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|image = PS3_2009.png|image2 = PS3_Original.png|image3 = PS3_slim.png|image4 = Playstation3_superslim.png|imagecaption = '''Top''': Original (2006)<br/>'''Middle''': Slim (2009)<br/> '''Bottom''': Super Slim (2012)

|discontinued = May 2017 (Japan)

The '''PlayStation 3''' (known shorthand as '''PS3''') is a seventh-generation console released by [[wikipedia:Sony|Sony]] in late 2006. The successor to the [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2]], it began development in 2001 when Sony partnered with Toshiba and IBM to create the [[wikipedia:Cell_%28microprocessor%29|Cell Broadband Engine]]. The console was launched a year after the [[Xbox 360 emulators|Xbox 360]], and around the same time as the [[Wii emulators|Wii]]. While it was debatably the most powerful console of the seventh generation, it was also difficult to program for, as its architecture was even more complex than its competitors. It retailed for {{Inflation|USD|599|2006}}.

The Cell Broadband Engine consists of a 3.2 GHz Power Processing Element (PPE) and seven Synergistic Processing Elements (SPE),<ref group=NN2>You might see listings of eight SPEs, but that's because there are eight on the die; one of them is disabled to prevent the manufacturer from yielding too many bad units. Another SPE is reserved for the console's operating system.</ref> and the system contains 256 MB MBs of XDR DRAM main memory at 3.2 GHz and 256 MB MBs of GDDR3 video memory at 650 MHz for the Nvidia/SCEI RSX Reality Synthesizer GPU. The GPU ran at 500 MHz and has to communicate forth and back with both RAMs. The complexity of the SPEs bogged down the PlayStation 3 in multi-platform titles, as developers had to go through the process of learning the SPE architecture before they could use it. As a result, several developers decided against using the SPEs, and the consequence is that many multi-platform games ran with lower framerates or worse graphics, compared to running those same games on the PS3's competitors.

The number of units sold worldwide were was about the same as the Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 initially included a feature called OtherOS,<ref group=NN2>Which allowed the console to run many distributions of Linux and BSD in a separate partition as long as they supported PowerPC.</ref> but once it was removed shortly after the PS3 Slim model was released citing "security concerns", fail0verflow had a jailbreak detailed in 2010, giving way for [[PS3 Modding|modders to downgrade firmware on a specific version]] and install a custom firmware, something Sony would patch in newer updates until an exploit was released for 4.82. Emulation only started gaining traction in the late 2010s, as [[RPCS3]] had made strides in improving its largely HLE-based emulation. It has since become the emulator of choice.

! scope="col"|Latest Release Version! scope="col"|<small>[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Arcade_emulators#Converted_Home_Console_Hardware <abbr title="Namco System 357/359/369">System<br/>357/3x9</abbr>]</small>! scope="col"|<abbr title="PlayStation and PlayStation 2 Backwards Compatibility">PS1/PS2</abbr>! scope="col"|System <br/>Link

! colspan="911"|PC / x86

|[https://rpcs3.net/download Nightly]</br>[https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/releases {{RPCS3Ver}}]<ref groupabbr title=N2>"The developers are currently treating version increments as milestones, not as stables.">{{RPCS3Ver}}</refabbr>]|{{~}}<ref group=N>[https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen%2Bclosed+Namco+System+ *Partially supported at the moment].</ref>|{{✗~}}<ref group=N>[https://twitter.com/rpcs3/status/1125179092507201537?lang=en RPCS3 supports Sony's PS1emu as of today. PS2emu is not yet supported.] Both these emulators are present in the PS3 Firmware for backwards compatibility.</ref>|{{✓}}<ref group=N>[https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/issues/11575 *Feature Request: XLink Kai support]. for more info: https://teamxlink.co.uk/wiki/Changelog</ref>|{{~}}<ref group=N3N>Netplay in RPCS3 was introduced by GalCiv, who developed [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Netplay RPCN], (an open-source server that emulates the '''P2P match-making''' done on the PlayStation 3). RPCN can also be used to '''communicate with [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wn2EkQj_bZpgrT-xiDbqHkx91jcCHn34nXkl2Sv0GOs/edit#gid=0 private servers ] for games that require a dedicated server''' for multi-player multiplayer features. In this regard, '''games that require a custom server will not work unless a fan-made , [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wn2EkQj_bZpgrT-xiDbqHkx91jcCHn34nXkl2Sv0GOs/edit#gid=0 private server ] is created'''. This is outside the scope of the emulator, and will have to be developed by the community.<br />''':Beyond this there is a project called [https://github.com/DestinationHome/Destination-Home-Online Destination Home]''': ; a preservation team dedicated to restoring '''PlayStation Home's original online functionality & and network services''', but progress is heavily reliant on the development of [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Netplay RPCN - the emulated version of PSN used by RPCS3 - ]; as key networking functionality is yet to be implemented.</ref>|{{✓}}<ref group=N>Perfect support for [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Controller_Configuration#Using_DualShock_3_controller DualShock 3] controller which works with [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Controller:DualShock_3#Wired_connection_-_official_drivers Official Sony driver] and [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Controller:DualShock_3#Wired_connection_-_unofficial_drivers DsHidMini community driver]. Emulator allows to assign one key to change pressure sensitivity. It's possible to have more variants with [https://www.rewasd.com/releases/release-6.3.0 reWASD application] which allows to assign keys or gamepad buttons to [https://help.rewasd.com/basic-functions/virtual-controller.html Virtual DualShock 3]. Emulator supports DualShock 2, but only with special adapter emulating DualShock 3, RPCS3 does not support [https://bliss-box.net/integration/ Bliss-Box API]. Other controllers with pressure-sensitive buttons like [https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Controller:Xbox_Controller#Games_with_pressure_sensitive_face_buttons Xbox controller] or Steam Deck touchpads are not supported.</ref>

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;[[RPCS3]] <small class="plainlinks" style="font-weight:normal;">([https://rpcs3.net/compatibility compatibilityCompatibility]) ([https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=RPCN_Compatibility_List serversRPCN], [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xp-662d12W13CZSzSiaBfB4BHwU2PyOFMdp_W4sA5Bo/edit#gid=0 RPCN#2]) (, [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Wn2EkQj_bZpgrT-xiDbqHkx91jcCHn34nXkl2Sv0GOs/edit#gid=0 private Private/Custom servers])</small>:An open-source emulator for 64-bit Windows, GNU/Linux, BSD and macOS. While it isn't anywhere near as compatible as [[Dolphin]] is for [[GameCube emulators|GameCube]] or Wii, it has still made immense progress compared to its early days where , when development was slow and seemed like it wasn't really going anywhere. As of December 2022 there are February 2023: 2517 titles (67.73%) can be completed with playable performance and no PS3 games left that boot to game breaking glitches; an additional 1091 titles (29.36%) either can't be finished, have serious glitches or have insufficient performance; annother 98 titles (2.88%) display image but don't make it past the menus; and 1 title (0.03%) displays a black blank screen with a framerate on the window's title. As of now, all known titles now load, and initialize properly, without crashing the emulator - every PS3 game at the very least boots and shows image output.<ref name="Milestone">Beyond this, [[RPCS3]] supports some system features like [https://old.redditgithub.com/rRPCS3/rpcs3/issues?q=is%3Aopen%2Bclosed+label%3AVSH+ XMB & XrossMediaBar] (partially at the moment), [https://emulationen.wikipedia.org/commentswiki/zv799gList_of_PlayStation_applications PSN applications] like [https:/rpcs3_loadable_compatibility_status_reaches_0/<www.youtube.com/ref> 2323 titles (67watch?v=YKkiI_RlmPc Netflix] etc.98%) are playable, 977 titles Peripherals (28[[#PlayStation_Move|PSEye]], Buzz! controller, DJ Hero turntable etc.59%) boot in-game emulation and 93 titles [[#PlayStation_Move|PSMove]] (3.42%via Mouse) display the intros, Achievements/Trophies simulation. As of April 13, 2022, builds for macOS have started being officially distributed for Intel and ARM Macs.<!-- RPCS3 runs on Rosetta for Macs with M-series processors, while Intel Macs run the application natively. --> <ref>https://twitter.com/rpcs3/status/1514302544750780417?s=20&t=e1g7-9NzgIehtodHmXYytQ</ref> ;[[Nucleus]]:A one-man person project that aimed for at low-level emulation, some AOT emulation, and portability. Made by AlexAltea.;Short Waves:Made by InoriRus, who later became the developer of the PlayStation 4 and 5 emulator, [[Kyty]] , in 2021. It could run a few complex tests that RPCS3 couldn't at the time it was released, but it hasn't been updated since.

PlayStation consoles have always been notorious for system complexity. Sony's gamble of their technology being emulator-unfriendly makes them developer-unfriendly as well, and the system's weaker performance in cross-platform games proves it. Even if done properly, an LLE approach would be performance suicide , as some things just have to be abstracted enough to get high framerates in games. The situation is so bad that Sony seems to be incredibly hesitant to produce an official PS3 emulator for the newer PlayStations, simply . Simply because they wouldn't be able to justify the potentially extremely high potential development cost of development to investors.<ref>[https://youtu.be/6WkpaJkB2M8 Why PS4 Doesn't Have Backwards Compatibility and Xbox One Does] (Mystic. Aug 21, 2018.)</ref>

* '''[[wikipedia:Cell_(microprocessor)|Cell Broadband Engine]]''': It - consists of two architectures that developers have to program for; PowerPC, and... whatever the SPEs really are. Add to that the fact that there are 6 that could be in use by a game, and you have a great formula for high system requirements. The RPCS3 developers technically cheat by using ahead-of-time recompilation using LLVM, but because the emulator constantly improves, that can be easily excused;* '''[[wikipedia:RSX_Reality_Synthesizer|RSX (Reality Synthesizer)]]''': The [[PlayStation 4 emulators|PlayStation 4]] also went unemulated for a long time, simply because of how many components were just undocumented. The same thing applies here; the graphics card is Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX-based, which means it's not well-documented , and developers have to figure out how it displays graphics and graphical effects. Without access to Nvidia's resources, which would normally be included with an SDK, this would be very difficult.:Something of note is that this GPU was also managed by two different memory units with very disparate frequency speeds; 1) 256 MB MBs of GDDR3 RAM clocked at 650 MHz with an effective transmission rate of 1.4 GHz, and 2) up to 224 MB MBs of the 3.2 GHz XDR main memory via the CPU (480 MB MBs max).

[[RPCS3]] had some [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/commit/504e3112ddc440f1d4eb4f236d4d39ab0f016513 first steps implemented] for PSMove use , but the controllers aren't working yet.

<references group=N N2 />