PlayStation 3 system software
Encyclopedia
The PlayStation 3 system software is the updateable software and operating system
of the PlayStation 3
. The process of updating is almost identical to that of the PSP
. Each update includes all previous update data (except for features that have been reported to be removed).
The software may be updated by downloading the update directly on the PlayStation 3, downloading it from the user's local Official PlayStation website to a PC and using a USB storage device to transfer it to the PlayStation 3, or installing the update from game discs containing update data.
The native operating system
of the PlayStation 3 is called CellOS, which is believed to be a branch
from the FreeBSD
project.
The 3D computer graphics API software used in the PlayStation 3 is LibGCM and PSGL
, based on OpenGL ES
and Nvidia's Cg. The PlayStation 3 uses the XrossMediaBar
(XMB) as its graphical user interface
.
The initial slim PS3s SKU shipped with a unique firmware with new features, also seen in software 3.00.
The current version of the software, 4.00, was made available on November 29, 2011.
Sony responded to the lawsuits by requesting a dismissal on the grounds that "no one cared about the feature" and that the filings cite quotes from 3rd party websites, the instruction manual, the PlayStation Web site and claims they are invalid proof and that Sony can disable PSN and the other advertised features (playing games that require newer firmware, etc.) as they wish. The lawyers for the plaintifs are reviewing the request and say that this is fairly common at this stage of the game and that the case will be reviewed before a judge in November 2010. In February 2011 all claims of false advertising in the case were dismissed but the plaintiffs were allowed to appeal and amend the case and the other claims that the removal violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse act were allowed to go forward. In March 2011 the plaintiffs amended their complaint to refute Sony's claims that it was within its rights under the TOS and warranty to remove the feature adding more details to their claims including breach of warranty, breach of implied warranty, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and breach of several California unfair business practices laws. In April 2011 SCEA again asked that the case be dismissed and made claims that the plaintiffs refiled claim was insufficient and that they were hackers and wanted to violate Sony's IP and asked the judge to grant search rights on their PS3 systems. SCEA also made claims that they are not the division solely responsible for the removal and should not be held responsible despite conflicting information to the contrary. On April 18, 2011 the plaintiffs fired back at Sony's renewed efforts to get the case dismissed by pointing out the fact that Sony had made many of the same claims before and they had been dismissed by the court and also pointing out several legal precedents under California law that refute Sony's claims.
Image formats
Audio formats
Video formats
Notes:
Other gaming platforms from Sony:
Other gaming platforms from this generation
:
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
of the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The process of updating is almost identical to that of the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. Each update includes all previous update data (except for features that have been reported to be removed).
The software may be updated by downloading the update directly on the PlayStation 3, downloading it from the user's local Official PlayStation website to a PC and using a USB storage device to transfer it to the PlayStation 3, or installing the update from game discs containing update data.
The native operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
of the PlayStation 3 is called CellOS, which is believed to be a branch
Branching (software)
Branching, in revision control and software configuration management, is the duplication of an object under revision control so that modifications can happen in parallel along both branches....
from the FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
project.
The 3D computer graphics API software used in the PlayStation 3 is LibGCM and PSGL
PSGL
PSGL is a 3D computer graphics API based on OpenGL ES and Nvidia's CG for Sony's PlayStation 3. A previous version of PSGL was available for the PlayStation 2 but was largely unused.-Features:*Programmable shading with Cg...
, based on OpenGL ES
OpenGL ES
OpenGL for Embedded Systems is a subset of the OpenGL 3D graphics application programming interface designed for embedded systems such as mobile phones, PDAs, and video game consoles. OpenGL ES is managed by the not-for-profit technology consortium, the Khronos Group, Inc.- Versions :Several...
and Nvidia's Cg. The PlayStation 3 uses the XrossMediaBar
XrossMediaBar
The XrossMediaBar is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons, instead of a cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user...
(XMB) as its graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
.
The initial slim PS3s SKU shipped with a unique firmware with new features, also seen in software 3.00.
The current version of the software, 4.00, was made available on November 29, 2011.
Software update information
Due to the regular releases of updates to the system's software, the majority of the time newly purchased consoles will not have the latest version of the system software installed. However, any games that require a specific version of the system software will include the update required on the game disc. For example, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction This update was only available via this game and the only feature it added to prior updates was DualShock 3 controller support, as this was the first game to support the controller without needing an update to the game itself.Details of updates
KEY | Settings changes | Media changes | Disc changes | Game changes | Network changes | Device connectivity changes | System changes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Description |
Version 4
Version Release date (UTC) Notes |
Description |
---|---|
4.00 November 29, 2011 |
Device connectivity changes
Settings changes
Media changes
Game changes
Network changes
|
Version 3
Version Release date (UTC) Notes |
Description |
---|---|
3.73 October 18, 2011 Optional |
System changes
|
3.72 September 20, 2011 |
System changes
|
3.70 August 10, 2011 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disk changes
Network changes
System changes
|
3.66 June 23, 2011 |
System changes
|
3.65 June 7, 2011 Optional |
Initial firmware for CECH-3000 Series System changes
|
3.61 May 15, 2011 |
Network changes
System changes
|
3.60 March 10, 2011 |
Network changes
System changes
|
3.56 January 26, 2011 Reissued February 1, 2011 |
System changes
System changes (reissued version)
|
3.55 December 7, 2010 |
System changes
|
3.50 September 21, 2010 |
Disc changes
System changes
|
3.42 September 6, 2010 |
System changes
|
3.41 July 26, 2010 Reissued August 2, 2010 |
Network changes
System changes (reissued version)
|
3.40 June 29, 2010 |
Settings changes
Network changes
Media changes
System changes
|
3.30 April 22, 2010 |
Settings changes
Disc changes
Network changes
System changes
|
3.21 April 1, 2010 |
Settings changes
System changes
|
3.15 December 10, 2009 Formerly optional, required as of January 27, 2010 |
Game changes
System changes
|
3.10 November 19, 2009 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Game changes
Network changes
System changes
|
3.01 September 15, 2009 Optional, but required for some games. |
System changes
|
3.00 September 1, 2009 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Game changes
Network changes
System changes
|
Version 2
Version Release date (UTC) Notes |
Description |
---|---|
2.7x, 2.85 or 2.90 Distributed with the PS3 "slim" |
Initial firmware for CECH-2000 series. This firmware is only available pre-installed on PS3 Slim models and cannot be downloaded. The version number is dependent on the PS3's region. Settings changes
Game changes
System changes
|
2.80 June 24, 2009 Optional, but required for Vidzone VidZone VidZone is the largest online music video VOD service in the world, operated by London-based company VidZone Digital Media and Sony Computer Entertainment. The online service provides free streaming of music videos from the VidZone.tv website, in addition to music distribution through a number of... |
Network changes
System changes
|
2.76 May 14, 2009 |
System changes
|
2.70 April 2, 2009 |
Media changes
Network changes
System changes
|
2.60 January 21, 2009 |
Media changes
Network changes
System changes
|
2.53 December 2, 2008 |
Network changes
System changes
|
2.52 November 5, 2008 |
System changes
|
2.51 October 27, 2008 Demonstration units only |
Changes not known. |
2.50 October 15, 2008 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Game changes
Network changes
System changes
|
2.43 September 17, 2008 Compulsory in Japan only |
System changes
|
2.42 July 30, 2008 |
System changes
|
2.41 July 8, 2008 |
Network changes
System changes
|
2.40 July 2, 2008 Withdrawn, July 2, 2008 |
Settings changes
Disc Changes
Media Changes
Game changes
System changes
|
2.36 June 18, 2008 |
System changes
|
2.35 May 15, 2008 |
System changes
|
2.30 April 15, 2008 |
Media changes
Network changes
|
2.20 March 25, 2008 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disc changes
Network changes
System changes
|
2.17 March 13, 2008 |
System changes
|
2.10 December 18, 2007 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disc changes
Game changes
System changes
|
2.01 November 20, 2007 |
Settings changes
Disc changes
System changes
|
2.00 November 8, 2007 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disc changes
Game changes
Network changes
System changes
|
Version 1
Version Release date (UTC) Notes |
Description |
---|---|
1.94 October 23, 2007 Not downloadable |
Settings changes
|
1.93 September 13, 2007 |
System changes
|
1.92 September 4, 2007 |
System changes
|
1.90 July 24, 2007 |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disc changes
Game changes
Network changes
System changes
|
1.82 June 28, 2007 |
Media changes
|
1.81 June 15, 2007 |
Settings changes
System changes
|
1.80 May 24, 2007 Update also available on MotorStorm MotorStorm MotorStorm is a 2006 racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. First announced at E3 2005, the game was released in Japan on 14 December 2006 and the rest of the world in March 2007.... disc |
Settings changes
Media changes
Disc changes
Game changes
System changes
|
1.70 April 19, 2007 |
Game changes
|
1.60 March 22, 2007 |
Settings changes
Disc changes
Game changes
Network changes
|
1.54 February 28, 2007 Initial European release |
Media changes
System changes
|
1.51 February 2, 2007 |
Game changes
|
1.50 January 24, 2007 |
Game changes
System changes
|
1.32 December 21, 2006 |
Game changes
|
1.31 December 13, 2006 |
Game changes
|
1.30 December 6, 2006 |
Settings changes
|
1.11 November 28, 2006 |
Network changes
|
1.10 November 11, 2006 November 17, 2006 |
Network changes
|
1.02 NA |
Included with some games. Game changes
System changes
|
Withdrawal of update 2.40
System software version 2.40, which included the in-game XMB feature and PlayStation 3 Trophies, was released on July 2, 2008; however, it was withdrawn later the same day because a small number of users were unable to restart their consoles after performing the update. The fault was explained to have been because of certain system administrative data being contained in the HDD. The issue was addressed in version 2.41 of the system software released on July 8, 2008.Class action suit filed over update 3.0
System software version 3.0 was released on September 1, 2009. Shortly after its release, a very small number of users complained that the system update caused their system's Blu-ray drive to malfunction. In addition, John Kennedy of Florida filed a class action suit against Sony Computer Entertainment America. John Kennedy had purchased a PlayStation 3 in January 2009, claiming it worked perfectly until he installed the required firmware update 3.0, at which point the Blu-ray drive in his system ceased functioning properly. Sony later released a statement, "SCEA is aware of reports that PS3 owners are experiencing isolated issues with their PS3 system since installing the most recent system software update (v3.00)," and released software update 3.01 on September 15, 2009. However, after installing 3.01, the plaintiff alleged the problems were not only not solved, but the new update created new issues as well.Class action suits filed over update 3.21
Due to the removal of the "OtherOS" feature from older models of the PS3 due to security issues (possibly related to the exploit released by geohot) which caused an uproar in the PlayStation community, several lawsuits have been filed. The first one was filed on behalf of PS3 owners by Anthony Ventura. The suit states that removing the feature constitutes breach of contract, false advertising and a handful of other business practices relating to consumer protection laws as the feature was touted by Sony when these systems were new as a way consumers could turn their machines into a basic PC and cites that the feature was "extremely valuable" and one of the main reasons that many people paid more for the PS3 over buying a competing console like a Wii or an Xbox 360. It also elaborates that anyone who does not accept the update can no longer play future games or future Blu-ray movie releases. Later on two more suits were also filed by other members of the PlayStation 3 community. The first of these newer lawsuits was filed by Todd Densmore and Antal Herz which claim Sony has rendered several PlayStation 3 features they paid for "inoperable" as a result of the release of firmware 3.21. The second filed was by Jason Baker, Sean Bosquett, Paul Graham, and Paul Vannatta, and claims, among other things, that they "lost money by purchasing a PS3 without receiving the benefit of their bargain because the product is not what it was claimed to be - a game console that would provide both the Other OS feature and gaming functions." A fourth lawsuit was filed by Keith Wright and seeks compensation equal to the cost of the console. A fifth lawsuit was filed by Jeffrey Harper and Zachary Kummer which calls for a jury trial. A sixth lawsuit was filed by Johnathon Huber and has quotes from both the EU and US playstation blogs.Sony responded to the lawsuits by requesting a dismissal on the grounds that "no one cared about the feature" and that the filings cite quotes from 3rd party websites, the instruction manual, the PlayStation Web site and claims they are invalid proof and that Sony can disable PSN and the other advertised features (playing games that require newer firmware, etc.) as they wish. The lawyers for the plaintifs are reviewing the request and say that this is fairly common at this stage of the game and that the case will be reviewed before a judge in November 2010. In February 2011 all claims of false advertising in the case were dismissed but the plaintiffs were allowed to appeal and amend the case and the other claims that the removal violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse act were allowed to go forward. In March 2011 the plaintiffs amended their complaint to refute Sony's claims that it was within its rights under the TOS and warranty to remove the feature adding more details to their claims including breach of warranty, breach of implied warranty, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and breach of several California unfair business practices laws. In April 2011 SCEA again asked that the case be dismissed and made claims that the plaintiffs refiled claim was insufficient and that they were hackers and wanted to violate Sony's IP and asked the judge to grant search rights on their PS3 systems. SCEA also made claims that they are not the division solely responsible for the removal and should not be held responsible despite conflicting information to the contrary. On April 18, 2011 the plaintiffs fired back at Sony's renewed efforts to get the case dismissed by pointing out the fact that Sony had made many of the same claims before and they had been dismissed by the court and also pointing out several legal precedents under California law that refute Sony's claims.
Compatible media formats
The PlayStation 3 is capable of photo, audio, and video playback in a variety of formats. It also includes various photo slideshow options and several music visualizations. The following table lists the photo, audio, and video formats that are supported on the PS3.Image formats
- JPEGJPEGIn computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
- GIF
- TIFFTagged Image File FormatTIFF is a file format for storing images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and both amateur and professional photographers in general. As of 2009, it is under the control of Adobe Systems...
- BMP
- PNG
- MPO
Audio formats
- MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
- MP3 SurroundMP3 SurroundMP3 Surround is an extension of MP3 for multi-channel audio support including 5.1 surround sound. It was developed by Fraunhofer IIS in collaboration with Thomson and Agere Systems, and released in December 2004....
- WAVWAVWaveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
- WMA 9Windows Media AudioWindows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs...
- ATRAC
- Audio CDRed Book (audio CD standard)Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
- SACDSuper Audio CDSuper Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
(discontinued on newer models) - MP4MPEG-4 Part 14MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
Audio - MPEG-4 Part 3MPEG-4 Part 3MPEG-4 Part 3 or MPEG-4 Audio is the third part of the ISO/IEC MPEG-4 international standard developed by Moving Picture Experts Group. It specifies audio coding methods...
- AACAdvanced Audio CodingAdvanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
/ AAC Low Complexity (unprotected)
Video formats
- MPEG-1MPEG-1MPEG-1 is a standard for lossy compression of video and audio. It is designed to compress VHS-quality raw digital video and CD audio down to 1.5 Mbit/s without excessive quality loss, making video CDs, digital cable/satellite TV and digital audio broadcasting possible.Today, MPEG-1 has become...
(MPEG Audio Layer 2) - MPEG-2MPEG-2MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
PS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2, AAC LC, AC3(Dolby Digital), LPCM) - MPEG-2MPEG-2MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
TS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2) - VC-1VC-1VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
(.wmv) - AVCHDAVCHDAVCHD is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video....
(.m2ts / .mts) - AVIAudio Video InterleaveAudio Video Interleave , known by its acronym AVI, is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in November 1992 as part of its Video for Windows technology. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback...
- DivXDivXDivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
, DivX VOD - XviDXviDXvid is a video codec library following the MPEG-4 standard, specifically MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile . It uses ASP features such as b-frames, global and quarter pixel motion compensation, lumi masking, trellis quantization, and H.263, MPEG and custom quantization matrices.Xvid is a...
- Motion JPEG (Linear PCM)
- Motion JPEG (μ-Law)
- MP4MPEG-4 Part 14MPEG-4 Part 14 or MP4 is a multimedia container format standard specified as a part of MPEG-4. It is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images...
Video - MP4 via DivX AVI
- MP4 SPMPEG-4 Part 2MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-4 Visual is a video compression technology developed by MPEG. It belongs to the MPEG-4 ISO/IEC standards. It is a discrete cosine transform compression standard, similar to previous standards such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2...
- MP4 AVC / MP4 H.264
- DVD Video
- VOBVOBA VOB file is a container format in DVD-Video media. VOB can contain video, audio, subtitle, menu and navigation contents multiplexed together into a stream form. VOB is based on the MPEG program stream format, but with additional limitations and specifications in the private streams...
- BD Video format on Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
- BD Video format on DVD-ROM
Notes:
See also
- Media GoMedia GoMedia Go is a video and audio player developed by Sony Creative Software, announced at E3 2009 for Microsoft Windows. Media Go manages content on Sony family products such as Sony Ericsson cellular telephones and the PlayStation Portable; it can also playback multimedia content, serving a function...
- Linux for PlayStation 3
- LocationFree PlayerLocationFree PlayerSony's LocationFree is the marketing name for a group of products and technologies for timeshifting and placeshifting streaming video. The LocationFree Player is an internet-based multifunctional device used to stream live television broadcasts , DVDs and DVR content over a home network or the...
- PlayStation HomePlayStation HomePlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
- PlayStation Network
- PlayStation StorePlayStation StoreThe PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
- QriocityQriocitySony Entertainment Network , formerly called Qriocity , is a trading name for Sony Corporation's streaming music, games, e-books and video on demand services. A video streaming service with the name has been available in the United States since April 2010...
- XrossMediaBarXrossMediaBarThe XrossMediaBar is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons, instead of a cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user...
Other gaming platforms from Sony:
- PlayStation Portable system softwarePlayStation Portable system softwarePlayStation Portable System Software is the official, updatable firmware for the PlayStation Portable. Updates add new functionality as well as security patches to prevent homebrew applications and plugins being run on the system. Updates can be obtained in four ways:*Direct download to the PSP...
Other gaming platforms from this generation
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
:
- Nintendo 3DS system softwareNintendo 3DS system softwareNintendo 3DS system software is a set of updatable firmware versions and software frontend on the Nintendo 3DS video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software....
- Nintendo DSi system softwareNintendo DSi System SoftwareNintendo DSi system software is a set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software....
- Wii system softwareWii System SoftwareWii system software is a set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Wii video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection , allow Nintendo to add additional features and software...
- Xbox 360 system softwareXbox 360 System SoftwareXbox 360 system software , is the updatable software and operating system for the Xbox 360. It resides on a 16 MB file system and has access to a maximum of 32 MB of the system's memory. While the System Software updates may sometimes provide updates to the system's firmware, it is unlikely that...