CECHA - The Cadillac of Consoles

Posted Sep 2, 2024 Updated Sep 2, 2024

By Doctor Worm

10 min read

Introduction

In this article, we will examine the Sony PlayStation 3 and how each revision compares against the others and how the system fits into the 7th generation of video game consoles. The focus will be on the feature set of each version and will show that the introductory model, called the “CECHA,” is the most feature rich of them all.

Background

The Sony PlayStation 1 won the hearts of many people when it was released worldwide in 1995 and helped usher in a new age of gameplay with 3D graphics. The PlayStation 2 to this day is considered by many to be the best console released to date and is the best-selling console of all time.¹

The PlayStation 3 can be considered Sony’s black sheep compared to their first two outings and its successors. Whereas the PlayStation 1 and 2 all outsold their competition, the PlayStation 3 barely outsold the Microsoft Xbox 360 worldwide and it was outsold in the U.S.² It was also completely outsold globally by the Nintendo Wii. Some contribute this to the timing of the launch, or to the price of the console, or to the game library. Whatever the actual reasons, it is an unfortunate fact that the PlayStation 3 just wasn’t as popular with users as its older and younger brothers (the PlayStation 5 is still currently selling but the PlayStation 4 outsold it).

During the life of each PlayStation console, Sony makes countless different versions, each one slightly changing the design or swapping out and consolidating some of the chips, and in a few instances, reducing the size of the console as parts became cheaper and more efficient. But the PlayStation 3 is the one that arguably saw the greatest number of significant changes over its lifespan as Sony tried to cut costs and compete with Microsoft and Nintendo. In hindsight, it turns out that it was the very first model of PlayStation 3 that was the definitive version.

Version History

Across all but one revision, all PlayStation 3 models have 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and all revisions have at least two USB 2.0 ports. All revisions also have PlayStation 1 software emulation. But with each subsequent revision after the initial launch, starting with the CECHC/E, the PlayStation 3 began dropping major features and would only from time to time pick up some something new.

First Generation

As it is the first model, the CECHA should be considered the baseline for all future versions but it ironically has the most robust feature set.³ The CECHB launched at the same time and had less features as it was a budget version with a smaller hard drive and lacked some capabilities (this is the model without Wi-Fi and lacks the flash memory card readers as well). The option for the CECHB was purely so there could be a cheaper option at launch, as the CECHA was $600 when it came out, compared to the Xbox 360 which was only $400 and the Wii which was even less at $250.⁴ Both models, however, have the unique claim of being the only two revisions with full PlayStation 2 hardware emulation.

Second Generation

The ability to play both PlayStation 1 and 2 games gave the PlayStation 3 access to a larger game library than the Xbox 360 which only had partial backward compatibility with the original Xbox and software emulation⁵ and kept it on par with the Wii which launched with the ability to play GameCube games via hardware emulation (though later revisions lose emulation support).⁶ But the move from hardware emulation to software emulation changed in this generation.

The first major revisions were the CECHC and CECHE models and launched around the same time, with the CECHC being a PAL territory release. Outside of a 20GB storage capacity difference, there was little change between the two versions. While these could still technically play PlayStation 2 games, compatibility and performance was not as high due to the changes in emulation behavior.⁷ This was likely done as a cost cutting move, but even software emulation would not last for long.

Third Generation

The next major revision was the CECHG which saw the loss of several core functionalities. While it was a “fat” series model like the original, this version saw the loss of two USB 2.0 ports (earlier versions had four) and the loss of the flash memory card readers. It also had a smaller hard drive than the CECHC model released before it, but the biggest loss was the removal of the ability to play PlayStation 2 games from disc entirely. This would be the defining action that casts all PlayStation 3s into one of two categories: “backward compatible” and “not backward compatible.” A later revision, the CECHK, would at least see storage capacities start to grow again and start being bundled with the “DualShock 3” controller, ditching the less popular “Sixaxis” controller which did not have haptic feedback.⁸

Fourth Generation

The next major revision to discuss is the CECH-2 series of models, also known as the “Slim” line. This series was notable in that it reduced the physical size of the PlayStation 3 but it also coincided with the dropping of support for “OtherOS,” or as most people might understand it, the ability to run Linux.⁹ While running Linux was not something most PlayStation users knew about or pursued, the ability to run Linux on a PlayStation console is actually something that dated back to the early days of the PlayStation 2 with the “Linux for PlayStation 2” kit being released in 2002.¹⁰

While the PlayStation 2 also lost support for Linux with the release of its own Slim line, this was due to actual hardware changes¹¹, whereas with the PlayStation 3, the drop for support was hand-waved as being removed due to “security concerns” which led to Sony losing a class action lawsuit over the situation.¹² The lawsuit was due to support for Linux being patched out an update released for all systems, but the CECH-2 models launched with this new update preinstalled.

Fifth Generation

The CECH-4 series, also known as “Super Slim,” was the last generation of revisions released. Other than being even thinner than the “Slim” series, there is not much to discuss. Maybe as one final act for Sony to show they know how to cut features, it should be noted that one of these models had a underwhelmingly small 12GB hard drive, the lowest of any PlayStation 3 including the original budget CECHB revision at launch, though other “Super Slim” models had the largest hard drives of all versions.

The Competition

It should be clear that the CECHA is the gold standard among PlayStation 3 models, but it is important to look at how it compared to its rivals, the Xbox 360 and the Wii as well. In terms of sales it has already been established that it was not quite as successful in some aspects, but feature wise it still had several advantages.¹³

Neither the Xbox 360 nor the Wii can play Blu-ray and the Wii does not even support CD playback. At the time of launch for these consoles, there were competing high-definition video formats, the other being HD DVD. Microsoft would release an addon for the Xbox 360 that supported HD DVD playback¹⁴ but the market trended towards Blu-ray so the addon was eventually discontinued and many argue that it was the PlayStation 3’s native Blu-ray support that helped it win the “format war.”¹⁵

The backward compatibility has already been compared, but another lesser known fact is that for virtually the entire game library, the PlayStation 3 is not region locked whereas the Xbox and Wii are (the region locking refers only to physical PS3 games and not DVD/BD movies, digital games and DLC, or even backward compatible PS1/PS2 games).¹⁶ Additionally, the controller has motion sensing capabilities. While not nearly as sophisticated as Nintendo’s Wii Remote, this was something that Xbox 360 controllers lacked entirely.

The rest of the technical specs are largely on par with the Xbox 360, with small trade-offs in various categories. Both systems completely overshadowed the Wii in raw performance, which relied on the motion controls as its main selling point. And while game quality is typically a matter of opinion, it can be pointed out that the best-selling game on both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 is Grand Theft Auto V and the PlayStation version sold more copies than the Xbox version.¹⁷

Postmortem

We are now in the 9th generation of video game consoles and the value of retro video game paraphernalia can best be determined by their prices on the collector’s market. As of the publishing of this article, a PlayStation 3 CECHA can be purchased for around $200 while most other models can be purchased between $50 and $100 depending on the specific model.¹⁸ The CECHA rightly has a premium on its price as it has the most functionality.

With the ability to play PlayStation 1 and 2 games, the console is effectively a 3-in-1 system, and with a wireless controller, that means you can play your older PS1 and PS2 classics from the comfort of your couch without being restricted to the length of a cord. The console launched with an HDMI port (the Xbox 360 and Wii did not) meaning it has no problems being hooked up to an HDTV, and the Blu-ray drive means you don’t have to have a separate player in your room to watch your physical movies. It even has streaming apps, meaning you can get the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, YouTube, and other services, keeping it relevant in this digital age.

While most of these features are present with all versions of the PlayStation 3, it is the backward compatibility that truly gives the CECHA an edge, and with having an easy to access hard drive bay, if storage space is a concern, the original 60GB hard drive can be easily upgraded to something larger. However, as the CECHA is over 17 years old, if you are in the market for one or already own one, be considerate of its age. Keep your system in a well-ventilated area and try not to use it for several hours at a time as the system has always had heating issues and it is something that only gets worse with age.¹⁹

Also, as the years progress, some streaming services are shutting down,²⁰ but there is still one thing the CECHA will always have an edge with, and that is game library. With the ability to play three generations worth of titles, the CECHA has an effective library of over 6,000 games²¹ with physical games released through 2018, over 12 years after the console’s launch![^22]

Conclusion

In summary, the CECHA model of the PlayStation 3 was a true workhorse. When comparing this initial model to the last released version, the features lost include: PlayStation 2 backward compatibility, Linux support, removal of flash memory card readers, reduced USB 2.0 ports and loss of SA-CD support (not previously mentioned as it is a niche format).²² Meanwhile the only features gained include smaller physical size, improved audio, and increased hard drive capacities.

If owning a PlayStation 3 just to play PS3 games is your goal, then any version will satisfy that need and the library has many great titles to make owning a later model worth it. But, even at the time of publishing this article, there are several reasons to own the CECHA. In this author’s opinion, it is truly the “Cadillac of Consoles.” Though it came out in 2006, nearly 20 years ago, the console was ahead of its time and still deserves a place in your living room.

Sources

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This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.