Dave Horvath
21 Nov 2006 4:44
Unlike past updates 2.81 and 2.82 which were simply security updates, Sony has officially released the 3.00 update for the Playstation Portable. This big number update will have homebrew lovers eyeing it carefully as they attempt to disect what Sony possibly has inserted into the firmware.
Big updates include downloadable content in the form of PSone games like the original Ridge Racer. Additionally, this is also the update that gives the PSP remote control over the new PS3 console. Although this update may not come as good news to everyone, it does feature some nice new things to toy around with.
The Playstation Network sounds nice for now, but it appears that the PSP is merely a gateway to get the PSone library of games from the Playstation Network to your PS3. Sony has stated that directly playable PSone titles on the PSP via downloadable content has not yet been implimented, but is expected to happen before Christmas.
The Remote Play feature not only allows you to interact with your PS3, but it allows you to stream content such as movies, mp3s and such to your PS3 and enjoy them on the big screen.
The music visual player is nothing more than a collection of randomized graphical visualizations that go along with your music. A nice feature sure, but I personally would have liked to see a bit more robustness come from this. The online manuals are there to tell you all about how to operate your PSP, if you dont know how already. The Timed Record RSS feature lets you download and save all your RSS media for review at a later date. The new Camera feature lets you interact with the PSP Camera available currently only in Japan, allowing you to take your own pictures and store them on your PSP. And finally, the Auto-start setting lets you disable a UMD from auto loading when you insert it into the slot.
Not all comes up smelling of roses from this update however, as if you do not own a PS3, you will not be able to login to Playstation Network. The interface and resolution do not lend itself well to the smaller screen. So, downloading content via the PSP is merely a gateway for your PS3. Additionally, you will not be able to access the Playstation Store online via the PSP. Sony has stated that a fix is in the works to allow the PSP full capabilities, but no word on a time frame just yet. Word is PSone titles will launch on the Playstation Network on 11/22 for a tax inclusive price of 525 yen, which amounts to almost $4.50 and just under 3.40 Euros per game.
Source:
IGN