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Submitted by Chris Leyton on June 30 2009 - 10:50

Smaller sized registers on CELL processor to blame for the lack of software PS2 emulation...

Let's admit it PS2 emulation is something that you'll probably never use, but at the same time there's still a desire to have it.  If Sony hadn't have introduced backwards compatibility in the first place and originally mocking fun of Microsoft's efforts with the 360, we probably would never have bothered.

Still it's been a number of years since Sony decided to strip away the PS2 hardware featured in the original PS3 models as a cost-cutting measure, and yet the feature is still one of the most desired from PS3 owners and potential adopters.  Thankfully, it appears that backwards compatibility could finally be on the way if a recent patent application is anything to go by, spotted by Silconera.

A patent that TVG has discovered, which appears to be different from that sourced by Siliconera, is dated from 2007, suggesting Sony has been working on this for a considerable amount of time.

Of course, software emulation is nothing new, but it does typically bring a high overhead, particularly when you're dealing with such specialised hardware such as the PS2's Emotion Engine.

Further details from the patent, however, reveal the difficulties that Sony face when trying to emulate the PS2's 128-bit CPU on something as radically different as the PS3's CELL processor.

"If the host system is based on larger sized registers, this is not a problem as it is relatively straightforward to emulate 128-bit registers with a processor having larger-sized registers. However, if the PlayStation(r)2 is emulated by a cell-processor based host system (such as the PlaySta- tion(r)3), a problem arises."

"The cell processors are a type of parallel processor. The basic configuration of a cell processor includes a "Power Processor Element" ("PPE") (sometimes called "Processing Element", or "PE"), and multiple "Synergistic Processing Elements" ("SPE"). The PPEs and SPEs are linked together by an internal high speed bus dubbed "Element Interconnect Bus" ("EIB")."

"Cell processors are designed to be scalable for use in applications ranging from the hand held devices to main frame computers. The PPE is the main processor for emulation the PS2 EE. Unfortunately, the PPE uses 64-bit registers, which are smaller than the 128-bit EE CPU registers. [0010] Thus, there is a need in the art, for emulating a target system on a host system having smaller sized registers than the target system."

The details contained within the patent appear to be the solution to the problem.  So, although it's not exactly official confirmation that backwards compatibility is on the horizon, it does at least clarify why it hasn't appeared so far and suggests Sony is attempting to find the answer.

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By: Anonymous

Added:Fri 02nd Mar 2012 17:07, Post No: 1168

@robert young, vgchartz reliable lmfao, according to VGC forza 4 had sold 2 million copies as of jan 2012 then last month it had sold 1.94 million :S, thats right in 1 month 600 thousand copies of forza 4 were recalled or VGC made a monumental co** up with their sales figures.

 

the same is true with their console sales figures as pretty much all of last year the ps3 month on month outsold the 360 and even now the ps3 continues to outsell the 360 yet the 360 some how is still 3 million in front of the ps3, you should use freeradical's post as VGC is about as reliable as a 1980's skoda.


By: freeradical

Added:Thu 18th Aug 2011 18:12, Post No: 1167

@ Robert Young: Try Sony and Microsoft's actual financial reports. They are the only reliable source for worldwide console sales/shipments.


By: Robert Young

Added:Thu 18th Aug 2011 17:45, Post No: 1166

videochartz => vgchartz......LOL....:-)........


By: Robert Young

Added:Thu 18th Aug 2011 17:44, Post No: 1165

My previous blog of 360 lead over PS3 is not "guess estimate". Those numbers were taken from a reputable website that unfortunately, this website prohibited me from quoting. This website is so reputable that companies use their numbers for their own studies; videochartz......


By: Robert Young

Added:Thu 18th Aug 2011 17:26, Post No: 1164

Well it is August 2011 now, PS3 fanboys. Where is the lead of PS3 "overtaking" the 360 by January 2011? Yeah, the PS3 sales are inching closer to the 360 but, as of Aug 2011, it is still that - "inching closer". As of August 2011, the worldwide lead of 360 over PS3 is 3.4 million. The U.S. lead of 360 over PS3 is 12.282 million. Also, here in the U.S., as of Dec 2008, the 360 lead was 7.98 mil. As of Dec 2009, the 360 lead was 8.64 mil. As of Dec 2010, the 360 lead was 11.34 mil. And that brings us to Aug. 2011. So, don't predict stuff that will fall flat on your faces, LOL ;-)..........


User avatar
By: Peter Corr

Added:Mon 01st Aug 2011 20:21, Post No: 1163

@1162, what extra content?  do you mean the welcome back pack, with the 5 games, stuff for sony home and various other games and the free month of playstation plus?  we've already had it, where was you?  lol


User avatar
By: Anonymous

Added:Wed 27th Jul 2011 14:44, Post No: 1162

what are sony playing at, wheres all the extra content the promised oh i forgot sony never keep a promise.


User avatar
By: Anonymous

Added:Thu 30th Jun 2011 14:03, Post No: 1161

Sony denying the blatantly obvious? Surely not!


User avatar
By: Anonymous

Added:Thu 09th Jun 2011 04:47, Post No: 1160

lol i looked back through the comment and post 1154 is a blatent lier, hes just jelous microsoft is better than sony.


User avatar
By: Anonymous

Added:Sat 04th Jun 2011 21:13, Post No: 1159

well the welcome back pack finally arrived yesterday and what a mess it was, i guess sony thought it was a good idea to release it in all regions rather than america first moving roung the globe in a way that would not hinder people from getting the free content or causing a lot of confusion when people saw the "get now" link vanish and had to look for guides as to get their free content.

 

one thing i didnt know about the welcome back pack was the inclusion of 3 FREE full HD movie rentals, if you didnt know about it look on the XMB in the orange box (under account management) and you should find it though i think it expires on the 5th (sunday,tomorrow) so get them while you can.


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