Compare Sony PlayStation 3 vs Sony PlayStation 5
In this technical comparison between the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Sony PlayStation 5, we analyze the key features to help you choose.
Choosing between these two Home Consoles models often comes down to your budget, with prices around $499 (20 GB) / $599 (60 GB) and $499.99 USD / €499.99 / £449.99.
| Specifications |
Sony PlayStation 3 |
Sony PlayStation 5 |
|---|---|---|
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|
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| Launch | ||
| Release Version | November 2006 | November 2020 |
| Performance | ||
| CPU | 3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine (7 Synergistic Processing Elements) | x86-64-AMD Ryzen “Zen 2”, 8 Cores / 16 Threads, variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz |
| GPU | 550 MHz NVIDIA RSX 'Reality Synthesizer' | AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine, Ray Tracing Acceleration, variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz |
| GPU Power | ~230 GFLOPS | 10.3 TFLOPS |
| RAM | 256 MB XDR Main RAM / 256 MB GDDR3 VRAM | 16GB GDDR6 (448GB/s bandwidth) |
| Storage | 20 GB or 60 GB HDD (Later 40 GB, 80 GB, 160 GB) | 825GB Custom NVMe SSD (Internal) or 1 TB |
| Expandable | User-replaceable 2.5" SATA HDD | M.2 NVMe SSD Slot (User-upgradeable); External USB HDD support |
| Disc Drive | 2x Blu-ray / 8x DVD / 24x CD / SACD (Super Audio CD) | Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc (Fixed/Integrated) |
| Video Output | ||
| Image Resolution | 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p | Support for 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs |
| Max FPS | 60 FPS | 120 FPS |
| HDR | No | Yes |
| VRR | No | Yes |
| Ray Tracing | No | Yes |
| Audio | ||
| Formats | LPCM 7.1, Dolby Digital, DTS, SACD support | "Tempest" 3D AudioTech, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X |
| Headphones | Bluetooth or USB (No jack on controller) | 3.5mm Jack (on controller), USB, or Bluetooth (via adapter) |
| Connectivity | ||
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 1.3 | 1x HDMI 2.1 Port |
| USB | 4x USB 2.0 (On 20GB/60GB/early 80GB models; later reduced to 2) | 1x USB Type-C (Front), 1x USB Type-A Hi-Speed (Front), 2x USB Type-A SuperSpeed 10Gbps (Back) |
| Ethernet | 10/100/1000 Gigabit | 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g (Note: 20GB model did not have Wi-Fi) | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Services | ||
| Online Multiplayer | PlayStation Network (Free) | PlayStation Plus required |
| Cloud Saves | Added later via PS Plus | Included with PlayStation Plus |
| Subscription | PlayStation Plus (Introduced in 2010) | PlayStation Plus (Essential, Extra, Premium) |
| Remote Play | Yes (with PSP) | Yes |
| Controller | ||
| Included | Sixaxis (No vibration) / Later DualShock 3 (With vibration) | 1x DualSense Wireless Controller |
| Features | Motion sensing (Six-axis), Bluetooth, Internal Battery | Haptic Feedback, Adaptive Triggers, Built-in Mic, Touchpad, Motion sensors |
| Compatibility | ||
| Backward | Full Hardware Support for PS1 and PS2 (20GB/60GB models only) | Supports 99% of PlayStation 4 games |
| VR Support | No | PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR2 |
| Physical | ||
| Body Dimensions | 12.8" x 3.8" x 10.8" (325 x 98 x 274 mm) | Approx. 390 × 104 × 260 mm (Width × Height × Depth) |
| Weight | ~11 lbs (5 kg) | Approx. 4.5 kg (Launch model); 3.9 kg (Final hardware revision) |
| Color | Piano Black (with chrome/silver trim) | White and Black |
| Power | ||
| Consumption | ~180W–200W (A heavy power draw compared to later slims) | 350W (Maximum rated power) |
| Misc | ||
| Inside the Box | Console, Sixaxis Controller, Mini-USB Cable, AV Cable, Ethernet Cable (60GB), Power Cord. | Console, DualSense Controller, 825GB SSD, Circular Base/Stand (Works for both Vertical and Horizontal), HDMI Cable, AC Power Cord, USB Cable, Astro's Playroom (Pre-installed) |
| Price | $499 (20 GB) / $599 (60 GB) | $499.99 USD / €499.99 / £449.99 |
| Full Details | PlayStation 3 - Full Specifications | PlayStation 5 - Full Specifications |