PS3 Firmware Update | Backwards Compatibility Fixed

[MarkMan]

Newest update for the PS3 to firmware 1.50 fixes graphical bc issues...

Games look like they're supposed to now! Wooo..

[jajaja]

Cool that they fixed it Now people cant bitch about it anymore.

[PSerge]

At least this goes to show that Sony cares about bc..

Microsoft doesn't seem too worried about it.

This is one of the reasons I want a PS3 someday, but only after a price cut or two.

[Trebuken]

Never mind a price cut; how about a couple of more games....?

[agbulls]

So does this mean that your games will come through fine even with the HDMI cable? I had a friend who claimed his system was having this problem (before the update) only with HDMI, and not component. He claimed that using the component cables fixed the problem. Also, by the way, does the PS2 upscale DVDs with HDMI?

Maybe when it drops to around $300 I'll consider it...hopefully by then these issues will be taken care of.

[Flack]

January 24, 2007 @ 7:52AM - posted by Ben Kuchera
PS3 firmware update fixes PS2 backwards compatibility

When we went back to take a look at how the PS3 has changed and improved since launch, one of the bigger issues was how poorly the system handled backwards compatibility. A Youtube video made the issue clear to everyone and showed off just how bad some PS2 games look when played on a PS3. This morning I woke up to find a software update to my PS3, and so like a good little gamer I found a found a USB cable for my Sixaxis and downloaded it. Read the EULA, installed it, restarted; the standard PS3 procedure. Sony still only shows firmware 1.32 on their official PS3 page as of this post, so we're going in somewhat blind when it comes to figuring out what this update does.

It looks like many of the issues with PS2 games are fixed, and that's great news to people who want to get rid of their old systems when they move to a PS3. I put in Final Fantasy X-2 and it looks great, no jaggies or artifacts. My next stop was Resident Evil 4, and it looks just as good as I remember. This is a big deal, and a large problem with the PS3 has disappeared.

The other things I've noticed are smaller, but still nice to have. The Playstation Store seems to be more responsive, it doesn't feel as sluggish as I move from item to item; pages also seem to load faster. It makes the process a lot zippier.

I'm going to do more poking around to see what I can find about this update, but I'm very happy with what we've seen so far. I'm looking forward to Sony updating their firmware page to tell us everything they've updated.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thum...2007/1/24/6735

[camarotuner]

Someone wanna send a note to Microsoft telling them to fix the damned 360 backwards compatibility problems? It's the main reason I haven't bought one yet.

[RetroYoungen]

I had no idea the games look that badly without this new firmware update... gonna have to tell my customers about this crock. Any word on games like DDR though, backware compatible with the unique controllers (the DDR pads, beatmania controllers, the Taiko Drums)?

[Trebuken]

I downloaded the update and through a few games in. Did not notice anything to exciting. The games play fine thoguh I feel there is still progress to be made. I think PS1 and PS2 games still look better through PS2 component cables. They also cannot seem to fix the widescreen/black bar issues that the PS2 has with widescreen.

I did not check an DVD's but I know the PS3 did not upconvert anything prior to the update.

I should find a 480P ps2 game to check and see what happens also.

[agbulls]

I downloaded the update and through a few games in. Did not notice anything to exciting. The games play fine thoguh I feel there is still progress to be made. I think PS1 and PS2 games still look better through PS2 component cables. They also cannot seem to fix the widescreen/black bar issues that the PS2 has with widescreen.

I did not check an DVD's but I know the PS3 did not upconvert anything prior to the update.

I should find a 480P ps2 game to check and see what happens also.

Are you saying you think that ps2 games look better through component cables on the ps3 compared to hdmi or better on component cables on a ps2?

[ubersaurus]

At least this goes to show that Sony cares about bc..

Microsoft doesn't seem too worried about it.

This is one of the reasons I want a PS3 someday, but only after a price cut or two.

Yes, yes putting out a BC update less than a month ago is totally not caring about backwards compatibility at all.

[TheRedEye]

Someone wanna send a note to Microsoft telling them to fix the damned 360 backwards compatibility problems? It's the main reason I haven't bought one yet.

I just did, they said "OK."

[njiska]

Someone wanna send a note to Microsoft telling them to fix the damned 360 backwards compatibility problems? It's the main reason I haven't bought one yet.

If you don't understand an issue don't comment on it. Original Xbox emulaiton is not the same deal as PS2 emulation.

[youruglyclone]

wasn't it something along the lines that the 360 uses ati gpus while the xbox used nvidia gpus.

and the playstation uses similar architecture or something.

someone verify or disprove this.

[kedawa]

someone verify or disprove this.

I nominate you.

It's true that the xbox and xbox360 use totally different gpu's and a different architecture altogether, and so bc is done through a mix of emulation and API translation.

The PS3s that are in the market today actually have the PS2 logic integrated into the hardware, much like the PS2 had the PS1 logic integrated.

There is a rumor floating around that in future PS3 iterations, PS2 logic will be dropped in favor of emulation.
For now, thogh, the PS3 and 360 have entirely different models for bc.

[njiska]

I nominate you.

It's true that the xbox and xbox360 use totally different gpu's and a different architecture altogether, and so bc is done through a mix of emulation and API translation.

The PS3s that are in the market today actually have the PS2 logic integrated into the hardware, much like the PS2 had the PS1 logic integrated.

There is a rumor floating around that in future PS3 iterations, PS2 logic will be dropped in favor of emulation.
For now, thogh, the PS3 and 360 have entirely different models for bc.

Exactly and that's why PS2 emulation on the PS3 is so easy and Xbox emulation on the 360 is so hard. Honestly i'm shocked there were jaggies on the PS2 emulation to begin with.

Also don't forget that Sony owns the chip designs for the PS2 while Microsoft bought the chips for the Xbox but do not own the designs. I'm sure that isn't making anything easier from a legal standpoint.

[jonjandran]

Isn't it already being talked about here :

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95841

[Trebuken]

Are you saying you think that ps2 games look better through component cables on the ps3 compared to hdmi or better on component cables on a ps2?

Better on the PS2.

[PapaStu]

Isn't it already being talked about here :

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95841

Threads merged....

Continue on with the chatting

This makes me a little more willing to ponder a PS3 now that 'look' portion of the Backwards compatibility problems have been fixed, however there still is only one game i'd even like to think about getting for the system and that just isn't enough for me to make the plunge.

[Emuaust]

I love how people bitch the PS3 needs its BC fixed yet also give excuses to why the 360 situation is the way it is.

I would like to know how truthful software BC is as it could be a contributing factor
in if I purchase one come March.