Reason #437 for all that bulk: PS3 has a PS2 inside

According to a a report from Japan's Ultra One magazine, the PS3 will contain a whole PlayStation 2 chipset inside its massive hulk in order to ensure backwards compatibility. Word is that while Sony has claimed the PS3 is powerful enough to handle full PS2 emulation, the actual software isn't ready yet, so they'll use PS2 chips as a stopgap while they finish up. Obviously, the pricey hardware will mean even more losses to Sony at launch, but supposedly once they figure out emulation they'll pull the chips to lower their costs. If this all turns out to be true, it wouldn't be the hugest surprise, since Sony did the very same thing with the PS2 to gain compatibility with the original PlayStation. The Ultra One article had a few other tidbits of note, including a quote from Sony's Izumi Kawanishi stating that the PS3, as it was announced, is "nothing more than just the basic system." Sony apparently has plenty of upgrades in store for the console, which could make PS3 one of the most diversified (and probably expensive) pieces of "standard" hardware going in the gaming world. They did say that they won't be breaking compatibility, and even if it happens by accident, the console can accept updates over the Internet. Also, the magazine states the console has a "large amount of flash memory," so that no matter what hard drive you end up with, you'll always have the system software running from the included flash.

[Malvarius @ Jun 7th 2006 4:15PM]

And they say the original xbox was huge!!!

[Randall @ Jun 7th 2006 4:46PM]

Look at the size of that thing!! Man, I've been holding out for the PS3, but I don't know. Everything I read/see seems to make me want to just break down and buy an Xbox 360.

[Valen @ Jun 7th 2006 9:33PM]

I'm not really a fanboy of any console, but I did by the 360 straight out because I liked my original Xbox so much. The PS3 was next on my list, but after reading everything about it, and the fact that thing looks like the size of a small Japanese man, I'm rethinking the Wii option.

[Perrey Z. @ Jun 8th 2006 3:02PM]

Darn! that thing is huge! either that or Kawanishi-san is a midget. I don't recall these PS3 been so big from CES2006...

I only hope we get all three colors., During the 1999-2000 season the Japanese PS2 was available in a plethora of colors including Red, Butter {yellow}, White, Blue, Silver and Translucent Blue and green and we only got the black.

Same deal with the original we got Gray they got White and Black in addition to the Gray one.

[Gamelver @ Jun 8th 2006 4:40PM]

The PS3 isn't that big, that's just an exaggeration.

[Brian @ Jun 9th 2006 12:35PM]

good job ruining the joke gamelver!

[jeremy @ Jun 10th 2006 7:44AM]

Gamelver is right...the PS3 isn't really that big.
it is only 2 centimeter bigger than the 360.click here to see a side by side comparison

[jeremy @ Jun 10th 2006 7:47AM]

i guess it would help i put the link in my last post...
http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/31/the-big-threes-consoles-size-matters/

[jimbob @ Jun 10th 2006 3:36PM]

bloody hell that big and looks crap

[Daniel @ Jun 11th 2006 7:02PM]

If it has a whole PS2 chipset, I'm sure you could use it in addition to the Cell. Use the PS2 chipset just for explosions and stuff and the cell for everything else. I'm sure it would make coder's lives easier if they could just reuse all their old ps2 code, and run cell graphics on top of that.

[k0llateral @ Jun 12th 2006 2:30AM]

Sorry to point out the obvious here, but Daniel has no idea what the hell he's talking about.

[rutsy5 @ Jun 12th 2006 5:41PM]

hmmm...can't they just download one of those PS2 emulators widely available online...? lol but seriously why haven't they just sat down and made a PS2 emulation software for this thing yet?? wouldn't this mean that they have to redesign the whole console once they take out the extra chipset? or will they just leave empty space where it was or... what?

[Karl @ Jun 14th 2006 1:21AM]

ppl! pay attention! it's a joke! u know j-o-k-e?

[preorder ps3 @ Jul 20th 2006 12:11PM]

preorder ps3! http://ps5.org/preorder-ps3.html

[Usecommonsense @ Sep 30th 2006 11:06PM]

goddamnit people, have you ever heard of photoshop? I can make the Wii the size of Jupiter if I want.