In the midst of all the grim developments yesterday, Sony Interactive Entertainment dropped PS3 system software update 4.91 — the console’s annual update for its Blu-ray player. Interestingly, patch notes for the update mention those vague “system performance improvements” that we’ve become used to now, but hackers have warned that the update renders current jailbreak useless.

Jailbreakers miffed by PS3 system software update 4.91

“This system software update improves system performance,” the official patch notes for the 200 MB update read. “Please note, to play Blu-ray discs, your PS3 system needs a renewed Blu-ray player encryption key. Please update your PS3 system software to the latest version to renew the Blu-ray player encryption key.”

Understandably, these annual exploit-patching updates continue to frustrate hackers. All existing jailbreak tools will have to be updated. As noted on jailbreak forum PSX Place, those who end up updating their system software by mistake will have to wait for all the expoits to be updated by their developers. There’s no way to roll back the system software. Resetting the system does not work.

In related news, PS3 continues to see millions of monthly active users, according to a leaked Sony presentation. However, support for the console has officially ended.

The post PS3 System Update 4.91 Released and It Isn’t Good News for Some appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony announced at CES 2024 that it saw a record number of active PlayStation players during the month of December 2023. 123 million PSN users logged on during the month across the PS5, PS4, and PS3.

PlayStation saw an increase in players year-on-year in December 2023

In December 2022, Sony logged 112 million active users, so the aforementioned figure is an increase of a whopping 11 million users. For those wondering about a breakdown, Sony didn’t have one to share but we recently found out via a leaked slide following the ransomware attack on Insomniac Games that even the PS3 is still seeing millions of players… or at least it was back in February 2023.

Other tidbits of information that cropped up during Sony’s CES 2024 presentation is our first look at the Gravity Rush movie, a revival of Patapon (either an anime or a game), and possibly a slight delay in Helldivers 2 as Sony listed a release date of February 28, 2024 as opposed to the original release date of February 8. However, this release date change could be an error.

We also learned that Sony Honda’s electric vehicle can be driven with the PS5’s DualSense controller.

The post PlayStation Set New Record for Monthly Active Users in December, Patapon Revival Teased appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony‘s beloved PS3 apparently still has millions of monthly active users (MAUs) — nearly two million, to be precise. That’s according to a presentation leaked as part of the recent Insomniac Games‘ ransomware attack. This tidbit of information was tucked away in a slide about PlayStation Network‘s monthly active users.

Die-hard PS3 users still enjoying beloved classics

As spotted by Exputer, the slide in question is nearly a year old but sheds some light on the active player base of Sony’s consoles. PSN MAUs were expected to hit 107.5 million by February 2023, accounting for data latency. PS4 is understandably in the lead (71.5 million PSN MAUs) with the highest amount of consoles in circulation, but the PS5 is quickly catching up with nearly 37.1 million MAUs by February 2023.

Between December 2022 to February 2023, the PS3’s MAUs fluctuated between 2.3 million to 1.9 million. Impressive numbers for a console that’s almost two decades old. The PS3’s library continues to be in high demand, with fans hoping for emulation support of some sort in the absence of backwards compatibility.

Unfortunately, PS3 games are currently only available via streaming for PS Plus Premium members in select regions.

We won’t share the slide here for obvious reasons, but you can check it out over on Exputer.

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Players are reporting PS3/Vita download error when attempting to download purchased games from the PS Store. It’s a widespread issue that’s apparently affected downloads on both consoles for a couple of weeks now.

PS3/Vita download error is apparently related to the PSN licensing system

Multiple threads have cropped up on Reddit (via ResetEra) exploring the issue in detail. Some users have theorized that the problem occurs for games with expired licenses that need re-activating.

“An error occurred during the install operation – (80029509),” reads one such error message.

Last Tuesday, February 28th, Sony rolled out a firmware update for the PS3 that came with the standard “improves system performance” patch notes (or note, rather). While some users think the firmware update is what “broke” PS Store downloads, comments from several players suggest that the issue precedes the update. Additionally, since the PS Vita is also affected, a PS3 firmware update couldn’t have been responsible for the download issues.

Some players have been able to get lucky by making several attempts to download their games. Others have said that they had to either wait for a few hours before trying again, or attempt to download another day.

It’s not known when/if Sony will fix the issue.

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PS3 firmware update 4.90 is now available to download. For anyone still using the PlayStation 3, a new system software update will surely come as a surprise. The previous patch rolled out in May of last year, so seeing the February 28 update popping up is no doubt going to be a shock. Thankfully, it’s only a small download and shouldn’t cause too much downtime before getting back to those “retro games.”

PS3 system software update 4.90 patch notes

The PS3 4.90 update patch notes detail one change:

This system software update improves system performance.

Unfortunately, those are all of the details provided by Sony. The 200 MB patch just “improves system performance.” It’s unclear if the update targets the performance of a certain piece of equipment, or just gives an overall boost of speed and efficiency to the software.

Sadly no, the 4.90 patch doesn’t unlock PSVR 2 compatibility for PlayStation 3, letting players see through the eyes of Solid Snake in MGS4, as cool as that would be… Whatever it does, hopefully it leads to perceptible benefits for those still playing on their PS3 consoles.

Big PS3 fans probably got the PlayStation Stars PS3 Collectible. For those that missed out on it, here’s how it was unlocked.

The post New PS3 Firmware Update 4.90 Now Available to Download appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

A Kickstarter campaign on a 320-page book detailing the “unofficial history” of the PS3 has smashed through its initial goal. Titled “It Only Did Everything,” the hardcover is written by Sandeep Rai, the author of “Vita Means Life” that also had a successful Kickstarter campaign. The book, set to release in June 2023, will chronicle the lifespan of the PlayStation 3 “from its rocky launch to its impressive comeback.”

PS3 book will feature developer interviews

Rai, who is also known as 2 Old 4 Gaming on Twitter and YouTube, explains in the book’s Kickstarter that it will feature the history of the PS3 as well as retrospectives on the console’s most important games.

The planned list of games to be covered is quite long, but it will notably include The Last of Us, Uncharted, Killzone, Journey, and even PlayStation Home. (Will these games be emulated on the PS5?) Many of these retrospectives will be written by outside contributors like Colin Moriarty, Ian Scherer, Dan Richards, and more. Rai is reaching out to the developers for those games for interviews and hopes to share more information on that front in the future.

At the time of this writing, the Kickstarter for the PS3 book has already more than doubled its initial $14,796 goal with a total of $32,976 pledged. This means that its first two stretch goals have been met, so that it will include a bookmark and one-shot magazine featuring the top 100 PS3 games as voted by the campaign’s backers. The only stretch goal left, which will give the book a sewn bounding for better longevity, is set at around $60,000 (or £50,000).

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PSP, PS3, and PS4 designer Masayasu Ito is retiring from Sony Interactive Entertainment after 36 years of service, the company announced. Ito will be replaced by director and deputy president Lin Tao, whose current position will then be filled by Kiichiro Urata, the head of Japan Asia partner development and relations.

PS4 designer Masayasu Ito joined Sony in 1986

A mechanical engineer by profession, Ito joined Sony in 1986 and went on to work for the PlayStation division. Ito’s LinkedIn profile lists his involvement in the PSP, PS3, and PS4 but doesn’t seem to have been updated in a while and there are conflicting reports of his design work on the PS5. Nevertheless, it’s the PS4 that Ito is most known for.

In 2015, he dropped the news that there were no first-party games in development for the PS Vita anymore as Sony was fully focused on the PS4. Ito said that third-party companies were “working hard” on the handheld while Sony shifted its focus elsewhere, leading to disappointment among fans. That said, those decisions weren’t Ito’s. Following the PS4’s successful launch, Ito called the console’s $399 price tag the “magic price.” He revealed that the company planned to include a PlayStation camera with the hardware but decided against it because it would have lost “too much money.”

In a 2019 interview with Famitsu, Ito said that he was proud of his work on the PS4 and satisfied with how it turned out. Following a rough patch with the PS3, Ito wanted the company to regain its former glory especially during the PS1 and PS2 era, which he helped Sony succeed in doing together with architect Mark Cerny.

All the best, Ito san!

In other news, new Silent Hill game’s playable concept and script has apparently leaked, and Naughty Dog may have teased its next IP in The Last of Us Part 1.

[Source: Gematsu, Bloomberg]

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A Sony patent discovered by folks over at GameRant suggests that the company is toying with the idea of making old PlayStation peripherals work with the PS5. The drawings included in the application show peripherals like EyeToy and the PS Mouse. One diagram even depicts PSP Go and something called a “legacy card reader” working with the modern console via emulation.

Could old PlayStation peripherals be used to play PS Plus classics?

Sony certainly seems to be taking emulation seriously. It was only this morning that we shared a new PlayStation Studios job description with our readers that seeks a “classics engineer” to work on new emulators among other projects like PS Plus classics. PS3 emulation is on everyone’s wish list but not all patents come to fruition so we’d advise keeping expectations in check. Nevertheless, this is an interesting find.

The patent application is full of technical jargon but we’ve picked out the interesting bits below:

The wireless, USB and Ethernet ports also provide connectivity for other peripheral devices in addition to the game controllers and the HMD, such as, for example, a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, a portable entertainment device, such as, e.g., a Sony Playstation Portable entertainment device, etc., a video camera, such as, e.g., an EyeToy video camera, etc., a microphone headset, and a microphone. The portable entertainment device is an example of a game controller. In some embodiments, such peripheral devices are connected to the game console wirelessly, for example, the portable entertainment device communicates via a Wi-Fi ad-hoc connection, whilst the microphone headset communicates via a Bluetooth link.

Time to get the dust off the EyeToy!

In other news, concept art from Call of Duty 2024 – reportedly a Black Ops game – has leaked, and the PSVR 2’s cable can reportedly be detached and replaced unlike the original’s.

[Source: JUSTIA via GameRant]

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A new job advertisement published by PlayStation Studios has fans hoping for a PS Vita and PS3 emulator once again. As spotted by ResetEra Uzupedro, Sony is hiring a software development engineer who will specifically work as a “classics engineer” to develop new emulators, among other tasks. PS3 emulation seems to be a pipe dream but never say never!

Fans have long hoped for a proper PS3 emulator

Over the years, we’ve heard numerous reports that Sony’s officially looking to bring PS3 emulation to the PS5, with the general consensus being that PS3’s architecture is to blame for the company dragging feet. However, many in the gaming community argue that PS3 emulation on the PS5 is certainly possible, but something Sony probably doesn’t want to invest time and resources into. Some have even suggested that the company should hire RPCS3 developers – the team behind the popular unofficial multi-platform, open-source PS3 emulator.

“Our Software Development Engineer position works on the Tools and Technology team at PlayStation Studios to support the newly relaunched Classics for PS4 and PS5,” reads the job description. “Classic games run via emulation of legacy PlayStation platforms. As a Classics engineer, you would work closely with a group of other engineers, producers, and QA teams to fix bugs, add new features, and develop new emulators.”

While it’s evident that the aforementioned job description is referring to classics in PS Plus Premium, that hasn’t stopped fans from getting their hopes up.

On a separate note, it’s encouraging to see that Sony’s looking to bring on people who will be dedicated to PS Plus Premium classics because they had a pretty rocky launch.

In other news, here are new PS5 and PS4 games releasing this week, and we’ve found a workaround for PS Plus Extra/Premium DLC appearing locked for some players.

The post Sony Hiring ‘Classics Engineer’ to Develop New Emulators appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony has detailed new PS Plus games’ DLC and add-on support in a lengthy FAQ that serves as a guide to the revamped service. The company has confirmed that games downloaded from the catalog will support DLC and add-ons as long as your subscription is active. Unfortunately, this does not apply to games available via streaming, which includes some beloved PS3 games.

How PS Plus games DLC and add-on support works

Naturally, you’ll lose access to extra content if you’re no longer subscribed to PS Plus. That will also be the case if a game leaves the service. However, if you re-subscribe and/or decide to purchase a game that’s left the service, you’ll be able to use associated DLC and add-ons again.

Then comes the fine print: “please note, DLC and add-on content is not supported when streaming a title.” And there goes the PS3 lineup. While PS3 games have never supported additional content on PS Now, it’s a tad disappointing to note that this hasn’t been rectified with the new service. Over on ResetEra, users have pointed out that there are a number of games in the PS3 lineup that come with DLC players might want to try. For example, Lost Planet 2 has DLC that has players fight Killzone’s Helghast, MotorStorm Apocalypse and MotorStorm RC both got new cars and tracks, and Resistance 3 has a “Brutality Pack” with new skins, a survival mode, and seven new music tracks from Mastodon.

Other PS3 games with notable additional content include Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and Crash Commando.

In other news, Sony has confirmed that PS Plus Extra and Premium games can be played offline as long as you validate your subscription once a week, and Twisted Metal TV show has cast Scream’s Neve Campbell to play Raven.

The post PS Plus Games Available via Streaming, Including PS3 Games, Won’t Support DLC or Add-Ons appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.