Hi everyone, PlayStation 3 (PS3) will receive its next system software update shortly – v. 3.15. This is an optional update, and it enables existing PS3 owners who purchase a new PS3 system (perhaps as a second unit for the household) to transfer their content from their current PS3 to the new system. Content such as games, game save data, and videos downloaded from PlayStation Network can be transferred to the new PS3 system and deleted from the current PS3 system. Other content, including personal media files (photos, music, videos), can be copied onto the new PS3 and remain on the current PS3 system.
Here’s a quick primer on how the Data Transfer Utility works (UPDATED).
Data Transfer Utility
- Connect both PS3 (A) and PS3 (B) with a LAN cable and connect both PS3 to the TV (using different video input connectors). (Please note, do not unplug any cables when the PS3 power is on.) Turn both the current PS3 (A) and new PS3 (B) on. Please note, firmware (v3.15) must be installed on both systems.
- On the XMB of PS3 (A), scroll to the Settings category and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]
- Follow the instructions on-screen and select [1. Transfer data from this system to the other PS3 system.]
- When PS3 (A) is in standby and ready for transferring data, switch the screen to PS3 (B), scroll to the Settings category on XMB and select [System Settings] and then [Data Transfer Utility]
- Follow the instructions on-screen and select [2. Transfer from the other PS3 system to this system.]
- After transferring the data, follow the instructions on-screen.
- If content that was downloaded from PlayStation Store was transferred as part of this operation, you must activate PS3 (B) before you can use the data. Log in to the PS3 system as the user who owns the content, and then select (PlayStation Network) > (Account Management) > (System Activation) to activate the system.
More details on Data Transfer Utility will be available here once the firmware update is live.
“minis”
The 3.15 update also enables “minis” to be played on a PS3 system. As we’ve reported here before, “minis” launched on PlayStation Network this fall in conjunction with the launch of PSPgo. These bite-sized games offer a more casual experience and are ideal for shorter gameplay sessions. Now PS3 owners will be able to play “minis,” and those who own both a PS3 and PSP system will be able to play on either platform. “minis” for the PS3 system will be available for download on PlayStation Store in the coming weeks. If you’ve purchased any “minis” already for your PSP and the title becomes available for PS3, you’ll simply need to download the title to your PS3.
As always, we look forward to your feedback.
I was hoping for an update that would restore the flash player you guys broke in the last update. There was a reply weeks ago by jeff that said he noticed it too, then nothing else was said about it. For people that dont realize thats why you cant watch videos on this blog through your browser. FIX IT SONY!!
This is the reason I bought a PS3, keep ironing those kinks Sony, keep ironing!
Oh yeah I have a suggestion for once… is there any way we could just turn off the signed in/sign off notification? I have like 20-25 friends, so it seems like they spam the sign in and sign off while I’m playing, so I turn display notifications off. But I always miss my messages because of this. I’d like to keep the message notification on, but block the others. I don’t think this is an option as of yet, but maybe we could get it in the near future?
Does this mean PS3 can emulate PSP now? If so can we expect full PSP game downloads to work on PS 3 in the future?
Also, lets get some trophies on PSP!
Also can we get some Trophies for PSP? A unified PSN with features mirrored across both platforms would be great.
well this update changed my mind about the slim PS3 i might get it now. PS3 “only does everything” says it all.
@32 – Sony deactivated my previous PS3 for me (or at least I think they did).
Will the data transfer work through a local area network, or do the PS3’s need to be directly connected via an ethernet cable?
Nice features and it’s optional.
Any fix for the slow downs in demon’s Souls since I went to 3.10?
Although i commend the 2 features, i never understood why a simple EYE CREATE YOUTUBE uploader app wasnt created so you can use the great quality of the eye to upload your vids directly to your youtube account. Maybey a simple editor aswell. Imagine marketing that to kids to be able to upload there vids directly to youtube even adults i would def use it. Missing the ball on the eye big time with simple things like this. We here rumours about uploading to home but , it should be a app like eye create with full youtube support and chat to be able to upload to yoru acccunt see your subscriptions all int he app and comment etc. ..seems rather simple great marketing additive .
Cool. Sony you really should make these firmware updates easier too. I have some friends that says “last sign on 3 months ago” and crap because they “forget” to update. I hope this transfers locked saves like Demon’s Souls and SF4.
The #1 thing I wish you would do is improve Trophy Syncing. I get error messages all the time, and they should just freakin’ auto-sync like 360 does.
Finally I’ll just say it, cross game voice chat.
Great update, specially because of the Minis support. They need more attention and I prefer to play on my PS3.
this update sucks. Three years later and we cant even send a voice message…
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I’m only waiting for the PS3 to allow hard disc PS1 & PS2 games to transfer to my PSP, without remote play. I understand Sony is making money off of re-releasing them on the PSN, but people like me who already own these classics and still have them, want to be able to play them while heading to work.
I shouldn’t have to buy a game again just to have this option. Granted, we should be thankful for what we already have, because these updates are free. But this would give people more incentive to buy a PS3 and a PSP, and also cut down on CFW.
The PS3 would be the middle-man in this process and would tie together all of Sony’s games, which would generate stronger sales across the three generations of Playstation. That’s a lot of cash waiting to be received.
Cool, hopefully this update also addresses the browser issues since the last update.
Can we get video folders/playlists now? Since the system is getting more multimedia capabilities it would do wonders for organization. Also any word on new avatars? The last new batch came from HAZE!!
SWEET – ANOTHER USELESS UPDATE
HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS DE UGLYFY THE XMB AND LET US REVERT TO A REAL ‘ORIGINAL’ XMB, SMALL FONTS AND ALL.
you guys butchered the XMB..puke
Please tell me this new firmware update also fixes the Nyko Frontman Guitar, i got Lego Rockband and haven’t been able to play it since FW 3.10
Nice update!
By the way: I remember when Sony said that Firmware 3.10 was the ‘Last’ update of the year. And so far we have gotten like 3 new firmwares(excpet that 3.11 was a fix mostly) hahahaha. I just think it’s funny ;)
How does this handle Singstar content, which is locked to the system? And how about copy-protected saves?
Obviously this won’t work if the system dies, but the hard drive still works…
I really hope you guys are also trying to get full PSP downloadable games working on PS3 as well. That would be awesome, though to be honest I only want that for one single game….maybe 2. MONSTER HUNTER!! (and maybe Dissidia). But let me say this……if you are planning on doing this, please make it so our PS3s automatically use ad-hoc party for the PSP games. I can’t use Ad-Hoc party with PSP because my PS3 is wireless and I have no way to make it hardwired. I wish I could, because I SOOOO miss Hunting online, but to be honest, I’d rather play Monster Hunter on a regular PS controller instead of a PSP anyway, but I want to play online.
So yea, please, if you are working on full PSP game emulation on PS3, please make it so ad-hoc party can be used for them, or just integrate it into the emulation. Monster Hunter Unite+PS3 controller+Online= WIN!!!!
anyone know if copy protected saves be able to transfer to the second ps3? if not then whats the difference between data transfer and backing up the data to another ps3 (other than not needing external hdd)? If the copy protected saves do transfer, I would buy another ps3… even though my current ps3 works. It would be nice to have reassurance that if my current ps3 dies, it wouldn’t be a problem playing my copy protected content.
So do games and data HAVE to be deleted from first machine? Id like to have 2 copies of everything! one for mine and one for the kids machine!
Wow something useful (FACEBOOK!?!?!), awesome to see keep up the good work guys.
Please add the option to backup the game save files only. My PS3 got all screwed up last update and I had to refresh it completely and lost all my game save data.
I could get into the backup system process before having to completely wipe my system, but it kept locking up and I could not get a backup made. There is no option to only backup game saves….you have to back up all vids/photos/music too, which I think is what kept locking things up due to that lack of system stability at that time.
I know you don’t want people to cheat the trophies system, but there has to be a way to just encrypt the game saves in this backup utility. Please look into this.
First, THANK YOU for correcting the friends list in the last update. It looks immensely better as I absolutely HATED what 3.0 did to the friends list. Thanks for listening to us on that.
I would still like an option to toggle the useless scrolling information bar on/off, but I have a feeling that will never happen. I promise to check out the PS Store, you don’t have to remind me every 5 minutes!!
As for this update, I think the Data Transfer Utility is GREAT! I do have two PS3’s and it always sucked having to play two sepereate games on each system because the save file is not transferable. While it may require a bit of work, it is nice to have that option and I will definitely use it.
The Minis addition to the PS3 is nice too, but there is a bigger problem with those Minis. Most of them on the PS Store do not have a preview function. I will not buy any of those games until I get an idea of what I am buying. If you don’t have a video on the store, how do you expect people to just blindly buy a game off of an exaggerated description alone? Why doesn’t EVERYTHING on the store have a preview function? You can borrow my digital camera if you want to take some videos for Thursdays store update…yours is obviously broken. :)
Good Job though, nice update!
what about the facebook integration? i mean its cool and all.. but why would you incorporate trophy/purchase status updates for your facebook if you cant even post your own updates on the ps3 browser? i, unfortunately enough, have lost my computer recently to a crash and depend solely on my ps3 browser for web browsing. i understand why you would incorporate a data transfer… thats a big plus for the holiday season when new ps3’s are finding their new homes. but i just fail to understand how you can make facebook integration so incomplete.
all I would like to have is the ability to play psp games on my ps3. that or make patapon for the ps3
sounds like a nice update! if protected save data will be accessible with this new transfer utility, it would certainly make a lot of people happy.
one other feature i would love to see implemented (if possible): the user is able to check for game updates via system update. that way, people could just select system update, have any game update notifications appear on screen and download them to their HDD without inserting a disc.
i think in the FUTURE Sony is going to release the psp games for the ps3
thanks SONY…
i cant wait to play tetris on my ps3 cool update guys
hey eric did you update the browser java/flash for this update? because there are sites in which i cant view the vids that they offer…….. hint hint: this one!
Why can save games only be on one system at a time?
Hey all. I’m just wondering if this any step closer to being able to transfer content from a PS3 formatted HDD to a new PS3.
I recently got my PS3 serviced and got a different refurbished PS3 back from the center. Now I can’t access the content on the old HDD because it is tied to the original PS3.
Anyone know if there is anything I can do?
Sony – Is there any sort of solution in the future for this?
Thanks for the heads up Eric.
So does this mean that if I owned a second PS3 in another room, that I can sync downloaded games and videos and be able to play/watch on both?
please say this data copy will move over copy protected saves as well. If that is true this is perfect and time to move to the PS3 slim!
@82 SavageAce….since you got back a different PS3…I don’t think there is too much you can do…maybe try calling in to Sony to see if there’s a way to get what you have already downloaded onto the refurbished PS3.
But……with this PS3 you now have….I highly suggest you buy an External HDD and back up that data at least once a month.
That way you should be able to load it later on in case of the original failing.
That AWESOME!
Oh and also i dont know if im the only one, i havnt ask my friends and well i cant see those videos that u guys post sometimes in the blog from my ps3, it say is not support it, why? :( i just notice that is becuase 3.10?
flawless victory.
great update!
@66 there was no firmware update 3.11 just 3.10 now we are getting 3.15 witch is the 2nd update.
Yo, thank you for this convenient feature
Hey Eric, how about you or someone from your team atleast comment on private/cross game chat?
It’s common knowledge everyone wants it, what would it hurt to atleast let us know you’re working on it and that we can expect it to arrive when it’s ready?
But no, instead you’ll keep releasing these other FW updates that don’t include the most requested feature of all time and have legions of unhappy fans ask for it over and over again with no response from anyone on your end…I don’t get it.
I’m not sure I see the reasoning behind having to delete the data from the original PS3 unit. Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of having a second PS3 and in essence the purpose of having a data transfer utility? If they’re worried about DRM, can’t they make it so that downloaded games linked to an account can only be playable if that account is on the receiving console? And hat happened to the days of copying save files so you can move them between consoles? Those shouldn’t be linked to an account. They should be able to be copied to a flash drive so they can be moved from console to console.
Nice and useful update. I have 1 question though, will I be able to transfer Copy Protected game saves? Such as Killzone 2, NFS: Shift, Godfather 2, etc.?
Nice… But I want to change my psn id namee!!!! let mee!!
great news.
I got the japanese version. my wife japanese so only play when shes in the mood to translate. which is next to never..lol
Like Android66 said, Sony sort out things for us multi-console owners, soo much easier on xb, I store everything on memory card and carry it between consoles. PS3 owners should be able to network their consoles and transfer ALL data between them easily, using Wake On Lan, etc.