Overnight we posted about the then upcoming PlayStation 3 Firmware update, 3.70. That update has now been released for everyone to download, and presumably if you’re on PlayStation Plus you’ll have the notification that your PS3 has already downloaded it ready for you to install.
[drop2]One of the key features was what Sony were calling ‘Automatic Trophy Syncing’, a feature exclusive to PlayStation Plus. However, this isn’t what we expected – it basically just runs a full Trophy sync when the system’s off. Sure, this keeps your account a little more up to date than manually doing it, but it’s still nothing like the truly automatic nature of 360 Achievements.It’s odd why they haven’t really pursued this method – it’s much cleaner and quicker and means that your mates can instantly see which Trophies you’ve got. Presumably it’s a bandwidth issue rather than anything technical, but this new ‘auto sync’ really isn’t that impressive.
Of more use is the automatic save game upload for Plus subscribers, which will ensure that – once you’ve selected them – your save games will be pushed to the cloud in case you ever need to restore them, which is handy.
Apparently (the options are only available to Japanese owners just now so we can’t verify) 3.70 also includes menu options for PSP Remasters, the high def updates of classic PSP titles. The options include the ability to switch from ‘normal’ to full screen (presumably some scaling), 3D on/off (with 1-7 depth adjustment) and Ad-hoc functionality.
Other features, available to all users, include the ability to send PSN Store recommendations to friends over PSN and a tweak to the US XMB layout to include the same ‘TV/Video’ column that European users will be used to. Other tweaks are rather techy – 3D support for Blu-ray 3D Java features and the ability to play back high-def audio like DTS-HD MA when viewing a 3D film.
Finally, 3D photos (in .MPO format) are viewable on the XMB and the Photo Gallery application, and they’ve reverted the Friends list back to proper alphabetical order.
MrTwP
This could be bad, the notifications on face book could mean people think you’ve been playing games til like 5 in the morning
Deathbrin
Haha, true!
e8
I really dont get why they feel the need to clutter the xmb, with a day1 redundant icon(my channels.)
Once you’ve re-dloaded the software for the apps, it will never be used again. A small niggle i know, but you can’t del it & i hate clutter lol.
Hamzz
So no cross game chat then :|
Kaminari
So Auto Trophy Sync (ie. a few bytes per trophy) would kill Sony’s bandwidth, but auto-saving hundreds of megabytes to the cloud is perfectly fine? Some people really have a poor understanding of technology.
TSBonyman
I’ve just noticed that after the update RTE Player is now missing from the XMB, ffs.. :(
TSBonyman
Ok, have restarted PS3 and now the My Channels has shown up. Now i’ve got RTE, Mubi and a blank space, which hopefully means another video service is on the way.
DirtyHabit
Don’t like this new FW at all. Why have they basically duplicated all the TV stuff? Now I have Video & TV/video services. Why not put the two together?
If ‘Video’ now just serves as a film section then why is Lovefilm in the TV section and PS video store in the other? They are almost identical services. Love film/mubi should be under ‘video’.
What is the point of the my channels box? As soon as you download the channels they show on the XMB anyway.
Why isn’t PlayTV at the top of the list on the XMB? I don’t want to scroll through a load of internet services every time I want to watch TV. Its not even alphabetical so I don’t know what the thought was there?
IMO It should read PlayTV – BBC – ITV – 4od. Or It should just be PlayTV and ‘My channels’ on the XMB, then open ‘my channels’ for internet services that would be the ideal IMO.
Just looks cluttered. Not well thought out at all in my opinion.
Rant over…
Dimpoc
Agreed the firmware updates appear pointless to me, there are so many obvious worth while improvements to be done but they waste our time with this.
Deathbrin
You mean their time.
e8
what happens now is when u watch a player, most recent moves to the top, weird i know.
that’s it, i’m applying to scee, to get some decent & great features on the table, (thought of by myself & the community who actually use the damn hardwre.)
minerwilly
Where the heck is this “My Channels” option that people are talking about ? Ive lost my Iplayer etc , Ive seen several people saying that they too dont have the “my channels” thing I wonder if we are all the guys with replacement PS3’s due to YLOD or something .
e8
see my comments page1
e8
& disregard my comment also lol. It’s all gone pete tong:)
wuntunzee
minerwilly, try doing an internet connection test and then restarting, worked for me.
Dimpoc
I want some killer feature updates, instead of random feature which aren’t that important.
jaksmakndaxter
It might seem like a minor gripe, and in hindsight it really is, but instant trophy sync is long overdue. I won’t knock the many strides Sony has made since the birth of PS3,but instant trophy syncing sounded like a shoe-in back when trophies were even announced.
Totodile
Wait! Are you kidding me?
I thought it was true, automatic syncing!
argh! Sony, you never work hard do you?