8 Things You Might Not Know About the PS3

Most gamers believe they know all there is to know about the PlayStation 3. After all, the first PS3 came out in North America back in November of 2006, about a decade ago. Believe it or not, this sleek console may still have a few surprises for you.

1. Quiet Force

The PS3 was one of the quietest consoles on the market when it was released. When it’s operating normally, the sound it makes is 22 decibels on the loudness scale, which is barely more than a soft whisper. Take a moment to listen to your PS3 and appreciate the technology that went into making it a powerful console that practically runs in silence.

2. Streaming Power

If you already have a set-top box or some other unit for streaming content to your TV, you may not have realized that your PS3 can do the same thing. Got a hankering for a Netflix marathon? If you’d rather watch your favorite shows on the big screen instead of on a computer or smartphone, just use your PS3. It can access YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO Go, Hulu, Vudu, and more.

3. Blu-ray Boss

Did you realize that your PS3 is also a Blu-ray player? That means you can seriously streamline the number of gadgets you keep in your living room. Instead of cluttering up the entertainment center, ditch your old DVD or Blu-ray player, scrap the set-top box, and use your PS3 for everything.

4. Free Movie

Did you know that the first 500,000 PS3s sold on the market came packaged with a free movie? It wasn’t just any movie, either— it was a brand-new Blu-ray disc called “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” The star of the movie was Will Ferrel, playing the role of a racecar driver whose rise to fame was followed by a mental break and a struggle to reclaim his winner’s status. Back in 2006, getting a free Blu-ray movie was a big deal.

5. PSP Remote Option

With Remote Play, you can use your PSP to control your PS3. Basically, your PS3 streams live video straight to the PSP, and you can then access content and control the PS3 with the PSP buttons. Pretty cool, right?

6. Priced at a Loss

When Sony first released the PS3, the initial $599 price tag seemed high to consumers. In actuality, that price tag was so low that Sony lost money on every unit sold. It was a strategic move on Sony’s part, however; they built up a player base and later recouped those losses with software sales.

7. Backwards Compatibility

The PS3 is backwards compatible with its predecessor, the PS2. In fact, you can grab a cheap adapter and transfer all your saved games from your old PS2 to the PS3. Want to know how that works? Essentially, there’s a PS2 and PS1 chip inside your PS3, enabling the games and the saved-game files to work smoothly on the newer version of the PlayStation.

8. PC-Style Hard Drive

The PS3 has a standard hard drive. In that respect, it operates more like a PC that the Xbox 360 or previous PlayStations. The hard drive gives it plenty of space to hold your games and saves.

Do you have any PS3 tips or bits of trivia? Don’t keep them to yourself! Comment and let your fellow PS3 owners in on the secrets.