In an effort to quell concerns, peripheral manufacture MadCatz has issued a statement in response to woes over incompatibilities with certain third-party USB devices in firmware 3.50. MadCatz assures that all its products from 2008 onward should be immune to any USB lock-outs Sony added in 3.50. Here’s the official word: more »

In a recently published consumer alert, Sony has issued a terse warning over the usage of unlicensed or counterfeit PS3 wireless controllers, bringing into question the “quality, reliability and safety” of these devices. Unspecified variants of third-party controllers may not function at all, damage your PS3, or worse — explode. more »

Update: As promised, firmware 3.50 has gone live! Grab it from our download section or via Network Update. Take caution, however: like 3.42 before it, this update renders all PSJailbreak variants inoperable.

Additionally, to complement its release, the US PS Blog sends along more details on enhanced Facebook integration and the “Grief Reporting” feature, which makes its debut in 3.50. We’ve also received reports that this update does not include Move navigation support within the internet browser as originally stated. Bummer. more »

Progress is being made at an amazing pace in the PS3 scene! Developer JaiCraB has released a USB firmware loader application that can load an ENTIRE firmware direct from USB. Reminds us of the good ‘ol DevHook days back on PSP.

As a result, this allows users to modify firmware resource files such as RCOs without any risk of bricking the unit. This could very well open the floodgates to a full-blown custom firmware in time. However, do take caution, as updating to a new firmware under the USB environment still affects the main dev_flash partition — not all routines are redirected, yet.

Further details are available in the provided readme file, which we’ve ran through Google Translate below: more »

Sony just announced via its PS Blog that firmware 3.50 for PS3 will go live on September 21, giving PS3 owners the ability to playback 3D content on supported Blu-ray discs.

Stereoscopic 3D support for games went live in firmware 3.30. This update brings the PS3 up to speed with the latest in 3D ready standalone Blu-ray players, reinforcing Sony’s commitment towards longevity.

Also promised are “a few additional features.” There’s no word on what those might be yet. At the very least, this update is shaping to be more exciting than the jailbreak-killing security patch that was 3.42 for the select few that already dropped over a grand on a 3D-capable HDTV.

Sony may be responding to cries for PS2 backwards compatibility — which was removed from later PS3 units — in a slightly unorthodox way. A recent patent dug up by the information sleuths over at Siliconera reveals that Sony is exploring the possibility of an adapter that, when hooked up to the PS3, allows playback of PS2 format titles.

A schematic, shown above, gives a detailed run-down of the hardware involved. It’s essentially a mini-PS2 designed to interface with the PS3. The device has its own dedicated CPU, sound processor, and graphics processor.

Of course, as this is only a patent, it in no way means the idea will eventually materialize. Still, it’s evident that Sony is still exploring ways to bring back PS2 compatibility. Good news for those who weren’t fortunate enough to snag a PS3 early on and want to play their old PS2 titles on the new platform.

In Nintendo’s seemingly eternal battle against flashcart users and freeloading pirates, the company has released firmware 1.4.1U for the DSi. The official changelog contains nothing but a blurb that vaguely mentions “behind-the-scenes improvements” in regards to system stability.

Under that thinly veiled guise is another attempt at cutting off access to third-party applications, a move no doubt prompted by growing piracy concerns. Unfortunately, like usual, legal homebrew efforts take the brunt of the hit as a result. more »

Update: We can confirm that all variants of the USB-hub emulating exploit (PSFreedom, PSGroove, PSJailbreak) are no longer functional in firmware 3.42.

We’ve just been informed that PS3 firmware 3.42 has hit Network Update. Although Sony usually updates its blog ahead of time with information on new firmware releases, that is not the case this time — presumably as today is a holiday in the states.

Judging by the incremental version bump, chances are this is a relatively small update. Chances are also high that it blocks the recently PS3 exploit that has been making waves across the net since the PS Jailbreak code was reversed earlier last week.

That said, we’d strongly urge that anyone who wishes to retain the ability to run homebrew should refrain from updating. Unfortunately, staying on 3.41 translates to no PSN access, as Sony has flagged 3.42 as a mandatory update.

As one would expect, Sony has not taken kindly to the recent announcement of the PS Jailbreak, filing a temporary injunction to prevent any sale of the device across Australian retailers. more »

Update: Time to head on over to Network Update once again folks. PSP firmware 6.30 has gone live.

It’s a firmware bonanza: as Sony promised, PS3 firmware 3.40 is now live. The availability of 6.30 for PSP will follow shortly.

Both introduce PlayStation Plus, a premium tier of offerings geared towards PSN’s most loyal. You’ll pay $50 annual for the privledge of accessing “exclusive” content such as early demos and betas. Worth your green? Well, you be the judge.

To further emphasize Sony’s commitment and focus on community, PS3 firmware 3.40 brings about a myraid of social networking features, including the ability to share photos and videos straight from built-in XMB widgets over sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

Grab both firmwares via Network Update on their respective platform or hit up our download links below if you wish to go the manual route.

Download PS3 Firmware 3.40

Download PSP Firmware 6.30 / PSP Firmware 6.30 for PSPgo