Editing PlayStation 3 (section)

== Hardware ==
[[File:Sony-PlayStation-3-CECHA01-Console-BR.jpg|thumb|right|The PlayStation 3 was the first console to include an HDMI port.]]
The PlayStation 3 retained the same basic design across its three major hardware revisions, featuring a black plastic shell with a convex top when placed horizontally, or a convex-left side when oriented vertically. The original model used glossy piano black plastic and featured a logo inspired by the font used in the [[Spider-Man (2002 film)|2002 ''Spider-Man'' film]], also produced by Sony. According to PlayStation designer Teiyu Goto, this logo was one of the first design elements selected by [[SCEI]] president [[Ken Kutaragi]] and helped shape the console’s overall aesthetic.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 29, 2007 |title=Kutaragi "insisted" on Spider-Man font for PS3 |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=161017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080114012015/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=161017 |archive-date=January 14, 2008 |access-date=January 18, 2008 |publisher=computerandvideogames.com |df=mdy-all}}</ref>  

The font would be abandoned at the introduction of the "Slim" revision in favor of an updated version of the PS2 logo with more curved edges,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |date=August 25, 2009 |title=Why Sony Ditched The Spider-Man PS3 Font |url=https://kotaku.com/5344655/why-sony-ditched-the-spider-man-ps3-font |website=Kotaku}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 19, 2009 |title=Sony Completely Rebrands The PlayStation 3 |url=http://kotaku.com/5340456/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141211050731/http://kotaku.com/5340456/ |archive-date=December 11, 2014 |access-date=December 10, 2014 |work=Kotaku}}</ref> a design that would remain in use for the PS4 and PS5 logos. 

=== Technical specifications ===
[[File:CELL BE processor PS3 board (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Cell Broadband Engine]] on a PlayStation 3 motherboard]]{{Main|PlayStation 3 technical specifications}}The PlayStation 3 is powered by the [[Cell Broadband Engine]], a [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] CPU co-developed by Sony, [[Toshiba]] and [[IBM]]. It includes a 3.2&nbsp;GHz [[PowerPC]]-based [[Power Processing Element]] (PPE) and seven [[Synergistic Processing Elements (Cell)|Synergistic Processing Elements]] (SPEs).<ref name="CELLSpecs">{{cite web |title=Cell Introduction |url=https://www-01.ibm.com/chips/techlib/techlib.nsf/techdocs/D21E662845B95D4F872570AB0055404D/$file/2053_IBM_CellIntro.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326055101/http://www-01.ibm.com/chips/techlib/techlib.nsf/techdocs/D21E662845B95D4F872570AB0055404D/$file/2053_IBM_CellIntro.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |access-date=January 14, 2008 |publisher=IBM}}</ref> To improve manufacturing [[Semiconductor device fabrication#Device test|yield]], the processor is initially fabricated with eight SPEs. After production, [[wafer testing|each chip is tested]], and if a defect is found in one SPE, it is disabled using [[laser trimming]]. This approach minimizes waste by utilizing processors that would otherwise be discarded. Even in chips without defects, one SPE is intentionally disabled to ensure consistency across units.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sony PlayStation 3 Cell Processor |url=http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204202236/http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/ |archive-date=December 4, 2007 |access-date=January 14, 2008 |publisher=North Carolina State University |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="GameDevelMag">{{cite news |last=Linklater |first=Martin |title=Optimizing Cell Code |work=Game Developer Magazine, April 2007 |pages=15–18 |quote=To increase fabrication yields, Sony ships PlayStation 3 Cell processors with only seven working SPEs. And from those seven, one SPE will be used by the operating system for various tasks, This leaves six SPEs for game programmer to use.}}</ref> Of the seven operational SPEs, six are available for developers to use in games and applications, while the seventh is reserved for the console’s operating system.<ref name="GameDevelMag" /> The Cell processor is paired with 256&nbsp;MB of high-bandwidth [[XDR DRAM]].<ref name="IGNSpecs">{{cite web |date=May 16, 2005 |title=E3 2005: PS3 Tech Specs |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/05/16/e3-2005-ps3-tech-specs-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070908024041/http://ps3.ign.com/articles/614/614682p1.html |archive-date=September 8, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2020 |website=IGN |df=mdy-all}}</ref>[[File:RSX 'Reality Synthesizer'.jpg|thumb|The RSX 'Reality Synthesizer' on a PlayStation 3 motherboard]]

[[Computer graphics|Graphics processing]] is managed by the [[RSX Reality Synthesizer|Reality Synthesizer]] (RSX), developed by [[Nvidia]] and paired with 256&nbsp;MB of [[GDDR3 SDRAM]] video memory.<ref name="IGNSpecs" /> The RSX chip can produce resolutions ranging from [[Standard-definition television|standard-definition]] ([[480i]]/[[576i]]) up to [[high-definition television|high-definition]] ([[1080p]]).<ref name="SCEASpecs" /> Initially, Sony’s hardware development team did not plan to include a dedicated [[Graphics processing unit|GPU]], believing the Cell processor could handle all graphics processing tasks. However, game developers, including Sony’s ICE team (the central graphics technologies group for its game studios), demonstrated that without a dedicated GPU, the PlayStation 3’s performance would fall short, particularly when compared to the [[Xbox 360]]. This feedback prompted the late-stage addition of the RSX GPU during the console’s development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moriarty |first=C. |date=2013 |title=PlayStation 3 delayed, originally planned for 2005 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/08/playstation-3-was-delayed-originally-planned-for-2005 |website=IGN |access-date=October 21, 2022 |archive-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020182024/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/08/playstation-3-was-delayed-originally-planned-for-2005 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Physical media games for the PlayStation 3 were sold on [[Blu-ray]] discs and the console features a 2× speed drive which is also capable of reading Blu-ray movies, DVDs, and CDs.<ref name="SCEASpecs">{{cite web| url=http://www.us.playstation.com/ps3/about/specs| title=PlayStation 3 Technical Specifications| publisher=SCEA| access-date=January 14, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080113173737/http://www.us.playstation.com/ps3/about/specs |archive-date = January 13, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Early models came with 20 GB or 60&nbsp;GB hard drives,{{Efn|20 GB model was not available in PAL regions}}<ref name="NoSKUsforEU">{{cite web |date=June 11, 2007 |title=Reeves: No PAL 80&nbsp;GB PS3 Plans – Edge Magazine |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/reeves-no-pal-80gb-ps3-plans |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116061652/http://www.next-gen.biz/news/reeves-no-pal-80gb-ps3-plans |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |access-date=June 28, 2011 |publisher=Next-gen.biz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=November 13, 2006 |title=PS3 60&nbsp;GB review |url=http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/sony-playstation-3-60gb/4505-10109_7-31355103.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517201609/http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/sony-playstation-3-60gb/4505-10109_7-31355103.html |archive-date=May 17, 2007 |access-date=January 14, 2008 |website=CNET |df=mdy-all}}</ref>  with later versions  offering up to 500 GB.<ref name="Torne2500">{{cite web |date=July 6, 2010 |title=Sony Computer Entertainment Japan to introduce PlayStation3 (PS3) with 160&nbsp;GB and 320&nbsp;GB hard disk drive, available from July 29, 2010 at a Recommended Retail Price of 29,980 yen and 34,980 yen respectively |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100706ae.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711020242/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100706ae.html |archive-date=July 11, 2010 |access-date=July 6, 2010 |publisher=[[Sony]]}}</ref><ref name="JPWhiteSlim">{{cite web |date=July 6, 2010 |title=White PS3 Slim out in Japan this month |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/white-ps3-slim-out-in-japan-this-month |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709013150/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/white-ps3-slim-out-in-japan-this-month |archive-date=July 9, 2010 |access-date=July 6, 2010 |website=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref> (see: [[PlayStation 3 models#Model comparison|model comparison]]) All models have user-upgradeable hard drives.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/12/28/playstation-tips-5-diy-hard-drive-upgrade/| title=PlayStation Blog&nbsp;— Upgrading the PS3's hard drive| work=blog.us.playstation.com| publisher=[[PlayStation.Blog]]| date=December 28, 2007| last=Rubenstein| first=Jeff| access-date=January 14, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118172855/http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/12/28/playstation-tips-5-diy-hard-drive-upgrade/| archive-date=January 18, 2008| url-status=live| df=mdy-all}}</ref> Connectivity options include [[Bluetooth 2.0]] (supporting up to seven devices),<ref>[http://us.playstation.com/support/manuals/ps3/ quick reference manual] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110085652/http://us.playstation.com/support/manuals/ps3/ |date=January 10, 2011 }}, for 20&nbsp;GB US PlayStation 3 page 14</ref> Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, and [[HDMI 1.4]].{{efn|name=HDMI|Initially used HDMI 1.3a specification,<ref name="SCEASpecs" /> but was upgraded  (via firmware update) to 1.4 to support stereoscopic 3D for gaming and Blu-ray video playback. The PlayStation&nbsp;3 does not support any other [[HDMI 1.4]] capabilities.}} All models except one early version feature built-in [[Wi-Fi]],{{Efn|Original 20 GB model}} and some early units include flash card readers for [[Memory Stick]], [[Secure Digital card|SD]] and [[CompactFlash]] formats.{{Efn|60 GB and CECHExx 80 GB models}}<ref name="SCEASpecs" /><ref name="IGNSpecs" />

=== Models ===
{{Main|PlayStation 3 models}}
The PlayStation 3 was released in three main designs: the original, the Slim, and the Super Slim. These revisions introduced changes such as reduced power consumption, smaller form factors, expanded storage, and the removal of certain features to lower costs.

=== Controllers and accessories ===
[[File:DualShock3-in-Hand.jpg|thumb|[[DualShock 3]] controller in hand]]
{{Main|PlayStation 3 accessories}}
The standard controller at the PlayStation 3’s launch in 2006 was the wireless [[Sixaxis]], which featured a built-in accelerometer capable of motion sensing across three directional and three rotational axes—six in total, hence the name. However, it lacked vibration functionality. In late 2007, Sony released the DualShock 3, which added vibration support while retaining all motion-sensing features.<ref name="TGS DualShock 3 hands-on">{{cite web |date=September 19, 2007 |title=TGS '07: Spot On&nbsp;— The Dual Shock 3 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6179170.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012102413/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6179170.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=September 20, 2007 |website=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=October 8, 2007 |title=DualShock 3 will launch on November 11 in Japan |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/vibe/dualshock-3-getting-all-ceramic-white-for-japan-308546.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221060114/http://kotaku.com/gaming/vibe/dualshock-3-getting-all-ceramic-white-for-japan-308546.php |archive-date=December 21, 2007 |access-date=January 14, 2008 |website=Kotaku |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 26, 2008 |title=Sony Announces New 80&nbsp;GB PS3 Bundle, DualShock 3, Red PSP |url=http://www.dailytech.com/Sony+Announces+New+80GB+PS3+Bundle+DualShock+3+Red+PSP/article10868.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415231145/http://www.dailytech.com/Sony+Announces+New+80GB+PS3+Bundle+DualShock+3+Red+PSP/article10868.htm |archive-date=April 15, 2008 |access-date=March 17, 2008 |publisher=Daily Tech |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Numerous other accessories for the console were also developed including the [[Logitech Driving Force GT]], the [[PlayStation 3 accessories#Logitech Cordless Precision Controller|Logitech Cordless Precision Controller]], the [[PlayStation 3 accessories#Blu-ray Disc Remote Control|Blu-ray Disc Remote]], and the [[PlayTV]] [[DVB-T]] tuner and [[digital video recorder]].<ref>{{cite web |title=PlayStation 3 Accessories |url=http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Accessories |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113064221/http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Accessories |archive-date=January 13, 2008 |access-date=January 14, 2008 |publisher=SCEA}}</ref><ref name="PlayTV press release">{{cite web |date=August 22, 2007 |title=PlayTV on PlayStation 3 explained |url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/play-tv-on-ps3-explained-292541.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912172259/http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/play-tv-on-ps3-explained-292541.php |archive-date=September 12, 2008 |access-date=October 14, 2008 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment Europe via Kotaku}}</ref>

In response to the popularity of [[Nintendo]]’s motion controls on the [[Wii]], Sony introduced the [[PlayStation Move]] in 2010. Its wand-style controllers use internal inertial sensors and a glowing orb tracked by the [[PlayStation Eye]] camera to enable precise motion-controlled gameplay.<ref name="E3 2010 PR">{{cite web |date=June 16, 2010 |title=PlayStation Move motion controller to hit worldwide market starting this September |url=http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100616ae.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610110104/http://scei.co.jp/corporate/release/100616ae.html |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |access-date=June 30, 2010 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment}}</ref>

=== Statistics regarding reliability {{anchor|Statistics_regarding_reliability}} ===
<!-- [[Yellow Light of Death]] redirects to this section; please update it if you change the section header. -->
[[File:Yellow Light of Death- PlayStation 3.png|thumb|upright|Some original PS3 systems display a yellow light, indicating a non-specific failure.]]
In September 2009, the [[BBC]] television program [[Watchdog (TV programme)|''Watchdog'']] aired a report investigating hardware failures in the PlayStation 3, referring to the issue as the "yellow light of death" (YLOD). The report claimed that affected consoles typically failed 18–24 months after purchase—outside of Sony’s standard one-year warranty. After this period, users were required to pay a fixed fee to receive a refurbished replacement console from Sony.<ref name="2009WatchdogReport">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/09/playstation3_and_the_yellow_li.html#more |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410112538/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/09/playstation3_and_the_yellow_li.html#more |archive-date=April 10, 2012 |title=BBC "Watchdog" report on "Yellow Light of Death" |publisher=BBC |first=Rob|last=Unsworth |date=September 17, 2009 |access-date=May 31, 2010 }}</ref>

However, according to ''[[Ars Technica]]'', the failure rate of PlayStation 3 consoles remained within the expected range for consumer electronics.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kuchera |first=Ben |date=February 14, 2008 |title=Xbox 360 failure rates worse than most consumer electronics |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/02/xbox-360-failure-rates-worse-than-most-consumer-electornics.ars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706104052/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/02/xbox-360-failure-rates-worse-than-most-consumer-electornics.ars |archive-date=July 6, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |publisher=Arstechnica.com}}</ref> A 2009 study by warranty provider [[SquareTrade]] found a two-year failure rate of 10% for the PlayStation 3.<ref>Sands A, Tseng V. (2009). [http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/xbox360-ps3-wii-reliability-08-2009/ ''Game Console Failure Rates: Wii 9 times more reliable than Xbox 360, 4 times more than PS3'']. SquareTrade. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324011002/http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/xbox360-ps3-wii-reliability-08-2009/|date=March 24, 2012}}</ref> Sony said its internal data indicated that only about 0.5% of consoles were returned with symptoms of the YLOD.<ref name="2009WatchdogReport" /><ref name="Rebuttal">{{cite news |date=September 18, 2009 |title=Sony rebuts BBC PlayStation claim |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8263063.stm |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211008/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8263063.stm |archive-date=2021-10-08 |work=news.bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC News}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In response to the ''Watchdog'' report, Sony issued a statement disputing the accuracy and tone of the report, arguing it was misleading.<ref name="Rebuttal" /><ref>{{cite web |date=September 17, 2009 |title=Sony tackles BBC over 'PS3 failure' report |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922183740/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-tackles-bbc-over-ps3-failure-report |archive-date=September 22, 2009 |access-date=September 18, 2009 |work=www.gamesindustry.biz |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Use in supercomputing ===
{{Main|PlayStation 3 cluster}}

Beyond gaming, the PlayStation 3’s hardware was embraced by researchers for [[high-performance computing]] applications.<ref name="scientistpc">{{cite web |date=August 28, 2006 |title=Building Supercomputer Using PlayStation 3 |url=http://www.consolewatcher.com/2006/08/building-supercomputer-using-playstation-3/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206135040/http://www.consolewatcher.com/2006/08/building-supercomputer-using-playstation-3/ |archive-date=February 6, 2007 |access-date=August 28, 2006 |publisher=Console Watcher.com}}</ref> Thanks in part to Sony’s early support for third-party operating systems, the PS3 was repurposed for tasks ranging from academic research to [[Distributed computing project|distributed computing]]. Dr. Frank Mueller of [[North Carolina State University]] clustered eight PS3s in 2007 using [[Fedora Linux]] and open-source toolsets. Although limited by the console's 256 MB of RAM, he called the system a cost-effective entry point into [[parallel computing]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Engineer Creates First Academic PlayStation 3 Computing Cluster |url=http://www.physorg.com/news92674403.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319223403/http://www.physorg.com/news92674403.html |archive-date=March 19, 2007 |publisher=PhysOrg.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=NC State Engineer Creates First Academic PlayStation 3 Computing Cluster |url=http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/coe.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012191214/http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/coe.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |publisher=College of Engineering, North Carolina State University}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sony PS3 Cluster (IBM Cell BE) |url=http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212140713/http://moss.csc.ncsu.edu/~mueller/cluster/ps3/ |archive-date=February 12, 2007 |publisher=Frank Mueller, Associate Professor, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University}}</ref> Sony and [[Stanford University]] also launched the [[Folding@home]] client, allowing PS3 owners to contribute processing power to study [[protein folding]] for disease research.<ref>{{cite web |title=Folding@home |url=http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318042916/https://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/ |archive-date=March 18, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2007 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment}}</ref>

The U.S. military recognized the PS3’s computing eventually potential as well.<ref>{{cite web |last=Stokes |first=Jon |date=November 28, 2009 |title=Sony still subsidizing US military supercomputer efforts |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/11/sony-still-subsidizing-us-supercomputer-efforts.ars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212213628/http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/11/sony-still-subsidizing-us-supercomputer-efforts.ars |archive-date=December 12, 2009 |access-date=December 18, 2009 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> In 2010, the [[Air Force Research Laboratory]] built the Condor Cluster using 1,760 PS3 consoles, achieving 500&nbsp;trillion [[Floating point operations per second|floating-point operations per second]].<ref name="Sony PlayStation supercomputer">{{cite web |date=November 17, 2010 |title=AFRL to hold ribbon cutting for Condor supercomputer |url=https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/story/id/123231285/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209141211/https://www.wpafb.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123231285 |archive-date=December 9, 2010 |access-date=December 15, 2010 |website=www.wpafb.af.mil |publisher=The Official Web Site of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base}}</ref> At the time, it was the 33rd [[TOP500|most powerful supercomputer]] in the world and was used for analyzing high-resolution satellite imagery.<ref name="Defense Department discusses new Sony PlayStation supercomputer">{{cite web |last=Koff |first=Stephen |date=November 30, 2010 |title=Defense Department discusses new Sony PlayStation supercomputer |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/defense_department_discusses_n.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223183448/http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/defense_department_discusses_n.html |archive-date=February 23, 2011 |access-date=March 28, 2011 |work=blog.cleveland.com}}</ref> The PS3 was also employed in cybersecurity research; in 2008, a group of researchers used a 200-console cluster to crack [[Transport Layer Security|SSL]] encryption.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 30, 2008 |title=PlayStation 3 used to hack SSL |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/12/30/hackers-playstation-3-make-ssl-much-less-secure/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706212858/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/30/hackers-playstation-3-make-ssl-much-less-secure/ |archive-date=July 6, 2009 |access-date=October 31, 2009 |publisher=Engadget}}</ref> These unconventional applications were curtailed by later hardware revisions that removed support for third-party operating systems.