How to Play PS2 Games on PS3

Observe your PS3 to determine if yours is a “fat” PS3. The early PS3 series is often referred to as the “fat” PS3. Only a few PS3 fat models are backward compatible. The “slim” and “super slim” PS3 series are not equipped with backward compatibility. The series has 4 USB ports on the front panel for backward compatibility. ^[1]

• If your PS3 is not backward compatible, the only way to play PS2 games without jailbreaking is to purchase and download the game from the PlayStation Store.
• Alternatively, you can jailbreak your PS3 to play PS2 games, but doing so will void the warranty and you may receive a PlayStation Network ban.

Check the USB port number on the PS3 fat. All backwards compatible PS3s are “fat” series, but not all “fat” series consoles are backwards compatible. If you’re using a fat PS3, just check the USB port number on the front panel. If there are 4 USB ports, the device is backward compatible, if there are only 2 ports, the machine cannot run PS2 game discs.

Check the serial number. Look for the label on the back of the PS3. The last digit will tell if the machine is fully supported with backward compatible hardware or limited emulation software: ^[2]

• CECHAxx (60 GB) and CECHBxx (20 GB) – Full hardware backwards compatible support.
• CECHCxx (60 GB) and CECHExx (80 GB) – Limited emulation software. Unable to play some PS2 discs.
• CECHGxx – Does not support backwards compatibility.

Check if the game is compatible. While the PS2 disc can be played by simply inserting the PS2 disc into a compatible PS3 player, some PS2 titles also suffer from compatibility issues. This usually occurs on CECHCxx (60 GB) or CECHExx (80 GB) series machines that use limited emulation software instead of fully backward compatible hardware support. You can check the list of compatible games and models here.

Insert the PS2 disc into the PS3. If the game is compatible with the PS3 model you are using, you can play the game as usual. You should see the PlayStation 2 logo and the game launch.

Press the PS button to activate the controller. When the game starts, you will be asked to connect the controller. Press the PS button on the PS3 controller and assign the controller to “Slot 1” (Position 1). This is the operation for the game to receive the DualShock 3 or SixAxis controller.

• You may not be able to play PS2 games if you are using another brand’s PS3 controller. If it doesn’t work, try using the original controller.

Create a virtual PS2 Memory Card. To save PS2 games, you need to create a Virtual Memory Card and the game will treat it as a real memory card. You can do this step in the PS3’s XMB.

• Press the PS button to open the XMB.
• Open the Game menu and select “Memory Card Utility (PS/PS2)”.
• Select “New Internal Memory Card” and then select “Internal Memory Card (PS2)”.
• Assign a Memory Card to “Slot 1”. This is the operation for the game to access the Memory Card.

Adjust PS2 settings. The backward compatible PS3 has a few PS2-related settings that you can adjust yourself. These settings can improve the visual quality of PS2 games.

• Open the Settings menu in the XMB and select “Game Settings”.
• Select the Upscaler setting. This is the setting to enlarge or stretch the image to fit the screen. Selecting “Off” will render the game at its native resolution and a black bar may appear. Select “Normal” to increase the resolution to fit the screen size. Select “Full” to drag the image to fit the screen. You can select “Off” if the game image is not good when upgraded.
• Select the Smoothing setting. This is a setting that adjusts the angles in the game more smoothly, especially with 3D graphics games. In a normal game, you don’t need to pay attention to this setting, it can even make the graphics look worse.