Emotion Engine + GS Chip in PS3

So it's better to have it in your PS3 to play PS2 games better, but is it ideal overall? In terms of the PS3 running overall (heat generated for having another chip etc.)

Also is it still possible to get these PS3s new? I know the Euro version doesn't have it, but what about NTSC ones 

I think the PS3s you'd find in the store now would still have the EE chip (GS is still in it), but the newest ones may not have it. Time is certainly running out.

My bet is that with time and firmware updates, they're going to disable the EE & GS- I don't think it will be possible to upscale PS2 games using the actual PS2 hardware, but maybe. 

Well obviously the Euro versions never had it.

What I was trying to say that the ones on the shelf probably have the EE chip, depending on how long they've been there. But it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the newest of the new ones are without it. It seems like a crapshoot to me.

Since you seem awfully concerned, my suggestion would be to go to the UK PS3 site and search the games that you want to play- you might find that all of the games you wanted to continue playing work fine.

But I don't think anyone's published a bar-code to differentiate which ones have it and which ones don't. Sorry. 

After my experience with how awful the software emulation that allows you to play Xbox one titles on the 360 is, I hope Sony never takes the EE chip out of the American units.

But, I know they are going to so I'm gonna keep my launch unit as long as I possibly can.