135:. With the introduction of two-channel stereo FM radio, many listeners had only mono FM receivers. Forward compatibility for mono receivers with stereo signals was achieved by sending the sum of both left and right audio channels in one signal and the difference in another signal. That allows mono FM receivers to receive and decode the sum signal while ignoring the difference signal, which is necessary only for separating the audio channels. Stereo FM receivers can receive a mono signal and decode it without the need for a second signal, and they can separate a sum signal to left and right channels if both sum and difference signals are received. Without the requirement for backward compatibility, a simpler method could have been chosen.
360:, technological hindrances, and slowing innovation; and increased expectations from users in terms of compatibility. It also introduces the risk that developers will favor developing games that are compatible with both the old and new systems, since this gives them a larger base of potential buyers, resulting in a dearth of software which uses the advanced features of the new system. Because of this, several console manufacturers phased out backward compatibility toward the end of the console generation in order to reduce cost and briefly reinvigorate sales before the arrival of newer hardware.
31:
1560:
274:
1550:
1004:
318:
discussing the value of supporting older software. The cultural impact of video games is a large part of their continued success, and some believe ignoring backward compatibility would cause these titles to disappear. Backward compatibility also acts as a selling point for new hardware, as an existing player base can more affordably
343:
also support this feature. A large part of the success and implementation of this feature is that the hardware within newer generation consoles is both powerful and similar enough to legacy systems that older titles can be broken down and re-configured to run on the Xbox One. This program has proven
322:
to subsequent generations of a console. This also helps to make up for lack of content at the launch of new systems, as users can pull from the previous console's library of games while developers transition to the new hardware. Moreover, studies in the mid-1990s found that even consumers who never
334:
Despite not being included at launch, Microsoft slowly incorporated backward compatibility for select titles on the Xbox One several years into its product life cycle. Players have racked up over a billion hours with backward-compatible games on Xbox, and the newest generation of consoles such as
317:
There are several incentives for a company to implement backward compatibility. Backward compatibility can be used to preserve older software that would have otherwise been lost when a manufacturer decides to stop supporting older hardware. Classic video games are a common example used when
323:
play older games after purchasing a new system consider backward compatibility a highly desirable feature, valuing the mere ability to continue to play an existing collection of games even if they choose never to do so. Backward compatibility with the original
363:
It is possible to bypass some of these hardware costs. For instance, earlier PlayStation 2 systems used the core of the original PlayStation's CPU as a dual-purpose processor, either as the main CPU for PS1 mode or
372:
in PS2 mode. This coprocessor was replaced with a PowerPC-based processor in later systems to serve the same functions, emulating the PS1 CPU core. Such an approach can backfire, though, as was the case of the
888:
175:
IBM announced the first 360 models in 1964 and has continued to update the series ever since, with migration over the decades from 32-bit register/24-bit addresses to 64-bit registers and addresses.
344:
incredibly popular with Xbox players and goes against the recent trend of studio-made remasters of classic titles, creating what some believe to be an important shift in console makers' strategies.
436:
42:, having the ability to run its discs and use its controllers and memory cards. Later versions of the system removed the controller and memory card slots, effectively removing this feature.
257:, backward compatibility may refer to the ability of a compiler for a newer version of the language to accept source code of programs or data that worked under the previous version.
919:
239:
In software development, backward compatibility is a general notion of interoperation between software pieces that will not produce any errors when its functionality is invoked via
856:
352:
The monetary costs of supporting old software is considered a large drawback to the usage of backward compatibility. The associated costs of backward compatibility are a larger
949:
736:
217:
digital communication standard is attributed to its broad forward and backward compatibility; it became more popular than other standards that were not backward compatible.
978:
878:
1036:
250:
In operating systems, upgrades to newer versions are said to be backward compatible if executables and other files from the previous versions will work as usual.
441:
1419:
1348:
768:
1242:
1145:
911:
260:
A data format is said to be backward compatible when a newer version of the program can open it without errors just like its predecessor.
706:
374:
1029:
848:
381:
CPU over the more popular 16-bit microprocessors on the basis that it would allow for easy backwards compatibility with the original
1222:
1089:
1074:
941:
728:
678:
593:
569:
545:
520:
494:
186:
processors in 1978, again with migrations over the decades from 16-bit to 64-bit. (The 8086/8088, in turn, were designed with easy
1008:
1584:
970:
132:
1553:
1378:
1305:
1295:
1140:
1069:
1429:
1563:
1358:
1300:
1022:
382:
1368:
1227:
1094:
139:
1290:
1285:
1099:
612:
292:
1485:
1333:
1328:
1280:
1257:
1237:
796:
356:
if hardware is required to support the legacy systems; increased complexity of the product that may lead to longer
823:
190:
of programs written for its predecessor in mind, although they were not instruction-set compatible with the 8-bit
1589:
1490:
1480:
226:
187:
1393:
1192:
1175:
1084:
1343:
1187:
385:, but ultimately did not proved to be workable once the rest of the Super NES's architecture was designed.
1398:
1150:
406:
1217:
1170:
324:
98:
1515:
1353:
1212:
1202:
1114:
1059:
1045:
510:
426:
206:
1535:
1520:
1388:
1252:
1160:
1104:
456:
760:
1525:
1165:
401:
124:
103:
90:
47:
670:
1439:
1197:
698:
674:
589:
565:
541:
516:
490:
395:
353:
1510:
1454:
1232:
1124:
1119:
451:
416:
210:
85:
Modifying a system in a way that does not allow backward compatibility is sometimes called "
71:
63:
30:
327:(PS) software discs and peripherals is considered to have been a key selling point for the
205:
as their predecessors, allowing the use of a newer processor without having to acquire new
1530:
1383:
1363:
1247:
1109:
340:
120:
86:
879:"Sony clarifies "overwhelming majority" of PS4 games will be backward compatible on PS5"
1434:
1338:
1079:
663:
461:
357:
234:
169:
158:
154:
150:
146:
89:" backward compatibility. Such breaking usually incurs various types of costs, such as
1578:
1414:
1182:
801:
636:
336:
328:
75:
1449:
1444:
1373:
369:
119:
A simple example of both backward and forward compatibility is the introduction of
79:
431:
411:
17:
1459:
1424:
378:
365:
202:
191:
183:
179:
67:
883:
195:
51:
1003:
942:"Game consoles and the death of backward-compatibility: Why we don't care"
1207:
421:
254:
230:
128:
39:
485:
Belleflamme, Paul; Peitz, Martin (2010), "Strategies in standard wars",
1014:
815:
446:
319:
849:"Remasters aren't needed if the PS5 is completely backward compatible"
247:
that is used to invoke functions is stable across different versions.
1064:
1264:
761:"Understanding Backwards Compatibility and How It Benefits Gamers"
214:
162:
138:
Full backward compatibility is particularly important in computer
29:
1475:
1018:
198:, however, was fully backward compatible with the Intel 8080.)
912:"Xbox One Backwards Compatibility: How Does It Actually Work?"
613:"Backward Compatibility in Software Development: What and Why"
267:
244:
240:
165:
143:
35:
437:
List of backward-compatible games for Xbox One and Series X/S
201:
Fully backward compatible processors can process the same
38:
features backward compatibility with its predecessor, the
27:
Technological ability to interact with older technologies
288:
291:
by adding general information and discuss at the
106:
for compatibility with future standards and products.
102:; a design that is forward-compatible usually has a
1503:
1468:
1407:
1321:
1314:
1273:
1133:
1052:
971:"The SNES Was Supposed to be Backwards Compatible?"
586:
Next
Generation Wireless LANs: 802.11n and 802.11ac
584:Perahia, Eldad; Stacey, Robert (2013), "Foreword",
398:, backward compatibility that maintains known flaws
662:
729:"Backwards Compatibility is the Only Way Forward"
131:, with only one audio channel represented by one
564:, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, pp. 320–324,
487:Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies
1030:
794:"Backward Compatibility for PlayStation 2?".
480:
478:
331:(PS2) during its early months on the market.
243:. The software is considered stable when its
8:
377:(Super NES). It opted for the more peculiar
538:Newnes Radio and RF Engineering Pocket Book
442:List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360
1318:
1037:
1023:
1015:
789:
787:
785:
1228:Software development process/methodology
540:(3 ed.), Newnes, pp. 121–123,
474:
203:binary executable software instructions
142:, two of the most successful being the
843:
841:
755:
753:
283:one specialized aspect of the subject
7:
1549:
1243:Software verification and validation
1146:Component-based software engineering
606:
604:
536:Winder, Steve; Carr, Joseph (2002),
709:from the original on March 11, 2016
375:Super Nintendo Entertainment System
66:, software, real-world product, or
910:Leadbetter, Richard (2017-12-09).
891:from the original on April 6, 2020
826:from the original on July 13, 2020
515:. Peachpit Press. pp. 15–16.
25:
1223:Software configuration management
1090:Search-based software engineering
1075:Experimental software engineering
1559:
1558:
1548:
1002:
272:
213:. Similarly, the success of the
161:families of mainframes, and the
981:from the original on 2022-02-24
952:from the original on 2019-09-29
922:from the original on 2019-01-14
859:from the original on 2019-11-10
771:from the original on 2019-10-02
739:from the original on 2019-09-29
665:XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference
1070:Empirical software engineering
877:Wales, Matt (March 20, 2020).
637:"What is Backward Compatible?"
588:, Cambridge University Press,
489:, Cambridge University Press,
1:
281:This section focuses only on
140:instruction set architectures
1095:Site reliability engineering
562:Computer System Organization
512:Designing with Web Standards
82:designed for such a system.
1100:Social software engineering
96:A complementary concept is
1606:
1238:Software quality assurance
224:
178:Intel announced the first
1544:
816:"Sony Playstation 2(PS2)"
804:. March 1998. p. 22.
699:"Backwards Compatibility"
509:Zeldman, Jeffrey (2006).
227:Binary-code compatibility
127:. FM radio was initially
1394:Model-driven engineering
1193:Functional specification
1176:Software incompatibility
1085:Requirements engineering
703:What is a Good Standard?
1188:Enterprise architecture
560:Naresh Jotwani (2009),
194:processor of 1974. The
188:machine-translatability
60:backwards compatibility
34:The first model of the
1585:Backward compatibility
1399:Round-trip engineering
1156:Backward compatibility
1151:Software compatibility
1009:Backward compatibility
685:forward compatibility.
407:Computer compatibility
62:) is a property of an
56:backward compatibility
43:
1218:Software architecture
1171:Forward compatibility
661:Kay, Michael (2004).
99:forward compatibility
33:
1516:Computer engineering
1213:Software archaeology
1203:Programming paradigm
1115:Software maintenance
1060:Computer programming
1046:Software engineering
1011:at Wikimedia Commons
611:etc1M (2019-12-18).
427:Flag day (computing)
289:improve this article
1536:Systems engineering
1521:Information science
1301:Service orientation
1253:Structured analysis
1161:Compatibility layer
1105:Software deployment
643:. December 31, 2022
457:Software regression
1526:Project management
1291:Object orientation
1258:Essential analysis
1166:Compatibility mode
697:Bos, Bert (2003).
402:Compatibility mode
368:itself to offload
48:telecommunications
44:
1572:
1571:
1499:
1498:
1440:Information model
1344:Incremental model
1198:Modeling language
1007:Media related to
975:Gaming Reinvented
669:. Wiley. p.
396:Bug compatibility
354:bill of materials
310:
309:
211:operating systems
16:(Redirected from
1597:
1590:Interoperability
1562:
1561:
1552:
1551:
1511:Computer science
1319:
1233:Software quality
1125:Systems analysis
1120:Software testing
1039:
1032:
1025:
1016:
1006:
990:
989:
987:
986:
967:
961:
960:
958:
957:
937:
931:
930:
928:
927:
907:
901:
900:
898:
896:
874:
868:
867:
865:
864:
845:
836:
835:
833:
831:
812:
806:
805:
791:
780:
779:
777:
776:
757:
748:
747:
745:
744:
725:
719:
718:
716:
714:
694:
688:
687:
668:
658:
652:
651:
649:
648:
633:
627:
626:
624:
623:
608:
599:
598:
581:
575:
574:
557:
551:
550:
533:
527:
526:
506:
500:
499:
482:
452:Shim (computing)
417:Downgrade attack
305:
302:
296:
276:
275:
268:
72:interoperability
70:that allows for
64:operating system
21:
18:Breaking changes
1605:
1604:
1600:
1599:
1598:
1596:
1595:
1594:
1575:
1574:
1573:
1568:
1540:
1531:Risk management
1495:
1464:
1403:
1384:Waterfall model
1354:Prototype model
1349:Iterative model
1310:
1286:Aspect-oriented
1269:
1248:Software system
1129:
1110:Software design
1048:
1043:
999:
994:
993:
984:
982:
969:
968:
964:
955:
953:
939:
938:
934:
925:
923:
909:
908:
904:
894:
892:
876:
875:
871:
862:
860:
853:Android Central
847:
846:
839:
829:
827:
814:
813:
809:
800:. No. 39.
797:Next Generation
793:
792:
783:
774:
772:
759:
758:
751:
742:
740:
727:
726:
722:
712:
710:
696:
695:
691:
681:
660:
659:
655:
646:
644:
635:
634:
630:
621:
619:
610:
609:
602:
596:
583:
582:
578:
572:
559:
558:
554:
548:
535:
534:
530:
523:
508:
507:
503:
497:
484:
483:
476:
471:
466:
391:
350:
341:Xbox Series X/S
315:
306:
300:
297:
286:
277:
273:
266:
237:
223:
170:microprocessors
117:
112:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1603:
1601:
1593:
1592:
1587:
1577:
1576:
1570:
1569:
1567:
1566:
1556:
1545:
1542:
1541:
1539:
1538:
1533:
1528:
1523:
1518:
1513:
1507:
1505:
1504:Related fields
1501:
1500:
1497:
1496:
1494:
1493:
1488:
1483:
1478:
1472:
1470:
1466:
1465:
1463:
1462:
1457:
1452:
1447:
1442:
1437:
1435:Function model
1432:
1427:
1422:
1417:
1411:
1409:
1405:
1404:
1402:
1401:
1396:
1391:
1386:
1381:
1376:
1371:
1366:
1361:
1356:
1351:
1346:
1341:
1339:Executable UML
1336:
1331:
1325:
1323:
1316:
1312:
1311:
1309:
1308:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1288:
1283:
1277:
1275:
1271:
1270:
1268:
1267:
1262:
1261:
1260:
1250:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1180:
1179:
1178:
1173:
1168:
1163:
1158:
1148:
1143:
1137:
1135:
1131:
1130:
1128:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1080:Formal methods
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1056:
1054:
1050:
1049:
1044:
1042:
1041:
1034:
1027:
1019:
1013:
1012:
998:
997:External links
995:
992:
991:
977:. 2015-08-10.
962:
940:Stein, Scott.
932:
902:
869:
855:. 2019-09-24.
837:
807:
781:
767:. 2018-08-14.
749:
735:. 2015-04-10.
720:
689:
679:
653:
628:
600:
594:
576:
570:
552:
546:
528:
521:
501:
495:
473:
472:
470:
467:
465:
464:
462:Vendor lock-in
459:
454:
449:
444:
439:
434:
429:
424:
419:
414:
409:
404:
399:
392:
390:
387:
358:time to market
349:
346:
314:
311:
308:
307:
280:
278:
271:
265:
262:
235:Opaque pointer
222:
219:
116:
113:
111:
108:
91:switching cost
74:with an older
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1602:
1591:
1588:
1586:
1583:
1582:
1580:
1565:
1557:
1555:
1547:
1546:
1543:
1537:
1534:
1532:
1529:
1527:
1524:
1522:
1519:
1517:
1514:
1512:
1509:
1508:
1506:
1502:
1492:
1489:
1487:
1484:
1482:
1479:
1477:
1474:
1473:
1471:
1467:
1461:
1458:
1456:
1455:Systems model
1453:
1451:
1448:
1446:
1443:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1418:
1416:
1413:
1412:
1410:
1406:
1400:
1397:
1395:
1392:
1390:
1387:
1385:
1382:
1380:
1377:
1375:
1372:
1370:
1367:
1365:
1362:
1360:
1357:
1355:
1352:
1350:
1347:
1345:
1342:
1340:
1337:
1335:
1332:
1330:
1327:
1326:
1324:
1322:Developmental
1320:
1317:
1313:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1282:
1279:
1278:
1276:
1272:
1266:
1263:
1259:
1256:
1255:
1254:
1251:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1183:Data modeling
1181:
1177:
1174:
1172:
1169:
1167:
1164:
1162:
1159:
1157:
1154:
1153:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1138:
1136:
1132:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1057:
1055:
1051:
1047:
1040:
1035:
1033:
1028:
1026:
1021:
1020:
1017:
1010:
1005:
1001:
1000:
996:
980:
976:
972:
966:
963:
951:
947:
943:
936:
933:
921:
917:
913:
906:
903:
890:
886:
885:
880:
873:
870:
858:
854:
850:
844:
842:
838:
825:
821:
817:
811:
808:
803:
802:Imagine Media
799:
798:
790:
788:
786:
782:
770:
766:
765:Tech Magazine
762:
756:
754:
750:
738:
734:
730:
724:
721:
708:
704:
700:
693:
690:
686:
682:
680:0-7645-6909-0
676:
672:
667:
666:
657:
654:
642:
641:Computer Hope
638:
632:
629:
618:
614:
607:
605:
601:
597:
595:9781107016767
591:
587:
580:
577:
573:
571:9781259081217
567:
563:
556:
553:
549:
547:9780080497471
543:
539:
532:
529:
524:
522:0-321-38555-1
518:
514:
513:
505:
502:
498:
496:9780521862998
492:
488:
481:
479:
475:
468:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
418:
415:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
400:
397:
394:
393:
388:
386:
384:
380:
376:
371:
367:
361:
359:
355:
347:
345:
342:
338:
337:PlayStation 5
332:
330:
329:PlayStation 2
326:
321:
312:
304:
294:
290:
284:
279:
270:
269:
263:
261:
258:
256:
251:
248:
246:
242:
236:
232:
228:
220:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
199:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
176:
173:
171:
167:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
145:
141:
136:
134:
130:
126:
122:
114:
109:
107:
105:
101:
100:
94:
92:
88:
83:
81:
77:
76:legacy system
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
41:
37:
32:
19:
1450:Object model
1445:Metamodeling
1374:Spiral model
1274:Orientations
1155:
983:. Retrieved
974:
965:
954:. Retrieved
945:
935:
924:. Retrieved
915:
905:
893:. Retrieved
882:
872:
861:. Retrieved
852:
828:. Retrieved
819:
810:
795:
773:. Retrieved
764:
741:. Retrieved
732:
723:
711:. Retrieved
702:
692:
684:
664:
656:
645:. Retrieved
640:
631:
620:. Retrieved
616:
585:
579:
561:
555:
537:
531:
511:
504:
486:
362:
351:
333:
316:
298:
287:Please help
282:
259:
252:
249:
238:
207:applications
200:
177:
174:
137:
118:
97:
95:
84:
59:
55:
45:
1141:Abstraction
617:Red Star IT
432:Legacy mode
412:Deprecation
325:PlayStation
221:In software
115:In hardware
1579:Categories
1460:View model
1425:Data model
985:2022-02-24
956:2019-11-05
926:2019-11-10
863:2019-11-10
775:2019-11-05
743:2019-11-05
733:PopMatters
647:2023-05-13
622:2023-05-13
469:References
366:upclocking
225:See also:
192:Intel 8080
180:Intel 8086
168:family of
78:, or with
68:technology
1469:Languages
916:Eurogamer
884:Eurogamer
830:March 15,
293:talk page
264:Tradeoffs
255:compilers
196:Zilog Z80
52:computing
1564:Category
1430:ER model
1296:Ontology
1208:Software
1134:Concepts
979:Archived
950:Archived
920:Archived
895:April 8,
889:Archived
857:Archived
824:Archived
820:Pnpgames
769:Archived
737:Archived
713:July 12,
707:Archived
422:Emulator
389:See also
313:Benefits
301:May 2023
231:DLL Hell
121:FM radio
87:breaking
40:GameCube
1554:Commons
1379:V-model
447:ReactOS
320:upgrade
159:Zseries
104:roadmap
1315:Models
1065:DevOps
1053:Fields
677:
592:
568:
544:
519:
493:
379:65C816
233:, and
133:signal
125:stereo
1491:SysML
1415:SPICE
1408:Other
1369:Scrum
1329:Agile
1281:Agile
1265:CI/CD
348:Costs
215:Wi-Fi
163:Intel
110:Usage
80:input
1476:IDEF
1420:CMMI
1306:SDLC
946:CNET
897:2020
832:2020
715:2016
675:ISBN
590:ISBN
566:ISBN
542:ISBN
517:ISBN
491:ISBN
339:and
184:8088
129:mono
58:(or
50:and
1486:USL
1481:UML
1359:RAD
1334:EUP
671:123
383:NES
370:I/O
253:In
245:API
241:API
209:or
166:x86
155:390
151:370
147:360
144:IBM
123:in
46:In
36:Wii
1581::
1389:XP
1364:UP
973:.
948:.
944:.
918:.
914:.
887:.
881:.
851:.
840:^
822:.
818:.
784:^
763:.
752:^
731:.
705:.
701:.
683:.
673:.
639:.
615:.
603:^
477:^
229:,
172:.
93:.
54:,
1038:e
1031:t
1024:v
988:.
959:.
929:.
899:.
866:.
834:.
778:.
746:.
717:.
650:.
625:.
525:.
303:)
299:(
295:.
285:.
182:/
157:/
153:/
149:/
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.