Accessory guide · NexWave Games
Do PS2 SingStar microphones also work on PS3?
One night SingStar often starts with two microphones and a box full of songs. But then there is a set for the PlayStation 2 while your TV is connected to a PlayStation 3. Can you use the same microphones? With the well-known wired SingStar set, the small cabinet between the microphones and the console is especially important.
Note the USB adapter
The classic red and blue SingStar microphones are not inserted directly into a USB port. Their plugs go first into the SingStar USB converter; you connect that converter to the console. PlayStation explicitly mentions this combination as supported microphones for singing games on PS3. If you only have two separate microphones without the intersection, then the set is probably not complete for your setup.
In an advertisement, therefore, ask for one photo on which the two microphones, their cables and the USB converter are next to each other. Check that the connections are not bent and that the converter is still recognized. A seller who only reports a PS2S working on PS2S has not yet demonstrated that each component is present for your PS3.
Wireless demands the right receiver
There are also wireless SingStar microphones. They need a suitable USB receiver; two separate wireless microphones without receiver do not form a complete playset. Check the battery compartment for corrosion with a used specimen, ask if both microphones connect separately and test if you can use them at the same time. At a party it is a pity if only one of the two singers appears audible.
Other USB microphones can work with some PS3 vocals, but that depends on the game. If you buy a specific SingStar release, choose a demonstrable SingStar set. The recognizable colour of a microphone says little about the corresponding converter or wireless receiver.
Microphone compatibility is something other than compatibility
A PS2 microphone that works on a PS3 does not mean that every PS2 game disc works on every PS3. PS2 game playback is subject to different rules and only certain older PS3 models support this. A PS3 version of SingStar with the right microphone set is therefore the clearest combination if you want to sing on an ordinary PS3.
Also the online SingStore from the past should not be seen as a reason to buy a used game. Look at the songs on the disc and the features you can use without an old online service. This is how you adjust the expectations to what is really in the packaging.
In practice, a set can also seem quiet while it is just connected. Check in the game if the correct microphone channel has been chosen and if the vocal input is responding. Try the other USB port and connect the converter directly to the console before calling the microphone defective. Test left and right separately; a duet is not a good first error search.
What are you putting in for your first number?
For a wired set: a PS3, a suitable SingStar game for PS3, two working microphones and the USB converter. For a wireless set, the corresponding receiver replaces the converter and requires good batteries. If possible, have both microphones tested in the game, including the volume of each channel. Then you can immediately choose who dares the high notes.