Backwards Compatibility update for PlayStation 3 (v1.7)

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.

PlayStation 3 updated their system firmware to 1.7 this week and, though it isn't mentioned on their official list of fixes and features, some posts included mention that "Gran Turismo 4" was working on PS3. As the PS3 EU BC list hasn't yet been updated with reflect the 1.7 software, I decided to run through all my PlayStation 2 games to see what was what and was delighted to find another third of my games were now playable. Yay!

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: 13 compatible, 23 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. Jet Set Radio Future (got as far as I can, I'm stuck on this spider-like boss at the top of some stairs)
   
8. Panzer Dragoon Orta
   
9. Mercenaries
   
10. Quantum Redshift
    
11. Sega GT 2002 (completed)
    
12. Speed Kings
    
13. 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. Midnight Club 3
    
12. Midtown Madness 3
    
13. Paris Dakar Rally 2 (completed)
    
14. Project Gotham Racing (completed)
    
15. Project Gotham Racing 2
    
16. Racing Evoluzione
    
17. Rallisport Challenge 2 (completed)
    
18. Rally Fusion
    
19. R:Racing (nostalgia)
    
20. Test Drive: Overdrive
    
21. Tour De France
    
22. Wreckless (completed on normal)
    
23. XGRA
    

PlayStation / PlayStation 2 on PlayStation 3

22 games: 10 no known issues, 4 minor issues, 3 noticeable issues, 7 not compatible
The second part of each list is games tested by me and ten have improved their status to playable.

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
   

1. Noble Racing 
   
2. Pro Rally 2002 
   
3. Riding Spirits 2  (nostalgia)
   
4. Tokyo Road Race 
   
5. Tourist Trophy 

Should play on PLAYSTATION®3 with some minor issues

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

1. Driven to Destruction  (minor frame rate issues)
   
2. Gran Turismo 4  (very minor sound issue in start of opening movie; no 5.1 in opening movie; demonstration replays seem to only sort-of work, the Bentley Speed 8 got stuck in a wall)
   
3. Sled Storm (DTS sound option crashes game) 
   

Should play on PLAYSTATION®3 with noticeable issues

1. Burnout 2: Point of Impact (partially completed) (cars have some areas, including all tail lights and underneath the car, drawn like white headlights though playability appears to be unaffected)
   
2. Grand Prix Challenge  (completed) (now plays at proper speed but massive interlacing artefacts make it extremely ugly)
   
3. WRC: Rally Evolved  (occasional frame rate issue but playable)

Not Compatible

1. CART FURY Championship Racing (confirmed not compatible)
   
2. Downforce (confirmed not compatible)
   
3. Driving Emotion Type-S (completed) (confirmed not compatibke)
   
4. GTC Africa (confirmed not compatible)
   
5. Shox (completed) (confirmed not compatible)
   
6. Stuntman (completed all but last level) (confirmed not compatible)
   
7. WRC II Extreme (completed) (confirmed not compatible)
   

Conclusion

Xbox 360 manages 36% BC but PlayStation 3 storms back into the lead with 77%. There are now only 3 PlayStation 2 games which I haven't played not compatible with the PlayStation 3 taking me one step closer to be able to retire my PS2.