Do you care about Cross+Backward compatibility?

[Jon]

I truly hope the next generation of gaming consoles offer cross-compatibility so all gamers can unite and play online, regardless of their console manufacturer. Also, backward compatibility is just as if not more important to me since I have over a TB of PS4 games saved to my external drive which I'd very much like to be able to access from the PlayStation 5 whenever it hits the shelves and then my house.

What are your thoughts on cross and backward compatibility with the next wave of consoles?

 

[Carlos X]

I truly hope the next generation of gaming consoles offer cross-compatibility so all gamers can unite and play online, regardless of their console manufacturer. Also, backward compatibility is just as if not more important to me since I have over a TB of PS4 games saved to my external drive which I'd very much like to be able to access from the PlayStation 5 whenever it hits the shelves and then my house.

What are your thoughts on cross and backward compatibility with the next wave of consoles?

Both aren't make or break for me. As long as the console is good, runs smooth and well, I have no problem losing backward or cross platform compatibility.

People are crying needlessly about cross-platform play on social media, right now, but I see it as Sony does; a security issue. When Microsoft played up this cross-platform stuff, it's because they have an agenda. Not too long afterwards, Sony's stock price went down. *claps* Well played, MicroTrash. Obviously, they did this to get a jump-start for the next generation consoles. What's that I said? Consoles. Microsoft is planning not one, not two, maybe even 3 SKU's. There are even rumors at this point that Microsoft is planning to replace Xbox One S and Xbox One X with new models, one of them is a disk-less Xbox.

As for Backwards Compatibility? I commend Microsoft for their implementations of Backward Compatibility. There is two different kind of Backward Compatibility with Xbox One-branded consoles: If you have an Xbox/Xbox 360 Disc, you can pop it into your Xbox One console. The other one is straight up downloading the disc from the Microsoft Store or Xbox Game Pass.

Now, do I want cross-play? It'd be cool, but it's not a deal breaker. However, there are kids and other folks who think it is. Wah wah. Complain.

Do I want backward compatibility? Again, it'd be cool, but it's not a deal breaker. We do need backward compatibility in some form, but if it can't happen, then it can't happen. PS1 is easy to emulate, or PlayStation Classic wouldn't have existed. PS2 is a little easy to emulate and upgrade, but it would be nice to have. PS3 was difficult to develop for so I'm not holding my breath. PS4 can definitely happen, because x86. But I'm not going to go on social media and complain about backward compatibility. If kids want to, then by all means do so, but they need to understand that backward compatibility isn't easy, especially PS2/3.

 

[Deleted member 44219]

I don't think cross-compatibility is that important. Yes it shows a major part in gaming history and it can be used to emulate old games for nostalgia. But it doesn't mean that every console should have it. Cross-play is something I would like to see but I'm not desperate for it. Not to mention that cross-play is hard to implement, plus, Sony was trying to stop cross-play with XBox One players.

Overall, I don't really care about these things in gaming. Yes they'd be fun but what I care about is memorable experiences, decent graphics and awesome gameplay.

 

[Poida]

Cross is not such a big deal but backwards compatibility is important to me.

 

[TopSilver]

I agree with @Poida cross platform play isn't a big deal to me either as much as backward compatibility as far as games go. However it seems more realistic that they do roll with the punch after so many years that all consoles and pc merge into one for online gaming. Of course platforms will always have their own agenda but it seems that Microsoft may be taking this into consideration for their next console rumored to be called the Xbox Scarlet. You can do a quick search to see details on that. They like to compete with eachother and play around so I'm sure that PS4 will follow and if PS4 is the first one the same thing for Xbox. Not sure when this will be implemented but it's basically what the future for gaming holds.

 

[Azareal]

This is one of many reasons that I mostly play PC games instead of console ones.
They will basically run until the Earth turns to dust.

Consoles were alright during the age of PS1 and PS2 when they were breaking a lot of ground, but these days, modern consoles are basically restricted PCs anyway.

 

[Poida]

I agree with @Poida cross platform play isn't a big deal to me either as much as backward compatibility as far as games go. However it seems more realistic that they do roll with the punch after so many years that all consoles and pc merge into one for online gaming. Of course platforms will always have their own agenda but it seems that Microsoft may be taking this into consideration for their next console rumored to be called the Xbox Scarlet. You can do a quick search to see details on that. They like to compete with eachother and play around so I'm sure that PS4 will follow and if PS4 is the first one the same thing for Xbox. Not sure when this will be implemented but it's basically what the future for gaming holds.

I dunno if PS4 will do it but looks like PS5 is likely to which pleases me. I think BC is a great thing.

 

[TopSilver]

I agree with @Poida cross platform play isn't a big deal to me either as much as backward compatibility as far as games go. However it seems more realistic that they do roll with the punch after so many years that all consoles and pc merge into one for online gaming. Of course platforms will always have their own agenda but it seems that Microsoft may be taking this into consideration for their next console rumored to be called the Xbox Scarlet. You can do a quick search to see details on that. They like to compete with eachother and play around so I'm sure that PS4 will follow and if PS4 is the first one the same thing for Xbox. Not sure when this will be implemented but it's basically what the future for gaming holds.

I dunno if PS4 will do it but looks like PS5 is likely to which pleases me. I think BC is a great thing.

Yes I think PS5 and the Xbox Scarlet both are planning to. Should be quite interesting

 

[Cam]

I’m not really concerned about cross-compatibility. I guess it’s cool being able to play with people on other platforms when I’m playing Rocket League, but it doesn’t make or break the experience for me.

Backwards compatibility is something I’d really like to see. It’s annoying seeing these subscription type of services that just give you digital access to an archive of old games. For me, it just feels like I’m buying the games again.

 

[Ravenfreak]

Cross compatibility doesn't concern me, however backwards compatibility does. And this is one of the features I love about the Xbox One over the competition. Sure not all 360 games are backwards compatible, and probably a lot of them never will be but the fact that Microsoft is allowing people to play their favorite 360 games on their Xbox One is great!

 

[two50v]

Cross-play is dumb. Unless of course you're referring to crossdressing cosplayers, in which that is super adorable! ^-^

I personally am a fan of BC as long as it means I can use original discs and the compatibility is okay. I actually own a CECHC03 60GB PS3 (2nd generation/PAL launch model) which serves me well, don't understand why they made one or two NTSC fat models with full software emulation (as opposed to having the Graphics Synthesiser chip) and then stopped making them BC PS2 altogether, when actually the PS2 software emulator actually works in the later models with mods! 🙂

 

[edenwax]

Cross platform is kinda of meh. Yeah its neat that I can play Microsoft exclusives on Xbox and PC but I'd rather play on my PC where I get higher FPS and better graphics.. plus I can plug an Xbox controller in my PC and plug my PC into a TV so.. whats the appeal of playing it on an Xbox at that point?

I exclusively play on PC these days so backwards compatibility isn't really relevant. That being said, there are some PS4 exclusives I'd like to play and I probably wont have the funds to buy a console until the PS5 exists.. so hopefully that has backwards compatibility.

 

[Fullmoon]

I wish they would make consoles backward compatible because not everyone can afford to buy another console to replace they're kaput ones.

 

[Ghost]

I look at it both ways.
For one, focusing on a new generation of games and hardware allows each new console to be produced at a high quality and without worrying as much about past mistakes of older consoles or development. If you want a console to be cross compatible, you have to embrace the older systems even if there were things wrong with them. However, I do think that as time goes on each console is more reliable and similar, so being compatible with older games is ideal. Obviously some money can be saved by not offering this option, but the benefit to the consumer is significant and may increase overall sales of the new system to justify the cost. Games can be quite costly and not everyone can afford to buy a new version of a new game for an updated console, so they may even opt to stay on an older console playing their favorite games rather than upgrade and have to buy those games again... So allowing those older games to be played on the new console is a great selling point for them. Sure, they have to buy the new console, but if they have even just a few favorite games they are saving hundreds of dollars by not having to buy them twice.

Cross compatibility is definitely something I would like to see more of.
We see it all the time with PC games. Nobody really cares if you're on a Dell, Asus, or an Acer. Of course, each system has flaws, benefits, etc, but they are all for the most part using Microsoft Windows. The operating software is the same across so many of the systems. The problem is that a PlayStation is not running the same operating system as an Xbox, so cross compatibility may add significant costs to not only the console producers, but the game developers as well. I think it's definitely worth achieving, and I wonder if in the future the Xbox or PS operating systems could become a little less guarded so other hardware companies could have consoles. For example, Microsoft could lease the Xbox software to Dell, which could then in turn make their own console. Sony could get rid of the PS software and use Xbox software, but use the PS console & controllers. There's so much you can do if the software is more freely shared & developed by multiple companies... Similar to how Linux can run on different computers as long as you get the correct drivers to work with the hardware. Even if this didn't happen, that's totally fine. I think the best solution would be to just have more collaboration and shared 'protocols' for game developers to use so that the games can connect with the servers of the other. So PS would still control the hardware & operating system of their console, and same with the Xbox... but the way they connect to game servers would be similar and streamlined so that a PS player can connect with an Xbox player, and a PC player too.

The only issue I see with cross compatibility is when the hardware affects the gameplay. For example, a PC user can react a lot faster in a first person shooter than an Xbox player. In fact, when Xbox & PC players were connected in certain FPS games, it was found that the PC users had a significant advantage and the feature was removed from many games... it was just too unfair. Even with aim-assist, console players simply could not react as fast or as accurately as someone with a mouse. I worry that cross compatibility, even just between various consoles (not PC), will lead to concerns that certain players have advantages... it could be due to slight input lag, processing speed, controller layout, etc. Imagine a counter strike tournament, or a contest for a game... Is it really fair if one console has an advantage? In the world of eSports, even just a half-second delay or better controller layout can completely change the chances of winning. Other than that, I think it's a great idea & worth every penny.