• dan1101@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      The fat PS3 was a great deal because it could run Linux and natively play PS2 games as well. I haven’t been into consoles since the fat PS3, they have all gotten worse and worse IMO. I did buy a Steam Deck and really like it, if that counts as a console.

      • Shane_McGoomy@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Unfortunately not all the fats could run PS2 games, only the CECHAxx and CECHBxx (NTSC) had the hardware to run PS2 games. The early PAL models (CECHCxx and CECHExx) had software emulation apparently, dunno if it was any good. I hunted down a fat model specifically because I wanted the backwards compatibility, can’t remember which model I ended up buying, but it was not a backwards compatible one. Very disappointed at the time, but I was still sad when it died.

        Also the possiblity to dualboot Linux was patched out pretty quickly if I remember correctly, people were pretty peeved about it.

        • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          Hmm I wonder if mine is that old. I got it used from a friend that also got it used back in the day. I never even tried sticking one of my PS2 games in it.

        • despoticruin@lemmy.zip
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          20 hours ago

          They play PS2 games just fine, all PS3 models do. It’s something like 7% of games in the entire library that have issues with the software emulator but the vast majority of games will run and play without any problems.

          The hardware backwards compatibility makes it slightly easier to use physical discs, that’s about it. It also doesn’t play every game perfectly like the original console, but it is slightly better than software.

          • Peffse@lemmy.world
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            19 hours ago

            They play PS2 games just fine, all PS3 models do.

            Noooo… that’s not right at all. If we are talking unmodified hardware. The original models did have something like 99% compatibility, but as the generation moved on, the fat models removed more components to make it cheaper and made PS2 backward compatibility more software driven… until the slim models removed PS2 disc reading completely.

            We used to look at the hard drive size to gauge. 20GB & 60GB was full hardware, 80GB was partial software, anything above was a slim and had no PS2 abilities.

            PS1 muddies the water because all PS3s can play PS1 game discs.

            • Pipea@lemmy.world
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              7 hours ago

              This used to confuse so many people because I swapped the hard drive for a 120 gig SSD. So I then had a 120 gig “60 gig” PS3. “the slim model?” No, the fat one “But then what model had…?” Yeah it was a pain to explain to some people what exactly it was.

      • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
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        1 day ago

        The power supply on my fat PS3 recently quit on me. It feels like the old YLOD but happens the moment the power supply kicks in instead of taking 10 seconds or so. Fingers crossed I can find a doner supply, it’ll be a while before I get to it though.

      • 4am@lemmy.zip
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        1 day ago

        I’d like to think the Steam Deck is a PC that is changing the rules as to what form factor a “personal computer” can take - of course with a heavy focus on gaming and so it takes a lot of design inspiration from what console gaming got right.

        Console used to mean “specialized hardware to be able to push pixels needed for an incredible gaming experience” but now it means “locked down PC with walled garden ecosystem and advertising built in, including tracking”

        I do have to give Sony credit for trying to improve audio in games with the PS5’s audio system - but has it worked? Have any games blown anyone away with their immersive sound design?

        The only other “killer” feature of the PS5 was direct texture loading onto VRAM (bypassing CPU), and I think PCs can do that now with DirectStorage. So what is the point of a console anymore?

        Sony knows this and they’re out of ideas. This is why they are locking down their ecosystem. I mean, it probably won’t work well for them, least not in the long term.

        • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          The PS5s audio system is nothing special, what are you talking about? You didn’t buy into all the “tempest is their secret sauce and can be used for extra graphics work” BS did you?

        • zikzak025@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          Newer traditional consoles are going that route anyways, too. Price aside, the Steam Machine is just a prebuilt PC masquerading as a console, and the next Xbox is rumored to be following that same approach.

          Whatever Sony is doing, though…your guess is as good as mine. I don’t even know if Sony knows what Sony is doing at this point.