10 things you (probably) never knew your PlayStation could do

Ah, the sweet sound of the PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2 starting up is imbedded in our gaming memories, but there are some things that seem to have eluded us.

1. PS4 controllers can be used as a pseudo-mouse on PC.

Yep, the touchpad on your PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 controller can be used as a mouse when connected to your computer. Most people prefer the Xbox controller for PC gaming, but you can use your PlayStation controller to scroll and even left/right click! This may come in handy for older, emulated PC games.

2. Any PlayStation 3 can play your PlayStation 1 games.

A small amount of backwards compatible PlayStation 3 consoles were made and were a gift for early buyers. Not many people are aware that any PlayStation 3 can still play your PlayStation 1 games. So, pop in Final Fantasy VII and enjoy the Chocobo races!

3. You can delete your PlayStation trophy progress on PlayStation 5.

Have you ever felt the need to delete your platinum trophy for Demon’s Souls? Are you that much of a masochist? Well, you can if you desire. On PlayStation 5, you can delete any trophy you wish.

4. Early PlayStation 3 consoles could connect to your printer.

Yes, that is right; if you had an early PlayStation 3 console, you could connect it to a printer via a wireless connection and print directly from the console!

5. PlayStation 3 consoles support up to 8 players locally.

Why is the question I am asking myself while typing this. The PlayStation 4 and 5 support up to 4 players, but the PlayStation 3 had the wild idea to have 8 people crammed on a couch for who knows what.

6. PSP internet radio.

The PlayStation Portable had its own radio station. Using internet radio/Shoutcast, players were granted to ability to rock out on their PSP or PlayStation Vita. Apparently, some users claimed this feature was still working in 2019!

7. The PlayStation Vita had a Near feature to view your community

I, personally, loved the Vita. I was sad the mobile gaming system’s lifespan was cut short. It had a social media feature called Near, allowing you to see who was playing nearby. You could even leave gifts and people could grab them by visiting that location.

8. Automatic downloads from your other devices.

If you are at work counting the hours to get home and play a brand-new game, you can knock out a task well ahead of time. You can buy a PlayStation game on your phone and have it download directly to your PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 while you are away.

9. You can play PlayStation 1 games on a CD player.

Well, it’s not exactly as you think. You cannot control the game via some weird controller, listening to it. Instead, you could pop a PlayStation 1 game into a CD player and listen to audio tracks from the game! So, on long car rides you could blow your friends’ minds by saying “let’s listen to something different…how about Crash Bandicoot?”.

10. Shareplay works gloriously on PlayStation 4 and 5.

This feature allows you to see what your friends are currently playing and lets you take over control if applicable. It’s the digital age of asking your big brother to help you beat a level, while he’s away at college, even.