Summary
- The PS1 version of Tekken 3 is effectively stuck on the console.
- Other Tekken games are available on PS5, but Tekken 3 remains absent.
- Fans hope for a re-release of Tekken 3 on modern platforms.
Unfortunately, Tekken 3, the critically-acclaimed fighting game that is in fact the 23rd highest-rated game of all time, is still trapped on the PS1, for all intents and purposes. Tekken 3 first hit arcades in 1997 before making its way to PlayStation 1 in 1998. The PS1 version of Tekken 3 is remembered fondly to this day, but actually playing it is a difficult prospect.
What makes the lack of Tekken 3 on modern consoles especially frustrating is that there are multiple old-school Tekken games readily available to play on PS5 right now. The PS5's backward compatibility means that it can play the PS4 Tekken games, plus the PS3-era Tekken 6 is available through PS Plus Premium. Not only that, but Tekken 2 is on PS Plus Premium as well, and it's even available as a standalone purchase on PS4 and PS5. The original Tekken, also highly-regarded, has not been added to PS Plus Premium yet, let alone the beloved Tekken 3. However, the original Tekken is at least available on PS3 as a PS1 Classic, as is Tekken 2, though Tekken 3 was never afforded the same courtesy.
Tekken 3 Deserves to Be Playable on Modern Consoles
It's unclear exactly why Tekken 3 has remained trapped on the PS1, but there is at least some hope that it will eventually get the re-release it deserves. While the original Tekken game has not been added to PS Plus Premium yet, Tekken 2 has, and so one has to imagine that there has at least been some discussion about bringing the other PS1 Tekken games to the platform as well. Plus, the fact that Tekken 3 is on the PS1 Classic console does show that Bandai Namco can be convinced to do something with the classic game.
Of course, Tekken 3 isn't the only Tekken trapped on older hardware. And with 2025 marking the 30th anniversary of the Tekken series on PlayStation consoles, it seems like the perfect opportunity for Bandai Namco to give fans the chance to play all the classic games, Tekken 3 included. Even if that doesn't happen, though, fans can at least look forward to new content for the latest entry in the series, Tekken 8.
- Released
- March 20, 1997
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
- Namco
- Publisher(s)
- Namco
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
An ancient evil force has reawakened, attacking in secret and feeding on the souls of mighty warriors. To lure it out of hiding will take the greatest fighting contest the world has ever seen... Tekken 3! Some are fighting for revenge, some for honor. Ultimately, all are fighting for their lives and the fate of all mankind.
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Tekken
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
