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- Remote Start - As hinted by the last PSP firmware update, Remote Play has been enhanced with a brand new feature. Using Remote Start, PSP owners will be able to turn on and access their PS3's content from any wi-fi hotspot. For example, while vacationing, you may find out about an excellent Thursday Store update. You'll be able to turn on your PS3 and start downloading content to your PS3 while you're away. When you're done, you can turn the system off as well.
- Information Board - On the upper right-hand corner of the XMB, you'll see a scrolling list of headlines, hand-picked by Sony. Currently, these will all be related to video games and PlayStation. If a specific headline is particularly interesting, PS3 owners will be able to access Information Board from Network and see the content in greater detail. Importing your own RSS feeds is something that's planned for a future firmware upgrade. This feature can be disabled in Settings.
Click for high-resolution image.
- Themes - PSP owners recently got access to the ability to create custom themes for their system. PS3 owners will also get this feature. Not only will you be able to customize your wallpaper, you'll be able to change the icons and fonts used in the XMB. An official theme creator will be available for the PC, so users will be able to create their own and share with their friends. Additionally, new themes will be made available on PlayStation.com and the PLAYSTATION Store. The best user-generated themes will also be featured on the official site.
- XMB Color Selector - The background of the XMB is no longer out of your control. The color of the XMB waves background can be selected in Settings.
- Music & Photo Playlists - You can now open and create your own playlists from within the XMB. For example, you can create a "Party Mix," which features your favorite songs from your PS3. Playlists cannot be imported from Memory Stick, and music and photo playlists cannot be combined. However, future firmware updates will improve this feature.
- Additional Sorting Options - Currently, music can be sorted by Artist and Album on the PS3. Additionally, users will be able to sort by Year.
- DualShock 3 support - You'll be able to turn on and off DualShock 3 support from the Settings menu on the XMB.
Click for high-resolution image.
- PLAYSTATION Network XMB group - The PLAYSTATION Network will get its own icon on the XMB, and will be featured between Network and Friends. Within the PLAYSTATION Network, you'll be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store and Account Management. "Other features" will be included in the future, such as Home.
- Canon printer support - Additional printers are now supported by the PS3.
We're certain that many PS3 owners will be disappointed by how underwhelming the 2.00 update is, especially in light of the rumors that spread on the internet. However, this update provides the framework for a much meatier PS3 experience. For example, the PSN XMB icon will be expanded quite significantly over the next few months, as services like Home add much more weight to the online PS3 experience. Media is clearly important to Sony, and the addition of playlists is an important first step in the right direction. They've heard your wants and grievances -- we're confident that future firmware updates will offer even more functionality. 2.00 may not be the Second Coming that everyone expected, but it's certainly a beneficial free upgrade. Now, let's begin counting down to the next firmware update.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
11-07-2007 @ 11:30AM
Ed said...
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Threespeach posted these photos before you, too.
Gutted, eh?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:31AM
Evan Brown said...
where is the ingame music?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:38AM
Andrew Yoon said...
To Ed: Obviously, we're a little peeved at SCEA right now. Seems like something we're going to talk about in the next podcast.
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11-07-2007 @ 11:39AM
apease said...
Not even video playlists? *Smacks forhead*. Oh well, I won't bag on Sony too much, after all, their poor blog is going to discover how ugly people on the internet can be when they don't get a feature they want.
Btw, is there really no BD 1.1 profile?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:39AM
Dante said...
ed chill out dude..and im really really upset that there is no in-game music or messaging and invites..hopefully by the end of the year. they need to incorporate that with all of the people getting ps3's for christmas.
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11-07-2007 @ 11:41AM
XDragon said...
Now that its official, i'm not impressed. If wasn't 2.0 then its would be fine but I think expectations were very high for 2.0 and a lot of people will think this isn't a substantial update.
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11-07-2007 @ 11:42AM
Neil said...
Thank God for the XMB Color Selector, the last few months have looked really nasty. Overall this is a decent update, but nothing truly amazing.
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11-07-2007 @ 11:43AM
gamingeek said...
Hoenstly this doesn't surprise me. The Home update will be when you see some serious added functionality. Still it's hard to believe that there is STILL NO IN GAME CHAT!!!
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11-07-2007 @ 11:45AM
T-P-M said...
I notice on the PS Blog it says : 'We’ve added several other features in this update. I’ll soon be back with more details with a quick video demo of some of the new features.' Perhaps there is more?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:47AM
Stef Geiger said...
I really hope that by additional video support they mean xvid etc. They might as well. And MAN would that be nice to just torrent stuff and throw it on the PS3 to watch without having to transcode everything.
Is there any word on what this firmware update does for developers? You know, memory usage etc?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:47AM
brad said...
This truly is an underwhelming update, and pointing out that it's "free" certainly doesn't make me feel any better about my $600 investment.
No in-game XMB one year into the life of the PS3? Please... I really want Sony to do something to make me feel better about my purchase, but these firmware updates just aren't doing it. Upsampling of DVDs and PS1 games was a nice benefit, but really should have been in place when the system launched.
I guess being a PS3 user is an exercise in patience... Patience in waiting for the must-have games, patience in waiting for features Xbox users have had for so long, patience in waiting for getting a feature Xbox users haven't gotten yet (and don't say Blu-ray)... Honestly, I'd love for some feature to come along and make Xbox users envious, instead of the other way around...
Come on Sony... What are you waiting for?
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11-07-2007 @ 11:52AM
JK said...
Looks more like 1.95, not 2.0
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11-07-2007 @ 11:54AM
organic_shadow said...
Ehh, im not too upset about it. This is STILL a significant release compared to all other firmware updates, so we aren't really getting screwed over, unless you compare with what people have been asking for. Sony never promised anything for 2.00, so it's our own faults that we are disappointed by 2.00's feature list.
I expect the in-game XMB update that comes out later to feature both in-game music options AND in-game messaging functionality.
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11-07-2007 @ 11:56AM
Carl said...
This doesnt feel like a 600 Dollar Investment too me too.. I want in-game Music...just like X360...where is it Sony?!?!?!...
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11-07-2007 @ 11:59AM
gamingeek said...
How about a function to organize your games? Is that too hmuch to ask? My PSN games and demos are an incoherent jumbled mess. You ought to be able to set them up in the XMB in the manner you see fit.
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11-07-2007 @ 12:03PM
Trev said...
Good thing it doesn't cost $600 then, whiners. Its not like a 360 taken only on the merits of it's OS is worth that much. Unless you got one with NO intention of ever getting games (or are just stupid trolls), why not evaluate your investment based on the games you can play?
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11-07-2007 @ 12:03PM
Anthony Pittarelli said...
i want things that make it feel like theyre upgrading the ps3 to be fast through the use of better software. i agree with the 1.95, not version 2.00
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11-07-2007 @ 12:06PM
HektikLyfe said...
Perhaps the new update will resolve the audio problem I've been having playing videos using the 128 AAC audio codec. I've sent messages and posted everywhere regarding this issue (yes even directly to Sony) and I've had no response whatsoever.
I was hoping for folder support. I have so many videos, demos and photos, I just wish I could organize them into subject folders. Alphabetically and date categories don't really work for me.
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11-07-2007 @ 12:06PM
Livi70590 said...
@11, Xbox users cannot import files from a USB storage device to their Hard Drive.
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11-07-2007 @ 12:11PM
HektikLyfe said...
Exclusive: the first images of PS3 firmware 2.00?
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