The next system software update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1, 2010 (JST), and will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, Sony Computer Entertainment will remove the functionality through the 3.21 system software update.
In addition, disabling the “Other OS” feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system.
Consumers and organizations that currently use the “Other OS” feature can choose not to upgrade their PS3 systems, although the following features will no longer be available;
- Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat
- Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later
- Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings)
- Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later
For those PS3 users who are currently using the “Other OS” feature but choose to install the system software update, to avoid data loss they first need to back-up any data stored within the hard drive partition used by the “Other OS,” as they will not be able to access that data following the update.
Additional information about PS3 firmware updates, including v3.21 (once it becomes available), can be found here:
http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps3/index.htm
PS3 owners who have further questions should contact Consumer Services:
http://us.playstation.com/support/ask/
800-345-7669 (800-345-SONY)
maybe if u didnt have so much on ur system it wouldnt lock up every 5 min mines working
Yesterday I updated to the 3.21 firmware and after it restarted it asked me to push the ps button on the controller to turn on the controller and it turned off my console and now it will not turn on. I think it bricked my fat 60g PS3. It goes to green for 2 seconds and then to yellow and then to red and flashes red. I called Sony today and they acted like the have not heard of that problem. Which is BS! On their forum and others the people are having the same problem. Sony said since it is out of warranty it would cost me 150 buck for them to fix it. Or 125 to exchange it for a referb cheap built slim ps3 with no features like my old one. This is a bait and switch trying to sell me another new model. This is unacceptable. It worked just fine that day before I uploaded there junk firmware. This is not the first time Sony has put out a firmware that bricked systems(2.40 etc). If Sony does not make this right and fix my system that they messed up free of charge I will be filing a complaint with the BBB and the FTC and I will never buy another Sony product again and I have spent thousands on games and products in the past. If they keep this up they will getting another class action lawsuit.I will take my money elsewhere
Yes, now that h a c k e r s , c h e a t e r s , p i r a t e s , L I N U X USERS , and even those concerned about c o n s u m e r rights will all be using c u s t o m – f i r m w a r e , the PS3 will be so much more s e c u r e.
B e t r a y i n g the legitimate users was totally worth it.
Also, to those complaining about the complaining here: Note that Other OS is NOT NEEDED to install the h a c k e d firmware. You install it directly from Game OS. This is exactly what I said would happen, a week ago.
What is next? to remove mp3, mp4 player support
really disapointment…….
Most of users wants new features, not to remove them.
I hate h a c k e r s … they have all without pay… and honest customers lose feature but they pay…
The worst is that this decision by Sony does not even prevent the h a c k e r’s action…
We all lose, Sony and Sony’s customers
That’s what I don’t get. Removing this feature will do absolutely nothing in stopping any piracy from occurring. Even those who upgrade and remove the Other OS feature, once it’s security is broken, anyone will be able to use it. All Sony did was piss of its loyal, early adopters. I can’ even begin to comprehend how they came to this decision.
And I don’t want the PS3 to be hacked, I have zero interest in pirating anything. I always bought every game new. I just want to use the product I purchased as it was advertised and how I have been using it all along.
Post 6619 – I assume this will get deleted for no reason.
The Other OS feature is not going away. With custom firmware coming, it will most likely be possible to enable the Other OS feature on the slim models as well. Finally a real update. That will at least bump us back up from a PS 2.5 to a PS 2.6. With a little more effort, we might get back to a PS3. :-)
Hacked, Remove, Betraying LOL Alt codes people. Hard to read.
What if we treid soemhitng lkie tihs? Raed it fsat enuogh and it’s not so hrad to unedsrtand. :P
In unrelated news, the “other console”‘s latest firmware update apparently adds USB storage support.
Sony needs to reconsider their PR department, I think.
The new video of custom 3.21 firmware running with OtherOS support is out, and seems real enough. Time will tell though.
Only 16 gb max, and it’s only for data related to gaming, and the system uses 1/2 a gb for …meh.
At least the ps3 offers fat-32 support, until they realize some people store pirated items on it I guess.
wow, Sony, so you’ve blocked my other ID
When the worst I did was call you lazy
I take it back, you are not lazy, you are spending every second 24/7 blocking your faithful customers for having opinions and advice
@Triple6
Whats the point, they will just block us for being smart.
Ya the blocking is a little harsh but these words shouldn’t be filtered to begin with. There’s nothing offensive about them.
@Triple6, yes the mo.derati.on is harsh… no idea which word was the ‘bad nono word’ in my last post
maybe after X number of moder ation flags, they just flag ur name in general.
it was only 2 flags though
I’ve had more than two posts flagged for moderation. Three in a row, once.
call sega and ask them, how do you lose your fan base? I’ll tell you, you ignore your fans completely!!!
Ah well, if it turns out Other OS _can_ be enabled on the slim, I guess researchers at least will appreciate this debacle. It’ll mean even cheaper networked supercomputing, despite the fat model being phased out.
How about getting off the otherOS and give us Xchat?! why havent sony given us already in game cross chat?! PLZ!!! why not even a little sound when we receive a message from the friend list? Why havent sony given us BC update to all ps3s? damn i though updates were to actually ADD features not to quit them and not give anything back. this is the first time im mad at an update…! >_<
It’s incredible that a hac ker has to reenable what legally is ours…
Very very smart movment sony. You win the trophy to the smartest company in the world.
1 – Loyal consumers will not even buy anything from you.
2 – Your system, that was unhacked for more than 3 years, it’s a record, has been compromised in a week without opening the thing, everything thanks to your consumer politics.
Thank you SONY. Recently I bought a AV Receiver I was beetwen a SONY and a Pioneer because the reviews of both where quite good. Finally I bought the SONY one. If I have to make the same decision nowdays I would bought the Pioneer one. Thanks to you!
hack
This is really progressing, I’m glad to see people still care even seven days later. And now there is custom firmwar.e, this is getting better and better. When will we hear from SONY, at this point with the custom firmwar.e they’ve got to do or say something.. right? ya know, they were so worried about the h.c.a.k earlier this year they put out this 3.21 bs.. so what are they gonna do now about this custom stuff by george that already got 87,000 hits on y.o.u.t.b.u.e in one day.
The consumers are rising up!
i think their response to the custom fw is going to be even more heavy handed then 3.21. Like I said they must be very worried now. And I dont see them giving back other os back either no matter what happens.
oh one more thing
dear moderator,
sorry about using a simple non-profane forbidden word in 6638, my bad. I just wanted to see if it would work, for real. Please dont ban me.
GOOD NIGHT
You did so much better with the PS2. I’ve had it 8+ years and it never failed. Worst that happened was the controller wearing out to the point where I could barely move the characters which happened only last month and was glad to have replaced. Its predecessor fails on so many levels. When will you stop thinking about sucking money out of us and start being great again?
Sony please respond!
Come on Sony,
You can still make this right. Give us back our Linux (or our PSN access, as the case may be).
I don’t know why anyone of us are surprised by this move. Sony has been one of the worst companies in regards to DRM. Rootkits, the entire design of Blu-Ray, from disks to players, etc. They have had some of the most ridiculous DRM available and it has done absolutely nothing but annoy legit customers.
DRM is anti-consumer out of the gate. IT is important that we stand up for ourselves and tell these companies we ae not going to put up with these types of practices. Boycotting is the only way to get through to them, you need to hit them where it hurts.
I also think its great that both phat and slim users will be able to use the Other OS option soon :-)
What came first companies taking measures to protect themselves against Piracy or the theft of IP? The steps the companies are taking are reactionary.Sony allowed the other OS on the PS3 for a good while and there were no problems until some IDIOT tried to use that as a way in for Piracy. You think Sony didn’t know the OS would be a way in? The responsibility laid in the consumers hands how could we use the Other OS. As soon as Sony found out people were trying to steal property using it they locked it down.
Al the people complaining about this look at it this way. Why are there locks on your home and cars or bikes. If you do nothing to protect your property please give your address. Sony has the right to protect their property.
just checking to see if another of my accounts has been banned
…Checking to see if personal attacks are moderated? Or am I missing something?
The only reason I would have installed Linux on my PS3s (I got both 20 and 60 originals) was to be able to play Arcade Games using MAME…
I do own a genuine Street Fighter Alpha arcade (CPS2 system), so I don’t mind much… simply gonna have to actually buy the games I wanna play with.
As far as feature removal, the reason I’ve spent that much money to buy the originals (60 for 650$ in future shop and 20 for 700 on ebay about a year later) was because the 80 just came out and PS2 support was now on emulation or completely removed (on the 40). I do not own a PS2, I’ve always prefered the Gamecube over it (I’m an old nintendo fanboy… but since the Wii… let’s say I’ve abandoned ship). Removing PS2 support will give me no other choice… I’ll sell all my PS2 titles.
I don’t think it’s gonna happen tho. Removing Linux support is mainly to prevent the console from being hacked.
Word of advice: When you hack something or find an Exploit in game… Shut the f up… don’t put it on Youtube or advertise it on a website.
(That was @JumboUS, by the way — just in case his message disappears and makes it look like I was replying to someone else)
If everyone went off-line and rejected this malicious update, I think it might help Sony to learn to treat its customers with a little more respect in the future.
I have turned of the internet connection on both of my PS3’s and will just go without purchasing anything at the PlayStation Store or using any network features until they provide a stable update that adds useful features instead of removing them and in some cases, crippling systems.
The rampant censoring of this post has me very much dissapointed in Sony’s opinion/treatment of its Consumers.
The release of 3.21 and the subsequent lack of communication with the Consumer has left me with a fairly low opinion of the Company.
@Gunthaar – Re: “Removing Linux support is mainly to prevent the console from being hacked.”
Though of course it’s happened anyway, and doesn’t even require OtherOS. So it was all completely pointless.
@Northstar77
Except that this DOES NOT protect their property in any way. It’s just increased the h.ackers’ motivation, and given new people a reason to h.ack.
C.ustom f.irmware has already been developed, and it DOES NOT make use of O.therOS. So, as pointed out over a week ago by myself and others, this move has been entirely counter-productive, serving only to harm l.egitimate c.ustomers (and Sony).
I agree, censoring is another way of just tell us “We’ll do whatever we want with you customers. We don’t care about you, just making money with you”
m-y c-o-m-m-e-n-t-s w-e-r-e-n’t a-p-p-e-a-r-i-n-g b-e-f-o-r-e (not a-w-a-i-t-i-n-g m-o-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n). t-e-s-t-i-n-g
Looks like my other account has been b.anned from commenting. I used no p.rofanity, made no t.hreats, wrote no incitements to break any law, etc. Just expressed my displeasure and attempted to explain how pointless, unwise and badly handled this move has been.
I guess that means this account will be b.anned soon, too. Oh well, time to discuss the matter somewhere else, I guess.
guys, is obvious that our claims won’t be heard here where supposedly is the right place. Put your claims in specialized websites. This is the right option and reporters will do the rest for us.
hello??
Looks like my second ac.count has now been ba.nned. So yes, time to find another website, obviously no free discussion is possible here.
Before I go, one last comment to Northstar77 from the previous page, and others with similar thoughts.
Part of our point has been that this move DOES NOT protect Sony’s property in any way. All it does is damage legitimate customers, and provide others with an incentive to ha.ck.
Cus.tom firm.ware has now been developed, and it makes ABSOLUTELY NO USE of Othe.rOS. So rem.oving Othe.rOS has been entirely pointless and counter-productive — just as I and others explained it would be, back before the update was released.
IT WORKD FINE 4 DONT SEE A DIFFRENCES BESIDES NOT LETTING ME INTO MY OTHER ACCOUNT AND LAGGING WITH FULL INTERNET CONNECTION THAT ALL FOLKS
HEY SONY YOU JUST GOT OWNED OR SHALL I SAY YOU GOT PWN OR MAYBE I SHOULD SAY YOU JUST GOT JACKED ON YOUR NEW FW 3.21 :D