14 DAY TRIAL // Sony has launched the newest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 home gaming console, labeled 3.50, with the biggest feature of the package being the addition of the ability to play back Blu-ray content in full three dimensions, as long as a suitable television set is linked to the game console.
But this is not the only change Sony has included into the 3.50 firmware, which will be installed as soon as users power up their home console.
The new PlayStation Move motion tracking system can now be used directly as the cursor in the integrated web browser, bringing the world closer to the control interface utopia of Minority Report.
A new notification screen has been introduced to alert players when three dimensions ready video games are available for the PlayStation 3.
Users can quickly access their Facebook social network profile from the device and can send reports to Sony directly from the Friends tab of the XMB.
Sony is also introducing easier to understand descriptions for the most common errors that affect the PS3, allowing gamers to diagnose and report them quicker and easier than before.
The PlayStation Plus subscription based service has also been modified in the PS Store section, with a new icon added for the new Music section in Qriocity.
This does not mean that the service is now live but merely that Sony is preparing to activate it and is preparing the infrastructure of the PlayStation Network.
It's nice to see Sony offer a clear list of what the 3.50 firmware for the PlayStation 3 does, considering that the company is often opaque about the changes it delivers when it patches its device.
The previous mandatory firmware update was specifically launched in order to make sure that the PlayStation 3 was no longer vulnerable to exploits involving a USB dongle and special software but Sony refused to acknowledge that in the firmware notes.