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How to Set Up a Playstation 3 to Play Playstation 2 Games

While the Playstation 3 offers improved graphics, superior gameplay and a multitude of capabilities that its predecessor doesn't, many gamers still seek to use their PS3s to play their old PS2 games. Initially touted as a groundbreaking feature of the PS3, Sony phased out backwards-compatibility in the later generations of the PS3. Still, its not hard to find ways to play older PS2 games on your PS3.

Things You'll Need

Playstation 3 Console
Connection to Playstation Network

Instructions

- 1
  Determine which PS3 model you currently own. The earlier your model, the more likely it is that it will be backwards-compatible with PS2 games. Inspect the box your PS3 arrived in; if it says "Backwards-Compatible" anywhere on the box, then your system should be able to play some PS2 titles. One easy way to determine whether your system will play PS2 titles is by examining your PS3 hard drive size; every 20GB and 60GB model is backwards-compatible, as are the 80GB models released in August 2007. The model number for the August 2007 PS3s is "CECHE01", which can be found on the bottom of your PS3.
- 2
  Make a list of the PS2 titles you wish to play on your PS3. Not every title is set up for PS3 compatibility, but many of the most popular titles are. You can search for compatible games by the game title on the Playstation support website. When you enter the name of each title a description of the title's compatibility with the PS3 will come up.
- 3
  Log on to the Playstation Online Network. Due to difficulties involved with making old PS2 titles directly compatible with the PS3, many game companies have made their older titles available for download on the Playstation Online Network. Using your PS3's Internet connection, access the online store, browse for the PS2 title you'd like to play and purchase it. For PS3 users with a newer model, this is your only option for playing PS2 titles.

PlayStation 3