Sony recently revealed that the PSVR 2 will not be backward compatible with any of the PSVR titles. The next-generation headset will feature all sorts of different upgrades that will supposedly make the virtual reality experience better, but leave the PSVR games behind. While not all games were great, the lack of backward compatibility feels like a disservice to those titles and the players who bought PSVR.
This isn’t the first time Sony has been resistant to including backwards compatibility with its hardware, and it might not be the last. While Microsoft was building a catalog of Xbox 360 titles that could be played on Xbox One, Sony wasn’t interested in giving the PlayStation 4 the ability to read old games. The studio does include older games through PlayStation Plus, but asks players to pay for games they may have already purchased. The lack of backwards compatibility on PSVR 2 feels like an extension of that, but Sony claims there’s a pretty good reason for that.
Sony’s reason for not offering backwards compatibility with PSVR
On an episode of the PlayStation podcast, Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform experiences, revealed that PSVR 2 would not be backwards compatible with PSVR titles. The PSVR 2 is designed to deliver a next-generation VR experience, and the PSVR titles are simply not compatible with new hardware. The development process for PSVR 2 is apparently a very different process than for the PSVR, and these games were never built with that in mind.
The PSVR 2 will include some hardware upgrades that will make the VR experience a lot better. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the brand new controllers that come with the headset. The PSVR was controlled via a DualShock 4 or a PS Move controller, and the games are designed to use that. The PSVR 2 will feature an all-new controller built for the headset, the PSVR 2 Sense Controller. Built with VR in mind, this controller should provide a pretty realistic experience when playing the games.
In addition to the brand new controllers, the PSVR 2 will feature a host of different upgrades. The headset has four times the number of pixels of the PSVR, making the images much sharper. The PSVR 2 also eliminates many of the external devices that the first generation required, such as the PS4 camera and the large breakout box. The PSVR 2 connects directly to the PS5 via the USB-C port, and the headset has built-in cameras that track the player’s movement.
The PSVR 2 will cut down significantly on external peripherals that players have to use, and that should make the headset much easier to use. However, all these new technologies would make it so that the PSVR titles are simply not compatible. The games are built with all the old hardware in mind and PSVR 2 will shake things up. This means developers have to create whole new versions of their titles rather than just porting them over, which is what many studios have opted for over backwards compatibility.
The lack of backwards compatibility is a disappointment
While Sony’s reasoning might make sense, the lack of backward compatibility just feels like a disservice to the games and those who bought the first-generation headset. If VR gaming sticks, then Sony will probably want to make a PSVR 3 someday, and then the PSVR 2 games could also be left in the dust. The studio has already set a precedent and there’s not much stopping it from doing it again.
This wouldn’t be the first time the issue of backwards compatibility has been raised due to a technological leap. It’s common between console generations, as many players don’t want to leave their libraries behind. Microsoft usually tends to allow backwards compatibility with their consoles, but Sony wasn’t as willing to offer the feature during the PS4 era. Instead, gamers wanted to subscribe to PlayStation Now for their chance to play older games on the PS4.
The lack of backwards compatibility on the PSVR 2 feels like an extension of that, and that doesn’t seem very customer-friendly. PSVR owners will have to leave the games they bought behind and will have to buy all new games for this new headset. Many PSVR developers are working on PSVR 2 versions of their games and players will probably have to buy them again. Instead of just playing the games they own on a new console, PSVR fans will have to spend more money on games they’ve already bought if they want to experience them again.
The PSVR 2 situation also raises more concerns about game preservation. Preserving the game industry has always been a hot topic when new consoles were released, leaving the older consoles and games behind. Online stores have also been closed, cutting players off from thousands of titles; similarly, Ubisoft recently shut down online services for many games, cutting players off from certain experiences forever. As the game industry advances, it leaves many video games in the dust. Sony’s decision not to have backwards compatibility between its VR headsets is just another example of abandoning games and something needs to be done.
PSVR 2 will feature all sorts of different upgrades that are sure to excite VR fans, but Sony is also hindering those who bought the first generation. Time will tell if players will have to re-purchase games they’ve already bought, but that seems like the most likely future. This is just another step in a long line of games leaving behind, and the industry should better counteract this.
Playstation VR2 will start in early 2023.
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