PS5 might be getting a PS2 emulator, but don't get too excited just yet
Implicit Conversions is apparently working with Sony to bring PS1, PS2, and PSP games to modern consoles.
Update: Following the publication of this story, the CEO of Implicit Conversions has issued a short statement to Time Extension stating that they can't "deny nor confirm anything about PS2."
Original story:
It looks as though the PS5 may be getting a wave of classic PlayStation 2 games in the not-so-distant future. This info comes courtesy of a company called Implicit Conversions, which claims on its website to be working alongside Sony Interactive Entertainment to bring retro games to modern consoles.
The company has already brought various PS1 and PSP games to modern Sony consoles via the PlayStation Plus Premium Classics collection (including Resistance: Retribtuion and Jet Moto 2 last month). However, statements that have recently popped up on company socials indicate that the PS2 is now on its radar, which is potentially good news for those who haven't played around with 6th gen classics.
Before you get excited, there is a catch. There's no word on whether or not the PS5 will be able to read your personal collection of PS2 discs. As such, it appears more likely than not that retro PlayStation games brought over to the PS5 by Implicit Conversions will be digital, much like its previous work on PS1 and PSP games - which is locked behind a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.
This shouldn't make for a huge surprise for those who have been keeping tabs on the state of emulation over the years. Sony and others have proven willing to work with emulation, as long as it allows them to re-sell an ever-expanding library of retro games to a newer audience. And hey, for a general audience who may not be familar with emulation and didn't own the original games, it's a perfectly reasonable practice. For those out there who're looking at their vast retro collection and aren't feeling excited about having to buy every game again, less-official practices are always tempting.
Elsewhere in the industry, we saw Nintendo and Tropic Haze (the company behind the Yuzu Switch emulator) agree to settle a lawsuit last week, resulting in the death of Yuzu and the company having to pay Nintendo $2.4 million. The team behind Yuzu would later put out a statement against piracy.
Are you excited at the prospect of paying for PS2 games on modern consoles? Are you strictly against it, or somewhere in between? Let us know! If you'd like to know more about the company Time Extension conducted an interview with the CEO and Co-Founder of Implicity COnversions that you can read here!