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In an exciting moment for video game nostalgia, Sony has confirmed that emulation technology that will enable PlayStation 2 games to be played on the latest console, the PlayStation 4.
Emulators are popular on PCs for playing classic games that are no longer available on modern consoles, but improvements in the technology on consoles and their connection to the internet means emulation is starting to become more prominent on current generation gaming systems.
In an emailed statement to Wired, a Sony representative said: “We are working on utilising PS2 emulation technology to bring PS2 games forward to the current generation.
“We have nothing further to comment at this point in time.”
The technology is clearly already being heavily tested by Sony, as alongside the launch of Star Wars Battlefront this week, classic PS2 Star Wars titles Racer Revenge, Jedi Starfighter and Bounty Hunter were all made available as part of a bundle.
Gaming experts have noted that the most interesting part of all this is that these emulated games now come with Trophy support for in-game achievements. This suggests they have been embedded firmly into PlayStation 4′s ecosystem, with content being added to the games.
Last month, Sony also sent out a survey to PlayStation 4 users asking them about the most important features they would like to see added to the platform. Among the options was both “PS1 classics” and “PS2 classics”, suggesting PlayStation is keen to gauge customer interest in emulation, and using the technology more widely.
The confirmation also comes as Xbox has begun offering backwards compatibility on the Xbox One for games that were launched on its previous console, the Xbox 360.
