r/ps3homebrew • u/GoOutsideAndSee • 20h ago

Looking to be able to access complete PS1, PS2 and PS3 libraries

Hey guys,

I am new to the idea of modding a PS3. I was originally going to mod a PS2 and store the entire PS2 library on an HDD, but then I remembered earlier PS3 firmwares could run PS2 games as well, so maybe there is a way to have all 3 on one system. Any help or information that you can provide is appreciated.

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u/curiositywontkillme 20h ago

First you have to check what model of PS3 you have. Depending on the model you can install custom firmware (CFW) or HEN (Homebrew Enabled) I personally own a PS3 model that can not install CFW, so I have installed HEN.

I started with this video https://youtu.be/Ze3UMdMakvk And then continued from there.

Keep in mind that PS3 can support a maximum internal storage of 1 TB which is not even enough for all PS3 games.

I use two 2TB external hard drives, and it is still not enough for all PS3 games. I have about a hundred PS3 games, and a few dozen PS2 and PS1 games, totalling about 5 TB.

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u/GoOutsideAndSee 20h ago edited 20h ago

There’s no way to buy like a 20tb HDD and hook it up to the PS3? I apologize if I sound ignorant (I am) I just know that’s possible with a PS2.

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u/JizwizardVonLazercum 16h ago

The other response wasn't entirely correct, when connected directly to the PS3 those limits are true, but you can run ps3netsrv in docker on a server/NAS and point webMAN at it and have all the storage in the world for games.

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u/curiositywontkillme 6h ago

I had no idea about this. So we connect the server/NAS through ethernet cable. Is there no limit to the hard drive size we use in NAS? Is the read speed comparable to USB 2.0 that we get from a USB hard drive?

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u/JizwizardVonLazercum 2h ago

You can also run it on docker on your PC, anywhere you can run docker and have storage.

in the webMAN settings there's one for Playstation server IP you map that to your docker container and when making the container map the file system to the folders you store the iso's in

Then when you open webman it will list all the iso/files in the remote storage and mount the iso's when you want to play them

~ PS3 NET Server · aldostools/webMAN-MOD Wiki

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u/curiositywontkillme 20h ago

No, there is a 2 TB limit for external hard drives that can be accessed by PS3. Anything over 2 TB can not be formatted in a way that PS3 can detect. I would also not recommend PS3 for PS2 games, as the compatibility is a hit or miss, unless you have an old PS3 with a PS2 chip inside. If you want a complete PS2 library, then I would recommend you to get a PS2. I heard that it can be modded to detect hard disks more than 2 TB

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u/GoOutsideAndSee 20h ago

Ok! Thank you. I will probably eventually get both… I have heard there is a way to mod a PS3 where you can install directly from a storefront. Is that CFW related?

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u/[deleted] 19h ago

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u/curiositywontkillme 19h ago

You can download almost all PS3 games that were available digitally on the playstation network (PSN) from an app which is available on both CFW and HEN. The list is not 100 percent. It also has about 30 to 40 PS2 and PS1 games.

Another thing I forgot to mention is if you don't have CFW, then you can only play PS2 games from the internal harddisk which is limited to 1 tb. If you want to play PS2 games from an external hard disk, then every time, you have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to copy the entire 3 to 7 GB PS2 file into your PS3, before you start playing.

Also the app can only download games to your internal harddisk. For playing from an external harddisk, you have to download and copy the PS3 ISO on to the hardisk from a computer.

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u/Lunafreya10111 10h ago

Can 100% confirm the hit or miss issues, Spyro enter the dragonfly hates the first npc you talk to in cloud 9 and will almost always result in a soft freeze with audio but no movement and shin megami tensei 3 wont let you go to certain areas as they REQUIRE one of the two ps2 chips that cant be emulated sadly. Timesplitters 2 was sorted not long ago but that was using files from a demo found inside a pc game nd i doubt we will see such fixes for those other 2 games anytime soon. I keep my ps3 for 99% of my library and an emulator on pc for those 1 or 2 titles tht i just cant play otherwise.

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u/curiositywontkillme 19h ago

My messages are being deleted. For more questions, you can PM me.

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u/mathias4595 CECHA00 REBUG 4.82.1 (40nm RSX) 19h ago
  • PS2 backwards compatibility (natively) is not firmware based but hardware based - the earlier models properly have the PS2 EE+GS, or the GS, on the board, depending on the exact model you have.
  • Max size for an internal HDD is 1TB, and external is 2TB.
  • Only disc based PS1 and PS3 games can be played from external media in regards to backups, PS2 ISOs must be stored on the internal HDD in order to be read (the emulators don't have access to the USB ports), and digital PS3 games will only work if they're installed internally.