As PlayStation 3 owners lament yet another recent, apparently pointless firmware update, perhaps it’s time to look beyond minor bug fixes and ‘security updates’ and – somewhat whimsically and hopefully – look ahead to what Sony are working on for the next major point release: firmware 4.0.
Four’s a weighty number. It seems to warrant a fanciful command, a sense of purpose – but let’s be honest, the PlayStation 3 has been caught in a kind of cat and mouse cycle with hackers and insignificant patches for a while now, the developers seemingly unable to really push forward with the kind of innovation that brought us DTS over Dolby, or proper upscaling, or – yes – the rather backwards removal of OtherOS.
Hey, at least people were talking about 3.21 (the infamous Geohot response that saw Sony strip out Linux, raising a middle finger to those that wanted to keep their alternative operating system and play online) – who really knows what’s happened with the last three or four? Well, apart from you.
[drop2]The first one is obvious – Vita. Sony’s big black hope isn’t that far away in Japan (releasing at the beginning of December) and it wouldn’t take a massive leap of faith to assume that Sony have something planned to coincide with the new portable.What that might be is anyone’s guess, but we’d wager that a shift in the way the XMB (the PS3’s user interface) is laid out to more closely match that of Vita is a given. Naturally there’s no touch screen controls, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see enhanced launch pages for PS3 first party stuff like the Vita has, for starters.
And then there’s the cross platform play, and the ability for the Vita to act as a remote play device. Sure, it’s embryonic just now, but it’s coming – whether or not this feature requires a firmware update on the PS3 side is anyone’s guess.
We’ve heard rumours that there might be an option to skin the Vita’s UI the other way though, to make it more closely resemble that of the PS3’s floaty curves and simple plus-shaped approach. I’ll be honest, I don’t really care much for the bubbles currently messing up the Vita’s fancy touch screen, so if I can change them then all the better.
Some things are a given, though – at some point at least. PlayStation Suite compatibility must be in the pipeline – why would a service that looks set to really ignite Android and Vita skip over the PS3? It won’t, not in my opinion anyway. Cross platform functionality seems key just now in Sony’s plan, so don’t be surprised to see PS Suite games and applications making their way over to the PlayStation 3.
Look out for a new browser, too – well overdue and surely not that big an issue for Sony to finally ditch the tired old Netfront web application and head for something a little more modern and standards compliant. We’d be hoping for something running Webkit but – really – anything will do.
Other things are probably just wishful thinking – we’d love for Trophies to automatically sync like they do on the 360 (which is probably never going to happen) and we’d kill for proper, full game installs rather than the slightly piecemeal and unpredictable amounts we normally endure everytime we throw in a new PS3 game.
But what are you hoping for? PlayStation 2 games on the Store? Dreamcast games?
hazelam
i don’t know if it would need a firmware update or not, the psp version did, but i’d like to see a ps3 version of the comic reader, and with it the comic store reopening.
more control over folders and the way the contents are sorted would be good too.
sometimes when i copy podcasts over they end up in the wrong order.
and subdirectories would be handy.
i know the ps3 can read them because it does on my usb drive.
and a new browser is needed, badly.
having that one is better than nothing, but still, it could be a whole hell of a lot better.
A2J7C
->Faster XMB, Specially when we try to use it when we play.
->Re-Designed Store, I remember the old one, but i think it’s time for a fresh air, and please, take out the recommendations and the “slower-than-a-turtle” rating system!
->Cross Game Chat, i love this feature, it’s good for when there are Partys :) That way, the beloved insults in COD games, (when the little kids think they are strong because their playing with 5 friends) could be reduced… sick of making mute to everyone in every lobby.
MegaBonez
The web browser pisses me off, I’d like a better one. Perhaps dedicated Facebook & Twitter applications too? Rather than using the browser!
Deathbrin
Speed this thing up!!! Dammit :)
MadJunkBoy
#a faster browser
#Option to listen to music while playing ANY game
#smoother loading in game XMB
#option to remove icons on the XMB that u never use
#AND FIX THE GODDAMN MS:A SERVERS!!!!! :P
stueeeee
All of the above. But right now, a much quicker in-game XMB. The icon to just be there and when I go back to the game not having to wait 10 seconds for it to close. It’s the little things. Like the trophies syncing and auto starting with the ps button that Sony seem to miss.
Look how long it took them to just move the battery icon from the clock space. To be fair it has come such a long way since it was first released, we didn’t even have trophies or in-game xmb. It’s a new kind of functionality is what we want in 4.0. With the Vita on the horizon I think they’ve given up a little on improving the ps3 interface, lalthough they’ve ‘comitted’ to a 10 year life cycle.
TheBlamBow
I miss the awkwardness of a battery icon misplaced over the clock….bring it back!
Seriously though; I don’t think the XMB needs much changing. It is quite simple and clean, why change it? Perhaps an update to give PS Move a cursor rather than just scrolling through the XMB – that just feels weird and I personally find it inaccurate.
Cut the XMB down in game for sure – you don’t need to see all of it and most of it requires quitting the game to use anyway. Messages and friends is pretty much all that is needed.
What would really impress is Twitter / Facebook / Google+ functionality and dedicated apps.
cartman_101
Features wanted personally by me –
– a slimmed down in-game xmb so it loads quicker and is just overall faster.
– when you get a new message or trophy you can quickly access it by pressing the ps button
– An actual Facebook app or a new browser.
sward1
Too much stuff to ask for:
1) When a trophy has been unlocked, pressing the PS button brings up that trophy screen and tells you what you’ve done to unlock it.
2) A better XMB when you press the PS button during the game. I.e. remove the stuff that will take you off the game if you press it, and have it be quicker on certain games.
3) A notification thing like EA have done with FIFA 12. Your friend unlocks a trophy, let us know, a friend downloaded something off the store. tell us. stupid, but I like it on FIFA 12
4) If deals can be made for it, let English fans pay a subscription fee to watch all the Barclays premier league games either while they’re happening or after the game has finished. Saves having to set the time for MotD
5) A cleaner PS Store. It’s just a mess now.
6) A new web browser
7)Auto-Syncing trophies
8) XGC (We can still dream)
9) Apps. Like say a Facebook app or a Twitter app. Let us go on them when we go on PS3, and we can quickly type a tweet or status up while we’re playing a game.
10) Just please. Don’t mess this one up like you did with 3.0. I looked forward to that, got it and i hated it after 10 minutes
October91
They won’t add ps2 games on the store… Sorry but that would almost totally kill the point in overpriced HD Remakes releases…