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When it was initially launched, many avid gamers considered the backwards compatibility touted by Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3) to be one of the console’s largest selling points.  Not only was the console promised to bring the next generation of home theater entertainment (Blu-ray) to consumer’s homes, but it would also allow owners to continue playing many of their older favorite PS2 and PS1 titles.  As each new PS3 model has been released however, the availability of this function has been brought into question – so much, in fact, that the console’s backwards compatibility continues to remain one of the most searched for issues on Sony’s PS3 support website: http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps3.

So which models are backwards compatible and which ones aren’t?  To answer this question, Sony provided the following FAQ.  The FAQ itself has undergone several changes since the PS3’s initial launch, with the most recent revision taking place on 11/03/2008.  In summary though, the only North American PS3 models that have been acknowledged to be backwards compatible are the original 20GB and 60GB models released in 2006, as well as the first wave of 80GB models released in 2007.  The 40GB model, the second and third wave of 80GB models (released in 2008), and the upcoming 160GB model unfortunately do not support this feature.

Well, why are only some PS3 models backwards compatible?  It’s simple, really.  The original 20GB and 60GB models included a built-in processor called the “Emotion Engine.”  This processor was primarily intended for use within PS2’s, and was later integrated into early PS3 models to achieve backwards compatibility to PS2 and PS1 games.  The Emotion Engine processor was then later removed in favor of software emulation on the first wave of 80GB models.  Both the Emotion Engine and emulation software were ultimately removed from subsequent generations of PS3’s – in theory – to save production costs.

Just because you may own a PS3 model that is backwards compatible though, does not necessarily mean that every PS2 or PS1 game will function on your console.  Due to the differences in how the software and hardware was designed, PS3’s may encounter some technical difficulties when attempting to play PS1 and PS2 titles.  While the most common problems encountered are generally minor graphical errors, some major glitches (such as stalling) have been known to occur.  More information on individual game titles may be found here on Sony’s support site, as well as additional notes regarding what users may expect to encounter during gameplay.