Its looks like the next PlayStation 3 firmware update will come with a much-requested feature: cross-game voice chat. A VG247 source claims that he got word from another source whom they “can’t name” on the said cross-title voice chat in PS3 play, and the word is good. Although Sony suggested that no major features will be added this year, Firmware 3.10 is expected to be released some time in October.
A new PlayStation 3 firmware update is now available to download using the [System Update] feature. This optional update improves system stability during the use of some PlayStation 3 titles, including the Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune freezing issues. It’s taken Sony two weeks to release a patch for the reported issues, but at least it’s finally here.
Settings
Game
You can now select either [By Expire Date] or [All] as the method for displaying content that is saved on Memory Stick™ media.
Network
As we revealed last week, Firmware 6.00 for the PSP is now available to download. Although the version number indicates a major update to the system software, only a few changes have been made. New features include the ability to group games into folders based on their expiry date and new XMB colours have been added to [Theme Settings].
Earlier this week, Firmware 6.0 was released to developers and it could soon be released to the general public. Allison Walter of NIS America said that firmware 6.0 will be released on or before September 10th 2009, while answering some fan questions regarding the Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! demo.
3D gaming has gained some serious support over the past several months, and its clear that 3D is the way forward. Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year when Gran Turismo and WipEout HD was shown to be running in 3D. There are already a few 3D games available, including Invincible Tiger and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game. According to Engadget, a software update for the PS3 sometime in 2010 will enable it to provide a 3D viewing experience to “all” existing games on the system.
Overall
Firmware 3.00 for the PlayStation 3 is now available to download, but only via the System Update feature as the regional websites have not been updated yet. Firmware 3.00 introduces a number of great features, including “What’s New,” a redesigned status indicator and Friends List, and support for new avatars and dynamic themes.
In addition to what we reported earlier about the upcoming Firmware 3.0 update on September 1st, more details about what the update will include have emerged. As you may be aware, Linux support is being dropped on the PS3 Slim and was likely to be dropped on older models with the new update. Rest assured, Sony will not be removing the feature from older PS3 models. The new boot screen for both old and new models has been confirmed; in addition, the booting of a game will no longer display the “PlayStation 3” logo.
