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  • The original PlayStation 3
    The original PlayStation 3
  • The slim PlayStation 3
    The slim PlayStation 3
  • The super slim PlayStation 3
    The super slim PlayStation 3

History

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Development

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A PlayStation 3 Dev kit at E3 2006.

The PlayStation 2 preceded the PlayStation 3.

The PlayStation 3 reused the font from the Sony produced Spider Man movies, at the direction of Ken Kutaragi who liked the font.[1][2]

The promotion of the PlayStation 3 at E3 2005 and E3 2006 created a number of memes mocking Sony's decisions and marketing.[1]

Launch

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The next generation doesn't start until we say it does
—Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America at the time, CNN Money[3]

The PlayStation 3 launched in November 2006.[4] A launch price of $599 surprised industry competitors, who assumed Sony would subsidize more of the cost of the system.[5] Third party analysis of system hardware costs indicated that Sony did substantially subsidize each early revision console sold, with some estimates of per console costs reaching over $800 USD.[6] This high initial price was a huge advantage for competitors looking to gain market share.

A sideshow in a long and costly patent battle, Sony initially refused to add rumble feedback to the Playstation 3 on release with the SIXAXIS controller, later relenting and adding it into the 2007 DualShock 3 controller.[7]

By the end of 2007 the PlayStation 3 had cost Sony greatly, as the company had spent 2.16 billion dollars on the system in that year alone.[8]

Refresh & Removals

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George Hotz (Geohot) in 2008.

In 2009 the PlayStation 3 Slim was launched.[9][10] This system was significantly more economical to produce, and sold was sold almost at cost.[11][12][13] The system removed support for the OtherOS feature, which was also removed in earlier models via a software update.[14]

The removal of OtherOS galvanized fans of the feature to bring it back.[15] By January 2010 Geohot was the first to publicly breach the security of the PlayStation 3, and later publishes his work with protections built in to stop it from being used for piracy.[16] In response, Sony convinces Geohot to settle out of court after announcing a lawsuit.[16][17] This response by Sony immediately lead to a massive backlash by users, some cybersecurity academics, and the internet at large.[18][16]

By 2011 Sony faced massive cyberattacks which were likely motivated by their handling of Geohot and resulted in large amounts of customer information being leaked.[16] Furthermore in late 2011 the official twitter account of the fictional PlayStation spokesman Kevin Butler was tricked into retreating the PS3 master key which could be used to defeat PlayStation 3 security.[19]

In October of 2016 a settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit against Sony for the removal of OtherOS, resulting in Sony paying out a $3.75 million dollar settlement of around $65 to any affected user who made a claim before 2018.[20][21] The removal of OtherOS created other issues in the European Union, as the inclusion of the ability to run a full operating system allowed for a tax write off.[22]

In 2012 the PlayStation 3 Super Slim was launched.[23][24]

Legacy

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The PlayStation 3 was followed by the PlayStation 4.

Manufacturing of the PlayStation 3 ended in 2017, with 86 million consoles sold.[25][26] In March 2021, rumors of PlayStation Network servers for the PS3 being decommissioned caused many owners of PS3 consoles to investigate ways to retain access to digital content they had purchased through the service.[27] Backlash against this decision caused Sony to postpone the decomissioning.[28]

The legacy of the system is as complex as the technology that powered it. Hamstrung by frequent corporate missteps and esoteric technology, the console still saw some of the most innovative and impressive games of the generation.

Technology

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Compute

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Your games could really go the extra mile - If you could actually crack how to use that Cell architecture.
—Darren Jobling, executive of Eutechnyx, Interview published on Venture Beat on July 6th, 2014.[29]

One of the most infamous features of the PlayStation 3 is its powerful yet unwieldily computer architecture. This system was highly parallel for it's time, and even as late as December of 2019, some developers would compare the power of the PlayStation 3 CPU to that of some contemporary CPU designs, which is high praise for any processor of this era well over a decade after release.[30][31] It should be noted that the system was far more conservative in it's GPU design, and here the system showed it's age much quicker.

The PlayStation 3 has a primary Power Processor Element (PPE) single core PowerPC processor clocked at 3.2 gigahertz.[32][33] The system has eight Synergetic Processing Elements clocked at 3.2 gigahertz.[34] An NVIDIA RSX clocked at 550 megahertz serves as the GPU of the PS3.[35][36] The GPU is capable of 1.8 teraflops.[36]

The PlayStation 3 has 256 megabytes of XDR RAM clocked at 3.2 gigahertz, and 256 megabytes of dedicated GDDR3 video RAM clocked at 700 megahertz.[35][37][38]

Clusters of PS3 consoles were commonly used as a cheap compute platform, and for a time were even used (In massive clusters) as the basis for supercomputers.[39] The Namco System 357 arcade board is also based on the PlayStation 3.[40]

Hardware

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The PS3 has radios for Wi-Fi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR.[35][38] The PS3 also has 1000 megabit (1 gigabit) ethernet.[38]

The logo on the PlayStation 3 console can be rotated for use in horizontal or vertical orientations.[41]

The PS3 uses standard 2.5 inch Serial ATA (SATA) interface hard disk drives.[37][38] Though aftermarket solid state disks can be used in a PS3 for some major performance boosts in some games, though not all titles benefit much from this upgrade.[42][43][44]

Software

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The PlayStation 3 includes a web browser.[45]

Wonderbook

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Backwards Compatibility

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PlayStation 2

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Early PS3 consoles included the Emotion Engine, allowing for hardware based backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 2, with some later models eliminating the chip to use software emulation instead as a cost cutting measure.[38][46] The Software Emulation used by these PlayStation 3 models was panned for being less compatible.[47]

By the time of the PlayStation 3 Slim launch, PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility was dropped entirely.[48][49] Instead, a select number of PlayStation 2 games were later re-released on the digital PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3, requiring a new purchase regardless of prior ownership.[50]

PlayStation 1

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All PlayStation 3 consoles are backwards compatible with original PlayStation games.[51][52]

Notable Games

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2006

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The Sony Showfloor at E3 2006, prominently featuring PS3 gaming.

Resistance: Fall of Man

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A science fiction and dieselpunk alternate history first person shooter and the first major entry in the Resistance series. The Church of England objected to the depiction of Manchester Cathedral in the game.[53]

Read more about Resistance: Fall of Man and Controversy over the use of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man on Wikipedia.

2007

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2008

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Afrika / Hakuna Matata

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A photography and safari simulation game.

Read more about Afrika on Wikipedia.

2009

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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

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Read more about Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on Wikipedia.

Killzone 2

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Read more about Killzone 2 on Wikipedia.

Infamous

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A third person open world action adventure game based on navigating a city with newfound electricity superpowers. The game prominently featured a reputation system for player actions in game.

Read more about Infamous on Wikipedia.

Demon's Souls

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The first game in the Souls series.

Read more about Demon's Souls on Wikipedia.

Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic

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An enhanced port of the innovative PC game.

Read more about Rag Doll Kung Fu on Wikipedia.

3D Dot Game Heroes

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Read more about 3D Dot Game Heroes on Wikipedia.

2010

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2011

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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

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An adventure game focused on locating the Atlantis of the sands.

Read more about Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Iram of the Pillars on Wikipedia.

Resistance 3

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A Sci-Fi first person shooter. This entry in the Resistance series transitioned to a post apocalyptic theming.

Read more about Resistance 3 on Wikipedia.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

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A JRPG with animated cutscenes made by Studio Ghibli, who also influenced the overall visual aesthetic.

Read more about Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch on Wikipedia.

2012

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Journey

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An artful adventure game with unique minimalistic two player cooperation mechanics that operated through simple chimes rather then text or voice chat.

Read more about Journey on Wikipedia.

2013

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Beyond: Two Souls

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A cinematic action adventure game which was shown at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.[54]

Read more about Beyond: Two Souls on Wikipedia.

2014

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2016

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Persona 5

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Released in 2016 in Japan and 2017 internationally, Persona 5 was among the few major JRPG titles released for the PlayStation 3 this late into the marketing of the console.

Read more about Persona 5 on Wikipedia.

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Console Revision Comparison

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  • Original PS3 Front
    Original PS3 Front
  • Original PS3 Back
    Original PS3 Back
  • Slim PS3 Front
    Slim PS3 Front
  • Slim PS3 Back
    Slim PS3 Back
  • PS3 Super Slim Front
    PS3 Super Slim Front
  • PS3 Super Slim Rear
    PS3 Super Slim Rear

E3 2005

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  • The "Boomerang" controller concept at E3 2005
    The "Boomerang" controller concept at E3 2005
  • PS3 Models on display at E3, 2005
    PS3 Models on display at E3, 2005

Controllers

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  • A Sixaxis controller, the default at launch.
    A Sixaxis controller, the default at launch.
  • A DualShock 3 controller, which re-added rumble features.
    A DualShock 3 controller, which re-added rumble features.
  • The PlayStation Move controllers being held.
    The PlayStation Move controllers being held.
  • The PlayStation Move controller.
    The PlayStation Move controller.
  • The PlayStation Move Navigator.
    The PlayStation Move Navigator.
  • The PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter controller.
    The PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter controller.
  • The layout of the DualShock 3 controller.
    The layout of the DualShock 3 controller.

Accessories

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  • The PlayStation 3 Eye was used with PlayStation move controllers.
    The PlayStation 3 Eye was used with PlayStation move controllers.
  • The PlayStation 3 Bluetooth Headset on a charging stand.
    The PlayStation 3 Bluetooth Headset on a charging stand.
  • The PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad.
    The PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad.
  • The PlayStation 3 Blu-Ray Remote.
    The PlayStation 3 Blu-Ray Remote.
  • A PS2 to PS3 Memory Card Adapter.
    A PS2 to PS3 Memory Card Adapter.
  • The PlayTV Digital Video Recorder, released for the European DVB-T TV standard.
    The PlayTV Digital Video Recorder, released for the European DVB-T TV standard.
  • The PlayStation 3 torne Digital Video Recorder, released for the Japanese ISDB-T TV standard.
    The PlayStation 3 torne Digital Video Recorder, released for the Japanese ISDB-T TV standard.
  • A PS3 UDraw tablet.
    A PS3 UDraw tablet.
  • PlayStation composite cables.
    PlayStation composite cables.
  • PlayStation component cables.
    PlayStation component cables.

The PS3 as a Computer

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  • Ubuntu Linux running on a PS3
    Ubuntu Linux running on a PS3
  • Yellow Dog Linux running on a PS3
    Yellow Dog Linux running on a PS3
  • For a time, PS3 game consoles were often used as cheap computer clusters. Here multiple PS3s run Linux.
    For a time, PS3 game consoles were often used as cheap computer clusters. Here multiple PS3s run Linux.

Development & Homebrew

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  • An early PS3 NTSC COK-001 Motherboard, which includes the Emotion Engine.
    An early PS3 NTSC COK-001 Motherboard, which includes the Emotion Engine.
  • The Cell B.E. Processor
    The Cell B.E. Processor
  • The RSX Reality Synthesizer
    The RSX Reality Synthesizer
  • A PS3 Development Kit
    A PS3 Development Kit
  • PS3 security could be broken through a USB device, such as this one.
    PS3 security could be broken through a USB device, such as this one.

Community

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  • PlayStation 3 "Spider Man" logotype (2006-2009).
    PlayStation 3 "Spider Man" logotype (2006-2009).
  • PlayStation 3 logotype (2009-).
    PlayStation 3 logotype (2009-).

Read More

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There is a page about the PlayStation 3 in the Wikibook Strategy for Information Markets.

External Resources

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Wikipedia has related information at PlayStation 3

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: PlayStation 3

References

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 Parts of this page are based on materials from:
 Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia.
  1. ↑ a b "Thanks for All The Memes, PS3!". Kotaku. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Why Sony Ditched The Spider-Man PS3 Font" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/why-sony-ditched-the-spider-man-ps3-font-5344655. 
  3. ↑ "Sony sets PlayStation 3 price at $499 and $599 - May. 9, 2006". money.cnn.com. https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/08/technology/ps3_pricing/index.htm. 
  4. ↑ "Sony sets PlayStation 3 price at $499 and $599 - May. 9, 2006". money.cnn.com. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "PlayStation 3 Launch Price a 'Total Shock' to Microsoft – IGN Unfiltered - IGN". Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  6. ↑ McGrath, Dylan (16 November 2006). "'Teardown' finds Sony taking a bath on each PS3". EDN. https://www.edn.com/teardown-finds-sony-taking-a-bath-on-each-ps3/. 
  7. ↑ Parisi, David (5 December 2019). "Rumble/Control". ROMchip. 1 (2). Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "PS3 Has Cost Sony $3.32 Billion So Far". Gematsu. 24 June 2008. https://www.gematsu.com/2008/06/ps3-has-cost-sony-332-billion-so-far. 
  9. ↑ "PlayStation 3 Slim review". Engadget. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  10. ↑ June 2010, James Rivington 08. "Sony PS3 (Slim) review". TechRadar. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Terdiman, Daniel. "Report: PS3 design cost finally nearing break-even" (in en). CNET. https://www.cnet.com/news/report-ps3-design-cost-finally-nearing-break-even/. 
  12. ↑ "Playstation 3 Missing Break-Even After Almost 4 Years. How Long Can It Go On? [UPDATE"]. www.cbsnews.com. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/playstation-3-missing-break-even-after-almost-4-years-how-long-can-it-go-on-update/. 
  13. ↑ McGrath, Dylan (11 December 2009). "Teardown finds Sony closer to breakeven on PS3". EDN. https://www.edn.com/teardown-finds-sony-closer-to-breakeven-on-ps3/. 
  14. ↑ Miller, Paul (22 June 2016). "Sony agrees to pay millions for abandoning Linux on PS3" (in en). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/22/12008286/sony-ps3-linux-otheros-agreement-settlement. 
  15. ↑ "Debating The Playstation 3 Other OS Removal". Siliconera. 12 April 2010. https://www.siliconera.com/debating-the-playstation-3-other-os-removal/. 
  16. ↑ a b c d Kushner, David. "Machine Politics" (in en-us). The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/05/07/machine-politics. 
  17. ↑ "The PlayStation Hacker's PlayStation Hacking Days Are Over" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/the-playstation-hackers-playstation-hacking-days-are-ov-5791497. 
  18. ↑ "Let's All Jailbreak the Sony PS3". Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  19. ↑ "Sony Employee Re-Tweets PS3 Hack". International Business Times. 9 February 2011. https://www.ibtimes.com/sony-employee-re-tweets-ps3-hack-265215. 
  20. ↑ Hollister, Sean. "Ever buy an original PS3? Sony may owe you $65" (in en). CNET. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/ps3-other-os-settlement-claim-how-to/. 
  21. ↑ Good, Owen S. (18 March 2018). "PlayStation 3 Phat owners have a month left to claim ‘OtherOS’ class action settlement" (in en). Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/linux/2018/3/18/17135994/playstation-3-otheros-settlement-lawsuit-linux. 
  22. ↑ Gibson, Ellie (9 April 2010). "PS3 owner gets Other OS refund" (in en). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ps3-owner-gets-other-os-refund. 
  23. ↑ "PlayStation 3 Super Slim isn't worth the upgrade (review)". VentureBeat. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  24. ↑ Bakalar, Jeff. "Is the Super Slim PlayStation 3 worth the upgrade?". CNET. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  25. ↑ Good, Owen S. (30 May 2017). "PlayStation 3 production comes to an end in Japan" (in en). Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2017/5/30/15711538/playstation-3-production-ends-discontinued-sales-80-million. Retrieved 28 October 2020. 
  26. ↑ "The bestselling consoles of all time". www.digitaltrends.com. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  27. ↑ "Digital PlayStation 3 Purchases May Only Live As Long As Your PRAM Battery Without Sony Servers". Hackaday. 23 March 2021. https://hackaday.com/2021/03/23/digital-playstation-3-purchases-may-only-live-as-long-as-your-pram-battery-without-sony-servers/. 
  28. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (19 April 2021). "Sony admits it made ‘wrong decision’ and will keep PS3, Vita stores open" (in en). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/19/22392126/sony-ps3-ps-vita-stores-open-backtrack-psp-july-2nd-mistake. 
  29. ↑ "9 years later, developers weigh in on making games for the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 generation". VentureBeat. 6 July 2014. https://venturebeat.com/2014/07/06/last-gen-development/. 
  30. ↑ "Guerrilla dev: PS3's Cell CPU is by far stronger than new Intel CPUs". TweakTown. 8 December 2019. https://www.tweaktown.com/news/69167/guerrilla-dev-ps3s-cell-cpu-far-stronger-new-intel-cpus/index.html. 
  31. ↑ Cork, Jeff. "The First 25 Years" (in en). Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/feature/2019/12/03/the-first-25-years. 
  32. ↑ "The Untapped Potential of the PS3's CELL Processor And How Naughty Dog Tamed The Beast". Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  33. ↑ "Interview - Dr. H. Peter Hofstee". www.gamezero.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  34. ↑ "Is PlayStation 3's Cell Processor Still More Powerful Than Modern Desktop Chips?". GTPlanet. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  35. ↑ a b c "Sony PlayStation 3 Specs". CNET. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  36. ↑ a b "Here Are the Hardware Specs for PS3". Lifewire. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  37. ↑ a b Thorsen, Tor. "PlayStation 3: The Full Specs List". CNET. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  38. ↑ a b c d e "80GB and 60GB PlayStation 3 (PS3) Specs and Details". Lifewire. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  39. ↑ Griggs, Mary Beth (3 December 2019). "The rise and fall of the PlayStation supercomputers" (in en). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/3/20984028/playstation-supercomputer-ps3-umass-dartmouth-astrophysics-25th-anniversary. Retrieved 20 October 2020. 
  40. ↑ "System 16 - Namco System 357 Hardware (Namco)". www.system16.com. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  41. ↑ Kucher, Daniel (6 March 2020). "A Secret Feature Revealed on the 20th Anniversary of PlayStation 2". Somag News. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  42. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard (19 February 2012). "Can SSD Upgrades Boost PS3 Performance?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  43. ↑ "How to upgrade your PS3 hard drive". TechRadar. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  44. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard (13 February 2011). "PS3 Hard Drive Upgrade Guide • Page 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  45. ↑ "PS3™ Basic operation of the Internet browser". manuals.playstation.net. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  46. ↑ "PS3 costs forced drop in backwards compatibility" (in en). GamesIndustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ps3-costs-forced-drop-in-backwards-compatibility. 
  47. ↑ Agnello, Anthony John (February 08, 2017). "10 problems anyone who owned a PS3 will understand" (in en). Official PlayStation Magazine. https://www.gamesradar.com/10-problems-anyone-who-owned-an-ps3-will-understand/. 
  48. ↑ "PS3 Slim sized up: smaller, deeper, no Linux or PS2 compatibility". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2009-08-18-ps3-slim-sized-up-smaller-deeper-no-linux-or-ps2-compatibilit.html. 
  49. ↑ "PS3 SKUs compared, no PS2 backwards compatibility found". Engadget. August 26th, 2008. https://www.engadget.com/2008-08-26-ps3-skus-compared-no-ps2-backward-compatibility-found.html. 
  50. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard (21 July 2012). "Digital Foundry vs. PS2 Classics on PlayStation 3" (in en). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-vs-ps2-classics-on-ps3. 
  51. ↑ "Can You Play PS1 Games On PS3?". Double Lasers. 18 January 2021. https://doublelasers.com/can-you-play-ps1-games-on-ps3/. 
  52. ↑ Anhalt, Bobby. "Is The PS3 Backward Compatible?". Retro Game Buyer. https://retrogamebuyer.com/is-the-ps3-backward-compatible/. 
  53. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (11 June 2007). "Church of England attacks use of cathedral in PS3's Resistance" (in en). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/church-of-england-attacks-use-of-cathedral-in-ps3s-resistance. 
  54. ↑ Astle, Randy (2 May 2013). "Beyond: Two Souls at the Tribeca Film Festival | Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources.. https://filmmakermagazine.com/69613-beyond-two-souls-at-the-tribeca-film-festival/. 
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