Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors

By Spencer . June 29, 2009 . 3:37pm

Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell ProcessorsPlayStation 3s without PS2 backwards compatibility are missing the Emotion Engine, a chip Sony designed as the PS2′s CPU. What if the PS3′s cell processor could emulate the Emotion Engine? Theoretically, all PlayStation 3s would be able to play PS2 games even if a console didn’t have the proper hardware. According to a recent patent filed by Sony Computer Entertainment in the US, Sony has the code and technology ready to do this.

 

There are two main ways to emulate hardware. Interpretation is when target code is decoded and converted into a language the host can understand. The other strategy is to decode and recompile programs in the host’s language.

 

Maybe the concept is better explained another way. Interpretation is like having someone constantly translating English to Japanese for you, non stop, twenty four hours a day wherever you go. Decoding and recompiling is like someone translating a sets of words and putting them in a dictionary you can reference.

 

Sony developed a way to translate instructions from an Emotion Engine chip into chunks that can be referenced.

 

Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors

 

Figure 2 from the patent is a schematic drawing of how the system works. Figure 3A is a drawing of the PlayStation 2′s chipset. Figure 3B is the emotion engine. Figure 4 is where the whole story gets interesting! It’s “an example of a host system based on a cell processor that may be configured to emulate the target system.” The target is figure 3B, the Emotion Engine.

 

There aren’t too many reasons why Sony would want the PS3′s Cell processor to emulate the PS2′s Emotion Engine and the key one is backwards compatibility.

 

Perhaps, a firmware update or the new PlayStation 3 slim, which our friends at Ars Technica say is coming this fall, will utilize this technology.


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  • maxximuscool

    This is not a good signed for who ever bought the BC compatible PS3 at a higher price. It's unfair for them i guessed. But if SONY can do it that way then I bet they will not let people use PS2 games from the DVDs but maybe by downloadable from the PlaystationStore this way they get some moneys for what they worked for. I Hope it is that way, because it sucked to owned a Launched PS3 at twice as expensive to the PS3 that cheaply built now a day.

  • maxximuscool

    Just want to let you know, Who here ever use their PS3 to play PS1 games? I did once to find out how great the Legendary PS1 game is on a PS3, My only comment is ITS FUCKING TERRIBLE. I would not want to touched PS1 games ever again with the graphic just like my mobile phone games. I'd rather play SNES lol.

    I got a 60G PAL PS3 and i dont give a shit about this article. Love my PS3, more bang for the buck. The more you would pay the more functionality it can do :D

  • http://gamewindows.blogspot.com/ Anthony

    Why do I don't I belive in this?? Well Sony isn't ready to low the prices of PS3, however you're saying that Sony has Patented the emulation engine, well I hope this is a real news, so I can finaly play PS2 games on PS3, as a matter a fact, I don't know what were they thinking when they developed a PS3 without backwards compability! Since Ps2 had ps1 compability so PS3 should had PSX /PS2 compabiltiy!

    Well, If we think well, Sony had major losses this year, it's quite know that they want to make some competition against XBOX360, so it's probably the PS3 slim is true as the EE it's also true, if they want to make some competition they need to lower their prices!

  • leanas

    I just want my DDR games to work on my ps3… I don't want to have to pay $50 for a used ps2 just so I can play five games. My ps2 died… That's the second one. I'd really like to be able to buy an adapter for the controller and just play my favorite dance games… I really don't want to have to wait until March for the new one or go to an arcade to play on a crappy machine and waste $40 an hour…

  • Brandon

    I really hope they use this to bring PS2 support for those of us with the more recent versions of the PS3. I bought my PS3 thinking it had PS2 support and was sorely disappointed. With the PS3's limited library of GOOD games it seems like their only chance at significantly improving their business is by bringing PS2 support to all PS3's.

  • giovanni123

    I highly disagree with the comment that it’s “only a small demographic of gamers” ie) an older crowd, who wants backwards compatibility. I think EVERYONE, Gamers and Sony can benifit from this simple firmware update. And I think it’s even MORE important to perhaps yonger/ new consumers who missed out on some great ps2 classics. What’s good for consumers is what’s good for Sony. No BC is BS!

  • dreamcastfan

    its simple……. Sony pull the plug on the ps2…leaving only the ps3 on the market….get everyone to sign up for playstation network and download an update to play ps2 games on the ps3….. sales will rocket !!!!

  • dreamcastfan

    its simple……. Sony pull the plug on the ps2…leaving only the ps3 on the market….get everyone to sign up for playstation network and download an update to play ps2 games on the ps3….. sales will rocket !!!!

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