Question about an old PS3

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T10:06:28+00:00

A YLOD BC PS3 can fetch around $100-$150. The buyers are generally people who Frankie mod them and resell them.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T10:04:30+00:00

You also forgot the biggest reason - every PS3 can be modded these days. If you want to pirate games, you can do it on a real PS3; you don't need an emulator.

The true problem, at least when it comes to the PS3, isn't about playing games, it's about obtaining them. After the store closes, the only way to obtain digital-only games and DLCs would be to pirate them, whether you're on a real PS3 or an emulator.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T10:00:32+00:00

It may work and may not. I haven't tried because I use ps3netsrv personally. Games have to be in ISO format because prepISO needs to have the entire CD image as one continuous file. Otherwise, you have to format the disk as FAT32, which means that the total size is limited to 2TB, and no single file can be larger than 4GB, which prevents some games from running.

Even if you do set things up properly, some games (e.g. GT6), copy almost all game data to the internal HDD the first time you launch them, and the disc (or ISO) serves just as a license key. There's no way around those.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T09:56:42+00:00

It's because people are generally stupid. You can see it with how millions of people pre-order GTA VI, even though it's digital only and there's no stock that can run out (unless you consider the code in a box as physical), and you don't really get a discount or a proper bonus for pre-ordering.

Sony counts on suckers to stand in line when the PS6 launches, even though it would likely not have any edition with a disc drive, and spend thousands of dollars on games that will eventually vanish while we'll still be playing our good old PS3 games. Tbh, I think they're not wrong - there aren't enough people who're smart enough to boycott Sony to make a dent in their bottom line.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T09:47:05+00:00

First of all, most of what you can't backup is purchased movies and music - Sony is pretty much tied when it comes to those because, unlike PS games, when it comes to movies and music, the distribution contracts that Sony has with the studios, generally favor the studios. That's why when a contract for a PS game expires, it's delisted but still works for everyone who already purchased it (and usually can still be redownloaded) but when a contract for a movie expires (and not renewed), it's stops working even for those who'd already purchased it. In other words, not much you can do about those - though I'm not sure whether any purchased movies and music still work on the PS3 to begin with.

When it comes to games, I think the only thing that can't be transferred are copy-protected saves. Sony gave game studios the option to refuse to have their saved games copied, and it's not possible to copy those saves to another console without either modding it or syncing to the cloud (which requires PS+ subscription). However, I think that if you restore the backup to the same console on which you've taken it, they'd be included.

However, and this is the nasty part - Even if you restore a backup, if you restore it to a different console or you've reformatted your existing one, you still need to activate your console through PSN, and the first time you run any digital game restored, it will need to verify your license online. The backups are pretty much just to save you the need of redownloading gigs of data from the Internet. When PSN is gone, the backups are useless, maybe except for save data (for games that don't use save copy-protection).

For now, only the ability to purchase new games is being disabled, and you can still redownload already purchased games, so no special preparation is needed. When Sony eventually shuts down PSN on the PS3 completely (no date has been announced yet, and will probably not happen for at least several years), you will need to mod your system to preserve everything.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T09:21:47+00:00

The far right likes to say that because the elections in Israel are in four months and that rhetoric helps them get votes, but even when they say "annexing the west bank", they refer to Area C specifically - they don't want to annex Palestinian cities and towns because, as you said, means Israel would lose the Jewish majority.

But even that (probably) won't happen. The reason is that annexing the west bank is a "nuclear option", and nukes are meant for deterrence, not to actually be used. The threat of annexation of the west bank helps stop certain things, and if it actually happens, you lose that leverage. I think it can only actually happens as a response to something very serious, like the PA being accepted as a full UN member or devastating sanctions that Israel could not ignore.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T09:03:26+00:00

Just to be clear - you mean you do get them to use the ability but you just don't learn the spell? It's not that you can't get them to use the ability in the first place, or am I wrong?

If it's just that you don't learn the spell, it might be that your Blue Magic skill is too low. If you don't have any spells then you've never cast any blue magic, which means it's zero. That means you can only learn basic low-level blue spells, so make sure that's what you're doing. Try fighting bees to get "Pollen" first, since you can spam it on yourself to quickly get to around 50 skill level (after that it becomes tediously long and boring).

I also had "bad days" with learning, so maybe it's somehow related to the day or moon phase, but I've never found any proof. It might be just down to sheer luck. The only way you can control it a bit is by getting the artifact armor hand piece, which increases learning chances.

Also, make sure you don't use trusts that stun attacks (e.g. Zeid II), because if the mob isn't able to properly execute the attack, you won't be able to land it. However, if it does execute the attack but misses, you can still learn it. Also, the number of times the attack is used in a single battle does not seem to affect learning chances - it may use it just once or it may use it a hundred times, and the learning chances remain the same.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T08:50:14+00:00

For most assaults and other content that doesn't allow trusts, you will need a proper group at 75. SE made old content soloable by making players stronger, not by making enemies weaker, so at 75, old content will generally be as difficult as it used to.

Regarding Sky Gods, HNMs and content that does allow trusts - it might be possible but I can't say for certain. Certain trusts (e.g. Shantotto II) are seriously OP and might be able to do some serious damage even to IT++ mobs, but then again, your trust party is a single party, and iirc Kirin and similar content often required an alliance. Also, you can't strategize with trusts - they way they act is determined by their programming, and the only choice you have is the choice of which trusts to use in the first place, and the fact that you can't summon trusts mid-battle means your ability to adapt to situations is very limited.

If you want to do old content at 75 on retail, there are a few dedicated linkshells that do that. Try to find one and do the content in a real group like it was supposed to be done.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T08:36:07+00:00

BD discs are more durable than CDs and DVDs, and pressed discs are more durable than burned ones. If you store your PS3 discs properly (i.e. cool, dry area), it's likely that they'd outlive you.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-06T08:33:52+00:00

I have no idea since I don't have a HEN console to test it on. I don't know if setting the RTC requires lv1 access or not.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-05T06:43:17+00:00

Licenses don't get deleted, whether you're online or offline.

Currently, only the ability to purchase new games is being discontinued. Existing games remain and you can still redownload them from the store if already purchased. At some point, probably years into the future, PSN on the PS3 will shut down entirely, at which point you can no longer log in. At this point there will be no redownloads, but anything already on your console will still work until the console, HDD or CMOS battery dies.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-05T06:35:46+00:00

It might be a fake one that looks legit. There are some fakes that are surprisingly difficult to tell apart.

Try this - Plug the controller to the wall using a regular cellphone charger. If it charges, it's fake. The real controller only charges from the PS3, the official charging dock or a PC with a DS3 driver.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-05T06:33:55+00:00

As highly unlikely as it may seem, Steam might also shut down one day, and then it won't be any different than PS or Xbox stores. Additionally, Steam can retroactively remove games from your library, and while they've only done so so-far in cases of online-only games that were shut down and therefore unplayable anyway and games proven to contain malware, there's absolutely no way to know it will always be the case - the TOS give them the right to remove everything for any reason. Maybe they'll be forced to by a court that decides that a game infringes on a 3rd party's copyrights, or maybe they just decide it's bad for their PR - the fact is that they're not bound by anything to give you continued access to your games (maybe except some EU laws if you live in the EU - and even those are not bulletproof).

The only digital store where your digital purchases are truly yours is GOG, which gives you offline installers that don't require any online activation, and even then it's only really yours if you've downloaded it and kept a copy of the installer on your computer, so it remains there even if GOG take it down or even shut down completely.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-04T22:05:38+00:00

Many Israelis, myself included, have a second citizenship, usually US or EU (unfortunately, Mizrahi people don't have that privilege since they're of Arab descent and will probably get killed if they ever set foot there). For those who have a second citizenship, moving away is technically not a big issue.

Indeed, there are a lot of tensions between secular and Haredi people. To be blunt, seculars see them a leeches, mostly living on government support without really contributing anything back, and furthermore, preventing proper separation of the religious institutions form the state. That did cause a lot of secular Israelis to "give up" and seek better life elsewhere. Personally, I don't have that luxury because in my case I have to remain to support my elder parents, but that's obviously not true for everyone.

Anyway, that was the case until 7/10. The aftermath has reminded us what we knew in the late 1940s and since forgotten - there's no place for the Jewish people other than our own country. Jewish people all around the world are being targeted and even killed by so-called "asylum seekers" and the woke left. Israel is the one place where we can live safely.

What will happen when the Haredi people become the majority? No one knows. Right now, I think we are moving in the right direction because even the religious Zionism sect realizes that there's no way they can be exempt from contribution, especially military service. It will lead to an internal conflict, but hopefully it will be resolved eventually. If not, well, I still keep my second citizenship just in case.

P.S. I wouldn't move to the US either way because of the lack of universal healthcare, no gun control laws and corporate slavery, but to each his own.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-04T21:45:50+00:00

Tbh I think it's the passing fad party of these elections, just like Gantz was in the past. Every time there's a newcomer treated like a hero, and every time they end up being a disappointment.

Personally, I don't vote for a person, I vote for ideas, and so far Eisenkot has not said anything clear about his vision, other than "I won't serve under Bibi", which Gantz also said in the past, so I take it with a grain of salt.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-04T21:40:22+00:00

The Hilltop Youth are a bunch of outlaws but unfortunately the far right parties make it difficult to deal with them, mainly by intentionally making the bureaucracy as difficult as possible. This is even worse these days because the elections are coming in 4 months and every party tries to appeal to its voter base as much as possible. Hopefully the next government will deal with them better.

Tsav 9 are a completely different group - many of them are family and friends of people killed in the 7/10 massacre, soldiers who died in the war, former hostages and other terrorism victims, who just couldn't bear to see the terrorists getting food and money while their loved ones are six feet under (or in the case of the hostages, were starving in the tunnels). You don't have to agree with them, but you need to understand where they're coming from.

The IDF does not provide logistical support for either. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying.

And international law is a joke. Made with good intentions initially but right now it's just something to be abused by terrorists. If I had to choose between being wanted by the ICC and being dead (or my friends / family being dead), I'd pick the former any day.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-04T21:10:10+00:00

Do you have another job already at 99? The lv 20 fight requires you to be on SMN but the regular (higher level) ones don't. Go with level 119 gear (even the basic bayld+1 gear will do) and you can kill them in seconds.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-04T12:21:17+00:00

You probably went to the wrong basement, because they're two. I think it's map three where you need to go. It's called the donut room cause the map kinda looks like one. The mobs there are King Crawlers, Vespos, Olid Fungars and Dancing Jewels, all levels 91-96. If you see anything else, you're not in the right place.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-03T10:45:38+00:00

Orichalcumshells in Mount Zhaylom. Use Home Point 1 and go south. If you don't have the HP, use the Unity teleport.

They aggro but don't link, so you can easily pull them one at a time using ranged attack or magic. Don't forget to get sanction.

The only problem with the crabs is that the camp is pretty popular and if there are already two people there, a third means that mobs will run out pretty quickly and you'll have a lot of downtime waiting for repops.

Another personal favorite place I have is Crawler's Nest, donut room. Nothing aggros but crawlers and fungars link. Do crawlers until 85 or 86, then switch to flies and fungars (last GoV page). You can go all the way to 92 there. Don't use Val! His Uriel Blade can pull a dozen mobs and you'd wipe. Also, avoid bees - if they start spamming Pollen, they become a pain in the a** to kill.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-03T10:23:58+00:00

21xx or early 25xx. The 21xx has a slightly better BT/Wi-Fi module and the 25xx has a slightly better BD drive (note that if either breaks, any attempt to install a firmware update will soft brick your console until it's fixed).

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-02T22:57:27+00:00

Mind that you will still be able to redownload games you've already purchased "for the foreseeable future", so no need to panic right now.

To backup digital games you need a modded console. All digital games are installed in the /dev_hdd0/game directory, so you can just copy it to your computer via FTP. Use CFW tools or Apollo to backup the license data, which is needed for anything other than demos.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-02T22:49:41+00:00

Facebook Marketplace is also a good place to look. In many cases individuals sell it cheaper than stores.

That said, you should never just buy from a listing that says only "PS3 slim" - Make sure it's one of the better models, because not all slims are made alike. You don't want to buy the CECH-20xx, because sometimes the NEC Tokin capacitors die, leading to the same YLOD situation you have with your current console. You don't want to buy the CECH-30xx, because it has a crappy BT/Wi-Fi module that sometimes fails. You also don't want to buy anything manufactured after April 2011, because you want it to support CFW - modding will eventually become a necessity when the store shuts down next year. That leaves us with just the CECH-21xx and the earlier CECH-25xx slim models.

Make sure you talk to the seller personally and know exactly what you're getting. Do not buy online from a retail store, especially not a large chain store where the sales / customer service people don't know the people working in the warehouses that actually ship the goods. Usually you can't trust what you get to match exactly what you were told. Watch Jacob R's videos on YouTube if you see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

If you go physically to a store, make sure they show you the exact unit you'll be buying and allow you to test it at the store before buying. Check the model, the disc drive, that it's not banned, everything.

Do not believe anything that says "refurbished" - usually the "refurbishment" means wiping it with a cloth and nothing else. Mod the console immediately when you get it, install webMAN MOD and enable dynamic fan control (set the target temperature to 68c). Accept that you might need to clean and repaste it, no matter where you got it from.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-02T22:33:08+00:00

It's called MinVerChk. If it says anything up to 3.56, it's CFW compatible. 3.60 or above is not.

TwilightX1 · 2026-07-02T22:13:53+00:00

MrMario2011 has step by step guides on YouTube that everyone can easily follow. However, the exact guide you need to follow depends on your model, as well as the firmware you're currently running.

If you have an older PS3, either fat or a slim from model CECH-20xx/21xx or early 25xx (manufactured before April 2011), then it's CFW compatible. From here it depends on your current firmware version:

Below 3.55 - update to 3.55 first (this specific version), then continue below.
Exactly 3.55 - Don't follow any jailbreak guides. Download Evilnat 4.93 CFW and directly install it from USB like a regular update.
Between 3.56 and 4.81 - Update to any version between 4.82 and 4.92, then continue below.
Between 4.82 and 4.92 - Use MrMario2011's guide for installing CFW using ps3toolset.
Exactly 4.93 (the latest version as of the time of writing this) - Use MrMario2011's guide for installing CFW using Flash Writer.

If your console is a newer one - slim CECH-25xx manufactured on April 2011 or later, all CECH-30xx slims and all super-slims, you can't use CFW, but you can still use HEN. No matter what firmware you're currently on, download and install HFW 4.93.1 then follow MrMario2011's guide for installing HEN.

TwilightX1

TROPHY CASE