Sony's PlayStation 3 Two decades after the console first came out, there remains another semi-secret feature that most users have probably never noticed: printing. The seventh-generation colossus, the PlayStation 3, faced many problems throughout its life cycle, but the biggest of them all was how taxing it was to develop games for it.
Given the PlayStation 3's incredible roster of games, it's no surprise that many want to emulate the console from the ground up. Projects like RPCS3 make CELL processor emulation a distinct possibility even on really low-spec hardware, such as the Steam Deck, but the PS3's eclectic presence only leaves games and questionable processing architectures behind. The printing functionality is proof enough of this.
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PlayStation 3 can print photos and more
Reddit user geeelectronica posted on r/PS3 about the PlayStation 3's “printer settings” functionality, wondering if anyone used the feature. Although it was possible (though not required) to install Linux on the PS3, initially, the console's game mode used its own printer drivers for convenience, making it possible to print in-game photos or documents through the PS3's built-in web browser. This, presumably, is not any of the features that Sony is trying to emulate on the PS5 through backwards compatibility with the PS3.
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The interesting bit about geeelectronica's post is that some people commented about using the PS3's printing feature. Some are printed Grand Theft Auto cheat codes to use while playing, while others rely on the PS3's SD card reader to print camera photos. This is still a specific use-case, but it speaks to the remarkable flexibility of the PlayStation 3 as a comprehensive multimedia device rather than a gaming console. In some ways, the PS3 was more impressive than the PS5 when it comes to pure feature offering, but that's also why it was an expensive device to begin with.
While the prospect of playing PS3 games natively on the PS5 is extremely exciting, there is something to be said for the seventh generation of consoles in general and its experimental nature. It wasn't really just about the games at the time, but about the widespread excitement about cutting-edge technology and the unexpected, wild use cases people could find for it.
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For those who don't feel old yet, it might be worth reconsidering, as the PlayStation 3 is officially considered a retro console as of 2026. That's GameStop's rating, to be fair, but the fact is that the PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii are truly retro devices now that they've been around for a long time. On that note, it might be worth thinking about how many PlayStation 3 consoles are still in working condition. As time goes on, fewer and fewer of these remarkable consoles will be available for retro gamers to use, especially if they're chasing after the iconic first-gen PS3s.
