PlayStation 3

Sony was fairly clear about the state of PlayStation 4 backward compatibility during last month’s PlayStation Meeting. While revered Gaikai gaffer David Perry had already alluded to the lack of native PlayStation 3 support during his portion of the press conference, Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida later confirmed that the upcoming console will not support your current generation content in any meaningful manner. But has the revelation affected your usual purchasing habits in any way?

Cloudy mystery

The company has promised to investigate streaming solutions on the PS4, but it’s unclear whether it will provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional hardware-based backward compatibility. Running content in the cloud will not be an inexpensive endeavour for the platform holder, so it seems unlikely that it would give you access to your current generation catalogue for free. As such, until the company announces differently, it’s probably safe to assume that your PS3 collection will be tied to its existing home for the foreseeable future.

For those of you that intend to keep hold of your PS3, that shouldn’t raise much of an issue. With titles such as Quantic Dream’s intriguing Beyond: Two Souls due out around the same time as the next generation machine – and rumours regarding Gran Turismo 6 and LittleBigPlanet 3 both for the PS3 – it may not make sense to offload your console right away. But we understand that there are those of you that don’t have room for multiple systems, or may be planning to sell your current slate of gaming equipment in order to afford the next generation machine. And that does provide a problem.

Locked out

The release schedule over the past couple of weeks has been packed with more titles than previous years, as publishers scramble to deploy the remainder of their current generation content in preparation for the impending PS4. But has the absence of backward compatibility encouraged you to reconsider shelling out for titles like Tomb Raider and DmC: Devil May Cry, or have you been purchasing titles as normal without a care for the imminent hardware transition?

And if the lack of future-proofing hasn’t had an impact on your physical purchases, then what of digital transactions, too? Boxed games can easily be resold or given away at a later date, but this isn’t possible on the PlayStation Network. Have you found yourself less willing to invest in downloadable games, knowing that the content will be inaccessible unless you opt to keep your PS3 hooked up in perpetuity?

Generational shift

It’s a discussion that’s probably going to depend on the manner in which you consume games. If you’re the sort of player that rarely returns to titles, then you may not be affected by the absence of backward compatibility on the PS4. But if you prefer to revisit games multiple times over prolonged periods – whether it’s to replay a campaign that you enjoyed, collect Trophies, or invest in multiplayer – then you could find yourself put out by the next generation platform’s lack of legacy support.

Of course, the conversation also hinges on whether you intend to upgrade in the first place. With the PS3 still showing signs of a promising future, and the PS4 almost certain to occupy a premium price tag, you may have decided to stay put for the time being. But for those of you that have already committed to the transition into the next generation, how has the absence of backward compatibly affected you?

Have you found yourself reconsidering PS3 purchases in light of the PS4’s limited legacy support? What do you intend to do with your current generation catalogue once the next generation arrives? Let us know in the comments section and poll below.

Has the PS4's lack of backward compatibility affected your PS3 purchasing habits? (36 votes)

  1. Yes, I'm now buying less PS3 games in general6%
  2. I'm still buying retail releases, but have cut down on PSN purchases6%
  3. I'm not bothered because I'm not buying a PS422%
  4. No, I'm buying exactly the same number of PS3 games67%

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