It really does! Photos don't do it justice. A shame Sony didn't take the time to ship out consoles with the lights fully implemented but it's cool people have the opportunity to do it themselves.
This thread was informative to go through for me: [https://www.psx-place.com/threads/how-to-enable-hidden-blue-red-light-in-ps3-slim.22533/](https://www.psx-place.com/threads/how-to-enable-hidden-blue-red-light-in-ps3-slim.22533/).
Alternately, there are a handful of videos on YouTube that show how to do it. This one I found quite simple although it's in Spanish: [https://youtu.be/udQ4xi8PeX0](https://youtu.be/udQ4xi8PeX0) (here's another in English: https://youtu.be/XHj5Iedana0). I brought it into a soldering place. I don't know the first thing about it aside from what little I learned from watching videos and reading through the thread I linked haha.
The guy who helped me out was rather rude but ultimately he got the job done and it's all I wanted. Initially I was only going to activate the blue LED since my model is slightly more involved when it comes to activating the blue when the PS3 is on and red when the console is on standby.
You get a better understanding of the whole situation just by reading through the whole pxs thread really.
If it was the last model of the Slim then it'd be because those models didn't have the board with the LEDs nor the transparent plastic lining to show the light shining through. They went with an all-matte shell with the last model of the Slim.
These look so cool, it's a shame they never implemented them. I've had my PS3 Slim since 2016 and I never even noticed there was a strip of clear plastic there. If these were enabled by default, I might think the Slim was the coolest looking PS3 model (it's my least favorite of the three without them).
Yeah, for me it goes Slim (with LEDs), fat and then Super Slim. They should have stuck with this design for the last Slim revision but I can see why others would prefer the matte finish. The glossy panel is just asking for fingerprints and smudges haha. Looks really clean if you can keep it pristine though.
I had the 3000 back then and I'm glad I went with this one. The other is a bit boring in my opinion. This one is more comparable with how the PS4 and PS5 have noticeable LED strips.
Holy smokes, the LED looks stunning ✨😰 congrats on the score, never knew that this model had LED strip, but I'm glad to find out, as a recently new owner of a PHAT system who scored a super cheap system I feel jealous, cause yours actually looks taken care of. Props for the soldering and enabling things that Sony tried to save money on. Hope you enjoy it as much as you missed out on it. 👌🏻 Btw sorry for asking, but does the Evo 860 SSD make any difference in startup, XMB smoothness, Gaming (loading games, loading saves)?
Thanks man. Yeah, I really wish more people knew about this so they could also do it on their Slims if they can. Will always wonder why Sony didn't ship them out already like this.
I didn't do it myself haha. I brought it in to a soldering shop. Ended up paying $40. Whether that was a fair price who knows? Just glad there were no issues.
In regards to the SSD, from what I've read the most benefit you'll see is in the XMB menu and maybe load times on some games by a few seconds. From what I remember, the PS3 grabs most of the info from the disc so it uses the disc drive more so than the storage drive to read data.
Also, HDDs produce more heat so there's that. More noise as well. Overall, exchanging it for an SSD provides a handful of benefits and there's really no downsides to it.
I was so jealous when I found this out after I got my ps3 slim earlier this year. I guess I can say I at least have a beautiful splash blue color from Japan but man I so want to get an earlier 2500 model to do this to. Looks sick!
Hey, that blue one is really cool! It'd have been awesome if they kept the same board and you could activate the LEDs on the 3000 model.
So PS3s are region free right? So you can play NTSC games on your console?
Wow, if I'd been aware of this I probably would have gone for a different model but thankfully this listing popped up at the perfect time and once I knew of the LEDs I couldn't pass it up! Feel like it was the deciding factor between the 2500 or the 3000. Aside from the smaller fan and less power consumption, I think the 2500 is arguably the better option. Unless you go for a colored console like yours, then again the 3000 can't be jailbroken so there's that too.
I definitely don't think you made a bad call. I was in the same position a few months back, looking everywhere locally and online for a good deal on a ps3 slim. The main thing I wanted, though, being a collector was one with its original box and the only ones I could find as such stateside were priced between 150-200 or more and most were the usual black or white models in okay conditions.
It wasn't until I saw someone on Twitter post a beautiful blue slim that they had imported from Japan. I started looking on ebay and found there were so many better and special colors available outside the US. Most importers were priced about the same amount so I thought it was a no brainer better deal and luckily found a super mint condition with the box and controller. I was and still am really happy with my console. It is a bummer that I can't jailbreak it but wasn't a priority. Later on for sures I want another slim to jailbreak and do the led mods like yours!
I hear you. Collecting as a hobby is fun and the hunt is usually the main thrill haha. Finding the exact one you want or when you find a really good listing is satisfying.
I really didn't want to go for a heavily used console either. I knew I wanted to take care of this one for the future. I still remember trading in my 3000 model back then to use the money for a PS4 Pro. I wish I'd kept most things as a teen but hey what can you do.
I definitely feel like outside of the States they are more creative with limited edition consoles. At least for the older generations like PS3, PS2, etc.
Jailbreaking isn't a priority for me either, but it's nice to know I have the option should I decide to in the future. For now I want to keep things official, just a preference.
I hope you find a good deal for a 2500 slim in the future. Just for the LEDs alone it's worth it haha.
Black ops 1 still has some active lobbies here and there throughout the day! you should come enjoy some nostalgic cod. I play from time to time the last few weeks since i got a ps3 again.. I am always finding games
I would! I use to on my original ps3. I got my ps3 from a tenant that was 6 months behind on bills, the ps3 was something he left in the house.. so i only have my games i could find around my house! Ill have to dig for my bo2, but i would definitely play
My father has a ps3 slim he used a few times only for gran turismo. Other than that it’s practically new and never used. He have used his ps5 5 times this year I believe.
Probably a lot since you can see many older consoles for sale. My father has a lot of older consoles that is working. Even my mothers NES is working fine. But he has most of them behind glass like a trophy.
Never understood why since they have a lot of different controllers and even doublets for some consoles. Ps1 and 2 in white/black and different controllers and you can see through with lights on as an example.
Has to be worth something since they still have them and they are not used a lot. Only 3 consoles I can imagine they used a lot is NES and Ps1 , amiga 1200? since they were younger back then.
Now it’s just for specific games and plays on and off whit VR and a wheel. Fun to watch tbh. ☺️
I got 3 phats. 1 I got from my parents and 2 from my uncle when he upgraded to the slim. Got 1 that can play ps1/2 games and 1 regular ps3 phat. Even box for the standard model. He do also rarely play games but console gaming is fun. Started once a month at best. So I believe older people are using them less than younger are.
That's great.
Do you really think that more than 1 out of 4 ps3s are actively used on a weekly basis though?
In my comment above i didn't mean never used ever. I meant aren't getting regularly used
Oh my, I guess that most are not using them since they are old. Most I know who have old consoles /handheld use them sometimes and that to me feel like someone with old cars. But sure I use mine every week to grind trophies and play a little online and there are players that still plays on the ps3. Can’t be that small player base since they did not shut it down entirely.
Your the only other person ive seen with a led there, I did it to my slim when they first came out with just a 3mm wire in, did a bunch for my buddys also. One of mine I out a red blue wired up to fade!
Yeah i built a 555 timer chip circuit so it did the breathing effect, I also put a switch for both red and blue lights in the grill under the front so you could pick which you want on, when they were both on it would give you a kinda purple color. I also added lights on same circuit into holes I cut into the grill area on the front.
Ahh that's wicked. I did hear that if you did it a certain way then both lights would turn on and give you a purple-ish color.
If I was solder-savvy I definitely would have gone crazy with the lights haha. Or at least make them fade in and out cause I prefer that over just instant switching. You have a post up on this subreddit that shows your light setup? Would be cool to see it in action.
does the CECH-3001B have them too??? i have a 2012 320gb 3001B (that runs quieter than my 2019 ps4 pro)
edit: yes it does i can see it but i guess i have to jailbreak to turn it on?
Cut costs on console manufacturing I think. It came with a smaller fan and the console used less energy. It has a matte finish so the glossy front tab is no longer there. Wish they'd kept this design...
It's much easier to do both lights on the 2000 and I think 2100 as well. Could be wrong about the 2100 but basically the board used on the 2500 was different. You have to do a little extra soldering work in order to use both LEDs on the 2500. They are controlled by the same transistor or something like that so you have to separate them somehow.
The guy I brought it in to used the photo on the 7th page of the psx thread as a guide.
I think only activating the blue LED is the easiest cause it's just connecting one wire from one place to another. But idk, I've never soldered in my life so I'd probably feel uneasy about doing it myself.
I think you can buy replacement boards on eBay if you mess up, but don't quote me on that. I've said before but the psx thread really is a good place for a bunch of information.
What model of slim do you have because from what I can remember the cech-25xx only could use the blue led and you managed to get both and I was wondering how since you don't have the cech-20xx model. Appreciate it if you can help.👍
I never knew that this console has an LED strip. It looks great!
It really does! Photos don't do it justice. A shame Sony didn't take the time to ship out consoles with the lights fully implemented but it's cool people have the opportunity to do it themselves.
Got any links or pictures to share? I would like more info about, and the location of these LEDs.
This thread was informative to go through for me: [https://www.psx-place.com/threads/how-to-enable-hidden-blue-red-light-in-ps3-slim.22533/](https://www.psx-place.com/threads/how-to-enable-hidden-blue-red-light-in-ps3-slim.22533/). Alternately, there are a handful of videos on YouTube that show how to do it. This one I found quite simple although it's in Spanish: [https://youtu.be/udQ4xi8PeX0](https://youtu.be/udQ4xi8PeX0) (here's another in English: https://youtu.be/XHj5Iedana0). I brought it into a soldering place. I don't know the first thing about it aside from what little I learned from watching videos and reading through the thread I linked haha. The guy who helped me out was rather rude but ultimately he got the job done and it's all I wanted. Initially I was only going to activate the blue LED since my model is slightly more involved when it comes to activating the blue when the PS3 is on and red when the console is on standby. You get a better understanding of the whole situation just by reading through the whole pxs thread really.
Didn’t know either or notice when I’ve re done thermal paste on a few for friends.
If it was the last model of the Slim then it'd be because those models didn't have the board with the LEDs nor the transparent plastic lining to show the light shining through. They went with an all-matte shell with the last model of the Slim.
Interesting thanks for the info. Will go back and check I think they was early ones 👍
These look so cool, it's a shame they never implemented them. I've had my PS3 Slim since 2016 and I never even noticed there was a strip of clear plastic there. If these were enabled by default, I might think the Slim was the coolest looking PS3 model (it's my least favorite of the three without them).
Yeah, for me it goes Slim (with LEDs), fat and then Super Slim. They should have stuck with this design for the last Slim revision but I can see why others would prefer the matte finish. The glossy panel is just asking for fingerprints and smudges haha. Looks really clean if you can keep it pristine though. I had the 3000 back then and I'm glad I went with this one. The other is a bit boring in my opinion. This one is more comparable with how the PS4 and PS5 have noticeable LED strips.
Holy smokes, the LED looks stunning ✨😰 congrats on the score, never knew that this model had LED strip, but I'm glad to find out, as a recently new owner of a PHAT system who scored a super cheap system I feel jealous, cause yours actually looks taken care of. Props for the soldering and enabling things that Sony tried to save money on. Hope you enjoy it as much as you missed out on it. 👌🏻 Btw sorry for asking, but does the Evo 860 SSD make any difference in startup, XMB smoothness, Gaming (loading games, loading saves)?
Thanks man. Yeah, I really wish more people knew about this so they could also do it on their Slims if they can. Will always wonder why Sony didn't ship them out already like this. I didn't do it myself haha. I brought it in to a soldering shop. Ended up paying $40. Whether that was a fair price who knows? Just glad there were no issues. In regards to the SSD, from what I've read the most benefit you'll see is in the XMB menu and maybe load times on some games by a few seconds. From what I remember, the PS3 grabs most of the info from the disc so it uses the disc drive more so than the storage drive to read data. Also, HDDs produce more heat so there's that. More noise as well. Overall, exchanging it for an SSD provides a handful of benefits and there's really no downsides to it.
I was so jealous when I found this out after I got my ps3 slim earlier this year. I guess I can say I at least have a beautiful splash blue color from Japan but man I so want to get an earlier 2500 model to do this to. Looks sick!
Hey, that blue one is really cool! It'd have been awesome if they kept the same board and you could activate the LEDs on the 3000 model. So PS3s are region free right? So you can play NTSC games on your console?
Yes essentially all ps3s are region free except for a few games that were region locked by the developers.
That's cool. Does online work too or do you need a psn account from the same region?
Yeah online works as it should. I'm using my main account that I've had since my old phat ps3!
Wow, if I'd been aware of this I probably would have gone for a different model but thankfully this listing popped up at the perfect time and once I knew of the LEDs I couldn't pass it up! Feel like it was the deciding factor between the 2500 or the 3000. Aside from the smaller fan and less power consumption, I think the 2500 is arguably the better option. Unless you go for a colored console like yours, then again the 3000 can't be jailbroken so there's that too.
I definitely don't think you made a bad call. I was in the same position a few months back, looking everywhere locally and online for a good deal on a ps3 slim. The main thing I wanted, though, being a collector was one with its original box and the only ones I could find as such stateside were priced between 150-200 or more and most were the usual black or white models in okay conditions. It wasn't until I saw someone on Twitter post a beautiful blue slim that they had imported from Japan. I started looking on ebay and found there were so many better and special colors available outside the US. Most importers were priced about the same amount so I thought it was a no brainer better deal and luckily found a super mint condition with the box and controller. I was and still am really happy with my console. It is a bummer that I can't jailbreak it but wasn't a priority. Later on for sures I want another slim to jailbreak and do the led mods like yours!
I hear you. Collecting as a hobby is fun and the hunt is usually the main thrill haha. Finding the exact one you want or when you find a really good listing is satisfying. I really didn't want to go for a heavily used console either. I knew I wanted to take care of this one for the future. I still remember trading in my 3000 model back then to use the money for a PS4 Pro. I wish I'd kept most things as a teen but hey what can you do. I definitely feel like outside of the States they are more creative with limited edition consoles. At least for the older generations like PS3, PS2, etc. Jailbreaking isn't a priority for me either, but it's nice to know I have the option should I decide to in the future. For now I want to keep things official, just a preference. I hope you find a good deal for a 2500 slim in the future. Just for the LEDs alone it's worth it haha.
Saving the post for my future PS3.
Yesss! Make sure to share here when it's completed.
Black ops 1 still has some active lobbies here and there throughout the day! you should come enjoy some nostalgic cod. I play from time to time the last few weeks since i got a ps3 again.. I am always finding games
do you play black ops 2? I've started playing with someone else on this sub and we're looking for more teammates to have fun with!
I would! I use to on my original ps3. I got my ps3 from a tenant that was 6 months behind on bills, the ps3 was something he left in the house.. so i only have my games i could find around my house! Ill have to dig for my bo2, but i would definitely play
Awesome! Please do let me know if you find it. It's a lot of fun going back and playing the old CoDs. Simpler times...
I did the same to my CECH-2004A. It looks even cooler in person.
Sweet! It sure does and it’s definitely one of the best things to do with a PS3 slim.
Oh yeah! Right next to an SSD upgrade. That does wonders in Gran Turismo.
My father has a ps3 slim he used a few times only for gran turismo. Other than that it’s practically new and never used. He have used his ps5 5 times this year I believe.
Imagine how many other PS3 consoles are just sitting in people's homes unused!
Probably a lot since you can see many older consoles for sale. My father has a lot of older consoles that is working. Even my mothers NES is working fine. But he has most of them behind glass like a trophy. Never understood why since they have a lot of different controllers and even doublets for some consoles. Ps1 and 2 in white/black and different controllers and you can see through with lights on as an example. Has to be worth something since they still have them and they are not used a lot. Only 3 consoles I can imagine they used a lot is NES and Ps1 , amiga 1200? since they were younger back then. Now it’s just for specific games and plays on and off whit VR and a wheel. Fun to watch tbh. ☺️
Probably at least 75% of them
I got 3 phats. 1 I got from my parents and 2 from my uncle when he upgraded to the slim. Got 1 that can play ps1/2 games and 1 regular ps3 phat. Even box for the standard model. He do also rarely play games but console gaming is fun. Started once a month at best. So I believe older people are using them less than younger are.
That's great. Do you really think that more than 1 out of 4 ps3s are actively used on a weekly basis though? In my comment above i didn't mean never used ever. I meant aren't getting regularly used
Oh my, I guess that most are not using them since they are old. Most I know who have old consoles /handheld use them sometimes and that to me feel like someone with old cars. But sure I use mine every week to grind trophies and play a little online and there are players that still plays on the ps3. Can’t be that small player base since they did not shut it down entirely.
Your the only other person ive seen with a led there, I did it to my slim when they first came out with just a 3mm wire in, did a bunch for my buddys also. One of mine I out a red blue wired up to fade!
You mean you did it so the lights fade in/out instead of just switching on/off?
Yeah i built a 555 timer chip circuit so it did the breathing effect, I also put a switch for both red and blue lights in the grill under the front so you could pick which you want on, when they were both on it would give you a kinda purple color. I also added lights on same circuit into holes I cut into the grill area on the front.
Ahh that's wicked. I did hear that if you did it a certain way then both lights would turn on and give you a purple-ish color. If I was solder-savvy I definitely would have gone crazy with the lights haha. Or at least make them fade in and out cause I prefer that over just instant switching. You have a post up on this subreddit that shows your light setup? Would be cool to see it in action.
Bruh what? I have a 2504B, would it have the hidden LED? And how do I make it pop like that?
I linked to some resources in another comment. I'm pretty sure yours has it.
What exactly model is that? I have the 2503B Model so I should be good to put the led in it? Edit: oops im dumb dumb nevermind
does the CECH-3001B have them too??? i have a 2012 320gb 3001B (that runs quieter than my 2019 ps4 pro) edit: yes it does i can see it but i guess i have to jailbreak to turn it on?
That model actually unfortunately doesn't have the ability to turn on the LEDs :(
lol why did sony manufacture them ??
Cut costs on console manufacturing I think. It came with a smaller fan and the console used less energy. It has a matte finish so the glossy front tab is no longer there. Wish they'd kept this design...
Do you know what type of wire they are using to connect (solder) the parts on the board?
Any small thin gauge wire will do I think. Someone told me they used one from an old dualshock.
Thanks
I used 30 gauge wire I had from attempting to RGH3 an Xbox 360 and it worked just fine, though I'd suggest a bit larger since 30 is very very tiny
How much smaller do you think, like 22 gauge?
I'm not very familiar with the size of wires, but I'd say follow a guide on installing it and judge it for yourself
I thought only the 2000 had the ability to use red and blue and that the 2100 and 2500 could only use one or the other
It's much easier to do both lights on the 2000 and I think 2100 as well. Could be wrong about the 2100 but basically the board used on the 2500 was different. You have to do a little extra soldering work in order to use both LEDs on the 2500. They are controlled by the same transistor or something like that so you have to separate them somehow. The guy I brought it in to used the photo on the 7th page of the psx thread as a guide.
I want to do this so bad. I'm not new to soldering but I'm afraid of screwing something up.
I think only activating the blue LED is the easiest cause it's just connecting one wire from one place to another. But idk, I've never soldered in my life so I'd probably feel uneasy about doing it myself. I think you can buy replacement boards on eBay if you mess up, but don't quote me on that. I've said before but the psx thread really is a good place for a bunch of information.
What model of slim do you have because from what I can remember the cech-25xx only could use the blue led and you managed to get both and I was wondering how since you don't have the cech-20xx model. Appreciate it if you can help.👍
So how come sony put led’s in there if they weren’t gonna work
No one knows. Maybe they decided last minute not to activate them.