PlayStation 3
Funky, chunky, and a little bit quirky, PS3 debuted 15 years ago
Finding a suspiciously large box under the tree and unwrapping a console on Christmas Day is a special memory, and PS3 was hefty indeed. In fact, its size is the first thing many people mention.
Reader @D3J08 declares, “Chunky is still the best-looking version [in my opinion].”
The console was many readers’ first big purchase. “I was saving for a car at the time,” @MrTJ_808 remembers, “then PS3 released, so I went and spent £600 on that instead. What a decision! I loved that console. […] I got Def Jam Icon, Resistance, and Untold Legends and played it non-stop.”
Martin Mulrooney says, “I remember my dad driving me from Liverpool to Manchester to pick up a PlayStation 3 bundle that included Resistance: Fall Of Man and Motorstorm from Virgin Megastore. It was the only place I could find that would honour my 10% student discount. Thanks Dad!”
It’s hard being a student gamer. James Hutton reflects, “[Second] year [of] uni, me and my mate carrying it back to the flat. Twenty-five [minute] walk with a carrier bag handle each – it was that heavy.”
Its heft wasn’t its only awkward aspect. As devs grappled with the hardware, its complex processor architecture meant the list of launch titles was unimpressive, but also afforded a bright future.
@ryanhill21 sums it up, saying,
“Loads [of classics] on this sexy boy,” adding, “Main one I remember is Uncharted. Now that’s when PS3 started
[to] show the power of the console.”
A number of PS3’s hidden gems haven’t been rereleased – for instance, Folklore. Because of this, and because early models are backwards-compatible with PS2 titles, it’s a popular retro console to this day. However, these older models can be tricky to find. Many owners are still holding on to the one they picked up over a decade ago. @Charlottosaurus writes, “Still got mine and it still works (sort of).” Long live PS3.