Best way to buy a used 60gb PS3?

[sirhansirhan]

Does anyone have any idea the best way to acquire a used 60gb PS3? I'm looking to buy one in the near-ish future, and don't really know the best way to go about it. I'm assuming that when GameStops get them in they send them to get the hard drives wiped, but how do they sell them later? Are the hard drives detachable, and you have to buy both parts separately (when buying used) like you do the 360? I know it is the most in demand of the different versions of the PS3, and its price on eBay and the like is a little more than what I'd like to pay. So, does anyone have any good advice on how to get one?

[Poofta!]

no gamestops do not strip them, nor do they usually wipe the HDs from what ive heard. they do get sent to corporate office for testing and checking, so youre safe buying from them. they charge 450+tax though, so its up to you.

[Sudo]

The PS3 can use any 2.5 inch 5400 rpm hard drive, like those that laptops use. I doubt Gamestop sends them in anywhere to erase the drive info, since they can easily do it themselves from the PS3's menu. Your best bet for getting a 60GB would probably be Craigslist or Gamestop, as the prices on eBay tend to be a bit high as you said.

[Tony Montana]

When they're traded in they do get tested but they are then sent to corporate for everything to be wiped and reset then they are randomly sent back to stores when they are done. Haven't seen many come through at all.

[BHvrd]

When they're traded in they do get tested but they are then sent to corporate for everything to be wiped and reset then they are randomly sent back to stores when they are done. Haven't seen many come through at all.

I've been told this as well from 2 seperate managers of Gamestop, they do the same with the 360.

Seems like such a hassle, you would think they would provide them with drives already completely wiped to just swap out on the spot. Would make better financial sense.

As far as a 60gb PS3, maybe you could find one here you could fix:
http://www.dealtree.com/cart/select_item2.cfm?cont=102354&cond=14
Never know, could be an easy fix.

[SkiDragon]

I was thinking of getting one as well. But I may settle with a 20 GB as they apparently also have the Emotion Engine, and I can install a larger hard drive anyway. How much do the 20GB models usually go for?

[incubus421]

I've been told this as well from 2 seperate managers of Gamestop, they do the same with the 360.

Seems like such a hassle, you would think they would provide them with drives already completely wiped to just swap out on the spot. Would make better financial sense.

As far as a 60gb PS3, maybe you could find one here you could fix:
http://www.dealtree.com/cart/select_item2.cfm?cont=102354&cond=14
Never know, could be an easy fix.

I work as assistant mng. at a GameStop and can verify that we do send all PS3s back to corporate and will never see those PS3s in our store again. Any PS3s we have (if we are lucky enough to ever get any sent to us) will always be refurbs from corporate.

As far as 360s, we don't send any of those back, we strip the hard drives, send the hard drives to corporate, and then sell the systems with either a wired or wireless controller.

[Cornelius]

Craigslist is going to be your best bet, at least here it would be. I picked one up with a good number of the best games at a good price. The thing with the ps3 is that it is expensive enough that people who couldn't afford it maybe bought one, and then if they get in a jam they'll sell it first. And since they are often in a hurry, you can get a good deal. I'd never buy one off CL without seeing it hooked up and working, though. I've read about a couple people being burned with dead ones.

[DOL_001]

I got my 60GB at www.gamefunk.com, it was $387+shipping. It's complete with box/manual and everything you get as if you bought it new. Mine is in excellent condition and has been working perfectly for the past month.

[norkusa]

I've been thinking about getting a PS3 also but only if it can play PS2 games. Isn't there a new model coming out soon that has emulated BC? I thought I remember reading something about it a few months ago but can't find anything on it now.

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

Isn't there a new model coming out soon that has emulated BC?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3 - scroll down to the models chart

that model's already out. the 80gb emulates the emotion engine and keeps the gpu. the 40gb doesn't have the gpu, so no ps2 bc at all.

the 20gb (aka: the original cheapo ps3) also had full ps2 bc.

[udisi]

I just bought one off the forums here($420). that seems to be a fair price from what I've seen. The 60's are pretty tough to find used. I was looking for a while. The 60 has some extra usb ports, card reader, and wireless internet, etc over the 20gb. that's why I went for a 60.

I don't know what to tell you about finding one besides just keep an eye out. Ebay is always an option, but you never know what you're gonna get and they seem to go pretty expensive.

[Lerxstnj]

BC is a big advantage for Sony and I am surprised all systems are not bc compatable. Has anyone with a 20GB(hardware emulation) or 80GB(software emulation) model noticed any problems with any PS1 or PS2 games yet? Do the hardware versions work better. They likely do a firmware update to make bc even better as needed. Right?

[norkusa]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3 - scroll down to the models chart

that model's already out. the 80gb emulates the emotion engine and keeps the gpu. the 40gb doesn't have the gpu, so no ps2 bc at all.

What I mean is a *new* model with PS2 BC coming out. I thought the 80GB version with software emulation was discontinued in favor of the 40GB. That Wiki chart says it's still available but I haven't seen any new ones for sale in months.

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

i hadn't heard about sony discontinuing the 80, but i'm not exactly shopping for a ps3, so i don't really pay attention. when i do buy a ps3, i'll be searching for a 60gb like the OP.

the only rumor i've read about is one that they'd eliminate the gpu and fully emulate the ps2 in a future model, but who knows if it's true. but if sony's track record so far in this generation is any indicator, i've no doubt there will be another model.

[udisi]

There is suppose to be a new model later this year, rumored a possible MG4 pack-in. Not a lot is known, it may have BC, but if I had to guess it'd be like the 80 and use emulation. The cost of hardware BC makes the system too expensive. Really, PS3 has very little shelf space around here, and I don't think the system is doing very well at all, so I don't see Sony going back to hardware BC.

I bought my system for about 2 games, and as a blu-ray player. I wanted the BC just to conserve space.

[Cornelius]

BC is a big advantage for Sony and I am surprised all systems are not bc compatable. Has anyone with a 20GB(hardware emulation) or 80GB(software emulation) model noticed any problems with any PS1 or PS2 games yet? Do the hardware versions work better. They likely do a firmware update to make bc even better as needed. Right?

There have been threads on this in the past, so you might want to look for those. The rough numbers so far are something on the order of the 80GB playing about 75% of PS2 games, and the 20/60GB playing 95%. That's just my recollection from a past thread where I was corrected (I thought the 20/60 played them all), the actual numbers given might have been different (though similar). They all, even the 40GB, play PS1 games. I believe they use the same emulation as the PS2 did, which was pretty good.

[jjreason]

I have a 40GB ps3, and found it's ability to play my old PS1 Parapa the Rapper disc was limited. I don't know why, but there was significant lag in the machine recognizing the controller inputs rendering that game virtually impossible to play. Not sure if anyone else has experienced anything like that or not.

[udisi]

hmm, I wonder if it had to do with an LCD/Plasma TV. There are delays with older systems on HDTV's caused by the conversion the TV has to do to the signal. IE the display lags the inputs on the controller. Since the PS1 would be a non-HD system, if may lag a bit while being up converted.

[norkusa]

Yeah, the lag is most likely a result of the TV if you're using a LCD or plasma. I haven't been able to play any of my Bemani games since I got my Vizio LCD because the lag is so bad on it.

[sirhansirhan]

I've decided that I think I'm going to buy a 20gb PS3 instead, as it will suit my purposes just fine and is a little cheaper. But I have a new question: all I want a PS3 for is to play Disgaea 3 on when it is released in August (this is high priority for me--I love the Disgaea games), and also to play Blu Ray movies on (which I want to do at some point, but am in no hurry). So technically, I don't really need a PS3 until August--if I had one now I'd buy a Blu Ray movie or two, but there isn't currently a single game that I would buy. So my question is, between now and August, do you think the prices of 20gb and 60gb PS3s will go up, go down or stay the same? They seem to have been going up lately, and with MGS4 on the horizon, I'm afraid they will go up more. So do you think it's best for me to buy one now and sit on it until August, or wait and hope that the price drops? It's too expensive as it is, so I definitely don't want to have to pay more.

[udisi]

well, I think they'd stay about the same, but they could go up, and I doubt they'll go down.

I'd still go for a 60 for the added ports and wireless internet.

[Sothy]

the one thing i found shitty about my 360 was the spotty xbox 1 emulation.
Not that I was really interested in a ps3 but this whole conversation is like wow congrats sony somehow on being more of a clusterfuck on backwards compatibility than ms.

[Half Japanese]

80GB owner here, and the only thing I've noticed is choppy cutscenes on Ys: Ark of the Napishtim, but they look so shitty and are pretty worthless overall, so I didn't really count it as much of a loss. Every other ps2 and psx disc I've thrown at it has worked just fine, though admittedly I keep a pretty minimal collection.

As far as 360 bc, how 'bout fucking Toejam & Earl III and Capcom Classics Collection, Microsoft?

[DJ Daishi]

damn, and all this time I thought buying a PS3 (60gig) early would bite me in the ass....good thing I made the right choice.

[sirhansirhan]

As far as 360 bc, how 'bout fucking Toejam & Earl III and Capcom Classics Collection, Microsoft?

I know--if my 360 played TJ&E, I could get rid of my original Xbox entirely.

[SkiDragon]

So, how can one identify a 60 GB PS3 from the outside? What should I look for?

[Sudo]

The 60GB has a chrome trim. I'm not sure if the 80GB does or not, but I know the 20GB and 40GB don't.

[zektor]

The 60GB has a chrome trim. I'm not sure if the 80GB does or not, but I know the 20GB and 40GB don't.

The 80 does too, although I have seen display models with a faded chrome kind of look. As for the 80GB I had, it looked externally exactly the same as my brother's 60, so I am not sure really how you would tell...other than booting a game on it that would glitch on the 80 (like GOW1, Taito Legends). I could imagine alot of shady people sticking 60GB drives in the 80 and selling that on ebay and the like for profit from people that want that perfectly BC system...so be careful where you buy is all I can say.

[SkiDragon]

Darn, I was hoping it was just printed on the system somewhere, even if I had to look at a model number or manufacturing date. Even looking through a vent for a distinguishing internal piece would work.

[SkiDragon]

Ok, can somebody list some more games that glitch on the 80 GB, but not on the 60 GB? I don't have either of the two that were mentioned.

What would you think is a fair price for a 60 GB? I might be able to get one for $550, which is more than I wanted to pay, but if the prices go up it may be worth it.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Well, we finally got a PS3 a month or two back... and we gave in and got a 40gb. Found a few 60s at a pawn shop, but they were all dirty and came with no guarantee. So fuck it, we kept our PS2 hooked up to a TV upstairs and we've been great.

Not that any of that matters to the OP any more, because of the age of this post.

[Sudo]

Ok, can somebody list some more games that glitch on the 80 GB, but not on the 60 GB? I don't have either of the two that were mentioned.

What would you think is a fair price for a 60 GB? I might be able to get one for $550, which is more than I wanted to pay, but if the prices go up it may be worth it.

Check here (http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus) if you want to know how compatible a game is.

[SkiDragon]

Check here (http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/CompatibleStatus) if you want to know how compatible a game is.

I checked there. Apparently, not many of the games I own have any game breaking glitches on the 80 GB. I'm not sure if I trust that. If it's true, it kind of defeats the purpose of the 60 GB in the first place.

[incubus421]

I checked there. Apparently, not many of the games I own have any game breaking glitches on the 80 GB. I'm not sure if I trust that. If it's true, it kind of defeats the purpose of the 60 GB in the first place.

to add....most of the new and recently released games for PS2 are also not compatible.

My friend has an 80gb and recently bought Mana Khemia (which was released a couple months back) and to his dismay it didn't work...so he had to bust out the PS2.

Though this info may be obvious...

[RadiantSvgun]

to add....most of the new and recently released games for PS2 are also not compatible.

My friend has an 80gb and recently bought Mana Khemia (which was released a couple months back) and to his dismay it didn't work...so he had to bust out the PS2.

Though this info may be obvious...

That is correct, Mana Khemia will not work.

Strangely enough, Silent Hill Origins works, as well as persona 3.

[An Hero]

to add....most of the new and recently released games for PS2 are also not compatible.

My friend has an 80gb and recently bought Mana Khemia (which was released a couple months back) and to his dismay it didn't work...so he had to bust out the PS2.

Though this info may be obvious...

Firepro Returns, also recently released, has a few graphics glitches on the 80 gb system. Just to show that the 60 gb isn't perfect, Madden 97 has some odd graphics glitches at kickoff. Not a huge deal, but before I bought the 60 gb version I was under the impression it was 100% compatibility, no glitches at all. Still, it's better than the 360 bc (just pop in Marvel vs. Capcom 2--ugh).

[j_factor]

Bumping this thread because I was planning on finally taking the plunge and getting a 60GB system from Gamestop in January. But I just noticed that Gamestop has removed the 60GB system from their website. That Gamefunk site that was linked earlier has also removed it. Amazon still lists it but the lowest price is $485, which I really don't want to pay (it was $429 at Gamestop). Half.com has a listing for it but doesn't appear to have any actual 60GB systems available (a bunch of sellers listed 40GB units under the 60GB listing).

Anything else besides eBay and craigslist?

[The 1 2 P]

Anything else besides eBay and craigslist?

Pawn shops. I was going to pick up a factory sealed 60 gig with an extra controller from a pawn shop today for $300 but he emailed me this morning telling me it was already sold. If I had a car I would have picked it up on Tuesday when he first listed it on craigs list. Oh well.

[j_factor]

Pawn shops around here never have much of anything videogame-related. Ok place to go for jewelry, musical instruments, stereos, stuff like that, but never games or game consoles.

[savageone]

I have a 60gb myself and I've certainly played far more BC games than actual PS3 games, sad but true.

However, one thing that really sucks is that if a PS2 game such as Klonoa 2 switches resolutions briefing at the loading screens it screws with HDTVs even if you have the PS3 do internal upscaling of the image.

I'll try to explain:
- When the loading screen pops up in Klonoa 2 the game changes to what I assume is a lower resolution. Keep in mind this game literally has a loading screen like every 2 minutes.
- HDTV detects new resolutions and switches, the problem is I don't know of any HDTV that does this instantly. Instead the screen goes black and it takes 2-3 seconds to switch resolution.
- Game finishes loading the next area, goes back to normal game resolution.
- Screen goes black for 2-3 again.
- After some time this becomes _really_ annoying.

To be honest Klonoa 2 is the only game I've played where this problem is jarringly bad, I assume it affects more games than Klonoa 2 but I haven't gone BC test crazy.

Why does that _really_ suck though? It's obviously NOT a flaw with the PS3 itself, but rather HDTVs. It really sucks because it'll never be fixed, this is something the PS3 could easily bypass. Sony friggin dropped their BC support down the shitter though. Imagine if just one of those firmware updates did something awesome and new for PS1/PS2 BC. :(


EDIT: Can anyone else test out Klonoa 2 and tell me if they have the same issue?

[j_factor]

Well, I finally found what appears to be a good source for a 60GB PS3. I just ordered it from Game Deal Daily. At $390, it was quite reasonable, and it comes with everything in the original box. I'm kind of glad Gamestop took it down because it "forced" me to find a better deal (though at $429, they were cheaper than many). About 8 months ago I ordered one off half.com, only to get a refund and an apology about a month after. So hopefully this works out. I've never used Game Deal Daily before, but supposedly they have a good reputation.

[Sailorneorune]

60 GB PS3s occasionally pop up at the Book & Music Exchange (a chain of locally-owned, if you want to call Louisville local, used video/book/game stores that dot Indiana and Kentucky). When they do, they're $400. I think the 20 GB is $300 or $350, not sure which.

To my knowledge, the consoles are tested on site in the stores they are traded in to during the holding period (usually a week). The hard drives are wiped, and they are put on the floor.

I purchased mine from one of the Evansville stores in October, and it comes with a 30-day warranty against everything except using it as a projectile. No problems to report.

[j_factor]

Completely off subject, but, you really need to update Wiimcast.