Topic: PS3 Games and System Preservation! (and a bit of PSP/Vita as well)

So I started this "project" since support has ended and I guess the servers may kick the backet soon. I want to avoid using hacks.

The ultimate goal is to preserve my digital games and updates for my games that are not on PSN.
Since PS3 is slower than a snail it will take a while. For example a simple back up can take up to 15+ hours.
Seems that I have some delisted games like TMNT, Outrun, Castle of Illusion MD version etc that I don't want to loose.
The major problem is you can't sort the download list or filter PSP and Vita games out. It says I have ~3000 items and scrolling, downloading and installing is a PAIN!!! Most of the time the scroll stops and it moves you in the top!!!

The first step is having all games downloaded and saved, idially in two HDD.
For this I will swap my WD 750GB 7200rpm HDD with a Sandisk hybrid ssd 1TB I already had. I thought of buying a "good" ssd but I think is not worth it at this point since I will not use the console a lot.

The second step I thought it would be to have my PSP and Vita games downloaded since I have some delisted ones like Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter but since an update YOU CANNOT PUT PSP/VITA GAMES IN FOLDERS. I don't like them lying around in the OS so I will move them to my PSP/Vita and move them to a PC for safekeeping and delete them for the PS3.

Third and final step: make a-z folders to put the games. YOU CANNOT SORT PS3 GAMES ALPHABETICALLY for some stupid reason.

Some questions in case anyone knows:
In any case has anyone found a "proper" way to browse the PS3 library via PC? and sent the games to download?
Does anyone know the hdd limit that the PS3 supports? I think (since PSP/Vita will be deleted) that 1TB will be enough but I thought I could ask. Googling leads to contadictions.
Also has anyone experience with an SSD in PS3? Seems that it will be a waste but I would like to know since reception is mixed.

As a final note you can still back up your Vita to the PS3 with the back up showing discretely in the beginning of the game menu but again my vita stuff is ~500GB so if you cannot put a 2TB HDD in PS3 it is out of the question.

@KratosMD sees Silent Hill HD and immediately has an aneurysm because they’re the worst ports in gaming history

@KratosMD I think I would rather never play the game than go through those ports again. Even crap PCs can run the Silent Hill 2 PC port’s fan remaster, which is the best version of the game by a country mile.

To be honest I cannot think, from the top of my head, any other game that is broken before the updates except Silent Hill HD. A lot have updates but seem minor.

Another think that bothers me is, lets say I have my games in HDDs, what happens when the console kicks the bucket? It it not that I buy another, put the HDD in and it works? Or does it?

This is why my PS3 is jailbroken. When even the games I bought are hard to preserve, might as well turn to grey area ways of keeping the files.

@KratosMD To answer my own question it is not possible. Each ps3 hdd is encrypted with a per-console key. PS3 forces you to format any hdd without it.

It is a mess to preserve the PS3 it seems. If the system fails after the servers close you are screwed.

@belmont props for your adventure mate!

Would love to have the maintain the enthusiasm, had a brief stint on PS1, playing the snes/Nes minis and going back to the DS for twenty minutes but with so many new games it's hard to keep up.

As for backing up old systems and cataloguing the games. The software preservation society would probably be a better place for advice http://www.softpres.org/home

They mainly deal with old games from the 80s and 90s but have scope and knowledgeable people who can help more than a mere ps4 gamer ever could.

@belmont

It was my understanding that 1TB is the maximum supported drive. Up to 2TB can work, but is dependent on model of drive and whether you are running CFW or not.

I recently put a 480GB SSD in my Super Slim. This was partly to help prolong the lifespan. I’ve had one PS3 die on me and this one is a new replacement from Sony and I’d like to keep it working as long as possible and hopefully even a minor reduction in running temperature might help it last a little longer.

I also wanted to upgrade to improve performance. It’s only minor, but you do notice quieter running and slightly reduced loading times. Also, RAGE is one of my favourite games, which I often come back to, and the improved megatexture streaming is quite noticeable with SSD.

I now recall I was prompted to upgrade after a bizarre system freeze that seems to have fried a DualShock 3. I don’t know if this was due to the system being stuck on a “Play TV is currently recording” screen for about 24 hours (I didn’t even realise that software was still installed and would definitely have no scheduled recordings as it hadn’t been used in years) or accidentally plugging the wrong voltage power adapter into a USB hub. It’s likely the latter, but still can’t figure out exactly what went wrong with the controller.

Some PS3 games from my collection that I saw had updates except Silent Hill HD

Bayonetta
Casstlevania: Lords of Shadow
Final Fantasy 13: Lightning Returns
Injustice
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (big update, added trophies)
Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeros
Metal Gear Solid The Phantom Pain
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe
Valkyria Chronicles
White Knight Chronicles
White Knight Chronicles 2
Zone of the Enders HD

Some are reduntant due to PS4 ports.
My project is almost done. I still have to download some games.