Backwards compatibility on PS3 and Xbox 360

As an owner of both Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles and over twenty games for each, the pre-release news that both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 would be backwards compatible (in the same brilliant way that PlayStation 2 was fully backwards compatible with PlayStation games) was good news indeed.

Of course, Microsoft dropped their trousers and relieved themselves all over their current customers by providing backwards compatibility (hereafter referred to as BC) patches for a small and miserable selection of games.

In time for the European release of the PlayStation 3, Sony managed to get their BC software up to a level that has allowed them to start reducing manufacturing costs. This is in line with what they have stated all along: that the PS2 hardware inside US and Japan consoles was a stop-gap. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, however, and today Sony released the intial BC list.

So here is a summary and list of my games on Xbox and PlayStation 2 and their compatibility with Microsoft's and Sony's shiny new offerings. I've also noted which games I've completed and kept for future nostalgia and replay purposes.

Xbox on Xbox 360

36 games: 10 compatible, 26 not compatible

Compatible

1. Black
   
2. Brute Force (completed)
   
3. Burnout 3: Takedown
   
4. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
   
5. Forza Motorsport
   
6. Halo 2
   
7. Quantum Redshift
   
8. Sega GT 2002 (completed)
   
9. Speed Kings
   
10. SSX 3
    

Not Compatible

1. Carve
   
2. Crash
   
3. Crash and Burn
   
4. Furious Karting
   
5. Galleon
   
6. Group S Challenge
   
7. Headhunter Redemption
   
8. Italian Job: LA Heist
   
9. LA Rush
   
10. Mechassault 2
    
11. Mercenaries
    
12. Midnight Club 3
    
13. Midtown Madness 3
    
14. Panzer Dragoon Orta
    
15. Paris Dakar Rally 2 (completed)
    
16. Project Gotham Racing (completed)
    
17. Project Gotham Racing 2
    
18. Racing Evoluzione
    
19. Rallisport Challenge 2 (completed)
    
20. Rally Fusion
    
21. R:Racing (nostalgia)
    
22. Test Drive: Overdrive
    
23. Top Spin
    
24. Tour De France
    
25. Wreckless (completed on normal)
    
26. XGRA
    

PlayStation / PlayStation 2 on PlayStation 3

22 games: 5 no known issues, 1 minor issues, 3 noticeable issues, 13 not compatible (including Gran Turismo 4 and Tourist Trophy, grrr)

No known issues to date

1. Enthusia - Professional Racing
   
2. Kaido Racer
   
3. Ridge Racer V (completed)
   
4. Runabout 3 Neo Age
   
5. TT Superbikes
   

Should play on PLAYSTATION®3 with some minor issues

1. Gran Turismo 3 A-spec (almost completed)
   

Should play on PLAYSTATION®3 with noticeable issues

1. Burnout 2: Point of Impact (partially completed)
   
2. Pro Rally 2002
   
3. Tokyo Road Race
   

Not Compatible

1. CART FURY Championship Racing
   
2. Downforce
   
3. Driving Emotion Type-S (completed)
   
4. Gran Turismo 4 (60% completed)
   
5. Grand Prix Challenge
   
6. GTC Africa
   
7. Noble Racing
   
8. Riding Spirits 2 (nostalgia)
   
9. Shox (completed)
   
10. Sled Storm
    
11. Stuntman
    
12. WRC II Extreme (completed)
    
13. WRC: Rally Evolved

Conclusion

The winner with 36% BC is PlayStation 3. Xbox 360 has 27%. The loser is me.