If you currently own a older PlayStation 3 model and are thinking of moving to the new PS3 Slim, there are a few things you should know. There are some advantages and disadvantages with the new console, though it depends on how you intend to use it. Firstly, the new model is obviously smaller and lighter than the older models and it’s also more energy efficient, saving you some money on your electricity bill if you are a regular gamer. There are also other issues to consider.
Files can be imported or exported using many digital storage formats, including external hard drives and USB drives (FAT 16/32 format only). If you have a launch PS3 model, you can also use a selection of memory cards, including Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro Duo, SD cards, Compact Flash.
Simply insert the memory card/device and wait for the PlayStation 3 to detect the media. Select the item you would like to copy and press 
to bring up the option menu. If the item is not copy protected, you will be able to copy it to the external media.
To backup your PS3 savedata to an external device, go to Game > [Saved Data] and press to bring up the menu. From the menu, select [Copy] and choose the destination. Data can be imported back to the PlayStation 3 if needed. It is recommended that you backup any important data.
Please note that not all savedata can be backed up. Depending on the model if your PlayStation 3, you may need a USB Memory Card adapter to copy data to memory cards. Copy protected data cannot be copied to external media either. For these games, your savedata is locked to the PlayStation 3 console and cannot be backed up in any way.
The PS3 had a Backup/Restore utility that allows you to backup/restore various data on the PS3. It can be found under: Settings > System Settings > Backup Utility. The backup utility does not backup user settings and copy-protected material, this includes downloaded games, certain game savedata (e.g. Killzone 2 and Guitar Hero 5) and videos downloaded from the PlayStation Video Store.
