Editing Backward compatibility (section)

===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.