I hold my PS3 plugged in for one crucial purpose

The PS3 might have been launched all the way in which again in 2006, an absolute relic in know-how phrases, however it’s nonetheless a console that many look again upon fondly. It had a tough launch due to its $600 price ticket, however when the worth got here down, the PS3 managed to make up a ton of floor in its competitors with the Xbox 360.

That prime value was a tricky capsule to swallow, however it’s not prefer it wasn’t considerably justified. For starters, it was the primary recreation console to come back outfitted with a Blu-ray participant, primarily as a result of PS3 video games have been printed on Blu-ray discs. This additionally meant it was possibility for folks trying to get into the then-new Blu-ray format.

Over time, I’ve amassed fairly a big physical media assortment, and whereas I’ve largely moved on to 4K, I nonetheless choose up a Blu-ray disc right here and there. I do most of my watching on my Sony 4K Blu-ray participant, however I nonetheless hold my PS3 plugged in simply in case I need to pop in a daily Blu-ray. Certain, I might use my 4K participant, however generally I really feel like watching someplace aside from my front room. I even have the additional advantage of my PS3 having the ability to hook up to a CRT TV.

The Blu-ray participant continues to be good in 2025

A really underrated side

Blu-ray gamers are fairly low-cost these days, particularly in case you’re on the lookout for one which’s strictly for Blu-rays and never their 4K counterparts, however none of them have the flexibility to play video games. A PS3 is not too troublesome to trace down, even 20 years after its launch, and in case you’re affected person sufficient, you will discover one for round $50. I grabbed mine years after its launch so I might play the Steel Gear Strong assortment, however what I did not know was how lengthy I might proceed to make use of it after I finished taking part in the video games.

The Blu-ray participant nonetheless works, and I am unsure if it will ever give out. All electronics fail finally, so it is sure to occur, however it would not seem to be it is going to be any time quickly. My PS2 can nonetheless play CDs and DVDs, however I do know the clock is ticking there, because the disc drive tends to be a weak level on the console. As for my PS3, it has proven no indicators of slowing down, and a part of which may be due to how little I exploit it. Regardless of shifting 3 times now since shopping for it, I nonetheless get it arrange and able to play motion pictures. It would not have any fancy bells and whistles such as you’d see in a contemporary Blu-ray participant, however I can not actually count on that from a recreation console that is near 20 years previous now.

I do not know when, or if, Sony plans on dropping help for the PS3. It acquired an replace in 2025 to update the Blu-ray encryption key to make sure discs proceed to play, and it looks as if these updates will proceed to occur periodically so long as the corporate desires to maintain it working. Should you’re fortunate sufficient to nonetheless have a purposeful PS3, I like to recommend giving its Blu-ray participant a strive as a result of it is nonetheless a stable machine for that purpose alone. It is largely been outclassed by dedicated players, however it’s nonetheless a powerhouse.

Your PS3 performs video games, too

And it does it fairly nicely

I do know I have been happening and on about how good of a Blu-ray participant the PS3 is, however it’s additionally a recreation console. The principle factor working in opposition to the PS3 as we speak is most of the console’s finest video games — The Final of Us, Demon’s Souls, Shadow of the Colossus, and lots of extra — are higher performed on newer consoles. If you do not have entry to a PS4 or PS5, then the PS3 variations of those video games work simply fantastic. It is the primary (and solely) approach I’ve performed The Final of Us, and regardless of higher variations being obtainable, I have not given them a strive.

One other benefit of moving into the PS3 in 2025 is you may choose up video games for affordable. I discovered that the Xbox 360 and PS3 generations have not seen an enormous improve in recreation costs, so it’s best to be capable to hit a used recreation retailer or eBay and choose up fairly a bit with out breaking the financial institution. The PS3 retailer continues to be open as nicely, so you should buy video games digitally, one thing I can not say in regards to the Xbox 360.

I would not say it’s best to exit and purchase a PS3 immediately, however in case you are concerned with a few of the video games that have not been remastered for the PS4 or PS5, then I might say it is price grabbing. Should you’re shopping for it for its Blu-ray capabilities alone, I’d say to get a standalone participant or a PS4 or PS5. Each of these latter consoles can play 4K Blu-rays together with common Blu-rays, so there’s extra versatility.

A part of why I like utilizing the PS3 for its Blu-ray participant is one half nostalgia, and one half is it is simply easy to arrange and takes up no house. It additionally helps that I have already got one in good situation. My Xbox One may be very cumbersome and has that energy brick that takes up extra space than it ought to. The PS3 slim suits in properly on a shelf and has a daily energy wire that does not take up a lot room.

When you’ve got the house for it, I do not see any purpose to not hold yours plugged in, as a result of it truly is a flexible little machine that continues to obtain updates. It would not have the graphical prowess of your PS5 or Xbox Sequence X, however it’s not anticipated to be. All I would like out of mine is the flexibility to play Blu-ray discs every so often, and if I really feel like popping within the God of Conflict assortment, then I would like it plugged in and able to go. All these years later, the PS3 nonetheless has a spot in my house, one thing I can not say for a lot of of my older consoles. So long as it retains receiving updates to maintain the Blu-ray participant purposeful, I would simply hold utilizing it till it breaks.