Posts with tag firmware
Posted Oct 22nd 2007 8:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Firmware Updates
Brier Dudley from The Seattle Times is loving the PS3. Not as a games machine, but as an affordable media center. At $399, the upcoming 40GB PS3 will be one of the most affordable and most advanced Blu-ray players around. With its ability to play music, showcase photos, display movies, and more, the PS3 has a great chance of targeting the media savvy with its newer, cheaper model.
Sony will continue to expand upon the media functions of the PS3. According to the report, "within a month, a software upgrade will improve the PS3's interface for music stored and played through the system." However, we don't have any further specifics. Patrick Seybold from SCEA emphasizes that "we haven't made any specific announcements on upcoming firmware." Could enhanced music be a part of the now-mystical 2.0 firmware update?
It will be interesting to see what Sony plans to offer the media hungry in America. While Europe gets PVR capabilities, America has been left out. But, it appears that something will be in the works soon. "Some of that same functionality are things that we're working on here," Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, told the newspaper.
[Via Joystiq]
Posted Sep 12th 2007 6:00AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates, News
Sony have updated the PlayStation.Blog to tell us that two new firmware updates will be available - one for PS3 and one for PSP. PS3 version 1.93 will (supposably) fix all problems caused by v1.92. The latest firmware update has
prevented people from accessing the PlayStation Network, including the PlayStation Store and, probably most importantly, blocked people from playing
Warhawk online.
We're happy to see that a fix will be available "in the next few days" as a couple of www.PS3Fanboy.com bloggers have fallen foul of the 1.92 curse ourselves. We can't wait to start playing
Warhawk again, but how are we going to fit it in between
Heavenly Sword and sleep? Can Sony release a new firmware that fixes
that for us?
Posted Sep 6th 2007 11:00AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates, News
Sony has revealed to Eurogamer that the latest PS3 firmware update was completely ineffective in Europe. Well, ineffective is perhaps the wrong word as it implies that it failed to perform as it was meant to. We prefer to think of it as superfluous. Pointless. Moot. It didn't do anything and it was never intended to.
A SCEE spokesperson stated to Eurogamer that "all the changes in the firmware update were for the US and Japan, and actually had no effect for us in Europe." All it did do on our end is
prevent us from playing
Warhawk. Thanks, Sony!
Posted Sep 4th 2007 5:30AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates, News
The latest firmware update is now available and, sadly, everyone hoping for the legendary 2.00 release is going to be disappointed. 1.92 hit sometime late last night and adds a nice selection of new features/fixes, even though an official release list has yet to be revealed. We're hoping to see a post on the PlayStation.Blog regarding what exactly is new at some point today. We would quite like to know where exactly 1.91 went too, but that's really neither here nor there.
[
Update: Patrick Seybold clarifies: "This update focuses on some PS3 compatibility and playability issues for select titles."]
Posted Jul 23rd 2007 6:50AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates
As
hinted at last week firmware version 1.90 has been released in Japan, with reports that it will arrive in English speaking regions within the next day or so. But what does it do? We're glad you asked. The following is a list of confirmed features that are worming their way around the internet. We'll let you know when the full patch notes become available.
- Ability to rearrange games on the XMB
- Option menu now includes "eject disc"
- Press triangle on the XMB to eject the disc
- XMB backgrounds
- Change the folder classification
- Emoticons
- Change CD output to 44.1/88.2/176.4kHz
- Force 24Hz output for Blu-ray over HDMI
- Change PS3 video settings in-game
- "Bit Mapping" in the "Music Setting"
- Save AVCHD type animations from a Memory Stick
- Change settings like upscaling while playing PS and PS2 games
- Add bookmarks
- Web browser security function in the browser's tool section
- Avatar moves during audio visual chat
Overall, pretty nice indeed. That'll keep us going while we wait for the fabled 2.00 patch. XMB backgrounds and the ability to organise XMB content are things that we've seen requested many times. As for us, we're loving the ability to eject the disc from a distance, saving us precious seconds of seat-time before having to actually walk towards our PS3. Yes, we're that lazy.
Posted Jul 21st 2007 12:20AM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates
Patrick Seybold, Senior PR Manager for SCEA, has replied to a comment on the latest post on the PlayStation.Blog with some information on when we can expect the next firmware update. He states that "early next week, we'll have something on the firmware." We have also heard that a member of the Sony customer support staff has let on that the 1.90 update will be happening on Tuesday the 24th of July.
We have no idea exactly what the update will bring, but we're hoping that it'll be something substantial. Gamer's Creed has a list of suspected features that are due to be added, however this is all currently just speculation. One of the features listed is "XMB is now accessible during gameplay." If this is the case, we might actually explode with excitement. We'll keep you updated with any developments.
[Via Gamer's Creed]
Posted Jun 28th 2007 2:30AM by Colin Torretta
Filed under: Firmware Updates
Since the launch of the PlayStation 3 in America, Sony has released at least one firmware update every month. This month we pulled down two firmware updates, though they were kind of tiny. 1.81 fixed an error that some people had with RGB Full feature and thanks to the
PlayStation.Blog we know that this update includes better support for the h.264 and better support for PS2 titles. And now firmware 1.82 is available for download onto your hot little PlayStation 3s.
The update appears to be surprisingly large considering the lack of major changes, but Sony's efforts are appreciated nonetheless. And who knows, maybe they're saving up all the big changes for
next month.
Posted Jun 20th 2007 11:15AM by Peter Vrabel
Filed under: Firmware Updates
If you're already
impressed by the
PS3's upscaling of older PlayStation games and DVD movies, wait until you see what Sony engineers have in store for future updates.
SCE chief technology officer Kawanishi and AV manager Kanehide were talking about the future of the PS3's firmware updates when a very interesting claim was made. "We have gotten feedback from critics regarding several failure patters for upconverting, but we are getting closer to the goal. I think we can improve another 30 to 40%," said Kawanishi. He is talking about the upscaling performance, as in, 30 - 40% better than what was given during firmware 1.80. The dynamic duo also believe they can give this performance boost without additional fan noise, further believing in a future, fanless PS3 console. Very cool indeed.
[Update: We had previously, failed to source Next-Gen Biz for the original story. The links have slightly changes, but all sourcing is cited correctly. Apologies all around.]
[Via CVG]
Posted Jun 14th 2007 8:30PM by Jem Alexander
Filed under: Firmware Updates
Despite PlayStation.Blog having only been live for three days, we at PS3 Fanboy are pleased to see such frequent and interesting updates. Through posts that include
interesting revelations and thought provoking industry pieces, the blog is clearly a means for Sony to communicate directly with their audience. An excellent example of this is the latest post, in which we are alerted to the arrival of a new firmware upgrade, which will appear tomorrow.
Unless you're having problems with the RGB Full feature that was added as part of firmware version 1.80, however, I wouldn't get too excited. The update is simply a fix for people who found that the RGB Full option in the setup section of the XMB was slipping from "full" to "limited" whenever they reset the system. If that includes you, then rejoice. If not, then just ignore this post and wait a wee while for the next monthly firmware update.
Posted Jun 12th 2007 7:15PM by Peter Vrabel
Filed under: Hacks and Homebrew
SCEA has declared that they will "actively pursue"
legal action against hackers that attempt to crack the PS3 anti-piracy software. This announcement arrives just after recent news that hackers were close to completely cracking the PS3 anti-piracy software found in firmware versions 1.10 and 1.11. Their progress on the crack would allow pirated PS3 games to boot, but they still were not playable. The homebrew community is also still waiting in the wings, as even this latest attempt still prevents any type of homebrew gaming on the PS3 console.
Obviously, SCEA hopes to stalwart further progress and deter hackers from completely subverting the anti-piracy measures completely, because saying "please" just doesn't carry the same weight as legal action. Dave Karraker, SCEA spokesperson says, "the best we can do as a company, is to make our security that much stronger and aggressively pursue legal action against anyone caught trying to use an exploit in an illegal manner."
The pirates who want to burn and run copied PS3 disks? Yeah, they're bad. Bad, bad. Spankings all around kind of bad. And if you're thinking of doing it, you shouldn't. Go find someone to deliver a spanking for even thinking such thoughts. On the homebrew front, we're kind of indifferent. Now, we're stepping out on a very thin limb here, but maybe, just
maybe if Sony was a little bit more organized in
lining up a steady stream of content for thirsting PS3 owners, we wouldn't have hackers so interested in cracking the PS3 for homebrew. What do you think?
Posted May 23rd 2007 10:20AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Firmware Updates
Sony has officially unveiled plans for PS3 firmware 1.80. This update looks to be the most significant yet. Here's a breakdown of what to expect:
-
Full 1080p upscaling for DVDs, PS2 and PS1 games. With upscaling, there's no need to throw away your old DVDs and PlayStation 2 games. The content will be converted to resolutions as high as 1080p, and will breathe new visual life into your old discs. DVD movies can only be upconverted using an HDMI connection.
-
PSP Remote Play via internet. Although this feature was supposedly included in a previous update, many were unable to have it properly run. This hopefully corrected feature will allow PSP users to watch and listen to content stored on the PS3 from any wi-fi connection in the world. PSP firmware 3.50 will be required.
-
DLNA media center connectivity. Media content stored on DLNA-enabled PCs and laptops can be shared and viewed on PS3 systems.
-
Print photos with Epson printers. Images stored on the PS3 hard drive can be printed using compatible printers.
-
Transfer PS1/2 save files from PS3 using Memory Card Adaptor. Previously, users could only transfer save files to the PS3. Now, gamers will be able to transfer data to and from the PS3.
This update hits European PS3s on May 24th. A worldwide release should arrive on or near that date.
[
Update: SCEA has contacted us with confirmation that the update will also hit American PS3s on May 24th as well. See past the break to see pictures of the newest firmware update in action.]
Continue reading Firmware 1.80 to include 1080p upscaling for games and movies
Rumor: Full list of updates for firmware 2.00 released?
Posted May 14th 2007 6:00AM by Colin Torretta
Filed under: Rumors
One of the regular posters on the official PlayStation Boards recently posted a supposed leak of the full list of updates for the PlayStation 3 release of firmware 2.00. The poster has a pretty high-level of 'forum street cred,' having released information on previous firmware releases that turned out to be valid, but we're still a little skeptical. After the initial posting, she and SCEA edited her post to nothingness - but SCEA has allowed the quoted firmware update features to stay up in the replies. The source of the list was suppose to have come from a Sony Press Site which required credentials - info not there anymore. Unfortunately, no time frame given for release of the update, but it's implied that it's soon.
Major updates:
- XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) is now accessible during gameplay. [No further information given.]
- Wallpaper feature has been added.
- Additional visualizations have been added. [Nice!]
A ton of little tweaks are also included, listed in the standard obtuse terminology Sony always uses for their firmware update lists. Hit the jump for the full rumored release of updates.
Thanks everybody that sent this in!
[Via Digg]
Continue reading Rumor: Full list of updates for firmware 2.00 released?
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Cure diseases using the PS3: March 23rd
Posted Mar 15th 2007 2:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, PlayStation Network
Folding@home is finally coming to the PS3 next week. The program, which is bundled in the next firmware revision, will allow your PS3 to assist in the research of various diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and many cancers. The program leverages the unused processing power of the Cell chip, and can be set to run automatically when your PS3 begins to idle. According to the press release, "These simulations can take up to 30 years for a single computer to complete, Folding@home enables this task to be shared among thousands of computers connected via the network ... The Cell/B.E. processor inside each PS3 is roughly 10 times faster than a standard mainstream chip inside a personal computer (PC), so researchers are able to perform the simulations much faster, speeding up the research process."
With more than two million PS3s worldwide, and many more to come, the collective power of the PS3 will undoubtedly provide crucial data in the fight against these diseases. If you'd like to participate, don't forget to update to the newest firmware on March 23rd, and access Folding@home from the Network option in the XMB.
[Via Joystiq]
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