PS3 – Firmware V. 1.7 - Download Heaven

Finally some good news regarding the PS3: "Firmware 1.7 released." To be honest with you, I can't remember the last time I wrote anything good about the poor PS3. First of all, what was firmware V. 1.6 all about?

Well, increased backwards compatibility for starters, but it doesn't go as "backwards" as hoped, it also allows PS3 owners to connect a PSP wirelessly to the big machine, all this being possible only with the 60GB SKU before. But firmware V. 1.6 allows 20GB PS3 owners to benefit from it, although the system has been pulled out of North American stores and is soon to be pulled from the rest of the world also, with the new 80 gig PS3 on its way.

Here's the deal with the new firmware update from Sony, V1.7, as I found on PlayStation Universe:

- PSone downloaded games are now playable on the PS3;
- Saved PS3 data can now be used on the PSP (I.E PSOne saves);
- rumble support has been added to emulated PSone and PS2 titles, all older titles now supporting vibration only when the disc is in the PS3.

No kidding? And what controllers might we be using to experience that vibration function?

The first update on this piece of news says that users will probably still need a PSP to download PSOne games for the time being and that all hopes are for Sony to fix this bug on a short notice. So a PSP must still be connected using a USB cable in order to download games. Updating number two is about a rather small feature added to the process of downloading games via Sony's Internet services, but useful nonetheless: date and exact time appearing below the downloads column for each game downloaded.

If only such great services launched with consoles that actually sold...

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