Q So what is this CFW thing and how does it work?Ī CFW basically means Custom Firmware and it enables you and your PS3 to do things it wasn't intended for.
Underneath the bar code you will see the 11-digit serial number followed by the model number which begins with "CECH". To locate the model and serial number of the PlayStation 3 system, look on the back of the system and locate the bar code sticker. Like the original Slim model, the Super Slim only supports PSone emulation.
This is the only model currently sold in traditional retail stores. You can find 250 and 500GB versions of this system on the market. The Super Slim also features a sliding disc cover rather than the slot-loading drive found on previous PlayStation 3 consoles.
None of the Slim or Super Slim models are backward compatible with PS2 games but are compatible with PSone games. Original models (Phat9 that include G, J, K, L, M, P, and Q in the model number are not backward compatible with PS2 games but are compatible with PSone games.
These numbers are found on the bar-code sticker on the back of the console right after the serial number.Ħ0GB model numbers that begin with CECH-Axx are fully backward compatible.Ģ0GB models that begin with CECH-Bxx, 60GB models that begin with CECH-Cxx, and 80GB models that begin with CECH-Exx are backward compatible via software emulation. Model numbers can be used to determine if a PS3 is backward compatible. However, the original 60GB version features internal hardware that allows it to run nearly every PS2 game without a hiccup, so if you’re really interested in backward compatibility, that is the version to hunt down. Even then, most original models are only backward compatible via software emulation, meaning that not every PS2 game is supported. However, only the original model features backward compatibility with PS2 games. Since this kind of swap is so rare, I'm not surprised at all that Sony's firmware engineers didn't make a special error message covering this very rare occurrence.Newer PS3 models generally have larger hard drives, but older models feature unique backward compatibly for PS2 games.Īll PS3 models are backward compatible with PSone games. If they ever touch the removable HDD, it will most likely be to replace it with a new one, or a used one that came out of a PC, most people won't be going from one PS3 to another. And 99.99% of consumers would probably never try the swap from one PS3 to another that you are trying.
Most consumers who buy a PS3 probably really don't want or need a detailed explanation of what is going on. I think that's probably the simplest explanation that would make the most sense. If the system and the HD match, everything checks out as normal, but if not, the PS3 figures it needs to format this "new" or unidentified HDD. When the PS3 boots up, it checks these IDs. When you format a drive, (or when the hard drive is formatted the first time at the factory) this ID is probably passed from the PS3 and imprinted on the HDD. Each PS3 probably has unique identifying registers in both the PS3 hardware and the removable hard drive like a serial number or something.