PlayStation 3 Supports Multiple OS, But Not 200 PS2 Games

As the PlayStation 3 (and Wii) madness goes on, it's getting harder and harder to pick out the most relevant and useful stories about Sony's next generation console. Sure, it's interesting to know that Sony reportedly sold 88,400 PlayStation 3 units in the first two days after the launch in Japan, and that some lucky buyers didn't even bother to get any PS3 games (I hear that selling consoles on the grey market pays well these days). But that doesn't really help us...

Nor does arguing over which game looks better - Ridge Racer 6 on Xbox 360 or Ridge Racer 7 on PlayStation 3 - when in all honesty they look very much alike. Some people think that the Xbox 360 version is actually nicer, but I for one like how the PS3 version seems cleaner and less glitzy.

But anyway, on to useful stuff... Let's see... Ah, here are a couple of things! First off, Sony have already released the PlayStation 3 firmware update version 1.10 for Japan (as previously announced), and also for US gamers. Which is quite the surprise, considering that there are still several days left until the actual launch of the PS3 in North America. The v1.10 firmware update is around 100 MB in size, and can even be downloaded on your PC - then transfered on an USB drive and onto the PlayStation 3. QJ.net has more about this, and they also list some of the changes brought by this update - the most important of which is the opening of the PlayStation Network.

Some may argue, however, that there's something even more important than that coming to the PlayStation 3: full support for hombebrew software and alternative operating systems. The console's settings already include an option to "Install Other OS" - as detailed in the online PS3 manual. Aside from a brief installation procedure, the manual also links to Sony's "Open Platform for PlayStation 3" website, which clearly states that the console "allows any desired third-party system software to be installed on it besides its system software provided by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.". We assume that allowing users to install other operating systems (or "system software" as they call it) also means that they can run pretty much any third-party or homebrew software they choose on the PS3. And if that doesn't make their console a computer, I don't know what does. Not to mention it accepts any third-party HDD, if the standard 20GB or 60GB just ain't good enough for you (Impress Watch tested a 100 GB HDD and it works).

Then again, if you're more into old console games than next-gen geekness, you can still get a kick out of the PlayStation 3. By including the old PlayStation 2 chipset, the console was expected to be 100% compatible with PS and PS2 games. But unfortunately that's not the case; not quite. Although you can still play literally thousands of old favorites on the PS3, there is a list of titles that currently have backwards-compatibility issues (or don't run at all). Gran Turismo 4, Tekken 5, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Devil May Cry and Silent Hill 2 are some of the bigger games to experience problems, according to CVG, however the list will shrink as Sony releases updates for the PS3 that fix any reported issues. There are currently about 200 PS and PS2 games with emulation problems, which only account for less than 2.5% of the PS2 software catalogue. In other words, Sony did a *lot* better than Microsoft when it came to emulating Xbox games on the Xbox 360.

So things are finally starting to look better for the PlayStation 3. But that's probably because we haven't gone into the whole Wii madness that's been brewing over the last few days (as select individuals have received their Wiis), and is sure to explode once Nintendo kicks off the long-awaited launch, on November 19.

P.S. Oh, I almost forgot about the great PS3 username race. It should be useful to know that when the PS3 launches in the US on 17th November, the rest of the world will be able to register their usernames online at the PlayStation Store via your PC - so Europeans will also get a fair chance at registering their beloved username before March 2007.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)