Did you grumble when Sony dropped PS2 compatibility in the name of making the PlayStation 3 cheaper to manufacture? Possibly not, and it’s certainly less of an issue now that the PS3 has a sizeable software library of its own. However, a newly discovered patent application indicates that things may be about to change, again.

Previously backwards compatibility was achieved by plonking the PS2’s Emotion Engine chip directly into the workings of early-model PS3s. However, the new patent describes a way to make the PS3’s Cell Processor directly emulate it instead. And that can only mean one thing, can’t it?

Think about it. The PlayStation 2 has a vast catalogue of games and a massive audience that actively plays ‘em. The hardware still shifts surprisingly well too – even beating PS3 sales overseas in some months. So how best to encourage these last-gen gamers make the leap to PS3? An enticing price-point might work, but backwards compatibility would certainly be a lot cheaper from Sony’s point of view.

Well, that’s our interpretation anyway, and we’re really scratching our heads to think of any other reason why Sony would want the PS3 chip to emulate its predecessor. Such a move would surely enliven sales of PS2 game downloads through the PlayStation Network too. But the real beauty in all this is that it could be achieved via a straightforward firmware update, thus making all PS3s immediately backwards compatible.

We’ll keep an eye on this and let you know how it develops. Meantime prepare to blow the dust off your PS2 archive. We’re not even sure where ours is...