Sony fans, it’s time to half-celebrate as the company reveals the first eight PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility titles for the PlayStation 4, but they come at a price.
The games aren’t just straight ports and have received 1080p up-rendered graphics, Trophy support, Remote Play, Live Broadcast, Share Play, Activity Feeds, and Second Screen support for game manuals with PlayStation Vita or PlayStation App. All titles will be available on the US and UK PlayStation Network Stores.
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The titles are:
- Dark Cloud – US$14.99 / R218
- Grand Theft Auto III – US$14.99 / R218
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – US$14.99 / R218
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – US$14.99 / R218
- Rogue Galaxy – US$14.99 / R218
- The Mark of Kri – US$14.99 / R218
- Twisted Metal: Black – US$9.99 / R149
- War of the Monsters – US$9.99 / R149
Four additional titles have also been announced, but without a price or release date. They are PaRappa the Rapper 2, The King of Fighters 2000, Fantavision, and Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits.
Considering the majority of PlayStation 2 games available for the PlayStation 3 are around US$9.99, the increase in price has upset a few fans on social media. These higher prices could be justified by the extra work put into bringing these games into the new of consoles.
Read more: PlayStation 4 will get PlayStation 2 backward compatibility
While they didn’t incorporate the feature after removing backwards compatibility from the PlayStation 3, Sony should allow PlayStation 2 owners to pop the discs into their PlayStation 4 and download the updated version of the game for free. It’s something Microsoft is doing for all owners of Xbox 360 backwards compatible titles on the Xbox One.
Even though the announcement wasn’t that far off, Gearburn wrote about backwards compatibility on the PS4 last year. Coming from a Sony leak, the company was already planning the PlayStation 2 special treatment, along with PlayStation (PS1) as well.
Writing on the US PlayStation Blog, Shuhei Yoshida, President of SCE Worldwide Studios says the PS2 hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers.
PS2 remains the best-selling console of all time, thanks in part to the revolutionary tech built into the box, such as support for the DVD format for games and movies, a powerful graphics processor, and specialized chips for particle effects and physics. Above and beyond the technical innovations that made PS2 stand apart is the huge catalog of amazing and much-loved games, such as Dark Cloud, Twisted Metal: Black, and the PS2-era classic Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, just to name a few.
No date has been set as to when more PlayStation 2 games will be announced. Sony representatives have constantly state the PlayStation 4 will not be receiving PlayStation 3 backwards compatibility.
Watch the announcement trailer below.
Update: added South African pricing.
