TGM

Having recently purchased a PS3, while never having owned a PS2, I'm interested in picking up some PS2 games for cheap. As I'm sure you all know, the 80gig PS3 is backwards compatible, sorta, via software emulation, unlike the real deal on a 60gig. So, is there a list anywhere of PS2 games that barf out on the 80gig PS3? I picked up a few new games on clearance, but don't want to open them if they won't work.

Specifically

Pinball: Hall of Fame
High Rollers: Casino
Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk

thanks

argh923

I don't know the link, but somewhere on the PS3's website is a database you can check these games against.

darkside

The data here is pretty accurate from reading the Playstation forums.

http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus

TGM

thanks guys

matome

I have the Pinball Hall of Fame (the Gottlieb collection I think, with the golf and race car tables) and it works fine on my PS3.

uncle-frank

ive also got a similar question. my brother wants a ps3 for christmas, so with my limited funds ive picked up the 40 gig model with uncharted.

is there any difference between the 40gig and the 80gig?

matome

The big difference, 40GB doesn't have backward compatibility with PS2 games. It also removes the card readers and only has two USB in the front instead of four.

msdmoney

The 40 gb is not backwards compatible w/ PS2 games, the 80 gb has partial backwards compatibility (I've read it's around 80%).

DVDChris

The BIG difference is there is ZERO backwards compatability on the 40GB.

Mopower

The 40gb won't play PS2 games. Just incase you are blind and didn't see the first 3 posts.

nemein

I have the 60G and haven't had any problems, w/ the exception of Killzone. It started out fine, but on the later levels it's doing a really odd thing where the video flashes out entirely (going to a black screen) and I get static through the receiver. It was only doing it occasionally at first, but the longer I played (not time wise in a single session, but the further into the game I got) the more frequently it would happen. I finally just gave up on it. It's a fun game and all, but I still have my PS2 I can play it on, and KZ2 is rumored to be coming out at some point...

sniper308

So I haven't kept up with the PS3 versions much at all except what I read here, but why did Sony do this? Is there a technical reason that they don't make the software emulation available on the 40 GB version like they do the 80 GB? It would seem if its all software that they would just make it available to all versions via download. I've had a 360 since launch and keep an eye on the BC list for it and picked up a Wii for the family for Christmas. I'm not sure I'll ever pick up a PS3, but this point really has me curious.

Thanks in advance for the info.

Edit: Did a quick search and found this per Wikipedia:

So its not entirely software emulation if I read this correctly? But then it goes on to state the following:

So, I'm lost again...

WMAangel

OK, this is how it breaks down (for the US systems):
The original 60 gig & 20 gig models have both "main" PS2 chips inside it, the "Emotion Engine" and the "Graphics Synthesizer", therefore they offer 100% hardware backwards compatibility (well, actually 99.something %, but let's not split hairs here...)
The 80 gig model dropped the "Emotion Engine" chip to save costs, but is still able to run PS2 games through software emulation (and the remaining "Graphics Synthesizer" chip) and achieve about an 80% compatibility...
The 40 gig dropped the GPU chip and therefore cannot run any PS2 software...so again, the main reason they left out any sort of PS2 backwards compatibility in the 40 gig model is simply to save costs and make the end cost to buyers cheaper....plus, Sony themselves know lots of people already have perfectly workable PS2 systems already, plus they are still selling them themselves, so they no longer value the backwards compatibility as a major console selling point...still, the 40 gig model does play old PS1 games...I am guessing whatever chip allows that is just so cheap now that it wouldn't save them any money to remove (or maybe some part of it is built into the PS3's guts in some way so they cannot take it out)...

uncle-frank

thanks to everyone who answered my question. i guess its a steal at 399 for the 40 gig really.

brother has a slim ps2 thats just over a year old. plus ive got two myself.

maybe boxing day ill get another 40 gig

ktown

and i believe the 40gb is the only one that uses the new chip as of right now

sniper308

Thanks, I understand which does what now. Was more interested in the tech behind it; i.e. I understand that the 60 GB was completely hardware driven backwards compatibility, but am interested in the tie between the Graphics Synthesizer and the software emulation.