14 DAY TRIAL // The newest PlayStation 3 firmware, version 3.60, which arrives today for all Sony consoles, brings a brand new feature, which enables online storage in the cloud for game saves.
The 3.60 PlayStation 3 firmware edition was rumored for quite some time, as well as the possibility that it will enable PS3 users to back up their save game data to the cloud.
Now, it seems that those rumors were true, with Sony officially announcing the new feature ahead of the firmware's launch.
There's a catch though, as the Japanese company says that after installing firmware 3.60, only PlayStation Plus paying subscribers will be able to get their save games online.
"Included in the system software update (v3.60) coming tomorrow to PS3, PlayStation Network’s new online storage for game saves feature gives PlayStation Plus subscribers the capability to back up game save data to the cloud. Online storage for game saves is a great way for PlayStation Plus subscribers to ensure that their data files are secure and also for users who wish to access their files from other PS3 systems," Sony said in its announcement.
There are a few limitations to the service, however, as each PlayStation Network account has a space of 150MB of cloud storage, in which a maximum of 1,000 data files can be uploaded.
Even pesky game saves that are copy-prohibited can be backed up into the cloud, and all previously saved data can be restored once every 24 hours.
A lot of current PlayStation 3 games will support this new feature and, moving forward, all new ones will allow you to get your save games online.
If you want to access them on another PlayStation 3 or even your own console, all you need to do is sign into your Playstation Network account, and then check out the online cloud storage for your uploaded save games.
In case you don't have a PlayStation Plus subscription, a 12-month one costs $49.99/£39.99/€49.99, depending on your region, and also allows you to download exclusive demos, like the recent Mortal Kombat one, as well as to get free games and major discounts to downloadable ones.
The new PlayStation 3 firmware 3.60 will be downloaded automatically by your console if it is connected to the web today, but Sony declined to reveal what other features are included in the new software.