PS3 will support old saves

By Tom Bramwell Published 7 August, 2006

Providing you buy an adapter.

An update to Sony's PlayStation 3 website has revealed that you will be able to use older PlayStation memory cards with PlayStation 3 - providing you buy an adapter.

An entry in the official PS3 FAQ states: "To use saved data on a PlayStation 2 memory card, you must copy the data onto a virtual memory card within the hard disk."

"This requires a PS2/PSone memory card adaptor to copy the data to your PlayStation 3. A memory card adaptor is designed to edit, up/download game saves to and from EMS flash card or smart media card."

The FAQ offers no further details on the peripheral, but given that console manufacturers make most of their dosh out of game and peripheral sales, you can probably expect to fork over something above and beyond a tenner.

Mind you, at least it's a solution. 360 owners who want to play existing Xbox games on their next-gen consoles - providing they're even supported - either have to start from scratch or invest in a third-party peripheral to transfer save-games across.

We should get a firm idea of how much the adapter costs when Sony releases more details about its launch plans for PlayStation 3. The console itself is due to go on sale in Europe on November 17.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Talha #1 6 years ago

    The subheading should have read: Providing you can buy a PS3...

  • Blerk #2 6 years ago

    I don't think I'd be that desperate to use my old saves, tbh. But that's mostly down to the types of game I play, I suspect.

  • tonynibbles #3 6 years ago

    So long as I can transfer those SingStar recordings over, I'll be happy...

  • MrGrumpy.au #4 6 years ago

    The subheading should have read: Providing you can buy a PS3...

    Talha, or for some people maybe "afford" may be appropriate. ;)


    Why they just don't package with the PS3 a "PS2 save transfer disc (for the PS2 obviously)" which would support transferring saves from the PS2 to the PS3 either via ethernet or USB sticks. (oops, they cannot make money that way can they)

  • nickthegun #5 6 years ago

    Yeah, its the primary reason I havent played hardly any of my old Xbox back catalogue. I cant be arsed going through unlocking everything again and Im not so bothered about it that I want to shell out any money on it.

    in fact, ive sold my Xbox now, so I dont know what Im complaining about.....oh, and you should be able to use a standard flash drive as a memory card.

    Anyway, erm.......PS3 is teh sux0Rz!!!!!! Oh, and wasnt there a compatability issue between old PS1 memory cards and Ps2 ones, that meant everyone had to buy them again? My PS2 memory is a little hazy.....but I suppose this device will be useful for everyone who wants to play Rollcage and FIFA 98 in glorious 1080p........

  • MrGrumpy.au #6 6 years ago

    nickthegun, no compatablility problems that I've encountered (PS1MC on a PS2), they work fine. You just cannot use a PS2MC to save while running a PS1 game, but you can transfer the PS1 saves onto the PS2MC for backup purposes.

  • McBradders #7 6 years ago

    Well, paying for it or not, it's a welcome addition.

  • Stormflood #8 6 years ago

    I think my GTA4 saves would beckon that adapter. When I can afford the console that is......

  • 3william56 #9 6 years ago

    Good job by Sony. But you'll only ever need it once, so would be a good one to be rented for a weekend.

  • Talha #10 6 years ago

    @MrGrumpy.au: Of course, that's exactly what I meant!

  • TripleSeven #11 6 years ago

    Yep buying it (only) makes sense if you think of it as a collectible ... uhm, yeah.

    Anyway, a good thing. I won't need it, though. Oh, wait - perhaps for the old FF7 saves.

    I'm glad you don't have to switch memory cards (PS1/2) anymore.

  • Fubdub #12 6 years ago

    @MrGrumpy.au

    I'm sure you can just copy your saves to a PC and then use USB or whatever to transfer them to the PS3, but frankly I think it's nice they actually thought about including the option to buy an adapter rather than just leave people to make up their own hacks.
    I think making a USB key work in a PS2 might cause some problems driver wise, especially if it should support as many different USB options as possible, though I don't know of course. In any case, I don't actually have an USB key so I'm happy with this option, and it seems like something that can be bought once and then swapped between friends.

  • Talha #13 6 years ago

    @Fubdub: You can save high-res photos from GT4's photo mode to a USB key. But that is about the only use for a USB key I know for PS2. Then again, if game saves were allowed on USB's, who'd buy their "Memory Card (8MB) for Playstation 2"'s????

  • Fubdub #14 6 years ago

    @Talha
    That's very true, Memorycards is one thing I'm never gonna miss.
    Edited by 1 at 07/08/06 @ 12:33

  • Zero Beat #15 6 years ago

    *Swings his sword then sheathes it* ;D

  • Steroyd #16 6 years ago

    Good job by Sony. But you'll only ever need it once, so would be a good one to be rented for a weekend.

    not if they add a memory stick reader in their also (although if you got the 60GB version that would make it a moot point)

    Although it's Sony we're talking about the same Sony that Sold us a 8 MB memory card seperate from the f***ing system so i had to shell out extra for my goddamn damn saves >_<

    Thank f*** the PS3 comes with a standard Hard Drive.... and also now i can go buy FFXII, Rogue Galaxy and whatever games i'm going to be buying and playing very close to the PS3's launch. :)

  • killyourtv #17 6 years ago

    is it really that much of a hassle to just finish the games on your ps2

  • captainrentboy #18 6 years ago

    Why are ps2 memory cards still £20?It's just dawned on me,isn't that a massive rip off?''8 whole mb,wow!''I mean i'm pretty sure that the ''revolutionary'' magic gate technology is hold hat nowadays.

  • Steroyd #19 6 years ago

    if a game is fun enough you play through it again... not to mention my PS2 is going to be obsolete when i get my PS3.

    plus RPG's in particular take 100's of hours no way can you start a RPG in say October and do everything you want to do and stop playing on it by November.

    Heck got DQ8 back in....April still playing the fudging game every now.

    I so need that adaptor.
    Edited by 1 at 07/08/06 @ 13:30

  • Blerk #20 6 years ago

    You can get PS2 memory cards for less than £12 now if you shop around. You only pay £20 if you're a nutter who shops in GAME.

  • kangarootoo #21 6 years ago

    Buy one between you and all your PS3 owning friends/clan mates/passing acquaintances, then just pass it around as needed to copy over your saves, then flog it on eBay.

    Total cost per person = 1.0 pittance :)

    edit:typos
    Edited by 1 at 07/08/06 @ 14:05

  • Darren #22 6 years ago

    I'm very pleased that Sony have at least considered the issue of transferring memory saves which is more than can be said for Microsoft, who ignored it totally.

    In fact, since the 360 came out, they've ignored anything to do with the Xbox full-stop, it's like it doesn't exist anymore and only the third-party developers are keeping it alive (barely). Oh I know I shouldn't be surprised and I'm not really, I'm just recalling Microsoft's promise at E3 2005 that THEY'D continue to release games on the Xbox well into 2007 that's all. Well, that wasn't true was it as their last game was Half-Life 2 I believe, which came out last November. Ho-hum!
    Edited by 1 at 07/08/06 @ 14:36

  • captain-future #23 6 years ago

    It's OK that they at least provide a way to transfer savegame content.

  • BartonFink #24 6 years ago

    Support for Xbox is hardly drying up maybe MS themselves just don't have anything to release?

  • BartonFink #25 6 years ago

    Good on Sony though definately a good thing and it's a real pity MS didn't do something similar for 360 :(

  • kangarootoo #26 6 years ago

    @Darren

    There is the backward compatability list, the code for which is written by MS. Its not entirely as promised I agree, but lets things it in context.

  • azurelas_2 #27 6 years ago

    Maybe I didn't get it right, but, if I understood it correctly, you can play a PS1 game on the PS3 and save it directly to the HDD, right?
    That would be great! (as in a reason to begin playing FF7)

    /is probably the only person on eurogamer.net NEVER to have begun FF7...
    Edited by 1 at 07/08/06 @ 16:14

  • azurelas_2 #28 6 years ago

    Sorry, I meant the game saves, not the actual game itself.

  • ecureuil #29 6 years ago

    Saving directly to PS3 is a massive plus point IMO. Now I can store all my Pro Evo goals in one place. :D

  • theweaze #30 6 years ago

    why is it sony have to charge for stuff like this, isnt paying 425 enough?

    it's like when i bought my slim ps2, cos my other two ps2's broke (0bviously) then found out that multitaps dont fit. so instead of just bundling a little plastic adaptor that would cost nothing to make, i had to buy a third party one for some ridiculous price.

  • Stormflood #31 6 years ago

    For extra brownie points, Sony should release a CD-burnable application that boots on PS2, allowing transference of memory card contents to a USB memory stick. Or is that so obvious that I must be missing a crucial flaw in the plan?

  • drumbaby #32 6 years ago

    Good news.

  • TripSkyway #33 6 years ago

    Good news.

  • BBIAJ #34 6 years ago

    Darren, EA distributed HL2 on teh X-Box0rz, so that would make M$'s last game something else entirely!

  • Blerk #35 6 years ago

    For extra brownie points, Sony should release a CD-burnable application that boots on PS2, allowing transference of memory card contents to a USB memory stick. Or is that so obvious that I must be missing a crucial flaw in the plan?

    Circumventing MagicGate?

    Circumventing the PS2's copy protection hardware to allow booting of a CD-R?