Sony confirms PS4 backwards compatibility with PS2 emulation tech

PlayStation 4 consoles will one day be able to play PS2 games, with Sony confirming that they are working on emulation technology to make that happen. This coincides with three Star Wars PS2 games heading to PS4 as part of a promotion with Star Wars Battlefront.

"We are working on utilising PS2 emulation technology to bring PS2 games forward to the current generation," a Sony representative told Wired. "We have nothing further to comment at this point in time."

This follows Digital Foundry's investigation into the three PS2 Star Wars games, which found that they weren't simple ports, but rather ran under emulation. Back in early 2014 it was reported that emulation of PS2 and original PlayStation games would one day be available to play on PS4 – bringing backwards compatibility to the device.

"The arrival of PS2 emulation on the PlayStation 4 is a big deal," says Digital Foundry's article. "But it is a little odd that a lovely piece of technology that's bound to excite a lot of interest has slipped out without any kind of fanfare." Well, the fanfare can begin now.

Sony's cautious approach to backwards computability is likely due to its expanding PlayStation Now service, which offers a form of backwards compatibility with PS3 games on PS4 for a monthly subscription.

The PlayStation 2 is the most successful home console of all time, and a classic thanks to its incredibly vast catalogue of games including numerous classic games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Devil Mary Cry, God of War 2, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

Sony's plans for the emulation technology, or how exactly it will be implemented in the future will remain hard to tell until more information is announced. This follows the implementation of Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on Xbox One – which Microsoft announced earlier this year.

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