UPDATE: The Firmware 1.90 update is available now; I’ve also included an update below that addresses some of your comments here.
Firmware 1.90 brings with it several new features, many of which readers of this blog have requested – I’m happy to report.
Customization is one new feature: you can now personalize the wallpaper on your XMB with a photo. This was one of the top three requests we received via the blog’s contact form. When viewing a photo, simply bring up the options screen by pressing the triangle button and selecting “set as wallpaper” from the options displayed. Additionally, you can now change the order of the games displayed under the game icon on the XMB.
Another new feature focuses on added communication elements: When you’re sending messages to friends on PLAYSTATION Network, you can now use emoticons. We’ve added a bunch of emoticons that can be easily accessed from the virtual keyboard. Also, another cool addition is, when an avatar is displayed during voice/video chat, the avatar will move in response to audio.
Finally, on the more technical side, you can now play AVCHD videos saved on a Memory Stick or digital video camera, and we’ve added the ability to upscale audio CD output from your PS3. Now, there are two requirements for this feature: the device you’re outputting to must support a sampling frequency of 88.2 kHz or 176.4 kHz, and your PS3 must be connected to that device with an HDMI cable or digital optical cable.
Oh, and one more thing: you can now eject discs using your controller by selecting “Eject Disc” in the options menu after you push the PS button.
Several other minor options will be included in 1.90 including a few new display options that will allow you to adjust your display while playing PlayStation, PlayStation2 and Blu-ray movies.
We’re working on additional features for our next update that will incorporate more of your feedback, so as always thanks for all of your support, and please keep those suggestions coming!
[UPDATE]
The link on the SCEA website is now live, you can get the full info on firmware 1.90 here. Also, I noticed a lot of your comments were directly related to accessing XMB features in-game. We understand this is something you want and we are working on it. For the sake of keeping all the comments below on topic, please understand that we hear this request and are working toward a solution. When I have some more info to share on this, know that I will do so here on this blog.Now, with all of that said, thanks for the feedback. I decided to address some of the consistent comments in the body of this post instead of within the comments. One thing you have noticed is that under sorting your games, when you sort by creation date, it sorts by the date you downloaded the content. Sorting videos is done by the date that the videos were added to your hard drive. You can also ‘go-to’ a specific time in any of the videos on your HDD, by hitting triangle and then selecting the specific time from the clock at the bottom.
Something a few of you have noticed as well is that you don’t need to have the SIXAXIS controller connected to PS3 through the USB cable anymore to complete the update, which I know is something some of you were asking for.
Wow, another lame update. Thanks, Sony. I feel so happy that I spent 600 bucks on a system that gimps itself after each update. I loved the sound of this update on paper… When you download it, you see all the short commings it brings.
1st of all, I wanted to be able to actually organize my PSN games the way I wanted to. Not the way you want to. That’s garbage.
2nd of all… Why did I not get the option to adjust my screen rez for PS3 games and ps2 games?
3rd, why are the only options for screen setting in PS2 playback and not PSN classic play back games? This is a joke. Still I can’t switch rez’s on the fly, so it makes this whole update obsolete and moot.
I won’t use emocons or whatever they’re called, but thanks anyways…
The sorting options are super lame. I expected a lot more. Why not just give us manual sorting?
PLEASE ADD IN GAME SOUNDTRACKS- This is not related to firmware, but please start filling the store up with some more content! DEMOS!
If you just gave us a full working XMB we wouldn’t need all these half baked updates. Simple as that. If we were able to switch resolutions on the fly and upscale at will and do all the things an xmb allows us to do in game… none of these updates would mater. Sony… Are you listening???
*Great Update*
Still Need:
-In game XMB w/ MP3 Audio Playback and option to mute in game music.
-Design a Game lobby selection for Rainbow Six: Las Vegas and other games
– More Ps1 classics especially Twisted metal and Sqare Enix classics.
-Psp-On- Ps3. The option to hook the psp to the ps3 for gameplay enchanced HD on TV screen.
– Improved Linnux Support. Perhaps every ps3 should have Yellowdog by now?
-Simple Application programs (like Google docs) that I can use on my PS3.
-Singstar(ps3), Dance Dance revolution (Ps3).
-Eyetoy2 with improved functionality Vs. The wii’s gimic. (This is your best weapon against the Wii. Just make more casual games that go with it.)
-More demo’s or video of upcoming games (besides the e3 ones).
-Improve the PSN store. The interface is slow.
-Sony Online Entertainment. Merge their showcase (hit titles like jeapoardy, monoloply, wheel of fortune, etc.) and make them playable on the ps3. Perhaps that StationPass could be a future method for sony to increase profits.
-Tamagotchi. Simple, program that lives on the PS3. This “pet” will always be on the ps3, and perhaps can show some functionality.
-8 player games. Why can the ps3 play up to 8 playerson a single console, yet no games support this feature? Really pointless. Sony save a buck and cut it out then.
-Sonystore. Not the PSN store. Sony Store. Perhaps there should be a link where you can go from the PSN store and be able to buy Sony games and others (Think Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com) with the option to send to your house over a creditcard.
-Improved Ipod/Mp3 Functionality. Perhaps a Sony music player of thier own besides the lame one on the XMB?
– Support for SKYPE.COM.
-Myspace/facebook/bebo/highfive/
friendster interface. MS is thinking about it already with an option to include MSN space with Xbox Live. Beat them to it.
-More trailers. If you have to Add commericials for Products that are coming out that have to competition factor or perhaps even a new TV show series? Someone has to pay for PSN “sometime”, let it be the network executives.
– Pay Per Views. I know Video in demand is complicated, but perhaps one of the Pay per view companies could stream a a boxing event/ufc match/wrestling event through the ps3? Untapped…
-More Avatars for the PS3 user. Perhaps a “home” page sometime eventually?
**Thank you for your time.**
Hmmm, unimpressive. I expected these features at launch. How about better connectivity between the Sixaxis and PS3 console so that my analog sticks don’t randomly freeze for a few seconds in the middle of a game. I know that I’m not the only one with this problem. My friend constantly complains about going off cliffs when playing Motor Storm because of this.
wow….this is a pretty lame update. I sat there like, what can I do new…. all the backgrounds look lame…. uhmmmm… I sent a sad face to my friends and disabled custom background and turned off the ps3.
You know the update sucks when it took me 10min to update it, and 2 to check it out.
lame
really the update sucks??
lol boy no one is thankful. Sony doesnt have to release firmware updates for us. So I would be a little more thankful to Sony.
Thanks for the update Sony! Another GREAT update as always! :)
It would be VERY nice if the videos we download from the store show the intro video that is shown if the file is an MPEG4 This is silly that I would not get this function from the files Sony offers.
this is a total let down
i want 2 play my game and play my music at the same time
i know, i cant stand it when i go to a store and have the ps3 set up but its not on or the screen isnt turned on. soo dumb
Curtis you mean like show a few seconds of the video in the XMB? You can do that. Start the video, click triangle, and search for “Make Icon” or something with icon.
I think the wallpapers and organization options are great. I hope to see full organization by creating our own folders and being able to move files to folders! Great additions for a minor update.
thanks for the update
AmericanNinja is right
i had an 360 music while playing game was
good
u guys were more happy b4 the update came out.geez what happen?
Thank you Sony i will enjoy it, when it finish download.
They gotta update this topic’s title to FW 1.90 out NOW!
awesome and fun little update thanx SONY!!
Awesome news I love how you guys lisen to us the consumers. Very Smart move. Here’s my little suggestion: When you finish whatching a video and exit can you guys make it start at the begginning when you watch it the next time. That would be awesome!~!
i was happy but sad at the same time
i just want 2 play music and my game
at the same i really dont care about
anything else
Plz add:
1. In game XMB
2. In game soundtracks
3. Custom playlist’s for music player
4. DivX support
Keep up the good work. I love seeing my PS3 evolve.
PLEASE ADD SEQUENTIAL VIDEO PLAYBACK!
BTW, Kudos Sony for yet another quality update :D
Its already out guys you can download it :)
Plz open up RSX for Linx/Homebrew, If this happens PS3 will be untouchable.
you can download the new firmware update
it’s finally finish. cant wait for the next one.
hope u can play yuh music in-game in the next one plz sony
Thank you for the update.
However:
I got my 60 GB PS3 on May tenth and so far I have not been able to login to the PS-Store since every time I tried I got the network busy error code.
I had a look at editing my account information but pertinent webpage information tells me that I have to be logged in to do so and I have no real way of knowing if any of my tries to create a PS-Store account worked since I have never gotten further than the page where it asks for my birthdate.
Geez how can I edit or check my account info if it NEVER, ever lets me log-in? (yes I tried triangle in the Friends and it tells me I have to sign up for an account)
I tried customer support and they had me play with the modem, router, etc. and still nothing.
I just find it strange that I can post from my PS3 and yet its unable to log-in to the PS-Store.
Well I am also going to try posting this on the PS blog in the hopes that a future firmware update will fix this problem.
Things we want!:
Dolby Digital 5.1
Support for .mov apple trailers.
Support for .mkv files!
Support for inputting our landline HOME telephone number for PS-Store verification instead of the registration circus that you now have.
Support for our SONY! brand home theater amps that have 7.1 ability yet are FORCED to play stereo when a PS3 High Definition movie trailer is playing.
Thank you.
R. E. Burrows.
Can you please add BD-ROM specification Profile 1.1 So we can have a secondary video decoder and secondary audio.
the 550+ posts make it painfully obvious that the ps3 firmware update is taking up a lot of interest. I appreciate the heads up on the new features that will be implemented in the next week or so but i also heard that there’s going to be an upgrade to the psp firmware.
Can you let us know whats coming out for that as well?
thanx for the news.
great update.
id still like to see the ability to create folders or rename folders (especially under photos)
It’s a pretty cool update. In 1.91 could you add some form of creating screenshots from a video you’re watching and make them wallpapers and such. Not trying to whine, it’s just an afterthought!
@Farhad91: No we didn’t get The Darkness demo :(
Nothing against Euro’s, but I refuse to pretend to be from a different country in order to download a demo. That whole situation seems unecessary and silly.
I’ve heard good things about that game, but I wanna try before I buy… it’s aggrivating.
This is one thing I’ve wanted since I bought my PS3 in January.
I want the PS button to work on the XMB by pressing the button and only to work in games/apps by holding the button, instead of pulling up the “Quit Game” (etc.) screen when I just press the button. Why is it vice-versa right now? It would be perfectly convenient the other way around.
ALCS
[…] under: Firmware Updates, PlayStation Network Firmware 1.90 has hit North America earlier than expected and is now available to download onto your shiny PS3s. The firmware update brings with it one of […]
Here are some ideas for future updates:
We want divx support. Or you could give us support for custom video codecs which would allow hackers to make a divx codec for the ps3.
Make a deal with adobe so that whenever they make a new version of flash or acrobat they can make one for the ps3 browser.
In-game messaging. I hate having to quit a game to read a text message. Most of the people begging for “in-game xmb” really only want the messaging stuff.
In-game single page browser. Folding@home has a “one page at a time” browser in it that lets you surf the web while folding. If you could access the web during any game, that would be perfect for reading online gaming tips while you play.
Custom pic for PSN avatar. My user has a custom pic but on the friends list I have to choose one of the many crappy pics available.
is the time going to be implemented like with the PSP. I.E. when hitting the PS button it also shows what time it is? for those too lazy to find a clock :p and or doesn’t wear a watch, or sit next to a computer
cool,can’t wait.
I agree with marty8370, Please open the RSX and to also give us more format options under Other OS for the Yellow Dog Linux.
Holy Cow Dung! 569 posts!?
All I want is DivX.
Transport files, most are h.264 or Mpeg2, should be pretty simple to handle those..
Would be very nice if the PS3 could handle those :-)
good update, now they just have to make it the ultimate media hub like they said it would be. like in-game XMB access, custom music, all types of videos files, easier access on mp3 players, customize the icons on the XMB like you can on the psp and other stuff everyone else wants. They finally gave us the background option. But i think it would be cool if they give us the option to have the pictures in the background change too depending on how you set it up. if you want one picture to show than 1 will show or just have the background change pictures if you want it. Just some thoughts.
___________________________________________________
Just to answer a few things people requested:
1. Jump to a certain point in a video is possible already. Press triangle and select the right turning arrow (the first one on the row and select either chapter or time and press x.
2. Music while browsing is possible – play music and press the PS button and start the browser from the XMB menu
3. Avi/Divx is not just something that can be done – first of all most of the avi/divx codecs are illegal ripoff and thereby not possible for Sony to include – so if Sony included support for the “genuine” avi/divx codecs people will still be mad.
___________________________________________________
I’m happy with the new firmware, but I still long for more.
Visible date and time
– is it so hard to implement?
in-game XMB
– we have faith in you Sony. Firmware 2.0?
Refined/enhanced web browser
– hook up with Mozilla and Adobe and put out a PS3 version of Firefox and the latest versions of Flash
More video codecs
– Not everyone likes converting to MP4/AVC
Refined PS Store front
– something that feels more integrated with the XMB instead of bringing up a modified web browser. Perhaps adapting the store layout to a folder/subfolder thing like we already do with Music and Photos.
Built in video conversion
– it would put the Cell processor to use when not folding or playing :). It would be faster in transcoding videos than my old crap computer, at least
I don’t know what more I could ask for. I really hope to see these features on our PS3s sometime real soon. And of course, we’d like to see what other nifty features you could add that we haven’t already thought of.
I can’t wait to update my PS3 now when I get back from hols. :) Great update Sony.
What we need now is 2.0 to be released with a shed load of new features. One I want to see is to have XMB accessibility whilst in game. Another is to be able to play your own music while playing on games.
Love the XMB wallpaper option. Are we going to see a Hi-Res wallpaper category added to this site or in the PSN store anytime soon? I hope so.
When can I arrange my games and pictures the way I want? That would’ve been a great feature.
Still, not a bad update. Thanks.
I have a load of suggestions for future firmware upgrades.
I own a PS3, a 1080p tellie, a PSP, and multiple computers. I buy Blue Ray movies. I spend loads of money on this stuff Sony. I buy games. I have several on pre orders right now.
I would like to put a Playstation 3 in multiple places in my house and be able to browse the content on all of them. So my daughters photos and music can be accessed form any device in the house as an example. Parental control options are awesome.
I have a photo collection from 1998 on dvds.
I have many CDs and mp3s. I love being able to use my ps3 to rip cds to it it is really great. However sorting is awful.
When I purchased my Playstation 3 I was under the impression I would be using it for a media hub in my home. I could copy my existing photos to it and share them with the other devices I have. I could copy my CDs onto it and share them with the other devices in my home. I would be using the web browser for web access, I could do webmail at the very least do my banking etc …
All of those thing to this day I still cannot do.
The Playstation 3 reeks of potential. I believe it is being squandered. I would love to see it stand up and become something truly lifestyle changing. It could.
External storage can be attached this could become a be all media hub.
I would like to see several features implemented.
Password protected user accounts and the ability to mange users. Imagine the ability to remove a user! wow what a concept. the ability to set parental controls on the created users form an administrative account. Content restriction by parental controls and user ownership options. A user should be able to “share” or restrict content for other users of the system.
DLNA server options for god sakes. I want to share my content! So I can browse photos stored on my playstation from my computers upstairs as an example. I could then listen to music form any device I have that is stored on my PS3.
The ability to create folders and organize content the way I want to organize it. I have gigs and gigs of photos I cannot copy to the playstation as the sorting is not up to the task. In order to copy these over to the PS I would need to stage them on a computer and change all the access times to how I want them to sort. That is rediculous.
New visualizations when playing music would be nice. The PSP has them why does this flagship product not have them.
A human usable web browser. I have a wireless keyboard for the PS3 it still does not help.
Keyboard mappings for all the controller keys please. Let me know what they are and I will use them.
Wireless connections that do not suck. I am constantly disconnected from my access point. I have a computer in the same room as my PS3 I never see disconnects on the PC.
I have this wonderful system full of potential. I would like to be able to use it.
Well..I have to say I’m really disappointed with how the sorting of games is handled. How could the makers forget to include an alphabetical option? And the ‘type’ option doesn’t seem to do anything for me. It certainly doesn’t group all the full games together.
What I wish it did include was a manual sort option and the ability to create folders so I could put all the demos away in their own folder.
As for others things I’d really like…
1. Better codec support. Official support for WMV and DIVX should be possible. Plenty of DVD players from major manufacturers can do this. At least wrt DIVX. Even Sony has stuff thats DIVX certified.
Also included in that would be a way to include 5.1 audio in the mp4 files that are standard in the PS3 ecosystem.
2. iTunes integration. I don’t see why its not possible to access my iTunes shares that are on my LAN. Again I’d be happy to pay a fee if it was required due to Apples request.
3. And of course my pipe dream would be the PS3 being region free when it came to PS1/2 disc games.
Beyond that I wish Sony offered some kind of official DLNA server software to use with the PS3.
Many wallpapers available on PSN would be great.
For those who complait for not getting what they want : Wait and stop complaining ! You should be relefied Sony is concerned about our feedbacks !
Remember that first of all, PS3 is a console. That”s cool for Sony to listen customers and add many functions so stop complaining!
– adding XviD codec is possible and would be nice, we wouldn’t have to reencode our files to .MP4.
Thanks for the continuing updates. I searched through the other comments and can’t believe no one suggested this:
PLEASE include an option to disable the music associated to game entries in the XMB. Some of the music is so annoying and loud (especially MotorStorm or Lemmings) that I just want the game selection to be silent.
I just can’t believe what I read… almost 500 messages of people saying that they want that or that ! Stop whining like babies because you don’t have all the things you want immediately…
Things take time to develop, even if you pay for them. Just wait, relax, enjoy your ps3 and its games !