wants to make money on selling a PS2 emulator, they'd put more effort into getting software compatibility built into the PS3 and resell people downloadable PS2 games. That's been proven to work and will make them way more coin over some bulky add-on. That's why I think such a device will never see the light of day, or if it does will be a failure.[/QUOTE]


Sega CD cost $299.99 and had very few games. PS2 the most successful console of all time, countless classics, adapter could easily be under $49.99. Sega CD managed to sell 6 million units despite the disaster that it was. A PS2 adapter could sell a fraction of that and still be profitable.

It makes sense to include bc at launch and helps sell the system, a console price is higher due to the bc..., but if it's not financially feasible then selling this instead is not a bad idea. It costs a lot to do software emulation and takes up a lot of time, that's why MS stopped it. They needed to work on other things on the software side. The Sony hardware guys aren't as busy at this point and this gives them good practice. I don't see why it would be bulky. Sega64?

[quote name='Chuplayer']Another couple examples are the Atari 2600 adapter for the 5200 and the Power Base Converter for the Genesis.

I really, really hope that a BC adapter box comes out. I worry about my 60GB PS3 all the time. I play PS2 games on it so much, and it's just the most awesome system ever.[/QUOTE]

I think you're naming examples to let people know of them but I have to state that they can't be comparable to the PS2 situation of today.

5200 was a bust, barely sold over a million. 2600 adapter for it came out ~1 year after it was released, 5200 was discontinued ~1 year later. A revised 5200 was also released with backwards compatibility built in since the 5200 was dead to begin with they really couldn't count on people buying an accessory for it and needed to use 2600 built in to help salvage something. Other issues also contributed to the adapter being failed from the beginning based on design choices http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/cx55.html

Master System did not sell that much, especially in JA/NA. Only 13 million lifetime and Genesis 29 million. In Europe it did better and the power base converter was deemed successful enough to be redesigned for the 2nd Mega Drive model. Most Genesis owners had a NES anyways given the sales of the Master System and that NES sold most of it's 62 million before Genesis launched.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I still have an SDtv that I watch tv on as well as a multi-out AV cable to hook it up to the tv with, so I'd settle for a PStwo if I could find one cheap. I don't move my systems around and plug/unplug them often once I plug them in, since I learned my lesson by constantly doing so on the front ports on my tv, which I burnt out from doing so.

As for the HDD over memory cards thing, I still have a two pack of the red/blue PS2 cards sealed that I picked up from a Sears for $5 last year and I still have my old Sony and Nyko branded cards with all my saves on them. So I'm set for memory for a PS2.

I only have a handful of PS2 games left(GTA III, Vice City, a couple others)so it's not like I'd be using it for tons of hours a week, though I did like the vigilante missions in Vice City enough to play it for 6-7 hours at a clip.

But as for buying a PStwo at $100, fuck no. I'm not buying one unless it's a cheapo from Craigslist or it's a clearanced system once Sony stops producing them. As for the add-on, if it comes to be I'll pay 10% of MSRP once it fails and Sony stops producing them, but no more than 10%.

I found a PSone with an LCD screen about 6 months or more after Sony discontinued them for $15, but that was largely due to the fact that the Kmarts I hit tend to bury stuff in the bottom of their cases. Case in point, the one Kmart by here has a mish mash of systems and accessories all along the bottom cases in their electronics department, so I wouldn't doubt if there's even an old PS1 system buried in there someplace.

Up until about a year ago the closest Kmart to me had a PS3 60gb model sitting in the back of the case, so that just further goes to show how disheveled their cases are and what old hardware you can find.

So I'm not worried at all about finding a clearanced PStwo in the case long after Sony stops making them.[/QUOTE]Shit, I wish I could find a new 60GB tucked in the back of some store shelf. :(
 
Actually the closest Kmart was just one of TWO local Kmarts that had a 60 gb up till a year ago in their case. The other one was a bit further off. I was kind of shocked when I saw them at both stores, much like I was shocked when I found that PSone w/ LCD a few years ago for $15 thanks to a tip from another CAG.

Actually the closest Sears to me just sold off their display model PS3 about 6 months ago for around $200-300. The model: a 20gb.
 
[quote name='J7.'] I don't see why it would be bulky. Sega64?[/QUOTE]

The point was more to prove that it's been done many times before, and you pretty much proved the idea is not a sure-fire winner. I will give you that a PS2 emulator would probably sell better than most of those examples, the software is plentiful because it was so popular.
It would be bulky in a sense that it would have to hold an optical drive, EE and other necessary chips. That would make the size at least half the thickness of a slim PS2 and probably half to twice more the height. Now imagine that sitting next to a fat PS3 and connected with wires. In this day and age, any external support device bigger than a 2.5" external hard drive is bulky. Plus, looking at the diagram, it needs power and some 2nd connector, possibly video out. If people complain about the inconvenience of connecting another PS2, this is the same thing with one more connector, but a bit smaller. But maybe saving the need for memory cards and controllers is enough for some.
And yeah I meant the 32x.
 
I could see this plugging in via USB for power AND perhaps the transfer of data? All they need to do is have the code run through the PS2 chips and then sent back to the PS3 to be output on the display...
 
whoa.. i don't think it has to be that big either. In the mythical world where this actually happens. I see it being barely bigger than an optical drive. Sure it might need power and usb for data transfer maybe but that's about it. Why not route the video thru the PS3. If you have to have a seperate video out then how is it any different than just having a PS2.
 
I would have thought USB and power only, but the proposed second schematic shows 3 cables, 202, 203 and 206. One is obviously power, but why the heck does it have two more? One goes into the console (USB probably), and the other goes... to the TV?

I hear you Wolfkin, but to me an optical drive is kinda big. Of course to play PS2 games it needs to be an optical drive, but the EE and other chips will also need a bit of breathing space to avoid overheating. Toss a 20mm fan in there plus the PCB connections needed for the 3 connectors and the size starts to add up a bit. All of this is theoretical of course.
 
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