The drive is backwards-compatible and will work with all USB 2.0 enabled computers and notebooks, as well as forthcoming USB 3.0 models.

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The Wii U takes content confinement a step further with its support for legacy software, providing a near-perfect example of the folly of Nintendo's content ownership philosophy: the isolated sandbox of its backwards-compatible Wii Menu.

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The deal is rumored to include the streaming of first- and third-party PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 games through the cloud, essentially making the PS3 backwards-compatible again (something the newer model eliminated from the equation).

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The changes aren't always backwards-compatible.

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Of course, much of this depends on the price of next-gen games and whether the system is backwards compatible.

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The performance of SDHC UHS-I memory card is optimized when paired with a UHS-I device, although the card is backwards compatible with Class 4, 6 and 10 equipment.

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In the last gen Sony used hardware, then software and then nothing at all for backwards compatible gaming, while Microsoft went all software -- we'll see how it balances out this time around.

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