I would like to play PS2 games

Would a PS3 do the trick? I have no experience with with Playstation consoles, except the 1st, but I heard you can buy PS2 games digitally for PS3 from the PSN Store. Or am I better off just getting a PS2?

A few answers to this, I guess:

1) if you want to play any* PS2 game on a PS3 you need to get an original "fat" 60GB model from the launch. Unfortunately, they aren't super cheap, because they are collector-friendly due to being the only fully* backwards compatible PS3s

2) some early 80GB models have moderately successfuly PS2 software emulation - depending on what you want to play, they probably can cover your bases (need to google the right serial number)

3) Any PS3 can play PS2 games sold on the PS store for the PS3 platform. They work great, no problem. The catch is not every PS2 game is available this way... I recommend going to the PS store on your browser and checking out the selection before deciding if this is sufficient or not.

4) as an aside, any PS3 can play almost all PS1 games even from disc

*the original 60GB PS3 is fully backwards compatible with the exception of some titles that needed special peripherals - for example you can't play PS2 guitar hero on your 60GB PS3 because the software requires the wireless receivers that plugged into the memory card slots on the original PS2.

Could I get a link to the exact place where I can check out PS2 games on the PS store? I had trouble finding it :S

No worries - I was just helping my brother (a new PS3 owner) find the same thing yesterday! It's really weirdly organized...

this link allows you to check boxes (on the left) for various types of game categories (e.g. PS2 classics):

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/all-ps3-games/cid=STORE-MSF77008-PS3ALLPS3GAMES?smcid=pdc:us-en:new-this-week:playstation-nav-ps4

looks like about 100 titles from PS2

Thank you! All right, some good titles there. But I'm still afraid it might become insufficient. I mean, I've been thinking of quite a few that aren't available there as well... Maybe I'm better off getting a PS2 still. Of generations 5-8, the only one I don't have and never had is a 6th generation console. So I thought, why not? :)

The easiest way is the get a PS2, Find a working PS3 20GB/60GB and 80GB first version. will be difficult in 2015. You could rebuy some PS2 games digitally off of the PSN store, But the game you want may not be a part of PS2 classics. You best bet is to find a retro store and get a PS2 and games. good luck

I'm so glad my original PS3 fat is still working fine! I love being able to play the PS2 classics with no worries....sorry to rub it in TC!!!

i still have my fat ps3 mgs4 bundle too

If you want to play PS2 games get a PS2 and component cables ( the closest you can get to HDMI ) because original PS3 fat backwards compatible are expensive and hard to find. The PS2 PSN digital library is really very very small compared to the still available PS2 physical library.

Well, I'm so glad I'm getting a PS2 for PS2 games exclusively :P I'd play PS2 games on my 7th generation console, but it's on Xbox 360. I'd get a PS3, but I already have a 7th generation console.

I would definitely try to find an actual PS2. I guess I'm not sure how the market is, but there are plenty around where I am from. Try to start with local garage sales or pawn shops before doing the Amazon/Ebay route.

Probably my three favorite PS2 titles right now:

Dark Could
FF X
Champions of Norrath

Just buy a Playstation 2 Slim and put it next to a PS3 slim. If you don't have a PS3, you really should go get that before a PS2 as the PS3 games are just as cheap as PS2 games nowadays and the PS3 has a larger library of great games in my opinion. Plus, there are a lot of PS3 HD collections from older PS2 games. I would highly recommend getting God of War Saga. HD looks much better on HD televisions over PS2 games with component cables. Some of my favorite old PS2 games still look great and some have aged badly as I tried to go back to play it. If you had to pick one, go for a PS3 over PS2............. As for the PS2 slim, it is only 9" x 6" so you could put that right next to a PS3 slim. I purchased the Playstation 2 Slim (SCPH-90001) model which was the latest slim model and it came with 15 games for less than $40 on ebay about 6 months ago. Even though my fat PS2 still works, it was too big and ran pretty loud. I would rather go the slim PS2 route rather than buy a pretty loud, fat 60gb PS3 that had some bugs.

PS2 is one of the few consoles I still regularly see at thrift stores. Depending on location you can pay as little as 15 dollars. It is definitely worth getting one, too. There's so many games that when you don't see anything interesting on the current horizon you can walk into a game shop and there's tons of games which are still cheap.

If I'm really bored or going to a family thing I usually pick up a few ps2 games. It is still pretty normal spending 5 to 10 dollars.

PS2 games will run better on a PS3.

But there are many PS2 games you can't get on the store which are very good.