Sony PlayStation PS3 Update 3.41: Release Date, Features, and New Store Options

The new Sony PlayStation PS3 update 3.41 information is starting to leak out, and to a tough crowd. The features of the new update have been seen by many in the gaming circles as lacking, although perhaps we should give Sony a break. After all, the gaming industry is cut-throat and everyone has to try to stay within the same pace.

SoftSailor reports that the update 3.41 is available for download, although the features will not be able to be unlocked until a future date. This is a little disconcerting for some, and one commenter on another blog post noted that his gaming console continually froze up while he was trying to download the update. A review of the PlayStation update Web site did not yield me a link to download the update. I could not locate an official release date, either.

The real benefactor of the update appears to be Sony themselves. The PlayStation store has a new "you may like" feature which recommends products based on purchase history. This could be annoying to some users, who want to get in and get out of the store as quickly as possible with no distractions. However, those who don't have the time to peruse the literally thousands of video games and products available to them may appreciate these house recommendations.

There's also a rating system in the store, so that you can rate your products. You can also see what other gamers had to say about the title you are looking at, to avoid the whole purchasing a lesser-known title in the dark. I know from personal experience that sometimes it's the games that are not the big games that everyone talks about that are sometimes the best and most entertaining.

In addition to the PS3 update, there will be a PSP firmware patch available by the end of the month. This patch is just to stabilize the software platform and increase security.

There's one missing feature that many gamers desire in the new update, and that is the capability to voice chat across more than one game. The text base chat feature is available, but for many the ability to talk across games would be a fun option.

Another caveat of the update is that your console will update itself in the future -meaning it will wake itself up, download the update, and then go back to sleep. It sounds convenient, only I could see this winding up to be a nightmare if there is something wrong with an update. By the time it's noticed, pretty much everybody's consoles will be affected.

Source:

Play Station Blog

SoftSailor.com