20GB and 60GB PS3 discontinued in Japan -- PS2 backward compatibility ends

At the end of this month, Sony Japan will no longer carry the 20GB and 60GB Playstation 3 SKUs. Instead, they will focus their energies on promoting the relatively hot selling 40GB model -- the only model available after January. That means no more backward compatibility for PS2 games in Japan. No mention of a shake-up globally but it's pretty clear that the 40GB PS3 is Stringer's new love child.

[Andrew @ Jan 10th 2008 11:00AM]

Does that mean no more backwards compatibility is in our future? :/

[badqat @ Jan 10th 2008 12:31PM]

Perhaps in your future, but I picked up a 60gig model at Sam's Club right before Christmas. True hardware compatibility was a must for me, because my rev. 6 PS2 was on death's door.

It looks very nice sitting next to my Xbox 360...

[Temple @ Jan 10th 2008 12:54PM]

The 80GB has backwards compatibility. There will also be a PS3 model available that has full BC (there was no point producing 4 ps3 models: 20/40/60/80GB PS3s) So BC doesn't come to an end.

The 20GB/60GB was the last models to use the EE+GS chip, the 80GB has the GS and a software emulated EE. Which still gives BC on the PS3 for PS2 & PS1 games (albeit not 100% compared to the EE+GS solution).

Also note; the 40GB can play PS1 games.

[Chebwa @ Jan 10th 2008 11:01AM]

Seems to be like the best PS3 yet released is the 20GB model. Who knew.

Gaming over wireless is lame, and who really needs those card readers? Cheap, and full BC. That's where I'm headed. eBay central.

[PS3guy @ Jan 10th 2008 11:07AM]

What's wrong with playing over wireless?

[rodsky @ Jan 10th 2008 11:09AM]

definitely

[Kiwi616 @ Jan 10th 2008 11:10AM]

I always game over wireless, no issues here. 60GB FTW

[Rob @ Jan 10th 2008 11:17AM]

Wireless is great!

[mike @ Jan 10th 2008 11:13AM]

if u wanna play PS2 games get a ps2 not PS3.... see, its actually very simple when u think about it.Now tell me what else u want? a PS3 that plays xbox games? ah..

[Chebwa @ Jan 10th 2008 11:22AM]

@mike:

Are you an idiot? That is exactly the point. Why should I get a PS2 and have a giant PS3 sitting right next to it when there is a PS3 model out there that does the job of both? That's extra shelf space used, extra controllers sitting around, and extra inputs taken up on your television.

It's actually very simple when you REALLY think about it.

And by the way, a PS3 that played XBox games would be awesome.

[paragraph @ Jan 10th 2008 11:26AM]

@mike

Sony prides itself on the fact that they designed the PS3 to be backwards compatable, they've been claiming they were the only ones to do so from the start, so it makes no sense to promote something like the 40gb Model.

Look at the facts, the 40gb runs about $399, the 80gb is $499, for $100 you get Motorstorm and BC, a PS2 new costs $125... so who would want a 40gb O.o

[J @ Jan 10th 2008 11:34AM]

Plenty of people want a 40gb. I just bought one a few weeks ago. Motorstorm didn't interest me and I never owned a PS2, so neither of those justifies an extra $100.

[Eddie @ Jan 10th 2008 11:35AM]

Maybe when the PS3 plays Xbox games, it will actually have some.

[Andrew @ Jan 10th 2008 12:28PM]

HUH?!? Have you even used PS3 as a photo browser? It is probably the best one available, including PCs. Having card readers is a VERY useful feature if you have a digital camera. Likewise wireless is very useful if you need to place your PS3 away from your wired network. I personally prefer to use its Gigabit ethernet but in summer I need to move PS3 to my bedroom to escape the heat and I don't have ethernet there so wireless is a godsend.

[SteveMB @ Jan 10th 2008 4:51PM]

In my opinion the 60GB is the best because it has WI-FI and a memory card reader.

[mike @ Jan 10th 2008 11:09AM]

The best release is the 80 GB model, it has a Backward computability with PS2, wireless, 4 usb ports, memory card reader and of course 80 Gb hard drive.
I think sony will sell PS2 games on their PSN store in the near future...

[Kiwi616 @ Jan 10th 2008 11:10AM]

Yeah but doesn't the 80GB use software emulation compared to hardware emu in the 60GB??

[Kiwi616 @ Jan 10th 2008 11:11AM]

Yeah but doesn't the 80GB use software emulation compared to hardware emu in the 60GB??

[Jon Acheson @ Jan 10th 2008 11:17AM]

I preferred the hardware backwards compatibility in the 60 GB over the less-comprehensive software compatibility in the 80 GB model. Works great on all the games I have tried it on.

The best of all possible worlds right now is a 60 with a big aftermarket drive, but I haven't come close to filling up the drive on my 60 yet.

Of course, if you don't already have a 60, you can only get them used now. They've been sold out since before Christmas.

Maybe they'll come out with a PS3 Elite that has both hardware backwards compatibility and something else amazing, like a solid state drive or a terabyte HD.

[Tony C @ Jan 10th 2008 11:18AM]

Kiwi616 would be correct, twice over in fact...

[badqat @ Jan 10th 2008 12:47PM]

Actually, Kiwi is semi-correct, twice over. The 80 gig model did still have the PS2 GS chip in it, although the EE chip is removed and emulated.

The 40 gig models have both chips removed...and thus, suck...

[John @ Jan 10th 2008 1:55PM]

I'm playing PS2 games on my 80 gig PS3 right now. All of mine work fine except for minor graphical tics on a couple - a couple areas on the character flash randomly in the inventory screen for Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 2 for example. However, most games are 100% fine.

[WeepinAngel @ Mar 2nd 2008 2:43PM]

I don't agree. I am away from the next-gen movement, aside from my Nintendo Wii, but Sony had said that they intend to keep on releasing PS2 games and the system for the next 5 years. Late 2011 might be the death of the PS2.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jan 10th 2008 11:13AM]

hooray Japan!

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jan 10th 2008 11:14AM]

hooray Japan!

[Curtis @ Jan 10th 2008 5:33PM]

Hurray double post!

[Liam @ Jan 10th 2008 11:25AM]

I didn't know the 80GB was backwards compatible through software emulation, then how come the 40GB model doesnt have this?

[Matt @ Jan 10th 2008 12:46PM]

It's because only the Emotion Engine was emulated. They GS was still physically in the machine. Sony said that one day they make update the 40GB firmware to emulate both, thus giving it BC, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it happening any time in the near future.

[blade417 @ Jan 10th 2008 11:27AM]

I'm still mainly using it for the blu-ray player.

[TK43 @ Jan 10th 2008 11:37AM]

I think the vast majority of people that have a PS3 have a PS2 as well. Ever since I bought a PS3 I have never played a PS2 game so the backwards compatibility isnt really an issue for myself.

[Jon Acheson @ Jan 10th 2008 12:05PM]

I'm using my 60 GB PS3 to play Mercenaries, which is a PS2 game. And a fun one, if you like sandbox games.

I also have Uncharted, which is very pretty, but I haven't been in a rush to complete it.

[austin @ Jan 10th 2008 5:41PM]

me too.
80% of the time i use it for blu-ray
5% DVD
then 15% i play games

[rask @ Jan 10th 2008 11:32AM]

I love that MS is actually ahead of Sony now for Back Compat. Especially when you remember the PS3 fans bashing the 360 and praising the PS3 for it just a short year ago.

At least their Blu-Ray trojan gamble paid off for Sony.

[Carbonize @ Jan 10th 2008 11:34AM]

Bit like the, "Let's not bundle any next gen drive in our console" paid of for MS. Imagine if they had gone with HD-DVD built in?

[g76monte @ Jan 10th 2008 11:44AM]

i would venture to say if they built in the hd-dvd drive, we wouldn't even be talking about blu-ray. bad decision microsoft

[Skullfighter @ Jan 10th 2008 2:17PM]

Yeah, except that PS3 won't be profitable for YEARS. They still lose money.

[Javier Aguayo @ Jan 10th 2008 7:15PM]

Actually if the 360 would have included an hd-dvd drive since the beginning it wouldn't have sold so well. Since, you know it would have added 100 dollars to the price tag, and as you know, that is why the ps3 wasn't selling that well at launch.

[yuj @ Jan 10th 2008 11:32AM]

Could get a 20GB PS3 and upgrade the HD to 120GB+. That way you have HD capacity and hardware emulation.

[SPARTEN II @ Jan 10th 2008 11:44AM]

Thats exactly what I have, 20GB PS3 upgraded with a 120GB HDD. I've always liked the 20GB version the best, I think it looks much better without all the chrome on the front.

[John @ Jan 10th 2008 2:09PM]

yeah, but you don't have built in wireless then. I know some people think you can't play games through wireless, but they are completely wrong.

[yuj @ Jan 10th 2008 3:18PM]

Hmmm forgot that the 20 GB didn't have wireless. Good point. Well doesn't matter to me. Got the 60GB one off from e-bay for 460 (including shipping) so not a bad deal considering it was 600 bucks back then. I wonder if prices for the e-bay PS3s will go up at all considering the Warner Bros and HBO BD exclusive deal or the fact that the new PS3s don't have hardware emulation.

[cseabrooks @ Jan 10th 2008 11:36AM]

I don't think they will get rid of PS2 support in Japan, more likely they are going to introduce it on the 40 GB model. Which would mean, I made the right choice to get the 40 GB. I swapped the drive to a 100GB drive. I don't need card readers or 2 more USB ports. I can use a thumb drive and a USB hub if I needed more of either. Which I doubt.

[yuj @ Jan 10th 2008 11:50AM]

Only thing is that software emulation of PS2 games on the 40GB PS3 isn't as great as the 20GB or 60GB version. I'm sure they'll try to update the emulation software to allow more PS2 games to be played. The thing is, the emotion chip renders the PS2 game much better, making the games look better than it did on the PS2. The extra 2 USB ports are nice if you have a gajillion add-ons like the Rock Band mic and drum set but yeah self-powered USB hub would work too.

[Nate @ Jan 10th 2008 12:19PM]

That would be impossible. Many people here seem to think that BC in the 80 gig is software only. Yes, the 60 and 20 gig have more hardware BC than the 80 gig, but the 80 gig still has some PS2 hardware in it. This is missing entirely from the 40 gig unit. That's why it's cheaper.

[Eddie @ Jan 10th 2008 11:37AM]

Unfortunately for Sony, they can't very well discontinue all three models. 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Reminds me of the time Microsoft had to discontinue all those 360 SKUs. Oh, wait...

[RyanHell @ Jan 10th 2008 11:49AM]

Seriously have had the 20gig since launch(it is all I could find)and it WORKS but I want an 80. But with my 8800GTX/Q6600 setup I just built, I dont care!

[yuj @ Jan 10th 2008 11:52AM]

Only reason I see to upgrade is to be able to download add-ons, more video and game preview content, and possibly movie downloads from BD Live. Other than that, can just use DLNA/UPNP to stream music,pictures, and video from a NAS.

[yuj @ Jan 10th 2008 11:52AM]

upgrade Hard Drives that is

[malone @ Jan 10th 2008 12:05PM]

If Sony is going to sell PS2 games online, then the demand for PS2 backwards compatibility (for tangible PS2 CDs) will decrease.

[emagius @ Jan 10th 2008 12:13PM]

There's no evidence they plan to do any such thing. In any case, it's not currently possible to emulate the PS2 entirely in software (i.e., without the PS2 GPU hardware) with any reasonable amount of compatibility.

Sony does offer downloadable PS1 games online, of course, but that's a different platform.