Sony on Backwards Compatibility for PS4: ‘Why Would Anyone Play This?’

If you were holding off on a PS4 until Sony announces that you can play your PS3 or PS2 or even PS1 games on it, think again.

Sony’s Head of Global Sales and Marketing Jim Ryan has suggested this will not happen anytime soon.

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"When we've dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much," said Ryan in an interview. "That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?"

While it might seem understandable, this approach serves to benefit its PlayStation Now game streaming service, which lets PS4 owners access limited PS3 titles for a fee. On the other hand, Microsoft approach benefits existing Xbox 360 owners looking to upgrade to a new console. Backward compatibility for the Xbox One ensures it is a valid option.

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And while the PS4 is the dominant platform, you’d think that there would be a greater emphasis on ensuring an ecosystem of sorts or a library that could be carried across hardware generations, akin to how Microsoft allows Xbox 360 games to be played on the Xbox One and the upcoming Xbox Scorpio. Evidently, Sony thinks otherwise.