The only difference is that US/JPN 60GB consoles have the Emotion Engine & Graphics Synthesiser in them to do backward compatability with PS2 games. However the 80GB version uses software emulation. So the 80GB version does not support as many PS2 games as the US/JPN 60GB consoles, but thats it! I have a UK 60GB console which also uses emulation (just like the 80GB) and it plays most PS2 games just fine.
Remember though, the EU 60GB and US 80GB do not play PS2 games entirely through software emulation,
as I explained before, they still have one piece of PS2 hardware inside, the Graphics Synthesizer.
BUT I think I read that it will still play PS1 games, because that controlled in a different part of the machine from PS2 emulation.
Yeah, also as I said before, ALL PS3 models will play PS1 games. PS1 game compatibility is achieved entirely through software emulation.
If you're in an NTSC region (e.g. America, Canada, Japan) and you can find one, the 60GB PS3 is definitely the one to go for. The only thing it lacks compared to the 80GB is 20GB in HDD space but this is made up for with essentially perfect PS2 BC. Besides, if the amount of games requiring installation to the HDD continues to increase the extra 20GB won't go very far.
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@everyone: Some more general thoughts of mine - please don't read if you're not interested in the whole PS2 BC discussion. I don't want to waste your time.
As mentioned earlier, PS1 compatibility is achieved through software emulation on the PS3. (If someone can confirm, or disprove this, please do so!) This makes sense because PS1 hardware went out of production a while ago.
What doesn't make sense was Sony's method of enabling the PS3 to play PS2 games. In 2005, the slimline PS2s began shipping with a unified EE (Emotion Engine) & GS (Graphics Synthesizer) chip, this was used in the first batch of PS3s destined for Japan and America, as you can see
here (left most large chip).
Then for the launch of the PS3 in Europe and Oceania in 2007, they decided to drop this solution in favour of a part hardware\part software solution, whereby the EE+GS chip from the original model was replaced with a new GS chip. See
this page for more detailed information. I guess Sony's reason for doing this is to save money and reduce complexity.
But wait... that'd mean Sony were thinking about themselves, not customers... that can be right... can it?
In my view, there are two ways for Sony to get themselves out of this mess.
The first way, most friendly to current customers, is to spend the resources developing full software emulation for PS2 games. I understand that this is no walk in the park, however the PCSX2 team are doing a mighty fine job of it and they are being forced to reverse engineer the hardware, Sony of course have access to everything they need to know.
Once this is completed, 40GB owners would be able to play PS2 games and the part hardware\part software approach to PS2 BC used in the PAL 60GB and NTSC 80GB consoles could be replaced by this entirely software based solution, while leaving the NTSC 20GB and 60GB consoles with their hardware solution. That would still leave Sony with just one PS2 BC method to maintain because the hardware solution is pretty much perfect as mentioned before. I'd be willing to pay $50 to $100 AUD for this.
The second way, would be to start using the unified EE + GS chip again in the next PS3 hardware iteration to provide PS2 BC. It is inevitable that a new SKU is coming, when is the only question. Recently, third generation PS3 heatsinks were
displayed at Techno-Frontier 2008. Note that the third generation heatsinks are designed to support a power consumption of 130-140W, less than the 160W for the second generation and much less than the 200W for the first generation. As the original poster
here mentions, the drop in power consumption could mean a 65nm RSX chip is on the way. It is my opinion that Sony could use this development to launch a new SKU to replace the 80GB PS3 as the top of line model. A 65nm Cell and RSX, smaller & lighter heatsinks, 120-160GB HDD and the unified EE + GS chip to provide PS2 BC and shut whiners like me up.
That would be my ideal PS3 and I would sell my 40GB PS3 to buy one immediately.
For those unaware, the NTSC 60GB, 20GB, 80GB and the PAL 60GB all had Cell (PS3 CPU) and RSX (PS3 GPU) chips manufactured at 90nm. The 40GB models still have a 90nm RSX, but the Cell is now at 65nm, thus explaining the drop in power consumption from 200W to 160W.
Again, sorry for the long post.
