PlayStation Articles

Article / Updated 05-27-2022

Connecting your PlayStation 3 to a wireless network is the first step to joining in the world of online gaming. Almost all versions of the PS3 (all except the 20GB) have a built-in wireless capability. Many of today's most popular games operate entirely over online game servers and those that don't usually have an option for online game play. When you connect your PS3 to a wireless network you can play against other online gamers around the world. Online gamers can participate in tournaments and operate in team with each other for a whole new game experience. All you need to get started is a wireless access point. Turn off all your network equipment (modem and router) as well as the PlayStation 3. Leave all equipment off for two full minutes. Turn on your modem and router. Make sure that your wireless router is connected to the Internet and broadcasting a signal. Use a PC to ensure that all router settings are complete before turning on the PS3. Turn on the PS3. Select Settings→Network Settings on the XMB and click the X button. Now you’ll need to provide your router’s security settings. If the PS3 is connected to a modem using an Ethernet cable, the wireless function will be turned off. Choose Internet Connections and select Enabled. Then scroll to Internet Connection Settings and press the X button. If you receive a message saying that you'll be disconnected from any current Internet Connection, say Yes to move on. Select the Easy option and press the X button. Try the Easy setup first; if that fails then you can always go back and try the Custom settings. Select Wireless and press the X button. Then select Scan and press the X button. The PS3 will scan the surrounding area and produce a list of all the nearby wireless access points. If you have an AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) router, select Automatic instead and follow the onscreen commands. Select your access point from the list and press the X button. If you're not sure which SSID is yours, check with the person you set up your router. Confirm your SSID and press the X button. Select the security type that your router uses and press the X button again. You may need to ask the network administrator for the appropriate information. Enter the necessary security key information and press the Start button. Press the Right Arrow button to move to the next screen. The security key will always look like eight asterisks (*) regardless of how long it actually is. Enter any additional security information required by your router. When you're finished, press the X button to save the settings. This will store the settings on your PlayStation 3 permanently, so that next time you just have to choose you network and you're ready to go. Press the X button again to test the network. Your PS3 will attempt to connect to the Internet. Hopefully, you'll see Succeeded beside each attempt. If you receive a failed signal, turn everything off and try the set up again.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The only way to get games for the PSPgo is to download them — most commonly through the PlayStation Store. Some freeware games are available, but you can browse hundreds of downloadable games and other media content at the PlayStation Store. In order to download PSPgo games, you need to have a registered account on the PlayStation Network and be in a wireless hotspot. Start up your new PSPgo and locate the PlayStation Network icon. The PlayStation network icon is on the XMB. If you don’t have a PlayStation Network account, select Sign Up for PlayStation Network under the initial PlayStation Network icon on the XMB. If you already have a registered account, skip to the next step. Select the PlayStation Store from the list and log into your registered account. The PlayStation Store home page appears. From the PlayStation Store home page you can browse through the available games, movies, and more. You can even select free demos of most games to try them out before you have to buy them. Select Downloadable Games on the right navigation bar. Browse through the many games available until you find the one you want to buy. Select the game you want to buy. A full description of the game appears. Select Buy Now. Your shopping cart will appear with your chosen game in it. If you’re not done shopping, you can also choose Add to Cart and continue browsing through the available content. When you’re finished, click the Cart icon on the top right. Select Proceed to Checkout. The Purchase Confirmation page will appear. Notice that the amount of money available in your wallet is listed near the top of the screen. If necessary, click Add Funds to add money to wallet so that you can make the purchase. If you already have enough money in your wallet or have a credit card on file, skip to Step 11. When prompted, enter your credit card information. Your credit card information will be stored for future purchases from the PlayStation Store until you remove it. Click Continue to go back to the Shopping Cart and click Confirm Purchase. Your download will begin immediately. Time to sit back and wait. It can take 20-30 minutes to download a single title.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

To set up your PlayStation 3 to connect to the Internet, you must establish a wireless access point. You can then use your PlayStation 3 to browse the Internet, download games and videos, and play against gamers around the world. Almost all versions of the PS3 (all except the 20GB) have a built-in wireless capability. Turn off all your network equipment (modem and router) as well as the PlayStation 3. Leave all equipment off for two full minutes. Turn on your modem and router. Make sure that your wireless router is connected to the Internet and broadcasting a signal. Use a PC to ensure that all router settings are complete before turning on the PS3. Turn on the PS3. Select Settings→Network Settings on the XMB and click the X button. Now you’ll need to provide your router’s security settings. If the PS3 is connected to a modem using an Ethernet cable, the wireless function will be turned off. Choose Internet Connections and select Enabled; then scroll to Internet Connection Settings and press the X button. If you receive a message saying that you'll be disconnected from any current Internet Connection, say Yes to move on. Select the Easy option and press the X button. Try the Easy setup first. If that fails, you can try the Custom settings. Select Wireless and press the X button. Then select Scan and press the X button. The PS3 will scan the surrounding area and produce a list of all the wireless access points in range. If you have an AOSS (AirStation One-Touch Secure System) router, select Automatic instead. Select your access point from the list and press the X button. If you're not sure which SSID is yours, check with the person you set up your router. Confirm your SSID and press the X button. Select the security type that your router uses and press the X button again. You may need to ask the network administrator for the appropriate information. Enter the necessary security key information and press the Start button; then, press the Right Arrow button to move to the next screen. The security key will always look like eight asterisks (*) regardless of how long the security key actually is. Enter any additional security information required by your router, and then press X to save the settings. This will store the settings on your PlayStation 3 permanently, so that next time you just have to choose your network and you're ready to go. Press the X button again to test the network. Your PS3 will attempt to connect to the Internet. You should see Succeeded beside each attempt. If you receive a failed signal, turn everything off and try the set up again. Select Network on the XMB. You’ll need to go back to the home menu. Select Internet Browser and press the X button. You can now browse the Internet to your heart’s content.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Use your PlayStation 3 console to stream Netflix movies straight to your TV. When you combine the PlayStation 3's built-in high-definition Blu-Ray disc player with a high-speed Internet connection and enough hard drive space to store thousands of movies, you have the perfect setup for streaming Netflix movies. The only other thing you need to get started is an unlimited Netflix account and a free Blu-Ray streaming media disc. Ensure that your PS3 can connect to the Internet. You'll want to have already set up your Network Settings before you begin to use Netflix. Using a PC or a smart phone, go to the Netflix’s PS3 page. You'll need to log in using your Netflix account. If you don't have one, click the Not a member? link to sign up for one. You'll receive an email message telling you that your streaming Blu-ray disc is on the way. (It should take about two days to arrive.) Meanwhile, you can start loading your instant rental Queue with titles you want to watch. There is a monthly fee for streaming media content. When your disc arrives, turn on the PS3, connect to your network, and load the Blu-ray disc into the PS3. You'll need to use your PC to activate your PS3 to work with your Netflix account. On your PC, go to Netflix’s PlayStation 3 page and log in. Click the Watch Instantly tab. You'll see an activation code in the orange box. If you don’t see the PS3, go back and check to make sure that your PS3 is on and that the streaming Blu-Ray disc is loaded. In the activation code box on your PS3, enter the code from the web page. Press Activate in the orange box on the PC's Netflix screen. Your PC screen will change to tell you that the activation was successful and your PS3 will display the items you've already loaded in your instant Queue. On your PS3, scroll through the available titles in the queue. Select a title and press the X button. The video details page appears giving you a description of the video and the option to play the video, remove it from the queue, or give it a rating. If it is a television program, you’ll also have the option to choose a different episode. You can also select the New Arrivals tab to add more movies and television shows to your queue. Select Play and press X to begin watching a video. If you choose a television series, you'll select Play Episode instead. The faster your Internet connection the better the video will stream. If you're image quality isn't good, see if there's anything you can do to improve your Internet connection.