While Sony has been doing a good job of keeping the PS3 up-to-date with new firmware updates and features, today’s announcement of Firmware v3.21 is a backwards move by Sony. The 3.21 firmware update will remove the OtherOS feature from the older PS3 models over “security concerns,” mainly due to the recent exploit discovered by hacker George Hotz. However, this isn’t the first time Sony has removed functionality from the PS3.
Remember PS2 backwards compatibility? The original launch models supported PS2 games but was later removed in newer models. Sony also removed playback of Super-Audio CDs in the past too. While I haven’t used Linux on my PS3 in over a year, I like to know that the functionality exists in case I ever need it.
The PS3 Slim never included OtherOS support from day one, but the older models still had the functionality, and still will until this Thursday. If you choose not to upgrade your console, you sacrifice future playback of games and Blu-ray titles, not to mention any new functionality added in future firmware updates.
Poor move Sony.
So what do you suggest? That Sony keep the OtherOS feature and risk further possible hacks eventually allowing game piracy? From what i know, linux is pretty lame via the ps3 anyhow, due to no access to the gpu – please correct me if i’m wrong. If anything, the hackers should be blamed for this who f**k up the experience for us legit customers.
The hack isn’t much of a threat. It requires the player to open up their PS3 before they can pirate games etc. Only those desperate enough to play pirated games will even attempt to do it.
Even though there is no access to the GPU (you are correct), people can still run emulators, java games, flash games and more from Linux. It also makes for a better browsing experience and doubles up as a (Linux-based) PC for those without one.
[…] Hots, responsible for hacking the PS3 and causing the removal of the OtherOS functionality on the PS3 is recommending that user do not update to Firmware 3.21. Why not? Hots is looking to […]
Actually, the hack isn’t much of a threat “yet”. So it’s definitely a good idea to patch that up before it does become one. Like with the psp, that started with the eboot exploit, following by a inconvenient kxploit that required memory cards to be swapped whilst the psp was reading data. But look now, there’s nothing Sony can do to stop all of the custom psp firmwares, which no doubt lead to piracy on a large scale and played a good part in killing the device off.
I see where you’re coming from, in that it’s a feature that Sony has removed. But I suppose you have to weigh up the risk of leaving a feature that only a small minority of ps3 owners use, which could be compromised further to allow software hacks and easier methods of piracy. The ultimate question is, what would you do?