AfterDawn: Tech news

Sony investigating PS3 3.0 firmware issues

Written by James Delahunty @ 07 Sep 2009 12:48 User comments (35)

Sony investigating PS3 3.0 firmware issues On it's U.S. PlayStation Blog, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has confirmed that it is aware and is actively investigation isolated reports of PS3s behaving badly after the latest firmware, v3.0, has been installed. PS3 3.0 included a lot of aesthetic changes to the XMB as well as the addition of "What's New, Status Indicator, Friends List, PlayStation Store Shortcuts, Personalization and improved Trophies."
However, since it was released, there has been numerous reports made on forums about the console acting badly after the latest firmware update has been installed. "SCEA is aware of reports that PS3 owners are experiencing isolated issues with their PS3 system since installing the most recent system software update (v3.00)," the blog reads.

It continues: "Rest assured that we are looking into the matter and will provide an update here as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience, as it’s our mission to deliver the best consumer experience on all PlayStation platforms."

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35 user comments

17.9.2009 13:47

Quote:
Sony investigating PS3 3.0 firmware issues
Thats why I never update right away. I'll wait for a few months to see what issues rise and when everything seems kosher, then I will update.

27.9.2009 15:22

"Isolated" my ar$e.
Sony's soft-soaping spin more like.

I know 3 people who have had lock-ups and who had to spend an age working through the remedy(s).

They all did get things working in the end but were not pleased with the agrovation caused.

One friend caved in and bought the slim at the new price point, updated and had it lock-up duiring Uncharted (one of their best AAA titles no less).

It took him some time to end up with a working console.
He was less than impressed.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 07 Sep 2009 @ 3:23

37.9.2009 15:43

And the SONY fun has begun.

47.9.2009 15:45

Every new feature in 3.0 was absolutely perfect for me. What's New updated fine and the friend's counter are always correct.

I for one am happy about this firmware but a 3.0X is definitely necessary.

Because people in the UK have refurbished Europe models, they don't have the BBC iPlayer icon, and that would be frustrating so...

Sony has done us a good update but the amount of bugs in it... Shocking TBH.

57.9.2009 16:52

can someone tell me these problems they are having, because i am not having them, or im to clumsy to notice :D

67.9.2009 17:14

Originally posted by shaffaaf:
can someone tell me these problems they are having, because i am not having them, or im to clumsy to notice :D
system locking, freezing up with certain games. seems to be happening to the older units.

77.9.2009 17:34

Don't they test the firmware updates prior to foisting it on unsuspecting owners....?

87.9.2009 18:11

Originally posted by eNaR:
Don't they test the firmware updates prior to foisting it on unsuspecting owners....?

That costs money!

97.9.2009 18:46
pphoenix
Inactive

Quote:
Originally posted by eNaR:
Don't they test the firmware updates prior to foisting it on unsuspecting owners....?

That costs money!
yep, that's the problem with kit that can be flashed/updated, most software is beta tested on the public, that's why updates/flash damage to hardware is not generally covered by the warranty.

Things used to be finished before release, not just so they could meet a specific date for a holiday, or to scuppers a competitors moment of glory ect.

this is an industry wide problem.

107.9.2009 18:48
micool11
Inactive

I bought a new slim last week and got uncharted and it freezes the ps3 and i have to switch off and back on to get the machine to respond again. Very annoying, hopefully there will be an update soon.

117.9.2009 20:09

I've not had any serious problems with FW3.00 yet, but i've only used COD4, the web browser and PlayTV since updating; yet to bung on Uncharted (played it through just a couple of weeks ago so it'll be a while before a have a play through again!).

One thing i can not do is disable the "What's New" button. I have changed the setting to disable in the System Settings but it made no difference.

The web browser has frozen a couple of times, but only when i've been looking at those naked ladies! Regular browsing (ie, AD, BBC iPlayer, etc) has been fine.

I, like many others, from reading the above mentioned blog, don't like the friends boxes being greyed out but that's a personal thing and doesn't mean its faulty. Hopefully a future update will revert this or at least allow the option to revert to clear box outs.

Has anyone had a problem streaming from their PC (using PS3mediaServer or similar)? Not had an opportunity to fully test it it yet under 3.00.

PS: i'm using a 40G "fat".

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 07 Sep 2009 @ 8:12

127.9.2009 21:53

Originally posted by BobH29:
I've not had any serious problems with FW3.00 yet, but i've only used COD4, the web browser and PlayTV since updating; yet to bung on Uncharted (played it through just a couple of weeks ago so it'll be a while before a have a play through again!).

One thing i can not do is disable the "What's New" button. I have changed the setting to disable in the System Settings but it made no difference.

The web browser has frozen a couple of times, but only when i've been looking at those naked ladies! Regular browsing (ie, AD, BBC iPlayer, etc) has been fine.

I, like many others, from reading the above mentioned blog, don't like the friends boxes being greyed out but that's a personal thing and doesn't mean its faulty. Hopefully a future update will revert this or at least allow the option to revert to clear box outs.

Has anyone had a problem streaming from their PC (using PS3mediaServer or similar)? Not had an opportunity to fully test it it yet under 3.00.

PS: i'm using a 40G "fat".

I have a launch 60GB unit that works fine w/ 3.00. The only thing I noticed as far as streaming media is that it's a little slower 'seeing' what files are available, apparently because it's caching more info than before. I still wish they'd add more media codec and container support, so I don't have to convert so many files or use the fairly crappy convert-on-the-fly streaming programs (BTW, WMP in Win7 apparently only does that and won't stream files as-is).


I HAD heard about a few older PS3 games locking up w/ 3.00 and, for some reason, the silver and white ceramic controllers having delays when responding to a few buttons (SELECT, mainly). I woulda thought the internals of all controllers would be the same (minus the difference between SIXAXIS and DUALSHOCK 3).

137.9.2009 22:03

Originally posted by micool11:
I bought a new slim last week and got uncharted and it freezes the ps3 and i have to switch off and back on to get the machine to respond again. Very annoying, hopefully there will be an update soon.

There will be. Most devices w/ firmware update capability will have a few minor glitches here and there since it's usually impossible to QC every possible situation unless you spend up to a year doing it between updates. Most of the comments here are, per usual expectations, from anti-fanboys (bashboys???) that would slam Sony even if there was a story that their product somehow saved someone's life (e.g. "Who is Sony to play God? They have a lot of nerve!"). ;-)

147.9.2009 23:31

Quote:
Originally posted by micool11:
I bought a new slim last week and got uncharted and it freezes the ps3 and i have to switch off and back on to get the machine to respond again. Very annoying, hopefully there will be an update soon.

There will be. Most devices w/ firmware update capability will have a few minor glitches here and there since it's usually impossible to QC every possible situation unless you spend up to a year doing it between updates. Most of the comments here are, per usual expectations, from anti-fanboys (bashboys???) that would slam Sony even if there was a story that their product somehow saved someone's life (e.g. "Who is Sony to play God? They have a lot of nerve!"). ;-)
there are also others who would egg on these fanboys by posting a informative followed by a nice lecture on how the said fanboys operate.

158.9.2009 01:28

So its a beta firmware?

168.9.2009 04:10

Originally posted by kikzm33z:

Because people in the UK have refurbished Europe models, they don't have the BBC iPlayer icon, and that would be frustrating so...
.
I'm not arguing with you but can you explain what you mean please because I don't understand ?

178.9.2009 09:25

Does anyone have an actual % of consoles affected stat?? can ANYONE back up their arbitrary bashing of a process they had no part in? Comments like "Testing costs money" are useless unless you can link to some material that actually indicates sony skimped out on testing the firmware. I don't know anyone who has had a problem.. but I'm not going to rant that the update is problem free just because I believe my small group of friends somehow equates an accurate reflection of the vast majority.

@geestar:

Do you not play online games for months while you wait to see about problems witht he firmware? or are you not talking about the PS3? Just wondering dude.

188.9.2009 11:02

Originally posted by Interestx:
"Isolated" my ar$e.
Sony's soft-soaping spin more like.

I know 3 people who have had lock-ups and who had to spend an age working through the remedy(s).

They all did get things working in the end but were not pleased with the agrovation caused.

One friend caved in and bought the slim at the new price point, updated and had it lock-up duiring Uncharted (one of their best AAA titles no less).


It took him some time to end up with a working console.
He was less than impressed.
Seams that your friends do not have a PS3 as your explination of (working through the remedy(s)) is bull. There is not a work around. There is not a (get things working in the end)fix at this point. You would not just be making things up now would you?
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 08 Sep 2009 @ 11:06

198.9.2009 11:35

doesnt the slim come with 3.0?

208.9.2009 12:09
H08
Inactive

no, you have to update it

218.9.2009 13:51

Originally posted by eNaR:
Don't they test the firmware updates prior to foisting it on unsuspecting owners....?
Yes, they do.

Even so - it still happens, and it's not just Sony.

Given that the incidents are isolated, there are likely a number of odd factors involved that converged to cause the issue. That makes such bugs difficult to find in testing (tug your left ear while hopping up and down slowly - but not too slow! on your right foot, and waving your right hand above your head three times with your left eye shut...)

228.9.2009 13:53

Originally posted by glassd:
Seams that your friends do not have a PS3 as your explination of (working through the remedy(s)) is bull. There is not a work around. There is not a (get things working in the end)fix at this point. You would not just be making things up now would you?
No, sorry, but your leap to defend PS3 here is just ridiculous.

The friend I am referring to has a brand new PS3 slim.

He has had patches to install and umteen install/delete & reinstalling the game data.

Work-arounds, remedies whatever.

The point is that he has had an age of trouble and his PS3 is pi$$ing him off ......and amusingly it's with a bunch of hassles he never had with his Xbox.

238.9.2009 14:43

Quote:
Originally posted by glassd:

The friend I am referring to has a brand new PS3 slim.

He has had patches to install and umteen install/delete & reinstalling the game data.

Work-arounds, remedies whatever.


FAIL again. There are not any "Work-arounds, remedies whatever." or Patches for this. Sony will release a patch (3.01) when they have a correction for the problem.
Your statement of (No, sorry, but your leap to defend PS3 here is just ridiculous) is Childish. Anyone that is familiar with the PS3 and this problem knows better than the statement that you made. You are so quick talk bad about the PS3 yet you do not even have one. What is your objective.

248.9.2009 14:49

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by glassd:

The friend I am referring to has a brand new PS3 slim.

He has had patches to install and umteen install/delete & reinstalling the game data.

Work-arounds, remedies whatever.


FAIL again. There are not any "Work-arounds, remedies whatever." or Patches for this. Sony will release a patch (3.01) when they have a correction for the problem.
Your statement of (No, sorry, but your leap to defend PS3 here is just ridiculous) is Childish. Anyone that is familiar with the PS3 and this problem knows better than the statement that you made. You are so quick talk bad about the PS3 yet you do not even have one. What is your objective.
knock it off you two, or is it your goal to get comments disabled for the rest of us?

258.9.2009 15:34

No problem.

268.9.2009 18:37

@-Hunt720-

I don't play enough online games TBH. But the way your stating this "Do you not play online games for months while you wait to see about problems witht he firmware?" So firmware updates are only for online gaming? I thought the firmware updates are for the system and not just online games...or are we talking about the PS3?

278.9.2009 18:42

Originally posted by glassd:
FAIL again.
Nope. Wrong again.

Look, I could care less how it is described, whether you like me calling them work-arounds or remedies or W.E.

The point is my mate bought a PS3 slim and has had nothing but agg from it getting on-line & with it repeatedly locking up during a game he bought for it.

It seems you have a problem with anyone relaying what is pretty well known info on this subject (you might like to check the thread title).

288.9.2009 19:08
micool11
Inactive

Whats the point in all the arguing. At the end of the day there is a small glitch in the new update. Check any software program there full of them, thats why we have updates for windows etc. I have the same problem with uncharted but it's not going to kill me, i'll just play another game until it's sorted. It's very hard writing code for a system and if people don't understand this sell your console (xbox, ps3 whatever) and buy something that has nothing to do with technology because you'll be unhappy forever.

299.9.2009 06:16

So far I am not a big fan of Firmare 3.0, but was forced to download it in order to play online. No problems, but then I only have a few games.

I am not suprised that some people need to do updates to their games in order to use the new firmware...this has been the case for just about every new firmware they have made so far.

Still, if Sony wants to release Beta firmwares, they should not force people to download them just to play online...they should do an open beta like with home.

309.9.2009 10:17

I haven't tested my Uncharted to see if I can encounter any of the stated issues yet, but in itself I haven't had any problems with FW 3.0 on my launch model or 80 gb w/BC. Personally I don't mind the look of the Friends list or the larger font/higher placement of the XMB icons and such. It's not THAT different to be upset about...

319.9.2009 12:43

Sorry DXR88

Originally posted by Interestx:
________________________________________
"Isolated" my ar$e.
Sony's soft-soaping spin more like.

I know 3 people who have had lock-ups and who had to spend an age working through the remedy(s).

They all did get things working in the end but were not pleased with the agrovation caused.

One friend caved in and bought the slim at the new price point, updated and had it lock-up duiring Uncharted (one of their best AAA titles no less).


It took him some time to end up with a working console.
He was less than impressed.
________________________________________
I have no problem with someone telling the truth. Your above mentioned commit did not happen. They did not work through the remedy(s). They did not get their consoles working like they were supposed to as far as locking up on the 4 games that there is problem with. You said that his console is working ok now. Sony has not produced a fix yet. Is Sony lying to everyone? Did they only give your friends the fix. Please send the remedy in to AD so they can post the repair process. I have not had a problem with the firmware update although there is no doubt that others are.

3211.9.2009 12:55

I have not had a problem with this new update, I did find that some of the new changes were not something that really thing was necessary for me, but what ever. I would have been most happy with added codex and maybe to be able to change the colour of the fonts on XBM ( I like making backgrounds for myself). But to attack Sony because they have some problems seems ridiculous, the 360 has problems too on some of thier updates. I own both and I happen to prefer the PS3. I don't think there is really much that comes out with updates that doesn't have problems for a percentage of thier machines that it wouldn't affect. I am pretty sure that if it did affect me, I would report it to them and try and come up with a solution to solve it rather than complain.

3311.9.2009 14:17

Originally posted by eNaR:
Don't they test the firmware updates prior to foisting it on unsuspecting owners....?
They sure do! Exactly the way M$ and other corps test their updates and new products. Release to Market, and let them do all the expensive testing, and only fix the problem that's costing the most immediate sales, but don't set the bar too high, it may take several releases.

3411.9.2009 15:17

Originally posted by geestar20:
@-Hunt720-

I don't play enough online games TBH. But the way your stating this "Do you not play online games for months while you wait to see about problems witht he firmware?" So firmware updates are only for online gaming? I thought the firmware updates are for the system and not just online games...or are we talking about the PS3?
The PS3 can only connect to PSN by using the latest software.
Why..? Because if a hack or anything were to be released, then the ones who hack cannot get online.
Also, if a buggy firmware giving off some sort of advantage to a game, then you must update to get rid of this bug or you just cheat on an offline game if you know what I mean.

Maybe I read your post wrong.

3512.9.2009 21:38
sadb0y
Inactive

Guys

Better be careful my friends ps3 ( 4 USB's version ) not working ( boot ) after update 3.0, now its in warranty will take 2 months maximum .

And if such thing happens , its not your fault you better yell on them

CYA .

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