It’s official. The PS3 was lauched last night in Japan and as promised by Sony, Firmware Update 1.10 was also available. Although the PSP to PS3 connectivity is not yet available, since firmware 3.00 for the PSP has not been released just yet, there are still a number of good developments to report about regarding the PS3. Firmware Update 1.10 was released by Sony with several improvements to the System Software, and furthermore, the US version of the update is also available a week in advance before the US release of the PS3.

Here is a summary of the changes in the PS3 firmware update:

Whole (overall system changes)

• PLAYSTATION Network can be accessed
• European keyboard support added

Setting

• Music CD volume setting added
• ATRAC settings added
• Keyboard selection setting added
• Color filter settings was added to display setting
• Screensaver option was updated to include option ‘5 Minutes Later’

Video

• Full Screen mode added for video playback from Hard Disk

Network

• Downloading music and the video files with Internet browser are stored on Hard Disk
• PLAYSTATION Store – The following contents can be downloaded.
• PLAYSTATION 3 standard software
• PSP with the PlayStation standard software which operates (PSP system software version 3.00 or more is necessary)
• Chinese and simplified Chinese language support for Internet browser added
• The online manual was added

Other

• Calculation method of hard disk capacity was modified

In order to update to the latest version, simply use the System Update feature from the Settings Menu. A Internet connection and 110MB of free space is required. Alternatively, you can download the update to your PC from the PlayStation website (a file called “PS3UPDAT.PUP”) and copy it to the “X:/PS3/UPDATE”; folder of your console.

It is reported the the PS3 also supports Homebrew. Although no applications have been developed yet, Sony has created an official site about Open-Platform for PS3. The site is under construction, but they state that “;PLAYSTATION 3 allows any desired third-party system software to be installed on it besides its system software provided by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Details will be posted on this site soon.” We have no idea if Sony will release a SDK to assist in developement and if this feature actually provides full access to the PS3’s hardware features for virtually endless possibilities.

[PS3 Firmware Update (JAP)]
[PS3 Open Platform Site]

UPDATE:

It has come to out attention that PSP Firmware 3.00 will include the PS1 emulator. But for the time being, you must own a PS3 in order to download games. This is only until Sony make it possible to download games using your PSP or PC. No time frame was given as to when this will occur. The PS1 games will only work on the PSP until emulation support is added to the PS3, and the Japanese PlayStation Store already has a selection of PS1 games available to download.

[PlayStation Store (JAP)]
[PlayStation Store (Translated)]

Finally, after months of speculation and rumors, Sony has finally released details about the upcoming PSP firmware 3.00. The firmware is due for release a few days after the release of the PS3. Upon release of the PS3, a firmware update will also be available upgrading the firmware of the PS3 to Firmware 1.10. This is to enable the connectivity between the PSP and the PS3.

According to Sony, Firmware 3.00 for the PSP will include:

• Strengthen security
• PS3 Connectivity
• Access to the PlayStation Store

Some of you may be wondering about the PS1 emulator, but as far as we know, Sony has included no information about it in this update. This leads us to believe that either the PS1 emulator is not yet ready for public release, or Sony is still planning to release it in Firmware 3.00 but forgot to mention it.

[Via: SCEJ]

Its that time of the month, and you know what that means! The new issue of XTREME PSP is now available to download. Issue 17 contains all the usual content from previews and reviews to homebrew games and more and it’s over 90 pages long, perfect for the commute to or from work. Previewed in this issue are Jeanne d’Arc, Crisis Core: FFVII and more, reviewed games included NHL2007, Scarface and Infected..

Post your comments and any feedback using the comment feature or use the contact form to send us an email. Next issue will include more previews, plus reviews on Space Invaders Evolution, Pilot Academy and more. Don’t miss it!

[Download]

You may remember us reporting about the PSP and PS3 connectivity, including the ability to transmit media wirelessly from the PS3 to the PSP and the ability to download games. In order for this connectivity, both the PSP and PS3 will need to be updated via firmware updates. The PS3 will not ship with the connectivity options, and a result, the connectivity features will not be available on launch. PSP owners will need to update to firmware 3.00 which should be released towards the end of November. Sony itself admitted that soon-to-be owners of the next-gen console would need to update their system by running firmware System Software Version 1.10.

Between the launch of the PS3 and the firmware update for the PSP, owners of the PS3 will have a few weeks of waiting until they will be able to try out the connectivity features. It is still unclear why Sony will not be shipping the PS3 with firmware 1.10 already installed. Firmware 1.10 for the PS3 will be required to access new PlayStation Network hub. The firmware update process is as easy as updating your PSP firmware, using the System Update option from the Settings menu on the XMB.

We have just added a Undiluted Platinum FAQ section to the site. The UP FAQ should help in answering common questions asked by those who own a PSP with the Undiluted Platinum chip installed. The section is still under constructions but you will find a selection of questions already answered including how to run GTA: Vice City on firmware 2.71 using a simple modification.

If you have any issues that you need help with, please use the contact form to send them in. Any useful questions will be added to the FAQ list to share with others.

Warning: Using backups in the form of ISO images is illegal unless you own the game.

DK Jr. has informed us of Issue 6 of the PSP M4M: Magazine 4 Men. Its been a long time since the last issue (infact its been over 3 months) but finally, the long awaited Issue 6 is here. Issue 6 contains over 90 pages with various articles including a review on Hajime Sorayama’s Erotic Art, a look at the XRCO Awards from 1993 to 2000 and various other articles. As usual, the team behind M4M have included a range of sexy photos of exposed babes.

Please be warned that you must be over 18 years of age to download and view this magazine.

[Download]

[Via: DK Jr.]

Sony is continuing to increase the range of PSP colors available. With the Pink PSP released in the UK a little while ago, and the Silver PSP already announced, the new color to the lineup is Metallic Blue. The three new models will be available in Japan for approximately USD180. The Metallic Blue model (PSP-1000 MB) is set to come out on December 21st, while the Silver PSP (PSP-1000 SV) is coming out on December 14th, finally the Pink PSP (PSP-1000 PK) will be released on November 22nd in Japan but is already available in Europe.

With the christmas season coming up, Sony is looking to take advantage in order to increase their sales. Unfortunately, no date has been set of US or European versions of the Metallic Blue and Silver PSPs. Check out the shots below of the new PSP color ranges.

PSP Media Manager 2.0 was released a week or two ago in North America for $16.99. Now, Sony has made the PSPMM available to European PSP Owners for just £9.99 (download) or £14.99 (boxed). The downloadable version will be available from November 3rd 2006, and the boxed version will be on sale in stores from November 8th 2006. For those unaware of the PSPMM, it is a content organiser that uses a drag-and-drop interface to allow users to easily manage file between their PC and PSP.

The PSPMM supports many operations from extracting music from audio CDs to converting videos into MP4 format. There are also features available to easily backup game save data, download RSS content to your PSP and convert documents for portable reading.

[Via: SCEE Press]

Sony today released a minor update to the PSP Firmware addressing security vunerabilities in the system software. Not exactly the update we were hoping for but I guess Sony is more interested in stopping homebrew users from running unsigned code on the system. No new features have been added to the update, but it does contain all the features of previous updates. Please be warned that updating will stop any homebrew applications from running on your PSP using any known exploits.

You can update your PSP (if you are interested) using the usual methods including the Network Update or via the Regional PlayStation Websites (give them some time to update the update pages).

[Via: PlayStation Japan]