Firmware 3.0 is upon us and I can’t wait. Lot’s of small changes being added such as an status indicator that displays online friends and messages. Finally. Sony also replaces the Information Board with a new dynamic “What’s New” section. Anything to get more people to know whats happening on the network is good with me!
Follow the link to see release notes and video preview.
3.0 Release Notes
“What’s New” – The “Information Board” will be replaced with a “What’s New” section. “What’s New” displays the latest game, video, news, and releases, as well as your recently played games, in an animated format. This will be the default location on startup.
Status Indicator – In the top right corner we’ve added an indicator bar, which displays your user icon, friend icon, the number of friends you have online and a small message icon to let you know if you have any new messages. The indicator also includes a scrolling ticker that features the latest news from PlayStation Network. In addition, when you press the PS button, the battery life indicator will no longer cover up the clock.
Friends List – Now your PlayStation Network friends will appear in a slightly redesigned format on your Friends List. Also, messages will now be viewable from each of your friends’ respective profiles.
PlayStation Store Shortcuts – We’ve added a handy shortcut icon to the PlayStation Store under both the Game and Video categories so you can access the latest content quickly and easily.
Dynamic Themes – Personalize your PS3 with new dynamic custom themes and avatars. Dynamic themes as well as free and premium avatars will be available through PlayStation Store. A dynamic theme takes your screen to a whole new level as it incorporates animated objects into the background.
Trophies – Showcasing your hard earned trophies just got better. Update 3.00 gives game developers the ability to modify how they display trophies for add-on content. Base and add-on game trophies will continue to be combined into a single list so you can see where you stand in a game as a whole. Within that list, trophies will be broken out into subcategories—base trophies and add-on trophies—that way, you can easily view the percentage of your base game trophy collection, and separately track your trophy progress in add-on packs. Look for this enhancement to be included in upcoming games.
HDD/USB Upconvert – Upconverts audio from HDD or USB. Originally for CD’s only.
Startup Screen Change – When booting up the system for the firts time, PlayStation family logo, PS3 logo, and PlayStation 3 logo will all display simultaneously. When you start up a game, the PS3 logo will no longer be shown, giving a slight boost in speed to startup time. Note that this does not apply to original PlayStation games, as they run on an emulator.