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)
knock knock
who’s there?
Sony
Sony who?
Sony who took your other OS!
I guess he’s happy about being screwed by sony
i didn’t like the fact that you either update or you don’t get to sign in to playstation network nor play the newest ps3 games but that doesn’t mean i will get a xbox i will not betray sony, i played playstation for years and im not going to swich to another system. i rather swich to a wii before i swich to a xbox
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. FIND AN ATTORNEY AND COUNT ME IN!
If i have another OS instaled and decline this update then it renders the other half of the funtions (games, psn, Blu-Ray, so on) of my PS3 useless. But if I accept the update then I loose a feature I specifically purchased the PS3 for (Other OS)..
nothing we can do about it really, I mean we can call and complain, but that doesnt get much. Class action lawsuits? all they do is get the lawyers a LOT of money, the PPL who join the suit? usually get little if anything, and hardly ever get what the suit was after
At least it may teach SONY not to screw us up the butt every few months.
lol. after they read my posts my PS3 wont be doing anything by morning.
Read the EULA before thinking about lawsuit, they can pretty much do what ever they want to their system, that said I never used it so it comes to loss for me, sorry for the ones it affected!!!
Funny how Epic, being the troll that he is, actually just provided the perfect fuel for everything I’m trying to do right now.
AMU, don’t be like Epic. EULA doesn’t actually give them that right.
But the EULA, CLUF, and what else you want can’t apply as we refuse it …
Bad bad bad move SONY.
I think you will never have time and money to produce a PS4 …
Thanks Zepala, I completely agree.
Only one FW update, making 4000+ sony haters… lol.. realy good move SONY :)
kinda feels weird having an update that removes features instead of adding them.
You don’t need to sue Sony directly, just find out who regulates consumer goods and consumer rights protection and petition them to have a good look at the situation.
If I remember correctly, European Union regulators slapped Apple with an injunction banning them from continuing their preferred network crap which meant that people wanting an iphone were force to use wireless carriers Apple was in bed with.
Previous comment was done from PS3, this is on PC:
Sill thinking about what I want to do as I could use a new PS3 Slim for the wireless network feature, but most of my content is on my launch 20 Gig PS3 that I once installed Linux too.
I was gonna intall a 1TB HDD so I could use a fraction of that for my purchase of the newest Linux. It would have been awesome to use the power of the PS3 with the newest Linux OS, but that’s near over if I update.
So very disappointed in Sony right.
Microsoft moves forward with allowing Other Storage Devices to work on console.
Sony moves backward by removing option to use PS3 as a second PC.
There’s no laughing from me this April Fools. The fool is now me & my launch console purchaser fate(thanks to Sony).
well besides their poor business practices of removing features that i paid for. Does anyone know what else this so called “update” does?
If That Wasnt An April Fool AS I THOUGHT THAT IT WILL BE AN EPICCCC FAILLLLLLLLLLL
Bought my first PS3 in the first month it was out, paid 800 USD because of that, convinced all my friends to buy PS3, even so XBOX 360 was cheaper, with plenty more games available and with was hacked already.
My collection of games now reaches almost 150 games and I own 3 PS3 by now …
Just now my desire is to sell everything and go buy a XBOX 360.
Sony is making a HUGE mistake downgrading the PS3 and threaten all of us, loyal clients has stupid !!!
Shame on you SONY, this time you sucked big time !
@dedrater32
for those with limited internet access (Australia), it wastes a good portion of download quota.
Facebook group, by the way
http ://www. facebook. com/group. php?gid=108684749155032
@ dedrater32
It only removes the Other OS feature.
>> Only one FW update, making 4000+ sony haters… lol.. realy good move SONY :)
These are the vocal ones. They made a lot of opinion-makers turn against them and accomplished only that the first custom firmware is being created right now. What a screw-up, coupled with the PSN debacle and the absolutely non-existing hype for the Move this will be a very bad year for the PS3. I think they will lose big time at E3 and this is the first time in years I’d really like them to.
Only….
I’m just tired of that crap. Hitler only killed the Jews. Bush only wiretapped people unconstitutionally. Fox News only lies every fifth news story. I’m only getting ONE thing stolen from me….
Really, this is sounding insane. A bunch of people in here sound like they LOVE being told that they get rights stripped from them everyday.
What if there were some way to stop it? Doh!
Clue:
==================================================================
“Use of ***new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21*** or later”
==================================================================
Bet that there will be NEW features in 3.21. . . . wonder wat tho. . .
SONY : Make.Believe ?
No ! Make Believe we make !!!
@4555
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. . . .
sorry but. . . .
Haha, that’s awesome. . . .
Great, I cannot play GT5 prologue, SONY would you mind return me my money?
make.believe
They MAKE the policy I BELIEVE were screwed.
PS3
It usta could
Ok, updated system but not before creating a backup file.
This should allow me the option of using my PS3 as a backup Linux PC with a Blu-Ray drive updated up to Firmware 3.15, if I ever get around to purchasing a Slim and using it as my primary console. Heck, it may even be possible that I could go back to using my old original 20 Gig HDD or does the firmware update (saved to the internal memory chip I believe) prevent the use of using older hard drives with an older firmware update?
No matter. I am tired of having to concern myself over this(which I am sure Sony is counting on). :-[
Back to PS Home.
I’ll miss the PSN for a little while. Until either Sony rolls back this terrible decision, Geohot makes a CFW that will allow me all the things I originally had (nothing pirated all I want is Other OS and PSN), or I buy a USED PS3 slim, so I can play my online things.
As many have said, I would never have used Geohot’s exploit, as it required you to open up the system and solder the main board. Now that Sony wants to cripple my system though I guess I have no choice.
Time Passes…
Time Passes…
I’m sorry for you sony… just when you’re on the brink of winning the console wars, you pull a move like this that will alienate MANY of your supporters… I will still root for you, but you have made a big mistake, and need to fix it soon.
I am completely shocked. I really thought this was going to be an April fool’s joke. I just couldn’t believe that Sony would really do something this stupid: it HAD to be a joke.
No. No it’s not. Sony really is that stupid. I’ve been loyal to Sony every since the ps1 (I had an xbox and a gc, but ps2 came first and I bought more games for it than the other two combined; this gen all I have is ps3), but not any more. That’s the last Sony product I buy.
When the ps3 launched, it was advertised that it could run Linux. That was a bona-fide advertised selling point. It was also advertised that you could access the psn and receive updates to improve the system. Both were advertised. Both were part of the $600 package that we paid for. Now you have to choose which of the two you want to keep. No matter what legal cover they’ve written into their EULA’s, that’s got to be illegal. False advertising or something.
this really sucks… would rather be be a lesbian on xbox live… at least they have cross game chat!! I’m sorry for you sony… you’re going to lose lots of supporters that you desperately need
For those people quoting the EULA, Sony can write anything they like in it: they can even count your individual clicks saying you agreed, but that doesn’t mean diddly squat in a European court. The judge is the only one who decides what is and what is not a reasonable restriction in a contract. Not you, and not Sony. Given Neelie Kroes’s record against Microsoft’s anti-competitive behavior towards European consumers in the past, I think it is safe to assume that any complaints made to her by say Yellow Dog Linux or a consumer would be followed up fully. See h t t p : / / e c . e u r o p a . e u / c o m p e t i t i o n / c o n t a c t s / i n d e x _ e n . h t m l [remove the spaces obviously]
Um…. Lucky13x, that’s not the way it works. You backup all your data on the hard drive. You can’t backup your firmware, and once you’ve updated there’s no way to go back (so far).
[*] i sold my playstation 3 v. 60 gb :( i used it for linux…but now I must buy computer and say bye bye to games….
[*] ;(
Regarding System Update April 1, 2010 (3.21):
If I have another OS installed and decline this update then it renders a majority of the functions, which I payed for, (games, psn, Blu-Ray, and so on) of my PS3 useless. But if I accept the update then I loose a feature I specifically purchased the PS3 for (Other OS). So in fact i cannot actually decline anything, neither choice is amicable. I accept the update and loose major functions I payed $399.00 for or decline the update and loose major functions I payed $399.00 for.
I find this poor business practice outrageous and I would like to return my PS3 for a refund since no matter weather I choose to accept the update or decline the update I loose functions that were specifically advertised on the box and came originally with my Play Station 3.
Time Passes…
Time Passes…
I guess if Sony announced something amazing in the next few days I could forget about my other os. Cross Game Chat, Universal Custom Music, Something awesome in the way of a premium service. Though I don’t think I will ever love them the same way again. Not after what they have done.
;-p
has any 1 updated yet
if any 1 has have they added any new features
Not I sir, Not I. Though my 640gb HDD just came and I am restoring my backed up data right now. My ethernet cable is just hanging there however.
on march 31 a terrible tragedy struck the playstation community thousands were injured and hundreds of others laid dead or lost. the attack was carried out by the united sony union and though a warning of an impending attack was issued no one listened as it was set to happen on a date tied to practical jokes,hoaxes and other forms of misinformation. by the time officials realised what was happening it was far to late. one survivor who escaped unharmed explained what he saw “wow one minute they were there and the next boom man gone torn apart” the playstation elders known as “fats” were attending a u.s.u rally when the tragedy struck.
in other news the eye pet furry friend or peeping tom? you decide (cont pg7)
It ain’t an april fools joke as the update is live in Europe. You pick weird days to piss off people don’t you Sony? Not that I care, I’ve never used Linux, don’t even know how it looks like. I bought the PS3 for “games”, though some features are handy like for example the browser… at least… if it works properly. Since the last update before the 3.21 the browser is completely messed up. I have to log in on my Wii to post here on the blog, how ironic is that? Now I know Ninty and Sony aren’t really the worst enemies but I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hear eh read that. So I would have appreciated a fix for the PS3 browser.
I perfectly understand you remove it to prevent hacking. I admire you at Sony you’ve seem to keep the hackers away from the PS3 for quite some time, but I read on the Internet that by moving this OS option, hackers will now even work harder to crack the PS3 its security. I just hope they’ll never succeed.
This is just another reason I regret wasting $400 on a big, ugly, shiny dust collecting paper weight. I originally bought it for my 16 yr old son last year for his b-day. It was quickly set to the side in favor of the better console so I gave him $200 and brought it back home. I was excited because I read that it is user friendly and has many great features. WOW, I was so wrong. Sure, it’s a great blu-ray player even though it takes an eternity to load. Online play is very unreliable even though I pay a lot extra each month for the fastest broadband speeds in town. The lag was intolerable. That said, I can’t say if I would ever use that feature but I like the idea of it being there should I change my mind. At the very least we should be able to use all areas of the console and online even if we decide not to get the update. They are forcing us to either update or be left with a brick. Thanks Sony, I will never buy another Sony product even when the blu-ray finally dies on me.
i have no other pc/laptop.. i installed linux and was happy to have a decent browser and use my external hd/mp3 player.. now i have to choose what to keep!! decent browser or decent games console? when ive already paid out for both!!.. u should of at least improved your browser with this update.. think im gonna sadly try and sell my ps3 n buy a pc instead.. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!!
Cant someone just update all the ps3s working in a big cluster somewhere, so they dont work anymore? That would give big publicity ;-)
So, how many PS3’s will this “update” brick.
My Ps3 hasn’t been the same since the 3.01 “update”
Waited, reduced time on the machine, 3.15 “update” functionality is even worse. Waited, hope that they’d get it right eventually.
Bought FFXIII, Freeze crash FAIL. Call Sony, Either pay $150 for them to put refurb parts in my ps3, or I can trade for a slim.
These were my options. Now I more than likely would have gotten the slim as a trade, but with no BC, that leaves me without some of my favorite games. I mean I guess I could just go get a Ps2, but with all the “downgrades” I figure that my ps3 will end up becoming that anyway.
So here we are at 3.21 “update/downgrade”
Are the prior issues being resolved, are they even being addressed?
As an owner of all three systems, but a huge supporter of Sony, I always refused to pay for Xbox Live. Though a lot of my friends and coworkers have the xbox and play MW2 all the time. A friend of mine gave me a three month gold code and I haven’t even used it yet. However, since I’ll be off PSN for the foreseeable future, maybe it is time to give the competition a go. Please Sony reconsider!!!!!!!
if any one else is in the same boat as me.. DONT UPDATE.. if enough people dont update maybe we can make them sweat a bit and resolve this issue…
i miggt as well update seeing as slim dnt use linux,i feel sorry for the people that do.y would sony make such a stupid decision?if an1 has updated whats the system like now?