Sony exec on backward compatibility: ‘Why would anybody play this?’

Raise your hand if you want your PS4 to play old games too

Sony savaged Microsoft when the pair announced PS4 and Xbox One details. Not only was the latter, still Kinect-packed, more expensive, but it required an online connection and couldn’t even play used games. At E3 2013, Sony ethered Microsoft with this “used game instructional video.” The Xbox One still hasn’t quite recovered.

But at E3 2015, Microsoft did have some response, albeit reminiscent of when you think of the perfect thing you could’ve said to the jerk who took your parking spot after you’ve already driven home: the Xbox One would play some Xbox 360 games. Which ones? Here’s a list.

Sony had always supported backward compatibility in its consoles until it stripped the feature away in later PS3 models. The PS4 notably launched unable to play older games and Sony has since taken to selling PS2 games through the PlayStation Network for those who want to buy games they own, again.

Speaking to Time, Sony’s head of global sales and marketing, Jim Ryan offered the following:

“When we’ve dabbled with backwards compatibility, I can say it is one of those features that is much requested, but not actually used much. That, and I was at a Gran Turismo event recently where they had PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 games, and the PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?”

Ryan is, again, the head of global sales and marketing for Sony, a company that will happily take your $10 to play God Hand on PS4, saying the games they are still selling to you for money “look ancient” and wondering why any dumb idiot would be stupid enough to play that garbage. Hmm.

Everything Sony Told Us About the Future of PlayStation [Time]