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Ubisoft Pulls Post About Backwards Compatibility Over Inaccuracies

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments
Ubisoft

In October, Ubisoft tossed its hat in the ring to discuss its games that’d be incompatible with the PS5, many of which were Assassin’s Creed titles, but it was later pulled. This would’ve affected many of the modern entries to its flagship franchise, which is readying to launch Assassin’s Creed Valhalla later this month. Well, it turns out that was all apparently riddled with inaccuracies.

According to Gematsu, which reached out to Ubisoft on the matter, the post was removed because of inaccurate statements.

“We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5.”

This doesn’t mean all games listed will be compatible, but with all the Assassin’s Creed entries, it’s feasible that the studio might be trying to fix the compatibility issues as we’ve seen in the past, as best it can before letting loose a statement about the games that will be incompatible.

What do you think? Tell us below!

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Sony Confirms PlayLink Games To Be Backwards Compatible

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 2 Comments
PlayLink

PlayLink games, which were perceived to not be backwards compatible on the PS5, have been confirmed to apparently work. Earlier this month, Sony dropped a list of games that wouldn’t be backwards compatible. Among these games, it also noted the PS4 Second Screen and companion apps wouldn’t be compatible.

This left a few extra games out of the list including That’s You, Hidden Agenda, and Knowledge is Power, which both require a third-party app to function. While the games are confirmed to work, it’s not quite explained how. While games like Erica can be played with a controller, so that’s easy enough, but games that don’t have that luxury need apps and if companion apps aren’t compatible, how can they function?

More light will be shed as the PS5 launches, but Sony should have at least cited an answer as to how the games will function. Perhaps Sony’s working on a brand-new PlayLink app or something, but only time will tell.

What do you think? Do you even care if PlayLink games aren’t compatible? Tell us below!

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These PS4 Games Won’t Be Backwards Compatible

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 0 Comments
Backwards compatibility

Up to around 99 percent of the PS4 library will be playable on the PS5. This is a confirmed thing that Sony made crystal clear, but it’s always been a point of contention as to what games made the cut of that small percentage that won’t get the backwards compatibility treatment. Well, it seems Sony finally gave us the answer in an FAQ page and it certainly doesn’t seem like users will miss out on that much, all things considered.

DWVR
Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One
TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2
Just Deal With It!
Shadow Complex Remastered
Robinson: The Journey
We Sing
Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
Shadwen
Joe’s Diner

That said, even though this is the official list, it is missing some games that would feasibly fit the unsupported mold. Games like Knowledge is Power, That’s You, and other PlayLink games are out of the question to get backwards compatibility as Sony noted the PS5 won’t support PS4 Second Screen or game companion apps.

UPDATE (10/11/20): Mad Triangles announced it’s working to fix DWVR’s compatibility issue.

What do you think? Tell us below!

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PS5 Won’t Be Backwards Compatible With PS3 And Earlier

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger 1 Comment
PS5

With the confirmed backwards compatibility of the PS5 with regards to the PS4, many felt the urge to question if it extended beyond that to previous consoles. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be the case. During an interview with Famitsu (via Siliconera), PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan had some slightly disappointing, but understandable, news – it won’t have backwards compatibility with the PS3, PS2, or PS1.

It’s hard to tell exactly why they are opting out of this, but frankly, it isn’t too shocking. The PS4 had over 100 million users, so bringing that market onto the next generation wouldn’t be the most difficult thing if they could still play their favorite games on that console.

“We keep in mind the engineering specialized for the PS5, as we produced the device. In the midst of that, the PS4 already has 100 million players; we thought they ought to want to play PS4 titles on the PS5 as well indeed, so we included compatibility with the PS4. While implementing that, we also focused our efforts on taking in the high-speed SSD and the new controller DualSense at the same time. So, unfortunately, we couldn’t reach the implementation of such compatibilities.”

It might be worth noting that the PS4 and PS5 utilize a similar structure while the PS3 deviated from it and was notoriously difficult to develop for.

The PS5 is slated to launch on November 12.

What do you think? What games did you hope to play? Tell us below!

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If Backwards Compatibility Works Like Sh**, Who Wants It?

Ben-Dutka 50 Comments

Let's be honest here:

The last system to truly do backwards compatibility correctly was the original "fatty" PlayStation 3, which featured the synthesizer chip at launch that allowed PS1 and PS2 games to play on the new machine. And it worked very well, didn't it?

At the time, Xbox 360 was using software emulation so some Xbox games worked on the new system. And it sucked. I still remember trying to play Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance II with a friend on the 360 and the emulation was so bad, it was basically unplayable. Every original Xbox game that supposedly worked on 360 sucked (of the ones I tried, at least). And then, to help lower the cost of the PS3, Sony removed that synthesizer chip, adopted a similar sort of software emulation, and everything has been downhill ever since.

I'm hearing PlayStation Now streaming doesn't work that great, either, and the updated report on the new Xbox One backwards compatibility isn't surprising: According to many, it blows . You know, there's a reason I still have the PS2 hooked up. It's because it plays PS2 and PS1 games absolutely perfectly and no system has managed to do such a fine job with b/c with the exception of that first PS3.

I remember everyone asking if PS4 should offer b/c as a feature and my only reply is this- not unless Sony can do it right . Do it right or don't do it at all. Period.

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If PS4 Had Backward Compatibility, Would You Even Care?

Ben-Dutka 124 Comments

Much is being made about the backward compatibility for Xbox One and it got me thinking:

How many PlayStation 4 fans would really love to see the same feature? And how many really couldn't care less?

Perhaps strangely, I find myself in the latter group. When the PS2 and PS3 came out, b/c was absolutely the biggest selling point for me; I hated the idea of not being able to play my older games on the new systems. It even bugged me back in the day when there was no such thing as backward compatibility. And trust me, it bugged many a parent as well, each of whom was convinced that it was a sneaky ploy on the part of Sega and Nintendo to never make a new system that would play games from the previous system. They all believed that.

But anyway, I've always loved this feature. It's only recently that I haven't cared much about it. I honestly have no idea what Xbox 360 games I'd have any interest in playing on Xbox One at this point and that remains true for PS3 and PS4. Oh, there might be a few PS3 exclusives like Heavy Rain I'd like to play through again but for the most part, I don't mind. Maybe it's because there are remasters and reboots and HD upgrades all over the place, or maybe it's because this generation's games are pretty much exactly like last generation's games, only with better graphics.

If I want to play games with substantially different gameplay, I have to go back to the days when entirely different mechanics were actually the norm. But gameplay hasn't really changed in the past decade or so; why would I play Uncharted: Drake's Fortune when Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is out? Why would I want to play the original Gears of War now? I mean, seriously? I just wonder how many PS4 owners are shrugging their shoulders at this grand new feature for Xbox One, going, "eh…don't care if PS4 ever gets it."

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