Poll: PS3/PS2 help needed?!?!?!

[Nerdstar]

OK, escapist i need you help/advice/ opinion. for the longest time iv been a PC gamer due to a couris series of events.there's a game in question that iv been wanting for a bit(persona 4 for the PS2) this means purchasing either a PS2 or a PS3 with backwards compatibility. the problem is i don't know what to do. one the one hand i can acquire a PS2 REAL cheap (I'm talking 25.00 dollars here 100.00 dollars max)and this would play the game just fine as well as the host of other great PS2 and original playstation titles. but then i thought it might be a smarter move to get a PS3 so i could play all of the above as well as any new PS3 titles i wanted to play (iv had my eye on MGS4 for some time now) but it was only recently during mu research that i leard that only the first 4 incarnations of the PS3 had backwards compatibility (the playstation 3 80 GB has only partial compatibility, and has been said to be unable to play some of the older titles but i'm relatively sure it can play persona 4)I'm also trying to save some money here so i always look for the cheapest ones online and there all in the relatively same price range (around 249.00-299.00 but im pretty sure i can find a few more chaeper if i put in a lot more time and effort into serching for chaeper ones) except for this one deal i found and 80 GB PS3 for around $154.50(comes with infamous as well)add to that they don't make the 4 backwards compatible ones anymore so there slightly together to find

so my fellow escapist i besiege you please lend my you aid!!!

 

[stu_thomo]

Get the ps2 if it's only persona 4 you're going to really play, if you have your eye on 7 or more ps3 titles just now then go for the ps3, cause if it's only persona 4 and it does not work on the ps3 then you're screwed

 

[Nerdstar]

Get the ps2 if it's only persona 4 you're going to really play, if you have your eye on 7 or more ps3 titles just now then go for the ps3, cause if it's only persona 4 and it does not work on the ps3 then you're screwed

first off thanks for answering(i was afraid that no one would answer and my post would get buried)

as i said in my post i did have my on metal gear solid 4, also as iv said iv been PC gaming for forever(shortly after the N64's heyday but i did get a gamecube with a decent amount of games)but i have noticed games that iv wanted of over the years so there are at lest 7 titles that i want

and i did some additional digging and found out that persona 4 is indeed compatible with all the the backwards compatible incarnations of the PS3 (and i found a nifty list that says what is and isn't compatible)

 

[BlueberryMUNCH]

...Now I could be wrong, but backwards compatible PS3's are very rare, very sought after, and therefore very expensive.
If I were you, I'd just get a PS2 and a PS3.

But yeah, if you can find a cheap BC ps3, then go for it mate. I just don't believe such a thing exists.

 

[emeraldrafael]

If its cheap, go for the backwards compatability PC (the full one).

if not... I'd say either just go for the PS3 and wait for a persona 3/persona 4 collection (probably will be out when persona 5 gets around to getting out) like how God of War got.

 

[baconsarnie]

Unless there are a lot of PS3 games you want then just go for the PS2. It's cheaper and there is a huge catalog of old games you could get cheap for it.
Console gaming peaked with the PS2.

 

[jpoon]

I wouldn't buy a PS3 unless it's a slim. You're gonna end up with an old PS3 that will likely YLOD you, wait and see.

 

[UltraDolphins]

Buy the smaller HD Ps3's then swap it out for a 1 TB SATA Hard Drive.

Pretty much this right here. I believe they use 2.5 inch laptop HDDs. See how far you can get with the 20 GB and if you need more make the swap. It takes a few minutes and a screw driver.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

If you want to wait a little, Sony will be releasing a new PS3 slim model with backward compatibility later this year (probably sometime around the holidays).

 

[Sylveria]

Snip

Currently, the only reliably backwards compatible PS3 model was a specific version of the 60gig one. There are two version, one is hardware emulation and the other is software. You want the hardware one. They're both hard to find and you'll have to examine the serial numbers and reference someone more knowledgeable of this stuff than me to get the correct one. Problem is, after you know what you're looking for, odds are you're going to be buying it used for about $300ish. A new that's never been opened will cost you a fortune. I was fortunate enough to get one at launch, purely by accident to cause I wanted an 80gig model and gamestop was out, and the thing still works to this day.

With that said, your best option now is to get a refurbished PS2.. or a new one if you can find one, and a new model PS3. It'll probably be cheaper and less of a headache in the long run. Or you can do what Dirty Hipsters said and wait for them to release the new backwards compatible model.

 

[Mr. 47]

I don't this the backwards compatable PS3s are easy to come by. The first few models have been disconntinued.

If you only want Persona, get a PS2. If you are interesting in playing PS3 games, look for a backwards compatable PS3.

I hate that they took out that feature in higher gig models. I wish my 120 gig would play them, so I could sell my PS2.

 

[razer17]

If you have a gaming PC, it is possible that you could play Persona 4 on your PC using an emulator. (Before anti pirates flame me, you can use a retail disc)

If not then I'd say get the PS2. Personally, I think MGS4 is massively overrated. I have done 3 metal gear marathons, where we played all 6 Metal Gear games consecutively, and MGS 1,2 and 3 are better than 4. The only reason to play 4 is if you really really care about the story.

 

[King Toasty]

PS3, but most models don't have backwards compatibility.

 

[Popido]

How powerful is your PC? Theres an PS2 emulator for PC called PCSX2. Persona 4 worked pretty well on it the last time I tried.

If you have a gaming PC, it is possible that you could play Persona 4 on your PC using an emulator. (Before anti pirates flame me, you can use a retail disc)

Oh yeah, you also need BIOS from PS2 console, but..uhh..those can be acquired.

 

[Total LOLige]

Is persona 4 on psn store, I don't have a ps3 wouldn't know if it was on there

 

[Nerdstar]

Buy the smaller HD Ps3's then swap it out for a 1 TB SATA Hard Drive.

Pretty much this right here. I believe they use 2.5 inch laptop HDDs. See how far you can get with the 20 GB and if you need more make the swap. It takes a few minutes and a screw driver.

Well, two. You'll need a phillips head and a flat.

that's one of the ideas that was floating around in my head HD space was never really a factor in the decision making proescse price has had more impact on my considerations then hard drive space (plus iv got multiple flavors of screwdriver)

How powerful is your PC? Theres an PS2 emulator for PC called PCSX2. Persona 4 worked pretty well on it the last time I tried.

If you have a gaming PC, it is possible that you could play Persona 4 on your PC using an emulator. (Before anti pirates flame me, you can use a retail disc)

Oh yeah, you also need BIOS from PS2 console, but..uhh..those can be acquired.

tell me more my doubly dubious purveyors of possibilities. and to answer your question poido my PC isn't the quote "latest and greatest" but its upper tier and can run crysis and others of its ilk.i am intrested in hearing more about the PS2 emulater but dont know if thats the only route i want to take (i acctully want to play the PS3 games as well but iv always held off on breaking down and buying a PS# and i figured i might do it for persona persona 4 and on top of that id be able to play the upcomeing(non pc compabitable games, i still know where my loyty lies)as well as the backlog of PS3,PS2,and PS games and i figured his would be the smartist move.

 

[Nerdstar]

If not then I'd say get the PS2. Personally, I think MGS4 is massively overrated. I have done 3 metal gear marathons, where we played all 6 Metal Gear games consecutively, and MGS 1,2 and 3 are better than 4. The only reason to play 4 is if you really really care about the story.

well MGS4 is only one of the games id like to get but yes i do care about the story of the MGS universe oddly enough so maybe it is overrated but i cant really draw any conclusions since i haven't played it (hence the idea for getting a PS3)

 

[viranimus]

Backwards compat is only at about 80% for the 20, 60 gb models. It drops to about 60 percent for the 80gb model. There is also a compatibility look up tool for games on the Playstation site so you can validate what games are compatible with what model.

However... I would have to side with the route of going ps2 in this instance. First and foremost for stability purposes. Nothing like playing a 30 hour game to have it lock up into unplayability due to abandoned EMU support. Plus its cheaper for the up front investment.

Secondly... If your getting one of the backwards compat models.. it is almost a given that your also getting one thats been refurbished. Indicating there has been something wrong with it, and it may or may not have been repaired fully. Awful lot of expense for something that might need repairs again.

Lastly.. Drive limitations. 20, 60, 80 gb is sort of a small amount of space in this day and age. Usually I am not big on saying get bigger, however with my experience you need at least a decent sized drive for the PS3. I know I have a 40gb model atm.. and all I have on it is game saves and fat princess before the welcome back offer. Picked dead nation and installed fine, Downloaded Infamous fine... but went to install it and was unable to because there was insufficient drive space remaining. It boiled down to the downloaded file ate 7gb, and the installation would eat up 7gb.. so to install it you needed 15gb of space to be sure. So in that instance, it is logically to get a PS3 without the limitation of a smaller hard drive.

So if it were me, I would get a used PS3.. but perhaps not the 60gb backwards compat, perhaps a used 120 gb drive model, and go for a stand alone ps2.