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[Celcius]

The PS3 has a lot of great games including exclusives just like any other PlayStation. But what really sets it apart is how unique it is compared to the other PlayStations due to the era that it came out in.

- It has both modern and retro audio/video connections on the back of the console and you can even mix and match them. For example today I hooked mine up to a modern LCD monitor that doesn't have speakers so I used HDMI for video and then I used the red/white stereo audio output to connect to my PC speakers. You can also connect it to a CRT television if you don't want to use a modern HDMI display. For audio you can use HDMI, red/white stereo, or it even has a dedicated optical audio output too.
- The online gameplay has always been free. Supports wired and wireless internet like modern consoles.
- Modern enough for many games to be available for digital download on the PS store. That includes PS3, PS2, and PS1 games. At the time being able to put physical games on Blu-ray disks was a big advantage over the competition due to having so much space for big games.
- For most games you can backup your saves to a usb flash drive
- Backwards compatibility with PS2 games (some OG models only) and PS1 games (all models). Not only that but it has an accessory that lets you connect PS1 or PS2 memory cards and copy save data back and forth.
- Plays Blu-rays, DVDs, and CD discs
- Internal HDD can be upgraded to a SATA SSD (was a cheap upgrade before the current economy).
- OG console looks the best but slim console is much quieter. New enough to have wireless controllers and the dualshock 3 is fantastic all around.

The reason why I'm thinking about this is that today I wanted to play Megaman X4 just out of the blue for nostalgia and I want the ability to play it on a CRT. I know the game is available on Steam and modern platforms but I wanted the OG release. Sega Saturn copies are going for $400+ and PS1 copies go for $30+ but then I saw that it's available on the PS3 store for $6 as a PS1 classic. I bought it and was able to use my official Sony memory card adapter to load my 100% complete saves from back in the day as well. I can connect the PS3 easily to a CRT and you also get the digital convenience.

What about you guys, any other PS3 appreciators?

 

[p_xavier]

Only rhe 60GB North American OG.

 

[SpiceRacz]

When I got my college grant check in the mail, I immediately drove to GameStop and bought a PS3 slim, Fallout 3, and Uncharted. Spent tons of hours playing MAG, street fighter 2 HD Remix, Battlefield 1943 online. PlayStation Home was fun as hell too. It had a rough start, but I think the PS3 pulled ahead of the pack at the end of the console cycle.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

 

[bender]

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

When I got my college grant check in the mail, I immediately drove to GameStop and bought a PS3 slim, Fallout 3, and Uncharted. Spent tons of hours playing MAG, street fighter 2 HD Remix, Battlefield 1943 online. PlayStation Home was fun as hell too. It had a rough start, but I think the PS3 pulled ahead of the pack at the end of the console cycle.

It absolutely did, and it's an often ignored reason why Xbox is in the current state that it's in.

Uncharted 3, Journey, The Last of Us, Ni No Kuni, and an almost maniacal focus on fixing what was initially wrong with the PS3 is what got us to the current console market where Sony are, for better or for worse, uncontested. Sure there was the PSN being down issue(s) and yep PS Move was still kicking around, but someone — somewhere — within PlayStation was taking a massive hammer to all of the PS3 problems; setting up the best possible stage for the PS4 to not suffer at launch.

Meanwhile, Xbox was doing the opposite. They were making mistake (e.g., Milo) after mistake (e.g., focusing on non-gaming) after mistake (e.g., ignoring the people who supported them through the RROD), thinking that the path forward was a device that could do eeeeeverything (i.e., the "One".) The plot twist? That was exactly what Sony wanted the PS3 to be but the market reminded them that PlayStation is about gaming first and everything else second.

Funnily enough, I think the PS3 may have unintentionally solved a big problem that PlayStation tried to solve this gen through GaaS. PlayStation Home — the livest of live-service shit — should make a return in a big way. The hardware and networking solutions are fast enough that Home can thrive on both the PS5 and upcoming PS6. I really think they're sitting on gold and they don't even know it.

 

[Arsic]

been tempted to pick up a fat boy OG off eBay. Play PS2&3 games along with blu rays? Shiiiiiit.

 

[German Shocks]

The PlayStation 3 might be the most beautiful piece of gaming hardware ever created.

Inside and out.

 

[bender]

The PlayStation 3 might be the most beautiful piece of gaming hardware ever created.

Inside and out.

 

[Sohurmk833]

It was a great console with a fantastic library and the last time i was truly satisfied with a Sony console.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Yep. I have three of them: two slims and a super slim. I also have more PS3 games than the other PS consoles.

It had way more Japanese niche games and studios, and new games didn't take 5-6 years to make back then, so way more exclusives too.

 

[vodka-bull]

Fucking cell processor killed backwards compatibility though

 

[Fahdis]

Best console of all time. 60 GB Phat.

 

[Lionel Richie]

I'm seeing a lot of love for the PS360 era, but for me the absolute sweet spot was the PS4/Bone/early Switch, basically everything in gaming from the launch of the PS4 to the launch of the PS5. Some cracks were beginning to show (HARSH ones depending on the kind of games you like) but those years stuck a cool middle ground between convenience and creativity/innovation.

 

[Judge Magister]

I boot it up from time to time, XMB is fantastic. I adore the controller because is similar to PS1/2. It has various gems, it was the last time games came with a manual.

I had problems with launch Fat and Slim, YLOD and NEC capacitors. I have a white Super Slim now.

For connecting to CRT i prefer Wii because it supports 480 resolution.

Having said that i don't consider it the best PS at all.

 

[EDMIX]

Only rhe 60GB North American OG.

Same.

I'm never selling that shit lol

I think I got like 4 PS3's that gen.

OG 60GB with BC, MGS4 edition, PS3 silm (I think I go some other version for one of my cousins in France)

The best media player, still used -

 

[Gaiff]

Agreed, got mine in 2011 and still have it. It never fully shook off the bad start, but in my opinion, it was the last PS console that really felt like a console and not just a weaker PC with a console interface.

 

[p_xavier]

Same.

I'm never selling that shit lol

I think I got like 4 PS3's that gen.

OG 60GB with BC, MGS4 edition, PS3 silm (I think I go some other version for one of my cousins in France)

The best media player, still used -

For me was for the SACD support but Sony had it for their 4K players, still do. So was fine not having one in every room.

 

[TropicanaTwista]

Tough to say for me. I agree that the last 4 years of that gen cycle was PlayStations absolute peek. They finally went through fixing the ps store and just kept releasing banger after banger. It's amazing looking back and seeing how many great games they released in a short time.

But man, the first couple years of that thing was rough. If I had to vote, I would probably say PS2, just for the consistency throughout.

 

[JackHanma]

For some reason my two favorite consoles are the PS3 and the original Xbox. They have a particular charm to them and the games are just fantastic.

 

[p_xavier]

I'd like to know why no PS3 support for PS6, emultation is on top. But then again they gimped so many systems for no reason. I want to play 3D dotheroes, FFXIII again.

 

[MicTyson]

Absolutely amazing lineup of 1st party games but the 3rd party games were mostly inferior to the 360. Either way, it was night and day better than what we get now. The PS4 didn't really impress me either but it was much better than PS5.

PS2/PS3 were the most exciting PlayStation consoles imo.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Still got my PS3 slim after my OG 60gb launch model died.

What a generation of games. Launch day with motor storm, resistance and resogun. Then onto super stardust hd. Warhawk. Uncharted 1-3, all the ratchet games, last of us.

So many classic games that generation.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

Got the european 60gb version for 599€ with a free game and a James Bond 007: Casino Royale Blu Ray. Don't know why people were bitching about the price.

Good old days. Got Résistance and Motorstorm on launch day.

 

[Sportler]

Got the european 60gb version for 599€ with a free game and a James Bond 007: Casino Royale Blu Ray. Don't know why people were bitching about the price.

Good old days. Got Résistance and Motorstrom on launch day.

$600 in 2006 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $990 today. If that's okay with some people...

 

[IAmRei]

my personal favorite is PSP, had lot of good memories with that machine, and especially monster hunters, SD Gundam, Grand Knight History, and 7th dragon 2020. many great games, portable size, powerful enough to emulate lot of things, and alternative mp3 player. I ended love PSP more than NDS at the time.

 

[MonkD]

my personal favorite is PSP, had lot of good memories with that machine, and especially monster hunters, SD Gundam, Grand Knight History, and 7th dragon 2020. many great games, portable size, powerful enough to emulate lot of things, and alternative mp3 player. I ended love PSP more than NDS at the time.

Really disappointed Vita didn't have any legs. Console could've been better than PSP, but went out like a wet fart. Some gems on there though.

PS3 is definitely my favorite console to. Fantastic era. Too bad that they botched the perfectly organized and grid based PS Store though. The advertisement version runs like shit on PS3, and it's impossible to find what you're looking for, since you can't navigate naturally through the menus. Disaster.

 

[WX3]

I miss this one. The fact that mine died and I did not replace it haunts me today still. That machine got me through some rough periods in time when the XBOX 360 seemed to die every other day on me. Stubborn as I was I just kept replacing them while my OG 80gb fat just sat collecting dust. Spousal intervention stopped the cycle and I spent a year solid just loving the PS3. It helped MGS 4 launched at around the same time. All that to say the next retro purchase I make will be to finally replace that old PS3.

 

[IAmRei]

Really disappointed Vita didn't have any legs. Console could've been better than PSP, but went out like a wet fart. Some gems on there though.

PS3 is definitely my favorite console to. Fantastic era. Too bad that they botched the perfectly organized and grid based PS Store though. The advertisement version runs like shit on PS3, and it's impossible to find what you're looking for, since you can't navigate naturally through the menus. Disaster.

yeah, i want to buy vita when the time it released, but the price at the time is fried so crispy and i ended not buying vita but new laptop. and i forgot about vita until it's late.
Vita it self is missing potential. at the time, sony seems forget if they had vita as a platform and product, duh.

TBH, I like the vita design, it is the best portable form and shape, well, until i saw switch 1 first appear in 2016.

 

[Esppiral]

Nah, it is a piece of shit.

 

[Radical_3d]

To me the biggest feature of the HD generation was the third party output. Of course first parties like Sony would risk or wanted to have must haves every generation. But that was the generation of Mirror's Edge and Dead Space by no other than EA. The generation where Red Faction Armageddon was a forgotten title, being a game that would wipe out any year's GOTY this generation. Capcom made Lost Planet. Sega did Virtua Tennis 3 (they no longer make these) and Valkyria Chronicles. Everyone was risking with their AAA, not with some indies that they publish to shave face that they are a gambling company now. It was the last generation where companies risked big budgets in new ideas. Yes, I love Uncharted and Halo 3, but it'd be a dire situation if third party didn't accompany (just look at the Wii).

From them on only father simulators in first party and [franchise name] [number] in third party. Sad.

 

[icecold1983]

The ranking for library quality.

PS2
PS3
PS4
PS1
PS5

 

[Impotaku]

I own the grand total of 15 games for PS3 that's how meh the 3rd party library was for someone who likes unusual games it was slim pickings after coming from the S tier PS1&2 libraries of games PS3 felt like the weird fun had started to slowly vanish seemed less 3rd parties were wanting to release the odd stuff and things were becoming more dull & boring which is where we are now at PS5.

Ninokuni was what got me to grab a ps3 slim and then i went looking for other stuff that would interest me. Having boku no natsuyasumi 3 was a huge draw as i adore that series sadly the last one ever to release on a console before sony relegated the series to PSP. Sadly came in way too late to get into eye of judgement i wanted to play but by then it was a nightmare to get hold of the cards used to play it. Probably only one of the few people that really loved wonderbook back when sony actually used to do fun risky shit like that & eye of jusdgement.

My weak ass PS3 collection, only beaten by how even less games i have on PSP.

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