You can only put wallpaper on the XMB if you are using Firmware 1.90 or greater. You can put a photo as a wallpaper by finding the photo you want and pressing TRIANGLE to bring up the onscreen menu. From the menu, select the “Use as Wallpaper” option. Before the photo is added as a wallpaper, you have the ability to zoom in or out of the photo.
- Home
- Articles posted by Niraj Shah (Page 622)
Articles posted by Niraj Shah
Can I write to Blu-Ray discs using the PlayStation 3?
No. The PS3 has a read-only Blu-Ray drive so it can only read from a disc not write. A Blu-Ray Writer drive can be purchased separately for a PC for around the same price as a PlayStation 3.
Can I play VOB files on the PS3 without converting them?
Yes you can. Simply rename the file to MP4. It might show up at unsupported data on the PS3 Video Menu, however, when trying to play the file it should work fine. This work-around works for VOB files from any region, so you can use to play NTSC DVD’s on your PAL PS3, for example.
Can I use my PlayStation 2 Memory Card with the PlayStation 3?
Yes you can, however, you will need to purchase a special adapter since you cannot directly connect the Memory Card to the PS3. The adapter lets you copy your PS1 and PS2 saved data to and from the PlayStation 3 system.

Is the PlayStation 3 region-free?
Yes. A PS3 game from any region will work on your PlayStation 3 console. So you can but an American game while on holiday and it will work with your PAL console. PS1 and PS2 games, however, are still region-encoded. So foreign titles will not work on the PlayStation 3. Blu-Ray movies also have region-encoding, so you can only purchase movies from within your region.
Why is the controller called SIXAXIS?
The PlayStation 3 controller is called the SIXAXIS because it can sense six types of movements:
- Roll
- Pitch
- Yaw
- X-Axis
- Y-Axis
- Z-Axis

What is Blu-ray?
Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a next generation optical disc format designed for high-definition content. The name Blu-ray is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write to the disc.
When was PlayStation 3 Launched?
The PlayStation 3 was launched in Japan (20GB and 60GB) on November 11th 2006, which was followed by the North American (20GB and 60GB) release on November 17th 2006. PlayStation 3 was released in Europe (60GB only) on March 23rd after a production delay.
The 80GB PlayStation 3 model was launched exclusive to North America on August 6th 2007.
The 40GB PlayStation 3 model was launched in Europe on October 10th 2007, followed by the Australian/NZ launch on October 11th 2007. The 40GB model was launched in North America on November 2nd 2007, and in Japan on November 11th 2007.
What is the difference between the 20GB, 40GB and 60GB PS3?
The 60GB PS3 is the “premium” option and includes several extras that cannot be found on the 40GB or 20GB version, these are:
- 60GB HDD instead of 20GB HDD
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Built-in Card Reader
- Chrome trim
With the 40GB model, there are two fewer USB ports and no PS2 backwards compatibility. The table below summarizes the main similarities and differences between the three different models.
| 60GB | 40GB | 20GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Cell Processor | ||
| GPU | Nvidia RSX | ||
| System Memory | 256MB XDR | ||
| Graphics Memory | 256MB GDDR3 | ||
| Hard Disk | 2.5″ SATA 60GB | 2.5" SATA 40GB | 2.5″ SATA 20GB |
| Optical Drive | Blu-ray | ||
| USB 2.0 | 4 ports | 2 ports | 4 ports |
| Flash Memory Slots |
Memory Stick |
None | None |
| Ethernet Port | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth 2.0 EDR | Yes | ||
| Bluetooth Controllers | Yes | ||
| Resolutions | 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p |
||
| HDMI Port | Yes | ||
| Digital Optical Out | Yes | ||
What is the Cell Broadband Engine?

The Cell Broadband Engine is the name of the CPU that powers the PlayStation 3. PS3’s CPU runs at 3.2 GHz and was developed jointly by Sony, Toshiba and IBM (“STI”). It has a PowerPC-based “Power Processing Element” (PPE) and six accessible 3.2 GHz Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). A seventh runs in a special mode and is dedicated to aspects of the OS and security, and an eighth is disabled to improve production yields.
