Sony has recently revealed that the PSVR 2 will not be backwards 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 in doing so it is leaving the PSVR games behind. While not all of the games were stellar, the lack of backwards compatibility feels like a disservice to those titles and the players who bought into PSVR.
This is not the first time that Sony has been resistant to including backwards compatibility with its hardware, and it may not be the last. While Microsoft was creating a catalog of Xbox 360 titles that could be played on Xbox One, Sony was not interested in giving the PlayStation 4 the ability to read old games. The studio does include older games through PlayStation Plus, but it 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 is a pretty good reason for this.
Sony's Reason for Not Offering PSVR Backwards Compatibility
In an episode of the PlayStation podcast, the senior vice president of platform experiences Hideaki Nishino 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 just not compatible with new hardware. The development process for PSVR 2 is apparently a whole different process than it was for the PSVR, and these games were never built with that in mind.
The PSVR 2 will feature a bunch of hardware upgrades that will make the VR experience a lot better. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the brand-new controllers that will come with the headset. The PSVR was controlled via a DualShock 4 or a PS Move controller, and the games were designed to utilize those. The PSVR 2 will include a whole new controller built for the headset called the PSVR 2 Sense Controller. This controller is built with VR in mind and is supposed to deliver a pretty realistic experience when playing the games.
On top of the brand-new controllers, the PSVR 2 will feature a host of different upgrades. The headset will feature four times the pixel count of the PSVR which will make the images far more crisp. The PSVR 2 will also do away with many of the external devices that the first generation needed, like the PS4 Camera and large breakout box. The PSVR 2 will hook up directly to the PS5 through the USB-C port, and the headset will feature on-board cameras tracking the movement of the player.
The PSVR 2 will significantly cut back on external peripherals that players have to utilize, and that should make the headset far easier to use. However, all of these new technologies allegedly make it so that the PSVR titles are simply not compatible. The games were built with all the old hardware in mind, and PSVR 2 will be shaking things up. This means that developers have to make whole new versions of their titles instead of simply porting them over, and that is what many studios have chosen to do in lieu of backwards compatibility.
The Lack of Backwards Compatibility is a Disappointment
While Sony's reasoning may make some sense, the lack of backwards compatibility just feels like a disservice to the games and those who bought into the first-generation headset. If VR gaming sticks around, then Sony will probably want to make a PSVR 3 at some point, and then the PSVR 2 games could also be left in the dust. The studio has already set the precedent, and there is not much stopping it from doing this again.
This wouldn't be the first time that the question of backwards compatibility has been raised due to a leap in technology. It often comes up between console generations, as many players do not want to leave their libraries behind. Microsoft usually tends to allow backwards compatibility with their consoles, but Sony was not as willing to offer the feature during the PS4 era. Instead, it wanted gamers to subscribe to PlayStation Now for their chance at playing older games on the PS4.
The lack of backwards compatibility on the PSVR 2 feels like an extension of that, and that does not seem very consumer friendly. PSVR owners will have to leave the games that they purchased 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 most likely have to purchase 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 already bought if they want to experience them again.
The PSVR 2 situation also brings up more worries over game preservation. Preserving the gaming industry has always been a hot topic as new consoles release, leaving the older consoles and games behind. Online stores have also been shutting down, which has cut 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 gaming industry moves forward, it is leaving many video games in the dust. Sony's decision to not have backwards compatibility between its VR headsets is just another example of leaving games behind, and something needs to be done.
PSVR 2 will feature all sorts of different upgrades that will surely excite VR fans, but Sony is also inconveniencing those who bought into its first-generation. Time will tell if players will have to repurchase games they already bought, but that seems like the most likely future. This is just another step in a long line of leaving games behind, and the industry should do a better job of counteracting this.
PlayStation VR2 is launching in early 2023.