The PlayStation 3 (officially abbreviated as PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
A major feature that distinguishes the PS3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation Portable, and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium. It was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17, 2006 in North America and South America, and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania.
As of November 6, 2013 over 80 million PS3s have been sold worldwide.
The PlayStation 3 has been succeeded by the PlayStation 4.
Models[]
Generation | Model | Available colors | First available | In production | Other features/information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st 4 USB ports, hardware-based PS2 emulation, Super Audio CD playback, third-party OS install. |
20 GB CECHBxx NTSC |
|
November 2006 | No |
|
60 GB CECHAxx NTSC |
|
November 2006 | No |
| |
2nd 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 2 memory card readers, 4 USB ports, partially software-based PS2 emulation, Super Audio CD playback, third-party OS install. |
60 GB CECHCxx PAL |
|
March 2007 | No | |
80 GB CECHExx NTSC |
|
August 2007 | No |
| |
3rd 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 2 USB ports, no PS2 emulation, no SACD support, third-party OS install. |
40 GB CECHGxx, CECHHxx, CECHJxx PAL, NTSC |
(all have satin silver trim) |
October 2007 EU AU November 2007 NA JP |
No | |
80 GB CECHKxx, CECHLxx PAL, NTSC |
(all have satin silver trim) |
August 2008 NA EU AU October 2008 JP |
No |
| |
160 GB CECHPxx PAL, NTSC |
|
October 2008 EU November 2008 NA |
No |
| |
4th 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 2 USB ports, no PS2 emulation, no SACD support, Bravia Sync XMB control, slim form factor. |
120 GB slim CECH-20xxA PAL, NTSC |
|
September 1, 2009 NA EU September 3, 2009 AU NZ JP |
No | |
250 GB slim CECH-20xxB PAL, NTSC |
|
October 2009EU |
No |
|
Hardware[]
The PS3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray Disc drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media. All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5" SATA hard drives. It uses the Sony, Toshiba, IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, which is made up of one 3.2 GHz PowerPC-based "Power Processing Element" (PPE) and eight Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs).
The system has Bluetooth 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all currently shipping models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a memory card reader is built-in on 60 GB and CECHExx 80 GB models. The system supports up to 7 controllers that are connected via Bluetooth 2.0 technology.
Controllers[]
The Sixaxis wireless controller (trademarked SIXAXIS) was the official wireless controller for the PlayStation 3, later to be succeeded by the DualShock 3. In Japan, individual Sixaxis controllers were available for purchase simultaneously with the console's launch, without a USB to USB mini cable. The controller uses Bluetooth wireless technology and uses motion sensing so that games can tell how the controller is being held and use that information. Originally, the vibration function for the controller was removed due to interference with the motion sensor, but vibration was restored with the release of the DualShock 3 controller.
The DualShock 3 is the now official PlayStation 3 controller, replacing the Sixaxis completely while keeping the functionality of Sixaxis and adding rumble capabilities.
Backwards compatibility[]
All PS3s are generally backwards compatible with PlayStation (PS1) games. However, only early models of PS3s are backwards compatible with PS2 games. The first generation of PS3s used the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer (EE+GS) chips found in the slimline PlayStation 2 to provide backwards compatibility. The second generation left the GS intact and used software emulation for the EE which resulted in many games encountering compatibility issues, though in April 2007 a firmware update increased the backwards compatibility to apparently include, among other games, such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance.
Later models of the PS3, including the Slim as Super Slim, do not support backwards compatibility with PS2 games due to the complete lack of the EE+GS chips.
The Metal Gear series on the PS3[]
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Online, Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Metal Gear Online 3 was released for the PS3. Metal Gear Solid 4 had to be compressed to fit on a Blu-ray Disc, despite the disc being capable of holding up to 50 GB of data. The game also makes use of the Sixaxis and DualShock 3, where Psycho Mantis can make the controller vibrate as he did in Metal Gear Solid.
Also, the original Metal Gear Solid is available on the PlayStation Network as part of the PSOne Classics.
Metal Gear games on the PlayStation 3[]
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)
- Metal Gear Online (2008)
- Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection (2011)
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013)
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (2014)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
- Metal Gear Online 3 (2015)
See also[]
External links[]
- Official websites