PlayStation 4: Sony not to offer backwards compatibility

Backwards compatibility is one of the major upcoming features on Microsoft's Xbox One. But Sony is sticking to its guns and will not offer anything similar to users of PlayStation 4. The company is not in development to offer backwards compatibility, instead preferring to focus on new games.

Jim Ryan, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's president and CEO, in an interview with video game-centric site Eurogamer, said backwards compatibility "is a feature that's not used that much". Ryan's response is similar to a previous statement by Sony Computer Entertainment World Wide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida and shows the company's rigidity on the subject.

"It was very interesting to look at that montage of the various Tekkens, and seeing how those things have evolved over the years. The first one, which I loved, looks prehistoric. The next generation comes along, and people just jump at it," Ryan told the site on the sidelines of the Paris Games Week.

"It gets talked about, and it's always high on the list of what people want, but it's not a feature that gets used that much. Our focus is on the new games."

Sony's assertion signals its intention to encourage gamers to access PlayStation Now to play some of their favourite PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 titles. Somehow, this gives an edge to Xbox One, which is due to get backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games starting this month.

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