UPDATE: For full details on Playstation 2 compatibility, and which consoles support PS2 games, please see this PS3 model guide for details.
We’ve hinted at it in the past, that removing the Emotion Engine chip from the 80GB (and future) Playstation 3 consoles would ruin backwards compatibility with many Playstation 2 games. Without it, the console runs these games via a software emulator. You may not even care about this feature if you no longer play PS2 games, or kept your old console plugged in along with your new one. But one of the writers at Curmudgeon Gamer put his 90 game PS2 library to the test, playing each game on a 60GB and 80GB Playstation 3. The results weren’t pretty:
On the 60GB PS3, 84 of the 90 games worked perfectly fine, without any problems at all. 4 more had minor problems; 1 required a special controller that did not work with the PS3, and 1 suffered a show-stopping crash.
On the 80GB version, only 50 of the games worked perfectly (just 56.67% of his library). 12 of them crashed completely, 1 doesn’t work online, and there’s the one that required the special controller.
So if you care at all about playing your PS2 games and were planning on buying a PS3, you better run to the store now to pick up a 60GB version (as all remaining units are in stores now, and no more are being made). This is probably your last chance to buy a full-featured Playstation 3.
I thought sony took out the backwards compatability from the PS3’s for two reasons. One being that it was a really expensive component for the system, and two being that the PS2 was still selling really really well. So I guess in their own way they were being crafty. Making you either have to keep your old PS2 or buy a new PS2 with your PS3 just to pay your old games?
Either way, it makes more money for them. No console is meant to last forever, even the most well taken care of.
When it all comes down to it, people are still purchasing the PS2 so see no reason to add the software to the PS3.
While this is a major inconvenience, I don’t see them ever making another PS3 console with backwards compatability. So it looks like I won’t be buying one til theres a major price drop in consoles, as people on auctions sites have jacked up the prices on earlier backwards compatible models.
Maybe, just maybe, if the PS2 sales and PS3 sales suddenly durastically drop, there will be a chance sony will have to add this aoftware again, but I highly doubt this will happen. I for one wouldn’t mind paying extra for the backwards compatability feature. If people want it so much, and are willing to pay for seperate consoles with it, why not have two versions of a console? One for serious gamers of all generations of consoles, and one for recreational.
Although I see where sony went with this, I feel they let their followers down with this decision.
Lets home they realease a new console!
The componet in the PS3 that gave it compatiblity was the Emotion Engine CPU and the graphics synthesizer, which only cost $5 more than the replacement CPU and graphic chip. The CPU and synthesizer was only put in models CECHB01 (60GB) and CECHA01 (20GB). Model CECHE01 (80GB) still contained the synthesizer, but not the CPU, allowing it to emulate the Emotion Engine to provide backward compatibilty. All other models did not contain the Emotion Engine CPU nor the graphic synthesizer with no emulation software built into the console, thus preventing backwards compatibilty.
The problem with the older models is that they overheat. Mine just did and now Sony wants to charge me a fortune to fix it.
Well, I was one of the people that camped out 3 days for a 60GB PS3 on launch. I attest that it had way more problems with games than my 80GB, I bought in 2008 has. In fact Silent Hill 2 just wouldnt play on the 60GB, but plays flawlessly on my 80GB. I also have no problems with any of my PS1 game from Descent, Twisted Metal, Toshinden to Resident Evil. I highly reccommend the software emulation over the emotion chip. That didn’t work right anyway.
Shit! Damn them to hell. Its such a hassle to find one.
@Druff
All PS1 games work on PS3 they use the same type of programming as an audio cd. Whereas the PS2 games use a different engine.
I love the fact that i can play my PS1 Descent 2 game on my PS3, i love the entire Descent series and have played them for months on my PC, even getting the level editor to create my own levels, so playing Descent 2 on my PS3 on a hi def 42″ tv is fantastic!
Hey i have got a UK 80GB PS3, and i have a UK account but i made a USA account aswell so i could download the PS2 System Data thing on the PS Store that is only available in America, and i downloaded it and installed it but everytime i try one of the games on the 80GB list it comes up as ” Unsupported Data” and it says on the PS Store it works for all PS3`s apart from 40GBs , its soo unfair because i have about 30-40 PS2 games but i cant play them anymore , and i really cannot be bothered paying about £30 for a new PS2 when sony clearly says it works for all PS3s apart from 40GBs.
My PS3 was japaneese or chineese, i forgot but would i have to make a japan/chineese account and download it to work?
I have been trying to find a decent backwards compatible 60 or 80 gb ps3 for the longest time without having to wipe my savings clean! I finally got a hold of one and it wasn’t backwards C and so I finally found this program on ps3 network stating I could download it and play ps2 games (by the way my ps3 was a 60gb) and IT DIDN’T WORK!!! I later found a small print statement within the paragraph stating it not being able to work on 60gb and 40gb models and i’m like if they are the only ones non backwards C then what’s the point of making that stupid program if all the other ones have it but those models and those models can never have it??? It’s ridiculously stupid!!!
You don’t need to download a software program for the 60gb ps3 to be able too play ps2 games.
I understand that many people were and possibly still are up in arms with regards to backwards compatibility for their ps3 but to me it has been of no interest whatsoever and has always had the feel of a media driven issue which some clowns bought in to, specifically when the Sony machine was struggling and short sighted and talentless journalists were lining up to stick the boot in. I never purchased an Amiga to play C64 games, nor a Super Nintendo to play NES games and certainly not a ps3 to play ps2 games… if the option is there then all well and good, but if it’s not the case then I guess that is just progress, not backwards thinking…
@ Captain Douche,
Actually, you sound like someone who sucks. You’re in a thread of people who want ps2 games to work on their ps3 machines because, well, that’s what they were sold when they upgraded to ps3 and sold off their ps2 machines so they could afford a $500 beast that was guaranteed to play both systems’ games. You should probably omit yourself from forums where you don’t belong since you have no interest in this topic, coolness.
HELPP!!!!! I Have The 80GB ps3 model version 3.60, and then downloaded ps2 backup data from my American Acc, (i in UK) it Still wont work can anybody HELPP??