Yes, the PS3 can play PS1 games without any issues. The best thing about this is that you can do it without having to buy any special hardware or software. All you need is a PS3 (All models are supported), setup a memory card from within the PS3 console if you wish to save game progress, a copy of the original PS1 game disk and you're all set.

The PS3 console will only play PS1 disks if both are of the same region.

Can the PS3 Play PS1 Games?

 

How to play PS1 games on PS3

There are two types of PS1 games you can play on the PS3 console; digital and physical games.

How to play Digital PS1 games on PS3

To play PS1 digital games on the PS3 console you have to purchase and download the PS1 classic digital game of your choice from the PlayStation store. There are a number of PS1 games that where converted to be played digitally on the PS3 console. Once you have downloaded the game, it should now show up in the Games column of the XMB menu. Simply select the game and it should start.

How to play Physical PS1 games on PS3

To play PS1 physical games you will need a PS1 game disk. Once you have the game disk you want to play, you can simply insert it into the PS3 console. If the game loads as intended, you should see a game disk of the PS1 game in the Games column of the XMB menu as a normal PS3 game would show only this time its a PS1 game disk. To start the game just click on the game disk that is showing and the game should start.

If you wish to save the game progress see below


How to set up PS1 memory card on PS3

If you wish to play PS1 one games on the PS3 you will want to setup a memory card for PS1 so that you can save your game progress. If you don't setup the PS1 memory card then you won't be able to save your game progress and you will have to restart games from the beginning each time you start playing your game. To set up the PS1 memory card on the PS3 console follow the steps below;

  1. Go on the Games column in the XMB menu
  2. Click on [Memory Card utility]
  3. Select create new internal memory. You should now see two options: I. Internal memory card (PS2) and II. Internal Memory Card (PS)
  4. Now select Internal Memory Card (PS)
  5. Enter your desired name for Internal Memory card and press ok
You should now be prompted with;

To use the Internal Memory card, you must assign it to a slot.
To assign a slot select the Internal Memory Card you names in step 5 from [Memory Card Utility] and then assign a slot from the option menu.
Note: Each memory card is limited to one slot at a time and there are only 2 slots available.

Which PS3 can play PS1 and PS2 games

All PS3 models can play PS1 games without issues but not all PS3's can play PS2 games. The first PS3s to be released had the hardware of a PS2 inside them which made it possible for them to play PS2 game disks. However, Sony stopped putting the PS2 hardware in later PS3 consoles they made. 

If you wish to play PS2 games on the later consoles you have to emulate them with PS2 classic. PS2 classic is an application on the PlayStation store which you can download and it will emulate the PS2 games on PS3. Not all games are playable with PS2 classic emulator

How do I know if my PS3 is backwards compatible

To really tell if your PS3 is backwards compatible you have to check the model number of your PS3. The table below shows the model numbers of the PS3 which have PS2 hardware on them so you can play PS2 games. 


MODEL NUMBER

PS2 MODE

CECHAxx

HARDWARE

CECHBxx

HARDWARE

CECHCxx

SOFTWARE

CECHExx

SOFTWARE

Can the PS2 play PS1 games?

Yes, the PS2 can play PS1 games. The PS2 has the same hardware as the original PS1 in it and it will be able to play PS1 game disks. However, If your game disk or the PS2 region lock don't match, the PS1 game disk won't work.