PS3 to get PS2 backwards compatibility via streaming, claim sources
Simon Williams June 1, 2012 - 2:28 pmNews: The PlayStation 3 will finally see the return of PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility via a streaming solution provided by Gaikai, sources within the industry have claimed.
The rumour mill is abuzz with claims that Sony will enter into some form of partnership with cloud streaming company Gaikai to provide the ability to play PlayStation 2 games on the PS3 once again.
Sources claim that the initial deal will be for Sony first party titles initially, but that it will be opened to allow third parties to flog old games offer to chance to sample their rich PS2 back catalogues to consumers. The announcement, the report on GamesIndustry.biz claims, is likely to be part of Sony’s E3 press conference on Monday.
Gaikai uses remote servers to stream games over the internet in a similar manner to OnLive, and has previously mainly been targeting PC demos and advertising. It’s unclear exactly how the PS2 games would be run, though PC emulation is the likeliest answer. The service could extend beyond the PS3 itself to the Vita, as well as other Sony hardware such as tablets and smartphones.
The PS3 initially sported PS2 compatibility (to a degree) at launch, but this was one of the features cut when Sony redesigned the console in an attempt to reduce costs. The loss of backwards compatibility has remained a thorny issue for some ever since.
We’ll keep our ears peeled for any more info on this should it appear, and we’ll be all over E3 2012 as it happens from next Monday.
