PlayStation 4 tipped to emulate PS1 and PS2 titles

Every new console generation brings up questions about backward compatibility with previous, and sometimes more well-loved, games. Tough nothing official has been disclosed, sources close to the matter have revealed that the latest PlayStation 4 will practically support titles from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 via hardware emulation.

It might surprise some to know that Sony has actually had a history of supporting older games, though that history hasn't exactly been consistent nor desirable. In particular, the PlayStation 3 firmware actually supported hardware emulation for PS1 and PS2 as well as PSP. The PS Vita, on the other, used the same technology for running PS1 games as well.

Unfortunately, Sony has phased out hardware emulation and transitioned over to software emulation, in cases where it didn't actually scrap support for playing older games. The PlayStation 4 has already been reported to soon play PlayStation 3 games, but that will be through the newly unveiled PlayStation Now streaming service.

Sony surprisingly won't be taking the same route for PS1 and PS2 games. Instead, those titles will run locally via hardware emulation once again. There is even talk that Sony is pushing for native HD resolutions without having to go through the process of remastering those games. As mentioned previously, Sony already has the technology and the experience to execute this.

Of course, nothing is official yet. Sony can also very well end up using PlayStation Now to stream all previous gen titles, which might be a better business move to promote its streaming service. There will definitely be benefits to running things locally even via emulation, like less input latency and better HD scaling, but any game that can run on the PS3 can also run on PlayStation Now as well. Sony might try to take the path of least resistance in terms of technology and distribution, but we hope they will make the best decision for gamers.

VIA: Eurogamer

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Unity 4.3 PS Vita build live: time for cross-platform gaming

This week the folks at Unity have let it be known that their Unity 4.3 build is out for thePlayStation Vita, a device that will now be able to work with a number of abilities in cross-platform gaming. There's a new PS Vita devkit being released for developers for this platform, allowing them to quickly integrate the games they've already made - or are making - into the Unity universe, therefor allowing them to be played on the PS Vita easily.
This release allows developers to create games that'll work with the full suite of PlayStation Network feature. This includes trophies, matching functionality, and friends in the mix. Developers will now be able to take part in the PS Vita's motion sensor functions, front and rear cameras, and dual analog sticks. They'll also be able to work with the PS Vita's rear touchpad - unique to this platform.



In this release you'll find games like developer "Zoink!" ushering in games like "Stick It To The Man", a game that'll be released to PlayStation 3 and PS Vita simultaneously. This game has been developed in Unity and will be rolling natively - in more ways than one - on both gaming hardware platforms immediately if not soon.

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OWC PS4 HDD upgrade kit gives you more space for content

Sony has been doing very well with its PS4 game console. The company sold a huge numberof units and by early December of 2013, Sony reported 2.1 million units sold. The companycouldhave sold even more if supply had been able to keep up with demand.One of the nice things about the PS4 is that the HDD is easily accessible and uses a standard laptop style drive inside. That means that the drive is easy to replace with a larger unit to give more storage space for content. Other World Computing, known as OWC, announced last week that it had a slick little PS4 HDD upgrade kit that comes with all the items you need to upgrade your console.One of the nice things about the PS4 is that the HDD is easily accessible and uses a standard laptop style drive inside. That means that the drive is easy to replace with a larger unit to give more storage space for content. Other World Computing, known as OWC, announced last week that it had a slick little PS4 HDD upgrade kit that comes with all the items you need to upgrade your console.Not only do the drives used in the upgrade kits give more storage space to users, the drives are also faster giving the PS4 a performance boost. The HDD upgrade kits come in 1TB and 1.5TB capacity. OWC also has two SSD upgrade options to add storage space and improve performance.The SSD upgrades are offered in 240GB and 480GB versions. The 1TB HDD upgrade is $99 with the 1.5TB version selling for $149.99. The 240GB SSD upgrade is $219 with the 480GB version selling for $399. The kits include the drive, a screwdriver, flash drive for PS4 data download, and instructions.

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Who Needs a Console – PlayStation Games Going Console-Free?

Announced at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, Sony will soon be introducing a new approach in gaming. Beginning this year, Sony will be rolling out a method that will allow subscribers to play some of their greatest gaming hits without the use of a console. Amazing and yet disturbing news considering how many millions of people have just purchased PS4′s, outselling Microsoft Xbox One’s by a million units.

What Sony’s proposing is to being allowing their latest smart TVs, (2014 Sony Bravia), PS4′s, PS3′s and PSVita’s to stream back catalogue games through the cloud. We already know that Sony plunged heap loads of dollars, (the $380m acquisition of Gaikai in 2012) and man hours into developing their new cloud server system, we just didn’t know how vast their scope was in doing so. Now that it’s complete, Sony fully intends to take full advantage of its capabilities and plan on continuing to do so far into the future.

The initial roll out will be a US only, restricted test of the services beginning later this month with plans to begin a more expansive launch this summer. The Sony Bravia TVs will be the first devices utilizing this new service, but Sony also plans to open the market up to 3rd parties. While Sony has yet to provide many details as to what other platforms, such as smartphones, tablets, etc. will be able to access this fine new feature, Samsung, one of Sony’s chief rivals, has said that they plan on Partnering with Sony to allow their TVs to offer game access as well.

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