Editing Backward compatibility (section)

==Tradeoffs==
{{Generalize|section|date=May 2023}}

===Benefits===
There are several incentives for a company to implement backward compatibility. One is that it can be used to preserve older software that would have otherwise been lost when a manufacturer decides to stop supporting older hardware. A great example of this approach would be that of [[video game]]s, since it is a common example used when discussing the value of supporting older software. The cultural impact of video games is a large part of their continued success, and some believe ignoring backward compatibility would cause these titles to disappear.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/192068-backwards-compatibility-is-the-only-way-forward-2495543836.html|title=Backwards Compatibility is the Only Way Forward|date=2015-04-10|website=PopMatters|access-date=2019-11-05|archive-date=2019-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929024545/https://www.popmatters.com/192068-backwards-compatibility-is-the-only-way-forward-2495543836.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Backward compatibility also acts as a selling point for new hardware, as an existing player base can more affordably [[upgrade]] to subsequent generations of a console. This also helps to make up for the lack of titles at the launch of new systems, as users can pull from the previous console's library of games while developers transition to the new hardware.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://techconnectmagazine.com/what-is-backwards-compatibility/|title=Understanding Backwards Compatibility and How It Benefits Gamers|date=2018-08-14|website=Tech Magazine|access-date=2019-11-05|archive-date=2019-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002050018/http://techconnectmagazine.com/what-is-backwards-compatibility/|url-status=live}}</ref> Backward compatibility with the original [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] (PS) software discs and peripherals is considered to have been a key selling point for the [[PlayStation 2]] (PS2) during its early months on the market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pnpgames.com/blog/?page_id=25|title=Sony Playstation 2(PS2)|website=Pnpgames|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=July 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713164550/http://pnpgames.com/blog/?page_id=25|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=NGen39 /> Moreover, studies in the mid-1990s found that even consumers who never play older games after purchasing a new system consider backward compatibility a highly desirable feature, valuing the mere ability to continue to play an existing collection of games even if they choose never to do so.<ref name=NGen39>{{cite magazine |title=Backward Compatibility for PlayStation 2? |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=39  |date=March 1998|page=22}}</ref>

Despite not being included at launch, Microsoft slowly incorporated backward compatibility for select titles on the [[Xbox One]] several years into its product life cycle.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.androidcentral.com/playstation-5-set-be-backward-compatible-remasters-wont-be-necessary|title=Remasters aren't needed if the PS5 is completely backward compatible|date=2019-09-24|website=Android Central|access-date=2019-11-10|archive-date=2019-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110025710/https://www.androidcentral.com/playstation-5-set-be-backward-compatible-remasters-wont-be-necessary|url-status=live}}</ref> Players have racked up over a billion hours with backward-compatible games on Xbox. A large part of the success and implementation of this feature is that the hardware within newer generation consoles is both powerful and similar enough to legacy systems that older titles can be broken down and re-configured to run on the Xbox One.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-xbox-one-x-back-compat-how-does-it-actually-work|title=Xbox One Backwards Compatibility: How Does It Actually Work?|last=Leadbetter|first=Richard|date=2017-12-09|website=Eurogamer|access-date=2019-11-10|archive-date=2019-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210240/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-xbox-one-x-back-compat-how-does-it-actually-work|url-status=live}}</ref> This program has proven incredibly popular with Xbox players and goes against the recent trend of studio-made remasters of classic titles, creating what some believe to be an important shift in console makers' strategies.<ref name=":3" /> The current generation of consoles such as the [[PlayStation 5]] (PS5)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-03-20-sony-clarifies-overwhelming-majority-of-ps4-games-will-be-backward-compatible-on-ps5 | title = Sony clarifies "overwhelming majority" of PS4 games will be backward compatible on PS5 | first = Matt | last = Wales | date = March 20, 2020 | access-date = April 8, 2020 | work = [[Eurogamer]] | archive-date = April 6, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200406151051/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-03-20-sony-clarifies-overwhelming-majority-of-ps4-games-will-be-backward-compatible-on-ps5 | url-status = live }}</ref> and [[Xbox Series X/S]] also support this feature as well.

===Costs===
The monetary costs of supporting old software is considered to be a large drawback to the usage of backward compatibility.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=NGen39/> The associated costs of backward compatibility are a larger [[bill of materials]] if hardware is required to support the legacy systems; increased complexity of the product that may lead to longer [[time to market]], technological hindrances, and slowing innovation; and increased expectations from users in terms of compatibility.<ref name=Belleflamme /> Furthermore, it also introduces the risk that developers will favor developing games that are compatible with both the old and new systems, since this gives them a larger base of potential buyers, resulting in a dearth of software which uses the advanced features of the new system.<ref name=NGen39/> Because of this, several console manufacturers phased out backward compatibility towards the end of the console generation in order to reduce cost and briefly reinvigorate sales before the arrival of newer hardware.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/game-consoles-and-the-death-of-backward-compatibility-why-we-dont-care/|title=Game consoles and the death of backward-compatibility: Why we don't care|last=Stein|first=Scott|website=CNET|access-date=2019-11-05|archive-date=2019-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929024544/https://www.cnet.com/news/game-consoles-and-the-death-of-backward-compatibility-why-we-dont-care/|url-status=live}}</ref> One such example of this approach was the [[PlayStation 3]] (PS3), where it had removed backward compatibility with PlayStation 2 (PS2) games on later systems (which includes eliminating the onboard [[Emotion Engine]] and Graphics Synthesizer hardware chips that were previously used on earlier revisions) to reduce hardware costs and improve console sales.

Despite this, it is still possible to bypass some of these hardware costs. For instance, earlier PS2 systems had the core of the original PlayStation (PS1) CPU integrated into the [[Input/output|I/O]] processor for dual-purpose use; it could act as either the main CPU in PS1 mode or it can [[Clock rate|up-clock]] itself to offload I/O in PS2 mode. The original I/O core was replaced with a [[PowerPC]]-based core in later systems to serve the same functions, emulating the same functions as the PS1 CPU core. Such an approach can backfire, however, as was the case of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (Super NES). It opted for the more peculiar [[WDC 65C816|65C816]] CPU over the more popular 16-bit microprocessors on the basis that it would allow for easier backwards compatibility with the original [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) due to the 65C816's software compatibility with the [[MOS Technology 6502|6502]] CPU in emulation mode, but ultimately did not proved to be workable once the rest of the Super NES's architecture was designed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamingreinvented.com/uncategorized/the-snes-was-supposed-to-be-backwards-compatible/|title=The SNES Was Supposed to be Backwards Compatible?|website=Gaming Reinvented|date=2015-08-10|access-date=2022-02-24|archive-date=2022-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224183517/https://gamingreinvented.com/uncategorized/the-snes-was-supposed-to-be-backwards-compatible/|url-status=live}}</ref>