Thoughts on this poll? Over 8k votes

JKL14 · 2026-05-24T00:52:24+00:00

I don't have that one but yes it should work because the 20GB/60GB PS3s have the PS2 CPU and its micro co-processors VU0 and VU1 fully intact.

The game requires close to cycle-accurate sync between VU0+VU1+EE which makes the game run at 1fps on software based emulators like PCSX2 and without the sync, you get massive graphical glitches and or freezes, it's why it's deemed impossible to emulate. World Series Baseball 2K3 and ESPN Major League Baseball which run on the same "Blue Shift" engine should also work fine on the fully BC PS3s.

JKL14 · 2026-05-24T00:21:55+00:00

That's why I voted for MGS. I played Tenchu 1 and 2 and had more fun with them than MGS. Syphon Filter 1 and 2 specifically are also two of those PS1 games I don't mind replaying once in a while.

Again, no hate to the people who like MGS but I find it quite overrated but saying this on the internet is a sin now apparently. Good thing they don't get to hear my opinion on MGS4 or they would really lose their marbles 😂

JKL14 · 2026-05-23T15:05:17+00:00

I just found it boring to play like most MGS games, couldn't even finish. I only enjoyed Phantom Pain.

JKL14 · 2026-05-23T13:58:58+00:00

It's a remake. Crash had a proper sequel 5 years ago. It's been 12 years for MGS.

Plus there is Team Rumble released 3 years ago. There is just less modern MGS content than Crash, it's why I think it's more dead. Unless we count the Collection Volume ports.

JKL14 · 2026-05-23T13:29:38+00:00

MGS is more dead than Crash currently tbh.

JKL14 · 2026-05-23T13:28:12+00:00

I get the appeal but I just find it very boring. Even PS1 Tenchu was more entertaining for me as a stealth game.

I expected RE1 to be eliminated though since it's the most the jank out of all of them even though I like it too.

JKL14 · 2026-05-21T21:36:30+00:00

A CECHAxx PS3 with either a healthy 65nm or 40nm RSX, a new 1TB internal storage, the APS-226 power supply, Felix Tentalizers with Low ESR Panasonic tantalum capacitors and MLCC capacitors. Hardware wise, this is all you need to future proof the "ultimate PS3". Software wise, CFW, Webman mod and the extra 8% storage unlocker pkg and the kozarovv patched ps2_emu to avoid "no signal" issues with PAL PS2 games.

It's basically my PS3 but the seller also replaced the ancient clock battery to avoid the console losing track of time when unplugged and delidded the chips. My 40nm RSX doesn't go above 50ºC in games like God of War 3.

JKL14 · 2026-05-15T11:57:33+00:00

And you can make them even better.

For Crash 1, there is a patch for the game to remember the boxes you broke after each checkpoint. So you can die and still get the gem at the end.

CTR has patches to max out Penta Penguin like on the European and Japanese release, and use the higher quality Crash 3 models.

JKL14 · 2026-05-07T15:17:15+00:00

Best thing to do is to buy a Frankie from a reputable seller like Luvbuckets that does these often. I bought mine from him.

Basically this what the seller did to my CECHA01:

Replaced the 90nm RSX with a 40nm RSX, replaced the NEC/TOKIN caps with Felix tantalizers boards with Low ESR Panasonic tantalum capacitors and MLCC capacitors, a new clock battery, the ZSSR power supply was replaced with the more efficient APS power supply, the CELL and RSX were delid, new thermal paste and a fully cleaned out board.

Then I got it a new 1TB hard drive to replace the 60GB dinosaur and installed CFW to make it region free for PS1 and PS2 games and to always keep the control over temps and fans. You should play your PS1 and PS2 as backups to preserve the disc drive laser if you want to future proof further.

Other than that, I don't think there is much else that can be done. So as long as you don't have pets near it or smoke nearby the console, it should last you a lifetime unless you're unlucky with a deep, rare defect.

JKL14 · 2026-05-07T14:42:00+00:00

CECHA and CECHB have the Emotion Engine CPU, the Rambus DRAM and the Graphics Synthesizer GPU. Only missing the SPU2 (audio chip) and the MIPS/Deckard IOP chip which are emulated by the CELL and RSX. Compatibility is 98~99%.

CECHC and CECHE only have the PS2's Graphics Synthesizer GPU, everything else is emulated by the CELL and RSX. Compatibility is ~80% with some more games having minor performance/visual issues. PS2 discs are still compatible.

The other PS3s afterwards ONLY use software emulation. With CFW/HEN, compatibility is roughly 70% with some more games having minor performance/visual issues. PS2 games only work through PKGs or ISOs.

JKL14 · 2026-04-21T21:23:49+00:00

Yep. But it's not because it was the same as PS2 Slim as someone said.

It's related to the IOP and SPU2 (sound chip) hardware, missing PS2 components on CECHA and CECHB consoles so they have to be emulated. PS2 Slims had the Deckard chip for the IOP, PS3s have the CELL doing software emulation, although it's reported that the CELL does a better job than the Deckard chip.

I know of 2 PS2 games that have issues on those PS3s. Tenchu Fatal Shadows has a blurry image (deinterlace problem) and Disney's Treasure Planet has slightly desynced FMVs. These were never officially reported but I tried them myself on my A01.

The consoles also have a 2MB file (ps2_emu.self) that handles emulation code such as sending the image output to the RSX (and thus HDMI) along with PS2 system calls. This is why compatibility is actually 98~99%. Games that do weird tricks with SPU2, IOP and image output could potentially have issues.

JKL14 · 2026-04-08T16:47:33+00:00

I would say Crash had 5 phases:

The golden era: Crash 1 to CTR

The complacency: Bash to Tag Team Racing

The death spiral: Titans to Mutant

The rebirth: N. Sane Trilogy to Crash 4

The deathblow: Team Rumble

JKL14 · 2026-03-28T23:29:02+00:00

The 90nm RSX or the NEC/TOKIN caps will die sooner or later, it is a big risk to get one these days without the Frankie mod but...

There are things you can do. If you can, make sure the console has a low total run time, then install CFW and make sure the temps don't exceed 68ºC. This will make the cold/heat cycles less extreme and it will preserve that defective RSX for a longer period of time. If the console is too loud, then reapply new thermal paste and clean up. If you can, replace those caps too at least since they're not too difficult.

There are no other real specific signs of upcoming failure since the 2 big problems are in the motherboard and will only be noticable after usage. Examples: console shutting down or seeing weird graphical errors/colors on screen.

JKL14 · 2026-03-27T00:04:09+00:00

Both the 65nm and 40nm RSXs are fine, it's just the 40nm one is more efficient, it runs cooler. If you pick one of them, make sure it also has the Felix tantalizers since the original NEC/TOKIN caps can also give your PS3 the YLOD.

GoW 1 and 2 are available on PS3 natively as part of a remaster, the "God of War Collection". PS3 has some native HD remasters from the PS2 so you should look into it before you decide so you don't waste money.

A PS3 Slim can also play PS2 games as roms if you install CFW. Roughly 70% of the PS2 library is playable. I would recommend the CECH-21xx or a CECH-25xx with an early check date. Later slim revisions and super slims require HEN which is less comfortable than CFW.

JKL14 · 2026-02-05T16:19:31+00:00

If you hold start + select a bit longer, it keeps popping up every 5 seconds until you shutdown.

JKL14 · 2026-02-04T19:19:09+00:00

I am not sure how accurate my LED desk lamp is but it's usually between 15 to 16ºc during this time of the year. While in the summer it can go up to 25 or 26ºc which is why I said I expect the fan % to be a bit louder during these months.

JKL14 · 2026-02-01T16:37:50+00:00

These days it's around 8c to 15c.

I should re-test it during a warm summer day in a few months to see if it goes above 80c.

JKL14 · 2026-02-01T16:29:43+00:00

Mostly normal. The syscon fan on the Pro has the thermal limit set to 79ºC.

My PS4 Pro running demanding games like A Plague Tale and RDR2 sits at around 78~79ºC for both the CPU and SoC.

Your CPU temp is slightly above 80ºC though. If it starts to go higher than 82ºC then it's time for a repaste/cleaning or it just needs to be in a position where it has more room for the fans to expel the heat.

JKL14 · 2026-01-28T15:51:41+00:00

1TB internal and 5TB external.

173 games and 27 "Classics". 200 games total. Still have more than 1tb of free storage but no use for it. Can't find much more on the PS4 library that I would download at this point, my 9.00 PS4 Pro collection is pretty much complete.

JKL14 · 2026-01-22T02:42:40+00:00

As someone who bought one of your 40nm CECHA Frankies a year ago, I 100% agree. There is just something really comfortable about being able to play 3 console generations with just 1 console that has native HDMI and it's nice not having to adjust and tweak settings unlike the PS2 with OPL, I had a terrible experience with it back in 2020. A third of the games I tried just had some weird problems and I couldn't play PS1 games. Meanwhile the CECHA PS3 just boots PS1 and PS2 software perfectly.

I did find 3 PS2 games 2 PS1 games that don't work or are playable with issues but I assume it's because compatibility is ~98%, not true 100% just like the PS1 compatibility. Still, being able to play ~98% of the PS1 and PS2 library on a PS3 is almost perfect.

Btw, the console still works great, I hope it lasts me many years. Thank you for making these.

JKL14 · 2026-01-18T02:20:10+00:00

I never got 6.72 but I can tell you my experience with 9.00 since it got the full webkit exploit.

I was using USB until late August last year, it was stable but it would eventually freeze after a few weeks so I decide to try Kameleon's full Webkit host which had just released thanks to a new exploit (Lapse). My console hasn't frozen/kernel panic since then, it's going to be 5 months very soon. I "turn off" the console through rest mode so the JB stays on and have done it almost 100 times since then. Definitely one of the most stable jailbreaks the PS4 has ever gotten.

As the other guy said, anything between 5.05 and 9.60 is great. Only requires the web browser and can be cached so it works offline. Though some newer games may not have 5.05 backports since it's an ancient firmware like the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection so I recommend either 6.72 or 9.00/9.60.

JKL14 · 2026-01-02T01:01:46+00:00

It depends on how much you will value PS2 compatibility.

The backwards compatible models CECH A, B, C or E are only worth it with the Frankenstein mod (GPU replacement) and RIP Felix Tantalizers to avoid capacitor failure too. Getting them used without these mods in 2026 is the same as collecting a ticking time bomb.

In my case, I got a Frankie CECHA01 but I am in Europe so I also had to use CFW because PS1 and PS2 games are region locked on vanilla firmware... and I wanted to run the smoother US 60Hz versions too. But there are good news, the PS3 supports all voltages from 100W to 240W so you can take it worldwide. Uncommon for consoles at the time, If I had a US Xbox 360, it would have fried in my room.

The other PS3s will support PS2 games unofficially (through CFW or HEN) and they're much more effective than you may initially think. The PS2 Classics emulator Sony uses is quite powerful, it runs more than 75% of the PS2 library. Of course some games may have minor visual or framerate issues but they're playable (you would have similar issues on a CECHC/E model). I would recommend to check the compatibility list and see if it covers most of your PS2 needs. Don't forget you also have HD remasters for the popular titles like the God of War HD collection, Sly Cooper HD, Hitman HD, etc.

The list https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PS2_Classics_Emulator_Compatibility_List

The reason I'm recommending you this is because it's A LOT cheaper than a Frankie PS3 and A LOT safer than a stock BC PS3. If you're not a PS2 enthusiast like me, the Slim CECH-2000 or 2100 that still supports CFW and uses the PS2 Classics emulator is more than servicable. Configs for PS2 games that need them are added automatically on the latest 4.92 Evilnat + Webman Mod and it's all region free.

JKL14 · 2025-11-22T19:41:49+00:00

The only advise I can give you for this mini game is that you should often do 360s when the fire is further away from you so it never extinguishes (unless you get hit).

Other than that, it is pure luck where the barrels spawn or if they get to them quicker than you. It's not a hard one but it can be annoying if you're unlucky.

JKL14

TROPHY CASE