PS3's RSX is sort of Shader Model 3.0

"Playstation 3 graphic part shades 3.0

SONY OFFICIALLY revealed that its RSX graphic part will be kind of Shader Model 3.0 compliant. You cannot actually talk about Shader Model 3.0 if you don't talk Windows DirectX but Shader model 3 has become the best way to describe how programmable a core really is.

Developers asked about Shader Model 3.0 support and company responded. It's interesting that the company is embracing Nvidia's failed CG marchitecture as its standard shading language.

On the PC, Nvidia decided to kill its CG shading language concept and to make some space for HLSL (Higher Level Shader Language).

Sony didn’t have any other choice as HLSL was the only alternative. If you talk Playstation 3 you should talk about CG as this is going to be the only way to do shading for this upcoming console.

Sony didn’t want to go for HLSL simply because the Vole itself invented this standard and that stuck in the Japanese firm's craw. The answer was Nvidia's CG. The Vole and its DirectX team wants to make everyone loves HLSL whether you like it or not but you can still bend some rules if you are Sony. If you are the Vole you kind of can afford to be bossy and to make people go the way you want them to go but Sony is tough cake.

RSX will enjoy specific version of SM 3.0 adjusted for this core and it will be highly programmable and will let you create some cool effects on Playstation 3."