The PlayStation 3 is a wonderful console for many reasons. There is a tonne of great games on there, especially a bunch of great RPGs and horror games. However, there is so much hidden potentially locked within those beautiful boxes.
If you have a “fat” PS3, or a certain release version of the Slim PS3, you can actually get it to play retro games as well! Unfortunately, if you have a Super Slim PS3 then you won’t be able to, so that’s important to say straight off the bat.
So, how do we go about making your PlayStation 3 play retro games? Let’s take a look!
- Additional info: some game saves are tied to PSN ID; some of those saves cannot be copied or moved, but they are DRM'd by PSN system. Any game that feature a trophy data will not allow any game saves that are not TIED to the user's profile (it really checks what's your user profile AND its associated PSN ID, if both does not match the original owner, the file locks).
- Kik-MWXmodz4TWsnapchat-MWXmodzFTWFor people with a jailbroken ps3 only!!!Website to get games=Disclaimer Under Section 10.
- Once in this folder you will see all of your game saves, hit triangle and copy the sdesired game save to your ps3. If you are looking to back up your gamesave to the usb drive go to the save data in the xmb and hit triangle then hit copy and copy it to the desired drive.
PS1 games on PS3. As I mentioned above PS1 game installation process on PS3 isn’t too easy. But once you spend five minutes on this article. You’ll learn it easily. First time it can take your title more time. But the second time will much easier according to 1st time. First, you need access to a personal home computer. Not the PS3 itself, but an actual PC. You're not currently able to download games and media straight to your Playstation 3. What you need to do is get the files onto your computer first and then transfer it to the PS3.
Preparing The PlayStation 3
Now, it’s rather important to let you know that you will need to install Custom Firmware on the PlayStation 3. On the official firmware (basically, the operating system) you won’t be able to play anything except PS3 games and PS1 games from an original disc.
If you don’t want to put Custom Firmware on your PlayStation 3, then this little article probably isn’t really going to useful. So I wanted to make sure I cleared that up first.
With that in mind, the first step is to prepare your PS3 for the Custom Firmware installation. To begin with, you’re going to want to check the Minimum Version Number that your particular PS3 can take. To do this, you’ll need to get a USB flash drive and put it into your PC.
Once it is in the PC, format it so that it is set to FAT32. With that done, you’ll need to download MinVerChk, a file that will allow you to see the Minimum Version Number. You can find it here.
Download that file, extract it and move the folder onto your USB drive. Next, take the USB drive and put it into the PS3 and go to System Update. From there, select Update via Storage Media, select the USB drive and you’ll eventually see a screen pop up.
On that screen, if the number shown in the sentence is higher than 3.56, you cannot install Custom Firmware on your console. In that case, I’m afraid you won’t be able to play retro games on your PS3.
If the number is less than 3.56 then you’re good to go!
So, the next step is to actually get the Custom Firmware installed. However, since this is a process that needs to be done incredibly carefully, rather than try and write it all out and risk missing an important step for you, I’m going to share the YouTube video that I used to successfully get the Custom Firmware installed.
This video is very thorough and covers every single step that you’ll need to determine which type of firmware you need and how to install it. I would highly recommend that you follow the steps in that video, because if you do it wrong, you’ll brick your console.
So, with that warning and advice given, I’m going to continue this article by assuming that you’ve followed the video and installed your Custom Firmware.
Installing The Packages
With your Custom Firmware installed correctly (I really hope you followed that video), the next step is to get a set of packages installed. These packages allow you to add specific programs to your PlayStation 3 that are necessary for playing retro games on the PS3.
The first one you are going to need is Multiman, which you can download here. Personally, I use version 04.82.00 Base. Once it is downloaded, you need to put it onto your USB stick and plug that into your PS3. From there, find the “Install Packages” option in the Game menu. You’ll need to select the option to install from storage devices and you should see Multiman as an option. Select it and the PS3 will install it.
With Multiman, you’ll be able to play PS1 and PS2 games through software emulation, even if your PS3 isn’t backwards compatible. I’ve tested it on my own Fat PS3 which isn’t backwards compatible. Some of the PS2 games do suffer from slow down and frame rate drops, but most of the ones I have tested are definitely playable.
The next package that you will need to install is one that many retro games will know; RetroArch. From this page here, you will be able to download the package file for the PS3. With that on your PC, you need to follow the same steps as when you installed Multiman.
Once both of these have been installed, your PS3 will be ready to play retro games!
How To Get Retro Games Onto The PS3
With the packages installed and your PS3 now ready to play them, it is time to get those retro games onto the console. This is actually the most simple step of the process!
The first thing you want to do is open RetroArch on the PS3 and download the right Core emulator system for your game. This will install the drivers for that retro console into RetroArch so that the game will actually play. With that done, create a folder on your USB stick or external Hard Drive to store your ROM files or ISOs in. You can name it whatever you want, but make sure it is on the root of the USB stick or Hard Drive.
This folder is just for your own sanity, so you can easily find and sort the games when you have multiple games on there.
At that point, plug the USB drive into the PS3 and open Multiman for PS1 or PS2 games, or RetroArch for anything else. In Multiman, you should be able to find it easily through the File Manager. For RetroArch, I would recommend going to Load Content and then navigating to the USB drive and then selecting the game.
And That’s All Folks
Congratulations! At this point, your PS3 is now a multi-console emulation machine. If you’re a streamer, then you can buy a cheap USB splitter from Amazon to bypass the HDMI streamer block that is built into the PS3 and you’ll be able to use it to stream the retro games through the HDMI into your capture card, as well!
It’s actually really easy to get your PS3 console to play retro games, as long as you are happy to (and able to) install Custom Firmware.
Have you tried to install any CFW? Is your PS3 set up to play retro games? Let me know in the comments below!
Playstation games have come a long way and with Playstation 5 just on the horizon, everyone is wondering about their older consoles. Playstation 3 will be more than 14 years old at the end of this year which means that you should be able to emulate its games on your mobile devices right?
- So how to play PS3 games on Android?
- Is there any other way to emulate PS3 games?
Is there an emulator for Android?
Sadly, no. PS3 though quite old was still a high powered unit with a lot of processing power. Today’s smartphones have come a long way since 14 years ago, but they still have a long way to go before they have enough multi-core processing power to emulate AAA titles compatible with PS3. Any emulator that you find on the Play Store claiming to emulate PS3 games is most definitely a scam that will redirect you to survey websites.
Related:How to get HBO Max on PS4
What about EmuPs3 (Early Access)?
EmuPS3 is one of the early access apps available on the Play Store that will be one of the first options that show up if you search for PS3 emulators. Sadly the app is a scam despite having crafted reviews on YouTube. EmuPS3 has been in early access indefinitely and it seems a way for scammers to escape Google’s security checks.
We won’t even recommend you to try to download the app as doing so might redirect you to a Bios download page where might be required to complete a survey. Even if you end up completing the survey, the file that will be downloaded to your local storage could turn out to be a malware. We advise you to stay away from such apps with false claims unless proper reviews are available on the Play Store once the app is out of early access and published.
So how to play PS3 games on Android?
You can play PS3 games on your Android device but the process is fairly complicated and requires hardware that will make emulating Ps3 games useless in most cases. To play PS3 games on your Android device you will be needing the PS4.
You can then use remote play to connect your PS4 to your Android device upon which you can use Play Station Now to access your PS3 library which is why playing PS3 games on your Android device using this method will not make sense in most cases.
If you are still keen on gaming PS3 titles on your Android device wirelessly and own a PS4, then follow the guide below.
Note: Yet another caveat of this situation is the fact that your game should be available on the PlayStation Now library. Visit the game list using this link and check the library for your game. If your preferred game is not on the list then you won’t be able to stream it to your Android device.
Things you will need
- Playstation 4
- Subscription to Playstation Now
- Your Android device and PlayStation 4 connected to the same WIFI network.
Procedure
We have divided the procedure into different sections which will make it easier for you to follow along.
Setup your Playstation Now service
If you already have PlayStation Now setup on your PS4 then you can skip this process. Start by powering on your PS4 and head over to the ‘Playstation Store’.
Navigate to and select ‘Playstation Now‘ and start your subscription depending on your budget. Playstation might be offering you a free trial depending on your purchase date.
Click on ‘Download‘ when you are on the app screen. The option should be underneath the app icon for Playstation Now.
Now simply head back to your home screen and launch Playstation Now by selecting the app icon.
You will now see a game library where you will find the most popular titles available for PS3. Select the game you wish to play and check if everything works properly.
If the game runs smoothly and your network connection holds up properly, move on to the next step.
Setup PS4 remote play on your PS4 and Android device
Turn on your PS4 and navigate to ‘Settings‘.
Now Select ‘Remote Play Connection Settings‘ and ensure that you have checked the box for ‘Enable Remote Play‘.
Now head over to your Android device and download the Playstation 4 Remote Play app.
Tap on install and wait for the application to install on your device.
Launch the application with your PS4 connected to the same broadband network and it should connect to your PS4.
Once connected, you will be able to see your PS4 home screen.
Now simply select and launch the Playstation Now application and you should be able to play older titles on your Android device.
How to pair your Dualshock 4 controller with your Android device?
Head over to the Bluetooth settings on your Android device and turn on your Bluetooth.
Now hold down the ‘Share‘ and ‘PlayStation‘ button on your Dualshock 4 controller until the front light flashes. This means you have now entered pairing mode on your controller.
Head over to your Android device and you should see your controller listed under available devices. Tap on it and the controller will automatically connect to your Android device.
You will now be able to use your Dualshock 4 controller with PS4 remote play.
Is there any other way to emulate PS3 games?
Yes, if you have a PC from the last 5 years with decent gaming performance, then you are in luck. There is a PC emulator for PS3 called RPCS3 that lets you play every PS3 title directly on your PC. The emulator is completely open sourced and has been supported by the community for quite some time. Let’s take a look at how you can play games on RPCS3.
Note: You will have to dump games directly from your PS3 discs. You can also download ISOs online but that will lead to piracy which could get you prosecuted in your country. We advise you to source games in a legal manner.
System Requirements
CPU
- If you are an intel user then you will need at least a 4 core CPU that is 4th gen or higher.
- If you are an AMD user then you will need a minimum of 6 cores in your CPU. Currently, only Ryzen generation of AMD processors is supported by RPCS3.
GPU
- Any modern-day AMD or Nvidia card that is compatible with the latest Vulkan drivers.
RAM
- You will need at least 8GB RAM or higher to emulate PS3 games properly on your system.
Storage
- Minimum 20GB free storage space for RPCS3 to perform properly and more depending on the size of games you wish to play.
Note: 32-bit processors are not supported by RPCS3.
Procedure
Download RPCS3 on your desktop/laptop by visiting this link from your browser. Click on ‘Download for Windows‘ once you are on the download page.
Now head to the Playstation support page and click on ‘Agree and download now‘ to download the latest PS3 firmware on your system.
Open your downloads folder and you will find the latest build of RPCS3 in a .7z/.zip format. Use your preferred extractor and extract its contents to a dedicated folder on your desktop.
Note: We suggest you rename the folder to something easier as it will help you maintain the files on your computer in an orderly fashion.
Now open your downloads folder and move the PlayStation firmware file to the RPCS3 folder we just created.
How To Download Games To Ps3
Tip: This might be a good time to move the folder to a different drive if you wish. Moving the folder from your desktop will help keep your boot drive free from clutter. Moreover, after you install games, DLCs, and updates, this folder will become quite large which is why changing directories might be beneficial to you.
Now open the RPCS3 folder and launch the emulator by double-clicking the ‘.exe‘ file.
Once the emulator launches, agree with the terms and conditions.
Click on ‘Continue‘ in the bottom left corner of the window.
Now click on ‘File‘ in the top left-hand corner of your screen and select ‘Install firmware‘.
Select the firmware we just moved to the RPCS3 folder.
The emulator will now load up the firmware files. Wait for the process to complete.
Once the process is completed, you will see a dialog box that says ‘Successfully installed PS3 firmware‘. Simply click on ‘Ok‘ to proceed further.
Another process for the compilation of your PPU modules will now be initiated. Wait for the process to complete.
Now click on ‘File‘ and select ‘Add Game‘.
Navigate to the location where you have stored your PS3 games and select that particular folder.
Note: Instead of doing this for each game, you can directly select your main game storage folder as well.
Once you click on the ‘Select folder‘, RPCS3 will automatically scan the concerned folder and display all the compatible titles on your screen.
Now simply double click your game title to launch it and you will be able to play your PS3 games on your PC.
Iso Ps3 Downloads
Things you should keep in mind
- This guide only helps you install and launch games. You can change your CPU, GPU, and input settings in the emulator which can help you increase performance and optimize your gameplay further.
- You will get lower frame rates when you first start any game. This is how emulation works. Your graphics shader cache is built over time as you play the game which will help increase your performance.
- PS3 and XBOX 360 were usually locked at 30FPS out of the box. These systems were designed to be played on a TV which is why 30FPS seems more than enough. If you wish to achieve higher frame rates then you will have to opt for mods to your emulation to improve performance.
You can check out all these details and more on the RPCS3 wiki page.
We hope this guide helped you easily play your PS3 games on your Android device. If you have any questions for us or face any hurdles, feel free to reach out to us using the comments section below.
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