Can you put a PS3 slim hard drive in a fat PS3?
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Yes, you can put a PS3 slim hard drive in a fat PS3, as both consoles use the same type of 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, but if the hard drive wasn’t last used on that same PS3 console then it will require you to reformat it. The PS3 fat and PS3 slim are compatible with the same hard drives, but the PS3 slim does not have backwards compatibility to play PS1 and PS2 games like the PS3 fat does.
Understanding PS3 Hard Drive Compatibility
The PS3 is compatible with any type 2.5-inch SATA notebook hard disk, and it is compatible with both 5400- and 7200-RPM hard drives, making it easy to find a replacement or upgrade hard drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between fat and slim PS3?
The PS3 Fat (regular) has backwards compatibility so you can play PS1 and PS2 games, while the PS3 slim does not.
2. What kind of hard drive does a fat PS3 use?
The PS3 Internal HDD (Hard Drive) format is of “SATA 2.5 inch HDD”, which is the kind of HDD used in laptops.
3. Can you put a 2TB hard drive in a PS3?
While there are 2TB internal HDD options available for the PS3, such as the Seagate Game Drive for PlayStation, the PS3 can only reliably handle up to 1.5TB without issues.
4. How big of a HDD can I put in a PS3?
You should make sure it’s a 2.5-inch drive of 9.5mm height or less, and the maximum capacity supported by the PS3 is 1TB.
5. Can I just swap PS3 hard drives?
If you put your PS3 hard drive into another PS3, that other PS3 will not let you actually do anything until you format the drive, erasing it completely.
6. Is PS3 Slim more powerful than a PS3 fat?
The PS3 slim and PS3 fat have the same processing power, but the PS3 slim is 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and consumes 34% (CECH-20xx) or 45% (CECH-21xx) less power than the PS3 fat.
7. Can you jailbreak a fat PS3?
Yes, all PS3 Fat models are supported for jailbreaking, as well as some PS3 Slim models with specific firmware versions.
8. Is it worth buying a PS3 in 2023?
The PS3 is still worth buying in 2023 if you don’t mind playing games with average graphics and good gameplay, and you can find it at a low price.
9. Can I put a 1TB drive in my PS3?
Yes, you can put a 1TB drive in your PS3, as long as it’s a 2.5-inch serial ATA drive of 9.5mm height or less.
10. Can you swap PS3 slim hard drives?
Yes, you can swap PS3 slim hard drives, but make sure the new drive meets the SATA 2.5″ spec and is of 9.5mm height or less.
11. Can you connect a hard drive to a PS3?
Yes, you can connect an external HDD to the PS3 via a USB port, but you’ll need to format the drive before use.
12. How do I know if my PS3 hard drive is bad?
Signs of a bad PS3 hard drive include access denied, file or data loss, disk unbootable, warning messages, BSOD error, and system crash or boot failure.
13. How do I transfer data from one PS3 to another?
You can transfer data between PS3 consoles using the Data Transfer Utility, which requires a direct Ethernet connection between the two consoles.
14. How do I install a bigger hard drive in my PS3?
To install a bigger hard drive in your PS3, remove the old drive from the hard drive tray, replace it with the new one, and secure it in place using the screws.
15. How many PS3 games can a 1TB hold?
A 1TB hard drive can hold 25+ games, or a massive multimedia library, giving you plenty of space to store your favorite games and content.