The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.
In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.
Consumers and organizations that currently use the “Other OS” feature can choose not to upgrade their PS3 systems, although the following features will no longer be available;
- Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
- Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
- Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
- Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later
For those PS3 users who are currently using the “Other OS” feature but choose to install the system software update, to avoid data loss they first need to back-up any data stored within the hard drive partition used by the “Other OS,” as they will not be able to access that data following the update.
Additional information about PS3 firmware updates, including v3.21 (once it becomes available), can be found here:
http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/index.htm
PS3 owners who have further questions should contact Consumer Services:
http://us.playstation.com/support/ask/
800-345-7669 (800-345-SONY)
Perhaps someone could write a script to keep track of which posts are deleted, just to see what sort of pattern emerges? :)
They can use words like hacker
kithrin – Hmmm. perhaps this is temporary until they patch the hole?
But they haven’t said that so I doubt it very much.
@kithrin: If that was the case, they’d have said so. Half of this uproar would have been avoided.
Also, as I understand it, the update deletes your Other OS data(?) If so, it’d be sort of extreme for a temporary measure.
I love how Sony consoles lose features when they are updated. I spent an hour downloading the ability to block cool features? Excellent move Sony, keep it up. I know Ill be heading on down to Best Buy to check out one of these so called “XBOX 360’s.”
5% seems to be popular tonight
Its not just temporary. If it was, they would not have fired, er, “reassigned” the guy maintaining PS3-linux.
I’m up for the class action suit whenever it gets off the ground. This entire situation is unacceptable.
It looks like about 25% of the comments are being deleted off this post, or we would be near 10,000 now.
Sony knows they made all their fans extremely angry. All that will come out of this is loss of sales for PS3, and increase in sales for 360, a possible class action suit, and custom firmware to bypass all of their “security” measures. Just like the PSP. What exactly were they trying to accomplish?
Search bypass ps3 firmware update, it really does work!! You just proxy the update server.
What exactly were they trying to accomplish?
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I think it was
to make 5% of their fans extremely angry.
for sales of PS3’s to dip by 5% and sales in 360’s to increase by 5%
to try and encourage a class action suit
and to get the h.a.c.k.e.r.s to build custom firmware to bypass all of their “security” measures
Search bypass ps3 firmware update, it really does work!! You just proxy the update server.
——————————————————————————–
Which makes complete nonsense of the whole you must update to 3.21 to get onto PSN. This has been out for over a year Sony are bound to have known about it!!!
Like I keep saying knee jerk reaction with no real thinking it through at all. Which convinces me they have left themselves open for legal action.
I don’t get what you mean. Are you saying it doesn’t work? I have been on PSN through this method with 3.15. They may have stopped it by now, but I doubt it.
They way I see it, it’s not Sony that is to blame for this, it is the hacking and cheating gamers.
If it wasn’t for the fact that so many of the hacking and cheating gamers on the PS3 use the Linux OS to do their bad deeds, they wouldn’t have to do this.
Their hand was forced, and most, and I mean MOST, people do not care one way or the other. It just seems like, once again, the smallest minority group has the loudest voice.
I feel very sorry for those users who legally and legitimately use this feature, as they will lose all that content and access. However, for the security of the software, and the future of fair gaming, I am glad they did this. I rather not play a game online only to have someone use a hack to get ahead. I rather people not steal these games when so much work went into them. When people cheat and steal, it are the innocent people like us who suffer the most. This is just another way they are making us suffer, by forcing Sony’s hand.
That workaround won’t help with games or movies that require newer firmware, of course (once they’re released).
@GptGreedle: Could you provide some sort of reference for cheating or other ‘bad deeds’ via the Linux OS? As far as I know, it’s not possible(?)
No it works.
What I’m saying is if they’re worried about machines getting onto PSN with old firmware you think they would have stopped this before putting out 3.21
Basically the whole press release they’ve put out to the press about protecting PSN and peoples personal, credit cards details, etc is a whole load of FUD.
As far as I know, it’s just a matter of Sony pre-emptively cheating and stealing, assuming others may do so in the future — but it’s the innocent people like us (Linux users) who suffer.
The point is, though, I can’t see how it will actually help. In order for cheats or piracy to exist, hackers would have to create custom firmware or something — which they CAN STILL DO NOW. They just need to refrain from updating their consoles for a while.
what happened to the other half of this big useless paperweight?
it seems that since i was on yesterday, comments have slowed.
naah, i love my ps3, i just wish hac.kers (SONY), would stop stealing my features i paid money for. even though i had an xbox360 when i bought the ps3, i liked internet options of ps3. sold xbox cheap, biggest mistake of my life? what happened to loyalty to the customers Sony? huh? huh? F THIS CHIT SONY!!!
im not updating, will not update, this gave me a sence for the work around, if sony does not fix this then i like many others here will go for the work around, we will wait to see if sony fixis this if not then we will keep checking g,e,o,h,o,t for updates, o and thanks sony, this moves is what makes h,a,c,k,e,r,s, work their magic
You linux crybabies are crazy! get over it.Please try and take sony to court so you can get laughed out of the building over this petty b.s.
@Mr_B_Ram Sony is probably as loyal to you as you were to the 360.
you know i also think that this is a move to get rid of the much better older units so people can move to the p,iece of crap slim unit, in the comercials of the slim they say it only does everything but in reality it only does 1/4 of what the older units do
“I just want to tell Sony that:
1. I’ve lost respect for you and now hold you with similarly low-esteem as I hold Microshaft.
2. I refuse to update to 3.21
3. I will go back to using the PC for multiplayer gaming.
4. If a game requires 3.21, I will NOT buy it!
5. As of this v3.21 update, I will now have to keep an eye on the whole PS3 hacking scene, as THAT is the ONLY WAY that I might be able to continue to use YOUR “product” with the “ADVERTISED FEATURES” that CONVINCED ME to PURCHASE it in the first place. Until now, I had no motivation to…
Good job Sony!”X3 I completely feel the same way. Whoever is in charge of these decisions at Sony is pure EVIL. They should be fired
especially #5 .
My brother works for a computer programming company. He says if he ever suggested something like this he’d be fired. If there is a problem with program code and it’s easy to hack. YOU DON”T GET RID OF IT. You fix it. This isn’t solving the problem of PS3 hack-ability Sony. Why can’ t you all understand that!??
At least we get better playback on some downloaded playstation titles :D? I was really hoping that this was an april fools joke but it was just a fail update
all this said, I still like them than Apple.
meant… still like them more than Apple
A-HOLES!. Support lines are still closed and the message says it should be open. Today is not a public holiday and they should be open sat from 10am-6pm. This is BS!
Meh, Im sure there’s some way to bypass having to download the update and still use the PSN and play online, if you look hard enough.
My more eloquent comment seems to be “awaiting moderation”
so let us see if this gets through…
…where is my flash update so I can browse the net?…
…or my PS2 compatability patch…I bought the games…
It only does…one less thing than it did the day before…
they nuked my call for updates to functions we want…if they only saw how much sony ce I own now. Might affect my choice in the future…
hey sony .. when will you make an update that lets me play my music while in ANY game .. leaving it up to the game devs to make it happen is POOR FORM SONY .. its your system! you fix it!
.. or maybe your waiting for one of your XBOX moles to steal the technolegy for you.. either way .. HURRY UP .. we’re craving a usefully update!!
Apparently my use of extremely mild words didn’t pass SONY’s filters so here’s another try:
Withholding Linux from PS3 Slim purchasers was fair, at least they knew what they were getting into.
To retroactively disable this feature (saying now I must choose between using my PS3 as an up-to-date game-console / media-center OR boot my Linux partition) is the worst I-LUV-YOU I’ve received from ANY company as far back as I can recall.
The whole POINT of getting a PS3 was that it could do everything. I didn’t have to hook up yet another device to my HDTV for the sake of experimenting in Linux.
It no longer does everything. It is no longer a general purpose tool as it was when I bought it.
I am EXTREMELY HAPPY!
I’m not big on consumer loyalty… frankly the PS3 is the only SONY product (except for consumer camcorders) which has interested me. But I was curious about SONY 3D HDTV as it applied to PS3 videogaming. I’m no longer curious.
…and there ya go. I’d like to add, that this is laziness (or improper allocation of resources) on SONY’s part. You’re disabling “other OS” because you’re not willing to put in the time to secure it.
SECURE IT, don’t KILL IT.
btw, I own every exclusive and a total of 45 ps3 games sony. I supported you, when you gonna get my back?
Unacceptable! Shame on you, Sony!!
:Two Middle Fingers:
I was expentig something like this, since Ken Kutaragi leaved Sony, those who sit there at sony offices have no idea about what a PLAYSTATION is, or what gamers want..
@5806 zepala characterized the current situation as “PS2.5”
—-
LoL. That name is definitely going to stick.
I will not update. This is absolutely crazy. I bought a PS3 back in the day that I still had a SDTV. Put linux on my PS3 and couldn’t see it properly so decided to splash out on a new HDTV just for it. I’m so glad I bought a Toshiba TV and not a Sony one. I feel so sorry for the developers on YDL, all the time and effort just thrown away with one update.
Why did Sony just plug up the security flaw instead of removing the whole feature?
This will only fuel the homebrew/hacking scene. It’s quite exciting really.
The war has now truly begun…
I just lost every LittleBigPlanet trophy I ever had due to this update. I’m now afraid to try another game that I’m close to Platinum for fear it’ll do the same. Losing my YDL 6.2 Linux partition was one thing I can get over (even though I did use it once in a while), however now trophies are affected too? This is [DELETED].
Epic FAIL!
If you are going to take something away it would be nice if you gave us something new or fixed something. Something like a trade off.
Hm. Seems my last comment was caught by the filter. Lemme try it again.
@VGC_Reviews
Everybody, please, if you don’t mind, follow on the above on twit ter. I just re twe eted like six twe ets concerning filing comp laints with the B B B and F T C. I obtained all of it from Blue Miles on this very blog earlier today (technically yesterday now) and his comment seems to have been deleted, along with many others. His post was 5581, mine was a few after his, and now my post is 5567. Sony really seems to be trying to shut us up. Anyway, please help spread the word by going to the twit ter page I mentioned and re twe eting those six twe ets to your followers. Thankyou.
Has anyone heard any news about any lawsuits, or replies from Sony about complaints?
Now even censoring comments which might help you?
Sure sony hq is situated in Japan? |China would be more likely :S
Or are you deleting comments because of “security concerns”?
@FoX_HounD_2ooX :
I want to correct JUST a word :
5. As of this v3.21 update, I will now have to keep an eye on the whole PS3 hacking scene, as THAT is the ONLY WAY that I might be able to continue to use **MY** “product” with the “ADVERTISED FEATURES” that CONVINCED ME to PURCHASE it in the first place. Until now, I had no motivation to…
PEOPLE, if just a few of you would just read your user agreement instead of just clicking ACCEPT you would understand the logic behind this update. it just boggles my mind of how stupid some of you are! thinking you own the software you own the system not the software then again I like all of you spent good money on something that is worthless without the other.