UPDATE: Sony has confirmed to Wired that it is "working on utilizing PS2 emulation technology to bring PS2 games forward to the current generation."

Original story follows.

Recently re-released PS2 Star Wars games may be quietly running under emulation on the PS4, according to a Digital Foundry analysis.

PS2 games Racer Revenge, Jedi Starfighter, and Bounty Hunter were re-released for the PS4 alongside Star Wars: Battlefront this week.

They run at a higher resolution than the PS2 originals, with improved performance and trophy support.

Telltale signs the games are running under emulation include the way the start/select buttons are mapped; a visible emulation system for PS2 memory cards; the appearance of the PS2 logo when each game is booted; and DualShock 2-centric button prompts in-game.

Tests showed that the games are running at a smooth 60fps with a 1292x896 resolution (effectively doubling the PS2's native 512x448 resolution); Digital Foundry suspects trophy support comes via tracking the game state for certain "trigger conditions."

Digital Foundry's report follows whispers of PEGI ratings for PS2 classics listed for PS4, as well as screenshots of PS2-related media in firmware beta tests.

The alleged emulator is distinct from Sony's PlayStation Now service, which offers PS3 games on the new-gen console via online streaming.

Having a functioning PS2 emulator running on the PS4 begs the question of if, or when, further titles from the classic console's library will be released for the PS4.

Microsoft made a big splash with Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on the Xbox One, so Sony may decide to respond in kind.

No official announcement has been made by Sony, but the company may decide to make one at its PlayStation Experience event, running from December 5-6.