Ultimate PS3 Buying Guide: Best Consoles, Games, Controllers, Accessories, PS Store, Etc.

Ultimate PS3 Buying Guide: Best Consoles, Games, Controllers, Accessories, PS Store, Etc.

Let’s face it, buying a PS3 is always a good idea. It’s got so many great games, the UI is fantastic, it’s got features even a PS5 can’t do today – and more! But over the years I’ve gotten a lot of questions about buying for it. So let’s try and knock everything out in one video. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the consoles, games to look out for, OEM controllers, accessories, storage options and more. Can you feel it Mr. Krabs? That’s the CELL/BE baby. And it’s READY.

List Of Console Models With Process Sizes:
https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/SKU_Models

Incomplete List Of PS3 Compatibility For PS2 Games:
https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_PlayStation_2_games_compatible_with_PlayStation_3

Preventative Maintenance For Older PS3’s:

Recommended HDD (500GB & 7200rpm):
https://amzn.to/3tcYmjg

Recommended SSD (500GB):
https://amzn.to/3JmB6Fu

List Of Exclusive Digital PSN Games:

PS3 exclusives/non-PC multi-platform games list from PS3

List of PS1 Classics In Japan:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PS_one_Classics_(Japan)

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Outro song ‘I dunno’ by Grapes:
http://ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626

Music by Ryan Little:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheR4C2010/featured

Music by Myrd Schenk:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5S2EOT0BLgXWVqevBnaxrg

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Intro
0:29 – Various Consoles & Differences
3:50 – Which PS3 Is The Best To Buy?
6:30 – CELL & RSX Size: Why It Matters
8:25 – Controller Options
9:51 – How To Spot A Fake Controller
13:22 – Upgrading Storage On PS3
14:15 – Should You Get An SSD?
16:04 – PS3 Games You Should Focus On
17:57 – PlayStation Store Advice
18:47 – PS1/PS2 Classics Are A Bargain
20:04 – Interesting Accessories
21:23 – My Favorite Camera Based Game

#PS3 #PlayStation3 #PSN

50 Comments

  1. Smiss on April 3, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    the controllers are all fake!



  2. Howie3601 on April 3, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    I got a CHE1 PS3, PS2 Slim and a PS5. The ultimate Backwards Compatibility setup.

    I only spent $50 on that PS3. Got it from a guy who put it up years ago shortly after buying it. Came with a Dual Shock and a Six Axis too



  3. Stewart Morris on April 3, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    Anyone know of a reputable PS3 repair service? I have a an original launch Ps3 that has a YLOD



  4. vip- qatar123 on April 3, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    i really need a controller with sixaxis



  5. mike rittanhouse on April 3, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    Soo easy to jailbreak



  6. hesh hesham on April 3, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    I dont know ! Why people still buying PS3 games ! Lol
    Guys you can jailbreak your PS3 to hen 4.88 by yourself
    And download any ps3.ps2 and ps1 game which you want for free
    Join multiplayer for free too



  7. AsLiH on April 3, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    i have 2 controllers that are only sixaxis



  8. Chettlar on April 3, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    Correction: PS3 can go up to 1.5 terabytes. you can also take a 2TB drive and make a 1.5TB partition.



  9. J.K. Smith on April 3, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    PS3 super slim with CFW will last longest together with pc.



  10. BigZoo on April 3, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    is the ps3 models something different like me having a ps3 super slim would it be something different like more games or stuff like that?



  11. Stu G on April 3, 2022 at 6:24 pm

    A 500GB drive gets you pretty Damn far on ps3. I put my stock ps4 internal drive in my ps3 and have never needed to delete anything



  12. 69K on April 3, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    but unfortunately ps 3 fat is prone to ylod



  13. Brent Holyrider on April 3, 2022 at 6:27 pm

    For Faith prize Mystic made up he’s scamming out of money made me send them gift cards and I never got nothing in return



  14. hilyfe01 on April 3, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    can someone direct me where to buy a PS3? New not used. for close to regular price



  15. Zifei Li on April 3, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    to me the only thing i am missing out not having PS3 is MGS4. Konami is hopeless…



  16. That Old School Magic on April 3, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    One thing that can help for anyone trying to get a BC PS3.
    Since the early models heat up quickly.
    As Mystic said Replacing the Thermal Paste is a Must for these systems but I would also like to add that buying a 19 blade fan is great for replacing the 15 blade fan that already comes in the system.
    It does a better job pushing the heat out and cooling the inside of the system.



  17. Mickey Mouse on April 3, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    I have a PS5 and bought a PS3 recently. I am playing the PS3 more than the PS5.



  18. Brent Holyrider on April 3, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    This guy is a con artist don’t believe him he ripped me off for money horrific price



  19. Gabe Hart on April 3, 2022 at 6:34 pm

    Why no mention of the Guncon 3? I know it’s made by Namco but it’s only on Playstation. Love your videos and would enjoy hearing your thoughts on the Time Crisis series.



  20. Bayu Astha on April 3, 2022 at 6:37 pm

    A note for people who’s not considering the PS1 and PS2 compatibility: if you’re thinking of buying a PS1 and PS2 later, you need to make sure your TV supports them because those two were so old they don’t support modern TV resolutions. Even if they do, it’ll look wonky with black bars and other stuffs. Playing it on PS3 will be a much better and easier experience especially if you’re planning to put it in your collection of consoles which connects to just one big TV in your play room.

    Also I completely agree with the mindset of exclusive only games. Just bought a PS3 few months ago JUST to play GT6 because I missed it. But when I fill it with games I only look for PS3-exclusive games. Other games you most likely can play in PC, unless yours is not capable, it’s not worth it.
    This would apply to other consoles as well, it was the case when I bought the PS2 too, GT4 and Ace Combat was the two I was aiming for. Now I’m looking at the XBox 360 due to it having Ace Combat 6 exclusive in it for some reason.



  21. hadamana on April 3, 2022 at 6:38 pm

    I picked up one of the Playstation 3D TVs at Goodwill for something like $12! It did not come with the glasses, unfortunately. They aren’t super cheap, either =



  22. Callie Christian on April 3, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    I love PS3. Wish I still had the Backwards compatible Ps2 version but it got the yellow light of death years after I bought it. I now have a 80Gb model. But ps3 official controllers are so hard to find in good condition these days. Most sell cheap China knock offs today.



  23. Turnda643 on April 3, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    I hv the Metal Gear Solid 4 LE PS3 console in gunmetal. Pretty quickly filled the 40 gb HD and swapped it for a Western Digital 500gb drive. Was still doing great till last year when the RLOD showed up. I’m planning on finding a repair tech to revive it as I still would like to use it strictly for parties for Rockband. I hv the complete RB3 equipment. Guitars, drums w/ 3 cymbals, keyboard, and 3 mics. Beatles RB let’s three singers perform at once. Regular RB’s only allow for one singer. But everyone always had fun playing songs they knew. I hv a song library of 400+.



  24. VHS_Enthusiast on April 3, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    Not mentioning jailbreak and playing backups is kind a strange in 2022, that’s one of major reason why it’s still popular among regular people and not only collectors who keep them on a shelf. Sony wanted to shutdown PS3Vita stores completely, so you will not "steal" their profit, they don’t care. PS3 jailbreak allows backward compatibility on any models with PS1/2/PSP games…. and other platforms like Nintendo, that makes PS3 ultimate gaming console.



  25. Matt Sponholz on April 3, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    Excellent video, man! I’m currently rediscovering ps3/Vita and having a ton of fun



  26. Sergey Miheev on April 3, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    At least the slim PS3 can use up to 1.75 TB HDD. The question is – where to get one? And the answer is – take a 2 TB one, change its LBA value for it to say that 1.75 TB corresponds to the last block. Voila – you have the 1.75 TB HDD and any system including desktop OS’es wil see it as 1.75 TB unallocated space.



  27. Eric Meiring on April 3, 2022 at 6:50 pm

    Ewww someone mentioned 3d tvs in the comments..( also in video hadn’t watched full video)..I haven’t used mine since ps4 since it caped at 1080p I’m going to plug my mcable/classic in with and upscale that picture to 4k. Here’s to me burning my eyes out of my head and dieing with a joker smile on my face lmao



  28. a99t33 on April 3, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    You can hack your slim PS3 for ps2 games for anyone reading this



  29. HESOYAM on April 3, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    dude… people talking about the fat ps3 failing are rediculuos ,dude its 15 years now if you buy one for less then the cost of a tripple a game,you already won the lotery of a not failing ps3 ,it survived 15 years it prob wont crap out on you for the next 3 years.fixing a ps3 is beyond stupid if you are not doing it on a big scale like buying old broken ps3 and fixing them to resell , it will cost you more to fixe it than to buy a new one. they are 40$ now, i broke one by cleaning it and just bought a new one , didint even try to sell the old one cuz its almost worthles now, my 300$ phone will soon be able to run all the ps3 games, it can run ps1 ps2 psp ,wii,switch,gamecube…..



  30. versedthesoulmaster on April 3, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    last year i purchased a japanese ps3 slim the first thing i did was put cfw on it
    btw Initial D Extreme Stage is a huge recommendation



  31. TheBinIsHere on April 3, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    My dad got me a ps3 slim at launch and it still works to this day it crashes very rarely but it works like a dream still great to go back and play Gran Turismo 6 and Uncharted 3



  32. FireStriker on April 3, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    Was searching in real time along side you, and i laughed when i got car parts and you got the controller.

    Any tips on keeping DS3’s alive? I got 3 of them, All of them have Bad Battery’s.
    My first controller has a notch worn into the plastic (well loved) from Bolt Cranks in RaC Future, Doesnt Hold a charge and it has a mind of its own half the time. It will widely dart across the XMD without warning or start interacting with menus in game. It once almost bought a game in the PSN Store, That was funny ngl.
    The Second controller holds a charge for maybe an hour but its battery is on the way out, it also has this weird phantom input issue but not as severe. Im afraid it will get worse.
    Final Controller is fake and basically busted at this point, Looked real, box was really good but over time it didnt feel right. Battery is already dead and the vibration motors are either on at 100% or not working requiring a good slap to turn them off if the vibration moters ever turn on.



  33. Madcat 456 on April 3, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    It sucks that European (PAL) territories never got the A01 or B01 model PS3s.

    Launch models was C01 and E01 and those where software emulated versions. Correct me if I’m wrong.

    It’s been a while since I did my research on that topic.

    Edit: I think we git the E model as well, not 100% sure.

    The "newer" phat ps3s is a good place to get better parts. Like a improvemed and cooler PSU.



  34. Kirby Krios on April 3, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    thanks. I couldn’t care less about ‘next gen’ nowadays anyway. still much to play on my PS4 ^_^



  35. thedragontrainer on April 3, 2022 at 6:58 pm

    Can you recommend a site to buy PS4 controllers that are geniune? I’m struggling to buy. I’m in Spain.



  36. NPC 001 on April 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    10:56 As someone who lives in the Philippines, I really think that’s a scam, as far as I know, we don’t have a Guangdong here! Also, Ryan, can you tell me what kind of ps3 console to search for on Amazon? I want to get either a slim or super slim, doesn’t matter really, I just want to get a reliable one. They all say renewed, are they all safe to get?



  37. ALLPACKA Gaming on April 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    speaking of ps3. i need help, my super slim is not doing so great and i have no idea why, every time i quit my game or say go into the ps store i get these stars on the screen and then it just freezes. also when im in game and i open the homescreen menu it loads forever and never stops. its super anyoing and i dont know what to do.



  38. zssllayers on April 3, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    Just jailbreak it its the ultimate console ps1 2 and 3 emulation aswell as arcade and there are tons of emulators for ps3 so your better off to jailbreak it



  39. yoshi2 on April 3, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    Don’t get an A0 or B0 system. Unless you’re willing to shell the time money and effort doing a gpu swap from a 40nm slim. Even then it’s a pain in the ass and still doesn’t even give you a fantastic ps2.

    You’re far better off just getting a mid gen slim ps3 and buying a ps2 separately.



  40. Madgod Fraze on April 3, 2022 at 7:03 pm

    Can you do a video going over the list of the vita games available on the store



  41. Dominic Lopez on April 3, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    Whats the best Mic for ps3



  42. Mega Faggot on April 3, 2022 at 7:05 pm

    I have a 60 GB ps3 I’m going to fix one of these days. Bought on eBay years ago and it needs a new blu ray drive.



  43. Andrew Wolfenstein on April 3, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    For anyone doubting the use of an SSD on the PS3, I still use my launch fat PS3 which I upgraded to a 1TB SSD about 5 years ago. It still works like a charm and games load much faster than on my PS3 slim with a 500gb hard drive. Worth it!



  44. david pearson on April 3, 2022 at 7:08 pm

    Em chơi hay quá



  45. ClemensVI on April 3, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    I bought the super slim (should be slim, but I’m dumb) and all the PS3 only exclusives (without re-releases on PS4), except for metal gear and motorstorm all are bad, I also re-sold the motormstorm because I don’t have friends or online to play.

    Today I just have to play Metal Gear Collection with the MG4 (two disks, same box) and I’m really trying, are awesome games that I DON’T KNOW HOW TO ENJOY THE GAMEPLAY, the rising, and mg5 I at least can enjoy the gameplay (but on PC 4k 120FPS master race).



  46. homestar92 on April 3, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    I once bought a "for parts/not working" controller on ebay (back when the PS3 was still the current gen) because I wanted the plastic housing.

    Turns out, I plugged in the USB cable and it worked great. Still using it today nearly a decade later. So I’m really curious, did the seller not realize these are rechargeable and toss his controllers every time the battery died?!



  47. Bleeding Jester on April 3, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    recently got a Super Slim and this was really helpful



  48. BUSCO ONES on April 3, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    if only my fatty still work….. damn you yell light of death



  49. rosszman9 on April 3, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    Because of your vast general knowledge … is there a way to connect 2 PS3’s together and play Gran Turismo 5 or 6 on 2 separate TV’s?
    I’ve got a collection of 13 PS3’s. I use 3 with 3 32 inch TV’s, steering wheel and pedals to play GT5 and GT6. But I just don’t like the split screen when I want to race against a friend. I’d like it if we could play against each other, in the same room, but each with his own tv. I’ve got a good router and internet as well. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.



  50. Jayzibbit cropper on April 3, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    18:53 showing ps3 store in a different country. Them games you show for ps1 classics don’t exist on the English version and you can only buy them with gift cards if your not from that country. The average person would think they can go on ps3 store and buy what your showing when infact they carnt.