Playstation 3 Backward Compatibility (PS2 Playable)

You'll need to carefully check for a specific model number, but it might be cheaper to buy a gently used PS2

While all PlayStation 3 consoles can play original PlayStation discs, not all PS3 models are PS2 compatible. If you want to play PS2 games on your PS3, you need to ensure you buy the right model.

Sony stopped making the PS3 in 2017.

An illustration explaining which PS3 consoles are backwards compatible with PS2 games.
Lifewire

How to Tell if You Can Play PS2 Games on Your PS3

The original 60GB and 20GB launch models are backward compatible with PS2 games because they have PS2 chips. Other models, most notably the 80GB Metal Gear Solid PS3, used emulation software to be backward compatible but no longer support PS2 games. Here's how to tell if your PS2 is backward compatible:

  1. Look to see if the PS3 is a PlayStation 3 Slim Model. You can tell if a PS3 is a slim model if it has a lower profile, a matte black finish (not shiny), and the PS3 logo on the top instead of the word "PlayStation 3." If it's a PS3 Slim, then it isn't PS2 backward compatible, but you can still play PS1 games on it.

    PS3 Slim model
    Evan-Amos / Wikimedia Commons 
  2. Look to see if the PS3 is a 20GB PlayStation 3. These were available at launch only. Here's what to look for:

    • It does not have Wi-Fi
    • It does not have a flash card reader
    • The panel where you insert the disc is black (NOT silver)
    • It has four USB ports
    • "PlayStation 3" is written on the top

    If you meet all of those criteria, it is backward compatible.

  3. Look to see if the PS3 is a 60GB PlayStation 3. These were also only available at launch. They have Wi-Fi, a flash card reader, and four USB ports. Like the 20GB model, the 60GB model is shiny and has the word "PlayStation 3" on top. The face where you insert the disc is silver.

If you have an 80GB PlayStation 3, or a Metal Gear Solid PS3, that hasn't been updated since it came out of the box, it may still be backward compatible through software emulation. If you use any PS3 online services, then your console has likely lost the PS2 software emulation backward compatibility.

Finding a Backward Compatible PS3

Because the newer PS3 models can't play PS2 games, used 20GB and 60GB PS3 consoles often cost more than a brand new PS3 Slim. Now that Sony has closed the PlayStation 3 store, you can't even download old PS2 games on the PS3. Therefore, your best bet for playing old PS2 games is to buy a used PlayStation 2 if you don't already have one.

A few PS2 discs will not work on any PS3 model. Gamers could previously download PS2 classics and save games to the PS3 drive, but Sony closed the PS3 store in 2018.

FAQ
  • Where's the best place to find a PS2?

    Your best bet is likely eBay. You could look on your local Craigslist, but eBay simply has more people using it, and you are more likely to find what you are looking for.

  • Can the PS4 play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games?

    Frustratingly yes and no. The PS4 can't read PS2 and PS3 discs, so you must download the games. Because it's a little more complicated, your best bet is to read over our PS4 Backwards Compatibility article.

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