Summary
- The Blu-ray player is still good in 2025
- Your PS3 plays games, too
- Underrated versatility, but largely outclassed by modern Blu-ray players
The PS3 may have been released all the way back in 2006, an absolute relic in technology terms, but it’s still a console that many look back upon fondly. It had a rough launch thanks to its $600 price tag, but when the price came down, the PS3 managed to make up a ton of ground in its competition with the Xbox 360.
That high price was a tough pill to swallow, but it’s not like it wasn’t somewhat justified. For starters, it was the first game console to come equipped with a Blu-ray player, mainly because PS3 games were printed on Blu-ray discs. This also meant it was a good option for people looking to get into the then-new Blu-ray format.
Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a large physical media collection, and while I’ve largely moved on to 4K, I still pick up a Blu-ray disc here and there. I do most of my watching on my Sony 4K Blu-ray player, but I still keep my PS3 plugged in just in case I want to pop in a regular Blu-ray. Sure, I could use my 4K player, but sometimes I feel like watching somewhere other than my living room. I also have the added benefit of my PS3 being able to hook up to a CRT TV.
The Blu-ray player is still good in 2025
A very underrated aspect
Blu-ray players are pretty cheap nowadays, especially if you’re looking for one that’s strictly for Blu-rays and not their 4K counterparts, but none of them have the ability to play games. A PS3 isn’t too difficult to track down, even two decades after its release, and if you’re patient enough, you can find one for around $50. I grabbed mine years after its release so I could play the Metal Gear Solid collection, but what I didn’t know was how long I’d continue to use it after I stopped playing the games.
The Blu-ray player still works, and I’m not sure if it’ll ever give out. All electronics fail eventually, so it’s bound to happen, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be any time soon. My PS2 can still play CDs and DVDs, but I know the clock is ticking there, since the disc drive tends to be a weak point on the console. As for my PS3, it has shown no signs of slowing down, and part of that may be because of how little I use it. Despite moving three times now since buying it, I still get it set up and ready to play movies. It doesn’t have any fancy bells and whistles like you’d see in a modern Blu-ray player, but I can’t really expect that from a game console that’s close to two decades old now.
I don’t know when, or if, Sony plans on dropping support for the PS3. It received an update in 2025 to update the Blu-ray encryption key to ensure discs continue to play, and it seems like those updates will continue to happen periodically as long as the company wants to keep it working. If you’re lucky enough to still have a functional PS3, I recommend giving its Blu-ray player a try because it’s still a solid machine for that reason alone. It’s largely been outclassed by dedicated players, but it’s still a powerhouse.
Your PS3 plays games, too
And it does it quite well
I know I’ve been going on and on about how good of a Blu-ray player the PS3 is, but it’s also a game console. The main thing working against the PS3 today is many of the console’s best games — The Last of Us, Demon’s Souls, Shadow of the Colossus, and many more — are better played on newer consoles. If you don’t have access to a PS4 or PS5, then the PS3 versions of these games work just fine. It’s the first (and only) way I’ve played The Last of Us, and despite better versions being available, I haven’t given them a try.
Another good thing about getting into the PS3 in 2025 is you can pick up games for cheap. I found that the Xbox 360 and PS3 generations haven’t seen a big increase in game prices, so you should be able to hit a used game store or eBay and pick up quite a bit without breaking the bank. The PS3 store is still open as well, so you can buy games digitally, something I can’t say about the Xbox 360.
I wouldn’t say you should go out and buy a PS3 right away, but if you are interested in some of the games that haven’t been remastered for the PS4 or PS5, then I’d say it’s worth grabbing. If you’re buying it for its Blu-ray capabilities alone, I would say to get a standalone player or a PS4 or PS5. Both of those latter consoles can play 4K Blu-rays along with regular Blu-rays, so there’s more versatility.
Part of why I like using the PS3 for its Blu-ray player is one part nostalgia, and one part is it’s just simple to set up and takes up no space. It also helps that I already have one in good condition. My Xbox One is very bulky and has that power brick that takes up more space than it should. The PS3 slim fits in nicely on a shelf and has a regular power cord that doesn’t take up much room.
If you have the space for it, I don’t see any reason not to keep yours plugged in, because it really is a versatile little machine that continues to receive updates. It doesn’t have the graphical prowess of your PS5 or Xbox Series X, but it’s not expected to be. All I want out of mine is the ability to play Blu-ray discs every now and then, and if I feel like popping in the God of War collection, then I want it plugged in and ready to go. All these years later, the PS3 still has a place in my home, something I can’t say for many of my older consoles. As long as it keeps receiving updates to keep the Blu-ray player functional, I might just keep using it until it breaks.
