The conservationism of video games. A topic that really grants hours and hours of debate among the community, but it does not seem like a sensitive enough question for the big video game companies.
Right now, all eyes are on Sony, because after announcing its decision to not be able to buy more products on the PS3, PSP and PSVita PSNs, we have come across a really tricky subject.
Through the information provided by a series of users on the network, we have been able to know that our PS4 may be unusable in the future if the battery of the internal CMOS battery ends up depleting . A fact that also applies to the PS3 and PS Vita, making it impossible to play games in digital format. However, let’s go by parts so that it is clear to us what is happening.
What is the CMOS stack?
The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is a small section of PlayStation consoles, and many other devices, that allows you to maintain a power line to the motherboard when it is turned off .
This CR2032 battery has an estimated life of 10 years , so it can lead to its replacement. If the CMOS stack were not working, one of the problems it could cause would be loss of configuration with the BIOS (the system that tells the software how the hardware should work).
In the event that the battery runs out, the console will be unable to keep its internal clock active . If at that moment we turn on the device, we will be asked for a date and time, since it will not have kept the time tracking while it was off.
The point is that the three consoles will try to do it through the internet , connecting with the PSN. Right now, this is not a problem, but doubts arise when, in a hypothetical future, Sony decides to press the power button for older digital platforms.
How does this affect the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita consoles?
As we say, we are anticipating a possibility that has not been confirmed, but that is plausible for a few years. Thanks to the Twitter account of Does it play? We can consult some of the most relevant points on this question. Here you have the link to the document with the information.
The problem is that as soon as any of the three consoles must connect to their corresponding PSN and cannot, we will not be able to play the games. This point is much more serious for the PS4 , since it not only makes it impossible to play digital titles, but also physical ones.
For PS3 and PS Vita there is some respite, since this evil only affects digital works, respecting the physical format. But why has Sony made this design decision?
The reason is behind the trophies, one of the most valued features by PlayStation users. Thanks to the CMOS and its correct synchronization with the internal clock of the console, it is avoided that any player can modify the system date and simulate that a trophy was obtained at different times .
To show that the problem is really serious, the user Hikikomori Media got a PS3, disassembled it, removed the CMOS battery and tried to play with the console without connecting to the internet. The result was as expected, since it could not reproduce any digital work , resulting in a request from the system to synchronize the internal clock through the internet.
What alternatives or solutions are there?
Currently, the panorama of possible situations are the following:
- The CMOS battery runs out, but PSN still works
Your most hopeful future. In this case you would have to find another battery, replace it and connect to PSN to reestablish normal activity. You would have no bigger problem than finding another pile and doing the process yourself.
- The CMOS battery runs out and PSN does not work either
The darkest future. If you own a PS4, the console would become useless . You wouldn’t be able to do anything with your games and you’d be forced to make the leap to a later generation, in this case, PS5.
If you have a PS3 or PS Vita, you better have a good physical library, because there would be no way to set the date and time due to the lack of a server to connect to. In this sense, John Linneman, member of Digital Foundry, certifies what has been explained.
While the options on the table are concerning, there is still a possibility, but it is up to Sony. Addressing the problem would come through a firmware update , as modder Lance McDonald points out.
According to him, a move in this direction by the Japanese company would be possible. The price to pay to continue playing would be the inability to unlock trophies, although McDonald describes this as a “low priority” for Sony.
The future not only of PlayStation, but of video game preservation
As mentioned before, many electronic devices have their own CMOS battery. From computers, through a mobile phone to the most modern televisions. However, for these devices all we have to do is buy a better model and forget about the problem.
Because Sony has shrunk the only gaming space from PS3 titles to the PS3 itself, users would have it raw . Yes, if you own a PS5 (or a future PS6 / PS7) and Sony maintains this line of introducing backward compatibility, you can continue playing.
However, millions of PS4 will be absolutely useless. Once again, the digital landscape of video games opens many doors, but begins to close many others in the past . Sony seems to have forgotten, or does not care too much, what happens with its historical catalog.
The task of preserving, conserving and disseminating it is increasingly in the hands of a community that must gradually overcome the obstacles that companies put in their way.
and Discord.
