Posted Apr 01, 2009 at 08:09PM by Mabie A. Listed in: News, Firmware Tags: XMB, Sony, PlayStation Store, Eric Lempel
Ó

The PlayStation 3 2.70 Firmware Update is definitely coming! Not today, though, at least not now. Maybe in a couple of hours it'll land - you know how Sony is about dropping their FWs: announced, but always surprising. Anyhow, Eric Lempel took to the PS Blog to reveal to us a few nifty details about this latest firmware edition for the power console.

First up: the new Text Chat feature. Sounds cool, eh? And it is! This will allow you to communicate online with your PSN pals - up to 15 of them at a time, take note - via the Wireless Keypa, on-screen keyboard, or other compatible keyboard peripherals.

And then there's more:

Friends list on the XMB (XrossMediaBar)

  • Sort your friends via their online status
  • Attach larger files to the messages you send to your friends (file size will increase from 1MB to 3MB)

Video delivery service on PlayStation Store

  • Video files you’ve purchased from the PlayStation Store can be backed up to an external storage device and then restored to PS3’s internal hard drive for playback – so you can clear up space on your hard drive and then restore the video anytime in the future
  • Videos you’ve purchased for PSP (PlayStation Portable) system can now be transferred to PS3 for playback
He even threw in a video to show you a quick preview of the new goodies in FW 2.70. Check it out below:



Again, it's coming "soon", so be on your toes. We'll be on ours, too.

Thanks, eaferrari24, for the tip!



*UPDATE*

We told you it's gonna be up real soon. As a matter of fact, FW 2.70 is now live! We're downloading it as I type, and we'll have the changelog for you in a jiffy. We've got the changelog for you here:

  • You can now perform text chat with people who are on our friends list. You can chat with them while you are playing a game. To use this feature, go to [Friends] > [Start New Chat], and then select [Text Chat].
  • Using the Internet, you can now easily search for the latest information about the games that you own. To use this feature, select the icon for the game, and then select [Internet Search] from the options menu.
  • You can now copy and paste text.
  • You can copy text from the Internet Browser and paste it into the text entry field of the on-screen keyboard to make it easier to enter text.
  • You can now set an option to reduce the difference in volume level between tracks to help avoid sudden, loud output.
  • You can set this option in [Settings], [Music Settings]> [Dynamic Normalizer].

Thanks to VISE for the tip!



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38 Comments


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   by Advertising -
   by xCraftx - 2009-04-01
 » ^-^

I haven't touched my PS3 in months because i'm at college, I'm kinda excited to see how much it has changed since then. This FW looks awesome!

   by DVD_Sandwich - 2009-04-01
 » DRM FTL

It is very nice to see them ease up on the restrictions of the DRM that applies to the videos.

   by jbwzrd213 - 2009-04-01
 » NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE

The firmware is up.

And, no, I promise this isn't an April Fool's joke. If so than I'm lame because it'd be the lamest joke ever.


   Re: TheCopyNinja - 2009-04-01
 » April Fool, fools!

I thought you were lying, but you seemed serious so I went on my PS3, checked for updates + 2.70 showed up. Hell yeah!
   by jgr9 - 2009-04-01
 » Ugh

LLLLLAAAAAAAMMMMEE!!!


   Re: jgr9 - 2009-04-01
 » XD

LOL Not @ you, jbwzrd213. I mean the FW update. XD

   Re: jbwzrd213 - 2009-04-01
 » lol

It's okay. +)
   by balkanboy - 2009-04-01
 » mmm

cool

   by NarooN - 2009-04-01
 » Yay!

The Firmware is here. It sucks, but now everyone can shut up about when it'll come.

   by papakep - 2009-04-01
 » internet search

might be the worst feature to date on the ps3 system

   by Epidemik_Sk8boards - 2009-04-01
 » JUST GOT IT!

i just read this, then ran to my PS3 to see if Sony posted it up via Network Update and 2.7 is here, no April fools joke.

   by crait - 2009-04-01
 » Yay!

Copy/Paste! Hopefully, the PSP will get it!


   Re: GUNBEHINDTHESUN - 2009-04-02
 » Yeah great

This was one of my biggest gripes about the browser. Finally we get it. Hopefully the next update will improve the web browser even more.
   by CloudX - 2009-04-01
 » FOUND SOMETHING

looks like they made wallpapers a bit more easy i can zoom in and when u hit wallpaper instead of it zooming out, its stays in position...i always found that annoying... tell me weather this is old or new plz


   Re: DVD_Sandwich - 2009-04-01
 » new to ps3

This is new. The PSP already did this, and its nice to see the PS3 does now, too. Now if only they can provide other essential features the PSP has, like choosing which folder to download a file to...
   by jrsmaster411 - 2009-04-01
 » Woot

Copy and Paste is the biggest feature for me, I love the PS3 Browser and this will save me a lot of time

   by faustus34 - 2009-04-02
 » disappointing week for PS3

Well first it was the over hyped big announcement of the PS2 price cut and then this list of useless features. Don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but what about something like sayyyyy Samba support or Last.FM support, better video codec support - maybe mkv files?

Ugh, what a total let down.


   Re: Nerveless89 - 2009-04-02
 » Agreed

On a recent article on qj I was expecting the major feature - private voice chat. I guess sonys servers just can cope with the traffic :s. Ow well, another partially complete system via another partially complete update

   Re: Nerveless89 - 2009-04-02
 » ***correction***

***cant cope***

   Re: avidGamer - 2009-04-02
 » Agreed

pointless update. When will sony start adding features gamers want!

Text chat! what a complete waste of time, what we want is voice chat. We can already send text messages to each other during game...

   Re: GUNBEHINDTHESUN - 2009-04-02
 » avidGamer

They did give us voice chat. It even has a video option.

   Re: Stealth! - 2009-04-03
 » lol

@Faustus, it's not sony's fault you fans or fanboys overhyped the news. they never called it 'BIG' that was you guys who did it. As I said before to QJ, Sony never called it big only "We have something for you".

@GUNBEHINDTHESUN
Avid means Cross game voice chat. Which PS3 doesn't have. ;P
   by NathanDrake - 2009-04-02
 » bleh

avidgamer: Speak for yourself. I couldn't care less about voice chat. I've gotten to the point where I mute pretty much everyone in online games cos it turns out the majority of gamers sound like total irritating morons and tend to play their own crap music through their microphones. Even those on my PSN 'friends' list.


Faustus34: To be honest I don't care much about more video support. Whenever I download a video on the PC I use the pretty darn excellent PS3 Media Server to transfer or stream it to the PS3 and it transcodes pretty much anything the PS3 can't natively play.

Found the Dynamic Normalizer very useful when listening to mp3's on my PS3. Used to be some sudden volume changes between albums but now seems to be gone with this option on.


   Re: faustus34 - 2009-04-02
 » Video Support etc

I also use PS3 media server but at the moment, my file server can't handle transcoding 4gb + mkv files. That is a huge load to put on any box to transcode especially while it is trying to do other functions. Added mkv support would mean all of the necessary power could come directly from the PS3 and if it can play blu ray discs, I'm sure it could handle the side of mkv files.

Also, I mentioned samba support. Again, this would practically eliminate the need for PS3 media server altogether. I do really like PS3 Media Server as an application, I just wish it wasn't needed. My old (original) Xbox with Linux installed used Samba and I miss having that.

I am somewhat confused why Sony doesn't add more open source applications to their product. It wouldn't cost them any money and I'm sure they could find a way to modify some part of it and then charge for it indirectly. I would even pay for Samba support at this point. They could do an applications idea like Apple does for iphone, that way they make money off it and you only buy what you want.

   Re: Tyrant156 - 2009-04-02
 » ...

Just use MVK2VOB to change your large MVK files that play on the PS3. It doesnt transcode them and it takes like 3 mins to do. Simple solution.

   Re: faustus34 - 2009-04-02
 » @ Tyrant156

Yes, I am aware of MKV2VOB and I use it quite frequently. Other than it's a pita to transcode anything mkv, it also means that I need to start Windows in a vm each time and copy files across my network etc as I am spyware and virus free in a Linux world instead :) So for you, maybe it's 3 mins, for me it's a major hassle.
   by NathanDrake - 2009-04-02
 » ....

I don't like the new sorting of the Friends list. I'm trying to find how to set it back. It's annoying having to go through them all trying to find a particular friend I want to leave a message for cos they ain't alphabetical order now.

   by Mentality - 2009-04-02
 » >>

Crrrrrap, where are all the so called features that we're rumoured? Yeah thought so someone far fecthed wish list that QJ fell for AGAIN!


   Re: CloudX - 2009-04-02
 » QJ

next time read it... it said RUMOR!
they didn't fall for anything they just report...
   by Nerveless89 - 2009-04-02
 » Smaller features are great, but they dont make the system

Basically, in my eyes anyway, the ps3 online experience wont be anywhere near that of live until private voice chat. Its so obvious that the playstation servers over at sony cant provide the bandwidth required for private chat. The article above proves it, file size increase from 1mb to 3mb, wow now thats an achievement...not :s. The only files you can send are photos anyway :s


   Re: milo128 - 2009-04-02
 » you can have

voice chat but have fun throwing money in the toilet
   by jrsmaster411 - 2009-04-02
 » wow

first the ps2 price drop now this, I've never seen so many people cry about improvements and a price drop

   by hbk19 - 2009-04-02
 » sigh...

I'm just waiting for the day they add PS2 Backwards Compatibility... but I guess if they did that, less people would buy PS2's (though that might be more profitable).


   Re: Alistar - 2009-04-02
 » Hmm...

I believe the PS2's GPU is faster than the PS3's GPU, in some areas. The PS3's GPU is probably more powerful but isn't designed to run at the PS2's pace. Due to this, emulating the PS2's GPU would be extremely hard to near impossible due to the speed of the PS2's GPU.

The CPU part of emulation, I believe, is already done. This is the partial emulation of the UK 60GB and the old US 80GB units. The PS3 also relies on its CPU for graphical processing.

The PS3 can play a PS2 games but the games would have to be specifically built to run on the PS3. This ties in with Sony's statement about having to specifically develop each game to work with such an emulator.
   by emcp - 2009-04-02
 » mmm

SO THEY

start looking into the friend list again yet they over look the ability to give friends their actual real names

also there shouldnt be an in-game xmb, but a menu

ie 4 categories

top left music category, top right friends category, bottom game cate, etc

and you use you anagloue to select it
also when a pm comes you should be able to hit PS just to read it, and to change music tracks hold r1 and press PS


   by Jozz2006 - 2009-04-03
 » oh dear

more crap just give us the app to play our own music in game gee am not asking for 1 million dollors/pounds.


   Re: Alistar - 2009-04-03
 » Hmm...

I think Microsoft have a patent on that. Basically, Sony would have to fork up quite a bit of money to include such a thing in their SDK. At the moment, it is up to developers to develop their own app to launch in-game music, I think.

Don't quote me on this.
   by NakedFaerie - 2009-04-05
 » time remaining

1 feature not said is when your downloading something it now tells you how long its got left till its finished.
Thats a feature I've wanted for ever.



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