The PlayStation 3 briefly made buying a console a way to buy a Linux computer

Published Nov 8, 2026, 1:30 PM EST Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. There has been a lot of talk lately about people getting the PS5 to run Linux, and what it could mean for piracy on the system. Weirdly enough, this isn't the first time we've seen Sony's console run a Linux kernel. The PS3 was one such example, and it was so good that people even chained together thousands of the consoles to create a supercomputer. The PS3 originally came with a special OS built into it It was intended to be used all along Unlike the PS5 debacle, the PS3 was originally intended to run other operating systems. It came with something called OtherOS built into it, which let users boot into Linux distros. Sony never explicitly declared why OtherOS was included, but a prevalent theory is that Sony wanted to dodge high EU import taxes on consoles by claiming the PS3 was a computer instead. After all, you could plug in a keyboard and mouse and theoretically use it as a computer. If you're not a fan of theories, there is solid proof that Sony wanted the PS3 to be more like a computer than a console, regardless of if it wanted to do so to dodge tariffs. Ken Kutaragi called it a "computer for the purpose of entertainment," and part of the reason why was that it was packing a special Cell Processor. Despite the PS3's $599 price tag becoming a meme for being so expensive, it was estimated to cost around $840 to build, meaning Sony lost money on every console sold. So, in a way, you actually got quite a good deal if you used it as a PC. People began linking up thousands of PS3s to create a supercomputer It proved the console could, actually, be a proper computer So, people got their PS3s, used OtherOS to get Linux on it, then enjoyed a mighty computer for quite a bit less than what they'd usually have to pay for it. Then an idea started forming: if PS3s were essentially cheap but powerful computers, one could achieve a lot by getting a ton of consoles and making them work in sync. They were cheap enough to purchase in bulk, yet powerful enough to perform some impressive feats when working in tandem. The biggest example was called the Condor Cluster. It was owned by the US Air Force and contained a whopping 1,760 consoles, all working together as one. At the time, it was the 33rd biggest supercomputer in the world, which isn't bad for what's essentially thousands of consoles strapped together. Because of the PS5's graphical capabilities, the US Air Force found it was very useful for analyzing high-resolution satellite imagery and radar, and that was the Condor Cluster's main job. In fact, as it turns out, that originally memed-on $599 price tag was actually a steal when building a supercomputer: The Condor Cluster project began four years ago, when PlayStation consoles cost about $400 each. At the same time, comparable technology would have cost about $10,000 per unit. Overall, the PS3s for the supercomputer's core cost about $2 million. According to AFRL Director of High Power Computing Mark Barnell, that cost is about 5-10% of the cost of an equivalent system built with off-the-shelf computer parts. Unfortunately, as we're discovering with the PS5 fiasco, giving people control over a console's operating system doesn't end well for the company. Threats of piracy caused Sony to revert course People were finding ways to break into the console In 2010, a hacker known as George Hotz (aka GeoHot) made an announcement. They claimed they had used OtherOS to install Linux and hack the PS3's hypervisor. This was bad, as it meant the system was, essentially, ripe for piracy to thrive on. So, Sony did the only thing it could; it sent out a firmware patch that killed off OtherOS and ensured no new consoles had the feature. It was a safe call for Sony, but it caused chaos for everyone using OtherOS for legitimate purposes, like, for instance, the US Air Force. Now, whenever a console in the cluster died, the Air Force couldn't just buy a new PS3, as the newer models didn't have OtherOS. They had to trawl the secondary market for consoles that still had OtherOS functionality and use those instead. The cluster lived until 2015, when it was dismantled. Sony was then hit with a lawsuit, which was settled in 2016 with the company paying out $55 to anyone who could prove they used the console for its OtherOS functionality. People who could prove they bought the PS3 to use OtherOS, but never actually used it, could claim $9 instead.