Software emulating older-generation game consoles is reportedly already up and running on the PlayStation 3, thanks to an obviously eager gaggle of early purchasers and their endevours. MAME and NES emulators are said to be fully functionality, with sites such as YouTube carrying videos of what purports to be games like Pac-Man and Super running on Sony's next-generation system.

The emulators are apparently enabled by Fedora Linux, an OS application for the which is available now, and which the homebrew community has taken particular interest in. Of course this is all possible because the emulators were previously developed for Linux, which it now appears could be a key feature of the PS3's abilities. Quite what and other gaming firms will make of the ability to play potentially illegal titles on the system remains to be seen, it is also worth noting.

Reports suggest the emulators can't access the core processing power of the PS3, which prevents the latest games from being emulated... that said, older titles like Mario would certainly appeal to many gamers - despite the naughty nature of the emulation - especially given that both and plan to sell classics in the Mario vein via the and Live Arcade.

For their part, Sony's own download service will be all about original new titles, and ports from the and PS2, leaving the platform holder potentially less concerned than their rivals. More on this as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge