Hi everyone, we’re adding some great new features with the next PS3 firmware update (v2.70) that will continue to enhance your connected experience on the PS3. The 2.70 update brings a new Text Chat feature that enables you to communicate online with your PlayStation Network friends. Now, you’ll be able to chat with up to 15 online friends using the Wireless Keypad, on-screen keyboard, or other compatible keyboard peripherals. Not only can you chat with your friends instantly, but you can also access Text Chat while playing PS3 games and even participate in up to three chat rooms at once.
In addition to Text Chat, we’ve added a few more enhancements:
Friends list on the XMB (XrossMediaBar)
- Sort your friends via their online status
- Attach larger files to the messages you send to your friends (file size will increase from 1MB to 3MB)
Video delivery service on PlayStation Store
- Video files you’ve purchased from the PlayStation Store can be backed up to an external storage device and then restored to PS3’s internal hard drive for playback – so you can clear up space on your hard drive and then restore the video anytime in the future
- Videos you’ve purchased for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system can now be transferred to PS3 for playback
For a quick preview of Text Chat and some of the other 2.70 features, check out this video:
The 2.70 update will be released soon, and as always, we look forward to reading your feedback.
The implemantation of the chat enviroment must have been a lot of work. I really hope this is kind of a beta for adding the same for voice chat.
Text chat is a great addition, it would be great if a small bar (with 2 or 3 lines) appear in the bottom with the chat (similar to the regular conversations in home). Voice chat should be next.
Add a feature to organize friends in albums, just like the gamelist (or like groups on msn messenger).
Also, please let the PS2 compatibility return, even Kaz Hirai said it was a huge disservice to the fans if the PS3 were not backwards compatible… but now he changed his mind :(
So many great posts today on the Blog. I wasn’t expecting anything but junk since it’s April Fools, but this day has turned out great for the Playstation. New Jak and Daxter, free Qore episode, and new firmware :)
When are we getting backwards compatibility for PS2 games from a firmware update or like a software download?
>_<
Well the in game chat is a cool idea as it should drastically decrease the loading time for chatting with a friend while online since we do technically already have this option.
What I would like to know is if in game chat is going to be available or is an option in the future?
atleast we can have ingame chat, lets hope for ingame VOICE chat next update
I think that the in-game text chat is a great addition and a decent alternative to cross-game voice chat. For all you naysayers on this, seriously, just give them time, implementing such a feature like cross-game voice chat isn’t easy.
Great update overall. It adresses the huge video issues that some people have, and the text chat is great. I’m glad to see even more functionality added to an already very functional console. :)
But, I’m wondering, could you tell any of us what kind of future additions you are working on for firmware? A lot of us would love to hear from the firmware developers via the blog, too…that would be great!
Keep up the good work!
I think i soiled myslef
After 3 months the long waited 2.70 IS HERE!!!
I LOVE SONY!!!
Hopefully there will be more stuff is in this update!
cross game chat, the one thing we have been asking for since jump and still nothing. and in game text chat is useless.
Well, when you brought up “Text Chat”, “Audio Chat” was listed, too.
So I’m hoping you come back tomorrow and say APRIL FOOL’S and tell us that you can use voice chat, as well.
This is essentially the only reason I prefer gaming with friends on the 360 instead of the PS3, and have wanted it since day 1.
If this truly is only limited to “Text Chat” in-game:
A) Nobody’s going to use it.
B) But I’m excited because you’ll be *really close* to in-game private voice chat.
Now, how about some new avatars? No Sackboys, shame on you.
A question to you Canadians: can’t you guys just use a USA proxy or something to access the video store? I think if you have a router running DD-WRT you can use a proxy. Just a thought…
Where is CROSS GAME CHAT??????????????? Is this an april fools joke!?!?!?!??????????????
SONY YOU’RE FAILING….
Also is it 15 people in each chat room up to four rooms or is it 15 people all together but up to four rooms.
oh and what is the limit for a chat room if it is the later
Make an option where if you press the PS button it goes straight into the chat so we won’t have t keep clicking it would be better. :)
booooooooo
where is my in game voice chat sony you are starting to get on the wrong side of me another pointless update.
Wow, excellent job Sony. Text chat feature is AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Sweet we got chat rooms on PSN!!!
LAME, what a waste of time
Where is cross game VOICE chat? Voice MSG’s?
Wow, this is seriously underwhelming news.
Wheres that dude, Jakinov, I believe, that said “I wanna work in the same building as Eric Lempel so I can bug him all day to implement these new PSN features”? Geez
awesome :) thank you for yet another great firmware update :) i don’t regret buying my PS3 :)
Can we PLEASE get an increase to the amount of friends we can have? I hate deleting people.
Nice update. Keep ’em coming.
thats really nice.. thanks guys :D
Not that I will use any of these features, and I doubt I will use any future features, good job Sony.
Slowly but surely erasing every reason to complain about what the system doesn’t have.
So this means we should see a new PSP update soon, I hope. Been waiting for one for sometime, even before that last (pointless) security update.
Hope it is at least as good as this PS3 update sounds, since the little information in this doesn’t sound very impressive.
Thats it? All this wait for that?!?! Epic fail SONY, EPIC FAIL!
I am saying though
did you notice VOICE CHAT was there?
why he didn’t speak on that?.
I get the feeling he wanted to fool people>
THIS IS AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE WITH REALITY ON
IT?.
Meaning IT HAS IN GAME VOICE CHAT + PLUS MORE
STUFF but he just picked CHAT and that other lame feature he said here but when we get it
for real we will be shocked.
Boooo… in game VOICE chat… like i want to text chat…. gimme a break. Anything to sell more perifials huh sony. How bout ingame voice chat to sell some more official mics…
also i agree with #120
Thanks for the update Eric.
PlayStation Network is finally growing into something special.
OH MY GAWD.. BIG THANKS for listening to the PlayStation community regarding the ability to backup PlayStation Store video purchases onto a backup drive to be able to be played back on the PS3. This issue kept me from buying any more movies and shows, and was one of the items we have strongly communicated on in this blog. It is very heartening to know that you guys have listened. I will definitely be buying more movies and TV shows now!!!
can i voice chat in game to or is it only for the text chat? if its only text then that sucks
but the update still looks cool
Eric Lempel.
REQUEST: Is there any chance you can bring back the XMB whilst playing a video? Ever since firmware 2.5 I believe it paused the video when you hit the PS button. I enjoyed watching a video in the background while sending a message to a friend. That would be great if you can bring it back.
Sorry to say this because I know you work hard on this but what a bad Firmware update. Not Voice chat cross game is a big fail. And since Canada and the rest of the world dont have access to the videostore the rest of the mininaml feature available is just usesless.
Versy sad about FW 2,70. I realy hoped this time around we will have the cross-game voice chat..
sorry three rooms
text chat???
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
:: sigh ::
thats a bummer if thats all the update has i was looking more forward to some of the other rumored features does this post show all the updates or just the biggest one?
meh.
Roll on Firmware v3.00
Eric, do an video for fixing this issue
http://i44.tinypic.com/25ptjj8.jpg
Good stuff, definitely a step in the right direction.
Thanks for the update guys! keep up the great work. Looking forward to this and the awesome store update tomorrow. this week is amazing, please don’t let all these complaints get you down, you are are doing an awesome job! have a good weekend!
Text chat? Couldn’t you of held off until voice chat was available?
THE VIDEO STORE FOR EUROPE…
IN 2012?
it’s cool but how is it much different from what we already had? you could send messages cross game before… voice chat was better because then you could game and talk to your friends and when you quit the game you could maintain communication, this way you still have to pause the game to communicate, the only difference between this and what we previously had is it’s in IM form
Nice little feature! :)
funny how Eric bought Spiderman 2 and not Spiderman 3…that’s because he knows Spiderman 3 suuuucksss LOL
anyway…nice update…I will surely use the chat feature. I’m always writing new messages to my friends when playing street fighter 2 HD but it takes too much time….here the conversation will be all in one place…pretty handy.
HELL YES! Cross game text chat is better than nothing!
Now, I would like to use our Home avatars as our PSN avatars…
I was one of the ones yelling the loudest before we had in game XMB. When that was delivered I was satisfied. :) Now Sony keeps making the PS3 better with these great firmware updates . I would just like to say Thank You Sony!
P.S. to those sad that voice chat wasnt included just chill. Im sure it will come and text chat is really cool it means no more message tag back and forth with your friends which is a pain sometimes.
@126: My thoughts exactly. This just seemed like a push to sell more chatpads…
Cool…BUT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT
IN GAME VOICE CHAT IN THE NEXT FIRMWARE!!!
I CANT BELIEVE YOU SPENT ALL THIS TIME ON A CROSS GAME TEXT CHAT WHEN ALMOST NO ONE
HAS A KEYBOARD FOR THEIR PS3, AND ON TOP OF THAT ITS GONNA BE HARD AS HELL TO TEXT WHEN YOURE GETTING SHOT IN THE FACE ON KILLZONE2.
lame. Text chat? what’s next you’ll advise us to buy the crappy Chat Pad too? where’s the voice chat feature instead?! Who are you listening to that wanted text chat instead?!