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)
I really hope this is a joke… I am a college student that can’t afford much and when I received my PS3 for my birthday, I was excited to use it as my computer. I utilize Linux to do my homework …I also watch blu-ray movies and play games. I loved this system for being everything I need. Please say it is a joke SONY…
@279
Best comment so far…
This makes no real sense to me because even though there are apparently more people with “fat” PS3s it very uncommon to see people try to hack Linux, so it isn’t logical. The majority of the hackers are trying to create viruses for Windows it is very rare to see viruses on Linux. I originally owned a MotorStorm 80 GB PS3 but after it had gotten YLOD I need to get some thing more reliable so I went for the 250 Slim. So if I was still using the 80 it would affect me,but since I’m not I don’t think it will.
Eric Lempel seems to be the one who announces Firmware updates.
Anything that slows down hackers is a okay in my book. If I really wanted to run a os I would use a computer.
I haven’t used my linux partition in a while but i spent a lot of time backing up, formatting, customizing, etc teaching myself linux on what is essentially a cheap low end pc..
all that work is going out the window.. this is sad.. i actually was hoping sony would have done more with the linux partition
why did sony even bother?
are you removing the browser next as well?
This is bad news, I hope this is a joke :(
To all the fools. READ the previous Firmware update posts and PROVE to me when and if a Sony employee ever mentioned the time in JST for a firmware update on this NORTH AMERICAN BLOG. Why is April 1st so significant and why be so precise about the timing? It’s because Sony wants to be the first in making FOOLS out of gullible and emo people like you and then claim themselves to be the first ones to make fools out of people as soon as April Fool’s hits on one of the countries where the new day begins before it does in other parts of the world just like there are thousands of people who like saying they’re first on a forum topic except that in case it’s a well-known tradition we all know as April’s Fools so get a grip on yourselves and stop whining!
@278 I bet the staff are all laughing as they read these posts.
hahaha april fools. Notice it went from 3.15 straight to 3.21????????
OK……. wait, what?
Sony is doing a what? Removing the OS option….. after paying for that option? NO sirree… if Sony is doing that, I demand a REFUND.
I use linux on my PS3, mainly like a Desktop PC, it’s poowerful and (sometimes I have to give some envy to my friends using a 32″ PC.) And now they are removing it…..
*sigh* now I have to invest in a external HDD to remove all my data from it because I lost it……
Seriously, Sony did *bleep* it up.
I won’t update my PS3. I’ll buy a slim and use that.
IT ONLY DOES EVERYTHING BUT OTHER OS!! HOW ABOUT TAKING CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS! WE ARE THE DAMN REASON YOU EXIST!! THIS REALLY PISSES ME OFF! GIVE US AN UPDATE TO BE PROUD OF!
I have always supported Sony. I didn’t hack my psp.
I use YLD all the time. If this is a joke this guy should be fired
if it not a joke, Sony you lost me as a customer. No more TV’s cameras, video cameras, handheld devices, locationfree nothing!
I am so pissed off I am selling all my sony products and moving to the competition.
Gosh I hate the xbox man. Sony you have let me down.
Although my PS3 has that feature, I don’t really care because I don’t use it.
At least hopefully it will prevent hackers.
when the hell is crosschat coming? we’ve been asking for that update for years now.
To all those saying “be mad at the hackers” I am, I sent messages to geohot and others disapproving BEFORE this announcement. After all the talk about the unbreakable security in the PS3. All your engineers and programmers can’t stop an exploit which requires soldering and special electronic equipment etc. Since you can’t (or are unwilling to spend the cash, you guys LOVE to spend money on stupid crap none of us want) so you’ll trash the feature. I had no interest in risking breaking my beloved PS3 even if a hack DID come out, but now I am seriously wondering whether to upgrade, or whether to keep my living room computer. My PS3 cost a lot more than the new ones, and Sony wants me to give up a feature I use to program, learn more about computers and linux, and run some simple work apps. Whats my reward for giving this up? Oh I get to keep spending more money on Sony! Huzzah… If I want to keep my feature, I can’t play online anymore, and won’t be able to play upcoming games… Good move guys, I just called and cancelled 4 games I had on preorder because I am not sure they will work now. Some of us DID choose to buy the old ones because we could also use it as a computer for basic functions and script writing etc…
So, I YLOD a week ago and now this… Maybe it is time to move on to the XBOX 360!
@ manzoor47
why are they using linux on PS3? you’ve very limited to what you can do vs a real pc on ps3, RSX GPU is also closed off
you can buy a cheap PC for half the price and run the same Linux with more features
I do use this feature, I´m not happy about this, i have always supported Sony, i had all the systems since PS1, PS2, and PSP, please reconsider this, try to patch the feature but do not remove it.
I really hope this is a Joke.
yay!!!
7 pages (301+ comments) of almost all negative comments!
This better ring a bell at Sony that this update is a horrible idea…
APRIL FOOLS!!
damn this is really really messed up thing have been hard and i have been in love with my ps3 using it as my compute by running linux and for gaming… right now im loving mag. this really hurts me as a user because now im forced to chjoose which is messed up cuz i need to use the ps3 more as apc for job applications an running whats left of my home business so i have to choose between playing onlien and buyin dlc and fun psn games and working.. i dunno sony i hope this is an april fools joke
hahaha ,, u really got me at first ,, then i saw April first
Its April’ fool right?
Since when do they announce ANYTHING on weekends?
@216 – if that feature essentially opens the door for hackers/cheaters/pirates to exploit the system, yes they can.
@MooseDog Well Sony has done skips in update numbers before (read previous posts) so I wouldn’t count on that as evidence for an April Fool’s joke but that 3.21 is kind of odd now that I think about it. Almost as if it’s a countdown (i.e. 3-2-1 Blast off!) to make fools out of all the people keeping track of the blog as soon as April 1st hits in the land of the rising sun. If my theory is correct then it’s going to be awesome. 3…2…1 April Fools suckers!!! TOTAL PWNAGE!
funny, i didnt see this anywhere on the “Share your ideas you want to see” site
#15 : The older ps3 is NOT superior at all. My old 60Go had 2 YLOD. Now i’m with a slim, and except fir the BC, i Think its a better system then the old ones.
@311
and if its not an april fool’s joke it would be
3…2…1…AND THERE GOES SONY!!
This is probably a really bad April Fools joke, and if it is….good job Sony?
This is stupid.
nice i figured they’d eventually find this somewhat of a security issue
i’d rather have them remove it because most of the os’s that it supports are useless anyway(not that windows is any better than linux).. i bought a ps3 to play blu-rays and video games not to use linux
anyone who has a ps3 prob atleast has a pc/laptop
@311
You keep trying to convince people this is a joke. It isn’t.
Wow, Sony, this is pretty low. Instead of securing whatever is allowing the exploit to happen, you’re removed advertised features that played into people’s buying the system? This was a SELLING POINT OF THE PS3. And I hate to tell you, removing this feature will only make hacks come out faster to exploit whatever security holes exist before machines get patched.
This sort of crap — companies forgetting that the CUSTOMER owns the equipment, NOT Sony– once you sold it to me, it’s MINE. Remotely disabling features only destroys confidence and consumer trust. It makes me think twice about supporting Sony if you’re willing to remove features instead of fix problems. It’s a sign of a lazy company.
Like someone else said, what happens if a hole is found in media playback? or bad TIF images? or corrupted save games? How about just releasing a firmware update showing a picture of a safe saying “Content providers will be happy to know we have eliminated all functionality from all PS3s, therefore ensuring a protected and secure environment”.
This is awful, especially how every round of firmware updates seem to brick more and more consoles. Of course it sounds like you want the older ones to break “for security reasons”.
What happened to this: http://www.ps3-hacks.com/2010/03/01/otheros-will-not-be-removed-from-non-slim-ps3-models/ ?
I don’t understand this at all. If you are joking, it’s bad and poorly timed. If it’s true, who does something like this on April 1st? Monday announcement/April 1st implementation. Are you trying to prove the Theory of Corporate Retardation?
and i’d rather have a feature thats almost hardly used removed and have a more useful feature in its place
so either way its beneficial
Okay, just from the fact they want to release it on April 1st should ring a bell. Why would they do that, just to cause tension and debate to whether it’s the actual thing or not?
Given that a Sony official recently said that the Other OS would not be removed from older PS3s along with the timing of this post has me believing that this is a joke…
This is just a step above the Sony music CD’s with rootkit in lameness factor!
I am very disappointed with this news.
I use Linux on my PS3 so that I don’t need to have a computer computer hooked up to my TV in the living room.
The article also fails to mention whether we’ll get our HDD space back after it disables the Other OS partition.
Is anything going to be accomplished by this, besides annoying customers? Hackers will just stay at the lower firmware level. And by removing Linux support, you basically issued a challenge to every Linux guru out there to hack the system and get Linux support back.
I’m betting this will backfire and that we’ll have a hacked firmware with Linux support within 4 weeks.
Actually, given that they released info on a legitimate update last year on April 1st, I don’t know what to believe. This is stupid though.
whatever!
since today is March 28th and not April 1st, I really don’t think this is a joke
when will be the day when sony consider to upgrade the internet browser offered on the PS3. Some of us really use it, instead of doing crappy updates of removing things, or adding photo albums (lame) make trophies syncronization instant, upgrade the internet browser or open the US store content worldwide!
do something that make our loyalty worth it
> On Fri, 2009-08-21 at 09:58 -0700, geoffrey.levand at am.sony.com wrote:
>> The feature of “Install Other OS” was removed from the new
>> “Slim” PS3 model to focus on delivering games and other
>> entertainment content.
>>
>> Please be assured that SCE is committed to continue
>> the support for previously sold models that have the
>> “Install Other OS” feature and that this feature will
>> not be disabled in future firmware releases.
>
> Although it’s disappointing that Sony have removed the feature from new
> models, It’s good to have this public assurance from Sony that at least
> the feature won’t be removed from older models which are already
> working.
So?
Here we go again. SCEA making idiotic decisions just because a few people can’t properly run Linux. Good job SCEA. I’ll make sure I’ll pirate PSP games extra more. Hopefully, you guys don’t release a PS4 next gen.
Wow! What a major shaft to those certain users who uses the PS3 for both (Including myself). Hope this is a joke…
If you want to blame anyone, blame those hackers who have been relentlessly trying to exploit the PS3. Obviously Sony was going to respond. I’d much rather they disable the other OS feature than to have people pirating games on the PS3 thus giving developers a reason to stop making games for it.
@valley428 LOL. That would be funny if they actually did that But I’m still with my idea for it being an Aprils Fool’s joke solely because Sony has NEVER mentioned a time for the release of an update (read previous posts for firmware updates if you don’t believe me) and that time being in JST (Japan Standard Time) too also takes the cake. So lighten up, just believe it’s an April Fool’s joke and it won’t happen. It’s ok to chill sometimes and I really love the way Sony is going to be first on making fools out of thousands or perhaps millions of people around the world with this just because they’re using JST to pull this off. Either way, I really don’t care for the Linux. I have it running on one of my PCs and I don’t really like the idea of PS3s running another OS on it when it’s primarily meant for games and/or movies and that’s what Sony’s delivering.