Hi everyone, PlayStation 3 (PS3) will receive its next system software update shortly – v. 3.15. This is an optional update, and it enables existing PS3 owners who purchase a new PS3 system (perhaps as a second unit for the household) to transfer their content from their current PS3 to the new system. Content such as games, game save data, and videos downloaded from PlayStation Network can be transferred to the new PS3 system and deleted from the current PS3 system. Other content, including personal media files (photos, music, videos), can be copied onto the new PS3 and remain on the current PS3 system.
Here’s a quick primer on how the Data Transfer Utility works (UPDATED).
Data Transfer Utility
- Connect both PS3 (A) and PS3 (B) with a LAN cable and connect both PS3 to the TV (using different video input connectors). (Please note, do not unplug any cables when the PS3 power is on.) Turn both the current PS3 (A) and new PS3 (B) on. Please note, firmware (v3.15) must be installed on both systems.
- On the XMB of PS3 (A), scroll to the Settings category and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]
- Follow the instructions on-screen and select [1. Transfer data from this system to the other PS3 system.]
- When PS3 (A) is in standby and ready for transferring data, switch the screen to PS3 (B), scroll to the Settings category on XMB and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]
- Follow the instructions on-screen and select [2. Transfer from the other PS3 system to this system.]
- After transferring the data, follow the instructions on-screen.
- If content that was downloaded from PlayStation Store was transferred as part of this operation, you must activate PS3 (B) before you can use the data. Log in to the PS3 system as the user who owns the content, and then select (PlayStation Network) > (Account Management) > (System Activation) to activate the system.
More details on Data Transfer Utility will be available here once the firmware update is live.
“minis”
The 3.15 update also enables “minis” to be played on a PS3 system. As we’ve reported here before, “minis” launched on PlayStation Network this fall in conjunction with the launch of PSPgo. These bite-sized games offer a more casual experience and are ideal for shorter gameplay sessions. Now PS3 owners will be able to play “minis,” and those who own both a PS3 and PSP system will be able to play on either platform. “minis” for the PS3 system will be available for download on PlayStation Store in the coming weeks. If you’ve purchased any “minis” already for your PSP and the title becomes available for PS3, you’ll simply need to download the title to your PS3.
As always, we look forward to your feedback.
Well at least this is better than them adding facebook and something else stupid but this will be rarely used since I don’t see anyone really owning more than 1 PS3 unless there is a special case. Why don’t you guys fix/improve on what’s already there instead of adding facebook and a transfer system such as this hell I can’t even play movies from the vid store since my replacement went out and it wasn’t deactivated so I’m screwed so thanks Sony. I will start caring when the media capabilites are expanded and the Browser doesn’t suck anymore hell the PS Blog videos don’t even work and I could go on but why it will be another 3yrs before we get something we won’t and need but I have faith I still love your products but I’m really disappointed.
So when will I be able to stream music from the HDD while I play a game?
Without the ability to transfer my Assassin’s Creed II save, this is a feature that will not be used.
Message to all devs:
Please don’t use copy protected game saves.
There are other ways to prevent cheating.
thank god my systems disk drive stopped working and im going to get a new one and was afraid id have to start almost all my games from start but now i dont have to worry now thanks sony and does this cover the copy protected games or do i need to start them over again
i noticed that last remnant isnt coming to ps3 :( i was hoping it would make it i feel so let down by the way good update on the firmware i have a question tho will i be able to take my stuff from ps3 to ps3 b4 i swap ps3 hard drives or something?
Can we get the ability ti get Netflix without the disc?
I love the concept of the transfer but I don’t understand why you would choose to do it this way. It just seems more work than it is worth.
I currently have 2 PS3’s and are thinking about buying a third so this is an idea that I would love to see fleshed out. But why is it that you can’t just detect other PS3’s on our network. I am sure there are technical reasons but it is something that I think is worth solving. I would love to be able to move my saves around but I don’t want to have to hook it up directly and I don’t want the save to be deleted after. This would make backing up save files so much easier.
@ 151 start over dude.
for those of us with 2 more more ps3’s this update is a real hassle saver, thanks guys!!!
Not a bad function, but this may or may not be easier than using a USB thumb drive. Why not make this a network function. Make it LAN only, a “service” that let’s it communicate with other PS3s on the network; connect and transfer game saves. I would be fine with it being game save only as well.
But I have 2 PS3s, and if I want to play on the larger TV I have to update the game save. Same thing if I go back to the smaller display in my office. Doesn’t take long, but would be nice to have some automation available.
(1) Why not just let us swap the hard drive from PS3 A to PS3 B? This will be more useful for people who has a busted system. Or, make the backup/restore feature to allow data transfer between 2 systems. I’m pretty sure you can think of a way to deactivate the data on the old system once the transfer/hard drive swap is done based on PSN account info, etc.
As for the people who complaint that the data transfer feature deleted the data from the old system: this is the same for XBox 360 harddrive data transfer kit. So, I guess it is pretty standard? I don’t like it either but then that’s the way it is.
(2) Oh, when will we be able to have more than one PSN account on the PSP? Right now I can only activate my PSP 2000 on 1 PSN account… why can’t I, say, have two PSN accounts associated with my PSP for different users/different purposes? Strangely enough you allow this on the PS3 so it is not like you don’t want this to be done. Make the PSP account management on par with the PS3!
Keep up with the good work, Sony!
to me the transfer feature offers next to nothing. Since i had experience with a faulty ps3 already and knowing that still cannot backup copy protected saves for another PS3 unit means I will still be out of luck with my rockband 2, killzone and hopefully not another failure to impact on my demon’s souls, assassin’s creed progress.
anything so youll be able to see videos on the blog. really, i have to walk all the way to the basement just to watch a video. please fix this.
I’m running a 2TB DLNA compliant NAS on my network which houses all of my data, photos, music, videos, etc. WOuld be amazing if the PS3 could recognize the NAS and be able to backup content to it rather than having to hook up a really slow USB drive. Figure this out and figure out how to add a utility that does incremental backups on a daily/weekly/monthly schedule. That would be pretty awesome.
My concern lies with trophy info. Will that be transferred, too? Or is all that info stored online with my psn profile? If i sync my trophs w/ a HDD that has blank/different trophy info on it, will it retract my trophy count?
I have just one tiny question which I know wont be answered and that is:
Why are you, Eric Lempel, never ever answering any questions?
Please, just answered this question then you will never ever again need to answer any more questions. Well, maybe apart from your boss.
very sweet update if this will copy over locked down content(such as locked save games)
Avatars. Cross game chat. GET THE ON IT.
Jesus it feels like Whoever does the firmware updates has absolutely NO IDEA WTF they are doing.
I hear SCEJ does the firmware…If so, SCEA needs to take it from them..Or SCEE …Anyone else..Clearly SCEJ does NOT know wtf they are doing.
This data transfer feature is awesome! Great work!
The EU Blog is better – James actually replied and said that the transfer will NOT copy over PROTECTED SAVES in reply #6.
Nice update
:)
Data transfer is a very good news.
Nice update. Go on!
Thank you.
Add the opition to change your psn ID I know you can on xbox so why can’t we on ps3.
I know I could make a new psn but then I would have to get al my friends again and get my 424 trophies back please add
@171
I hope they NEVER add that feature!
wen will the update be out all it says is shortly
The Data utility sounds like a good idea. But, I need a way to get the data off of my old HDD from a system that died to the exchange unit the Sony sent me. I had upgraded to a 250gb already. Now every thing is stuck in limbo. Because, If I install it in the exchange unit it will want to format it. I didnt want my system exchanged in the first place because of this issue. So thank you Sony Repair center for not doing what I was paying for A REPAIR.
Thanks for the updates and tell your Dev’s to stop locking game saves. 140+ hours in Demon’s Souls *poof* because of locked files
This is an awesome update… I don’t need to use the data transfer utility but it’s great to know it’s there and I’m sure a lot of people will find the feature useful.
The PS3/PSP minis sound awesome! I wasn’t planning on buying any, but now that they can be used on the PS3 as well, I will definitely look into it.
Keep up the great work!
Mr. Lempel, can u please have an option for us to turn off those playstation store icons on the game and video section of the xmb, it make the gorgeous xmb look ugly, also in game party chat would be a nice feature to have soon as well as more avatars!!!
Thank You.
why don’t you give us rss abilities so that i can download podcasts right to the ps3 and watch them?
hey you guys should have an update that allows PS3 users to listin to music while playing there games I get more into games if I have some of my music playing.
can we copy DEMOs? please tell me we can..
This is great news, and Sony keeps it that way all the time!!
it wouldh have nice if they have done this before my 60gb ylod on me
So when i send my PS3 in for a repair they could do this at the factory? If so that would be great for people who get refurbs.
@Keeng #10
I think what you want to do, since that kind of transfer formats the source and probably the destination, is to put your new HDD into your roommate’s system, transfer from old to new, then take the new one from their system into yours and reinstall their original HDD. But sure, your roommate’s system will safely be able to help you transfer, it would seem.
Just a thank you from me and the Mrs. for all the hard work which goes into these updates. I think people are focusing too much on cross game voice chat and forgeting many important issues that still need to be addressed. You peeps have worked hard this year and deserve all the success you’re having. Happy holidays.
Here’s to 2010-2020, the decade of the Playstation 3.
Nice update but……….
Seriously, can you make a back up option that allows you choose what you want backed up! I don’t really care about backing up videos and Demos. Can you please make an option that allows us to just back up the files we want and not everything on the system. Options could be video, photos, music, and game data (game saves and game data). Backing up everything takes up a lot of space, and a lot of people don’t have spare hard drives laying around.
@187…as soon as you take the HDD out of your friends and put it in yours it’ll still want to reformat no?
Solid update! Gonna be using that transfer utility for sure :D
Sony 1 more thing…please look into what Yahoo said about the PS3 and why consumers should not buy it. It is the stupidest article I have read in years! SONY SHOULD SUE YAHOO FOR A STUPID ARTICLE!!!
Please I beg of you; let ALL PSP GAMES be played via the PS3 it won’t hurt you in any way. It will provide more incentive for us to purchase them as well. You WILL SELL MORE psp games AND systems as well!!!!!!!!
Here’s an idea Eric, allow the Backup Utility to Backup & Restore EVERYTHING!!!!
Then lock the data on the transferred system until the user name & password are entered.
Then copy protected saves would be easier to deal with.
BACKUP UTILITY NOT RESTORING COPY PROTECTED SAVES is crazy. It’s our data, let us backup & restore it to a repaired or new system. Don’t say it’s the publishers doing, you Sony control how the system functions or in this case doesn’t function.
Too bad Sony is still ripping off people wanting $150 to give me a refurb.
So now you are half way acknowledging that you know your customers bought the update, fixed, SLIM to replace the faulty constructed 60 gb systems?
Why not furnish customers that now have both systems, as a support for them piling money into your pockets, a free refurb minus shipping. Because I’ve spent $900 on two PS3s. One that was built with defects. One that was built to replace those built with defects.
Customer and brand loyalty is pointless nowadays!
Do they have to be directly connected or can they be connected across a LAN through a switch or router?
Great to see this update nice job Sony! :)
when will the update be out all it says is shortly an i been waiting for 3 hours an it been posted up for 5 hours
It’s great to hear about the new transferring feature for this update. I was just wondering are you guys at Sony working on .mkv support for us and the possibility of giving us the option to download games for disc to our HDD’s? Not to be able to play the game without the disc of course. But for faster loading times and less Blu-ray disc drive use.
Please SONY and Playstation 3 firmware people…
Just bring us CROSS-GAME chat
hoping this update wont brick or YLOD a bunch of PS3’s…