People of the internet: Speculation about the PS3’s Firmware 3.10 can now end as the latest update has been confirmed on the PlayStation Blog.
The major feature of the much anticipated 3.10 update is proper Facebook integration. Facebook has already been accessible on the PS3 though its web browser. However, up until now it has been a little clunky and slow to use. With 3.10, if you visit Facebook through the browser you will be able to use Facebook quicker, easier and (according to Eric Lempel) it will “look even better”. This is all very nice, but what exactly does Facebook integration mean other than visiting the site properly on the browser?
Well, once you have put in your Facebook account details into your PS3 (under the Account Management option on the XMB), your console will be able to update your Facebook status automatically. As a user of this service (which is completely free), you can chose from 4 options. The 1st is to update your status with trophy information every time you synch your collection to the PSN. The 2nd will update your status when you purchase something from the PlayStation Store or download a demo. No word yet on whether this will include videos from the upcoming Video Store or game trailers and themes.
The 3rd option is more intriguing. Sony is keeping tight-lipped about this so far, but developers will be able to activate status updates dependant on “Game Event Information”. This will be on newly released games and can also be patched into games already available. As always with Sony, it’s down to the developers to implement the feature so let’s hope it is used more often than custom soundtracks. The final option is to simply delete your Facebook account information from your PS3.
Along with the Facebook additions, firmware 3.10 also adds a few smaller features. When viewing pictures stored on the hard drive, instead of being listed in one vertical list, they are now displayed 5 pictures across horizontally too. This not only looks better, but should make scrolling through images less of a chore. Finally, the much maligned friends list from the 3.0 update has been given a dash of colour. You can now change the colour of the box surrounding your PSN ID, choosing from a selection of 20 vibrant shades. In addition to this, the box around your friend’s PSN ID’s in the friend list will only appear around the highlighted person. The box magically fades away when a friend is not selected.
All in all, I am very interested in the Facebook features, the photo viewing change is nice and the face lifted friends section is an added bonus. Of course, it is nothing too unexpected as we here at TSA already predicted most, if not all, of these improvements. As for a certain feature called cross-game chat, looks like we still wait with baited breath. Firmware 3.10 will be available “soon”.
Thanks MrBilly, BlingOnMyWrist.
