Support for the PlayStation 3 keeps shrinking: Crunchyroll pulled its app in 2022, Plex followed in 2023, and Netflix left in March 2026. But Engadget argues the hardware is not ready for retirement. Two decades and 87 million units later, the machine still handles physical media and home streaming without modifications.
Out of the box, it plays audio CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays, and can upscale DVDs to 1080p over HDMI. It also supports DLNA, so owners can stream movies and music from a PC on the same network, or use a FAT32 USB drive with VIDEO, MUSIC, and PICTURES folders. The main caveats are a 4GB file-size cap and limited native codec support, which third-party software like Universal Media Server can address by converting files in real time.
For music collections, the console imports CDs to its hard drive at up to 320 kbps MP3 or AAC, with lossy quality and some copy-protected discs unsupported. For owners who would rather cash out, Engadget notes there are still buyers and several routes for selling the console. Those keeping it can also run retro emulators, but only on jailbroken consoles, which violates Sony's terms and risks bricking the system.