PS3 4.00 Firmware Hidden Features Revealed

Recently Sony released firmware 4.00 for the PS3, but like many other updates there are some secrets.

[Nitrowolf2]

"- Privacy Settings has been added
To further enhance the privacy of its users, players can now choose whether or not they want to receive a friend request or friend message from someone they don’t know. Your settings here will also affect your profile on the Vita."

That's actually a pretty useful feature.
Hate getting random game invites from people.

I always wonder why Sony keeps this stuff a secret though.
Honestly as much as I love finding hidden features, I can't help but feel that we miss some of the stuff sometimes. Rather just have a full feature/change log during the PS post rather then wait it out.

[admiralvic]

It's like an easter egg hunt. Sorta like how people find the most random stuff in android updates. It also gets people to really look at the firmware which makes people care more.

Also oddly enough thats not a huge feature for me. I have yet to get any random invites outside of idiots on my friends list lol.

[Dante112]

I use to get TONS of those lame chain messages awhile back. It's calmed down since but I do get one or two random ones ever now and then.

Edit: @ jriquelme_paraguay

Man your gonna get perma banned if you keep typing that in all the non related articles and sending random people PMs on this. Lol, I wish N4G has this for PMs.

[young juice]

do i have the option to put a password on my ps user profile in general yet? sure would save alot of trouble...

[FACTUAL evidence]

Since when were obvious things in your face hidden features?.....Also, I wouldn't put health warnings on the same page as a feature....

[kneon]

That's right, none of these features are hidden. The real hidden features are the things they may have done under the hood that enable games to do something new or better. And those we won't see until a new game comes out that uses them.

[BigDog55]

All changes in a firmware update should be listed! Not just a chosen one!

[gaden_malak]

I never get random invites...

[GTRrocker]

Awwwww... :(

[gaden_malak]

Nobody cares about Eeyore..I mean gaden_malak

[RedDevils]

If you always online you'll get it, game like uncharted and Fifa have got me load of random request lol

[DarkBlood]

do they mean freind requests from the games you play or the random shit you get once awhile from some random person whos online name u dont reconize from any other game you might of played online?

[HellzAssassin]

Exactly what I was thinking... And to be quite honest, it's not too efficient (to me) to begin with. All you have you do is click one button: DECLINE o.O

Then again, that's just my opinion. I don't mind getting random invites; because it doesn't happen all the time and clicking deny/decline/no is pretty easy.

[cyborg6971]

I'm just waiting to hear all about how this update bricked my console comments and articles.

[Mr_cheese]

most requested is cross game chat, although we'll never get it this GEN with the PS3.

[Christopher]

One not shown there is that they've added a feature to detect and report to you if you're using an unrecognized/unsupported USB device. I use a USB port extender and got the messages that I'm using an unsupported USB device a few times last night.

As far as this being a major release (4.0 instead of 3.8), integrating Vita is a major task and there is a ton involved that we are not seeing at all.

As a developer, this is what I would have done with this release as well. The problem is that the community thinks that every major release should be for them and not for the product or brand. That's not how it works. Never has been, never will be. It's all about the level of work done by the developers.

I will say that it's obvious that we haven't seen any new PS3 specific FW updates since it seems the OS developers have been working on Vita integration rather than other projects.

[joeorc]

Also i would like to add they are getting the PS3 "playstation suite" functionality also being worked on to go along with the PSVitas's an Android ver also. Crossplatform functionality between the PS3+PSVita an of course Android will make for a good start of a unified Playstation platform for development for not just Games but also Apps.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Man all I want is sign in invisible and a categorized download history list. That is all.

[Christopher]

@KwietStorm: I would love for them to actually revamp how we get our downloads. It was sad that I found it easier to go to the store and download my Rock Band songs individually rather than look through my download list.

[saladthieves]

Just waiting for the ususal FW V4.0 bricked my PS3 comments :)

[StraightPath]

Pretty much another fail update. Sony left ps3 with poor XMB and PSN no new features no nothing. You hear all the time Xbox 360 updates getting new features and stuff whereas when was the last time my PS3 got somthing good? it has been ages...this updates sucks hard and this one is the worst one.

My Xbox 360 gets great features what does my PS3 get? crap online passes and crap sorting out friends a-z. Another joke update giving up on Sony dont expect anything from them anymore with these useless updates for years now.

OMDS I JUST saw the terrible health warning how do you off this? is this a joke everytime i on my ps3 an anti climax this terrible?

[HellzAssassin]

As much as I love my PS3, I have to agree with this comment :/

[PCRockStar]

I definitely keeping my ps3 now!
AWESOME FEATURES!

[P_Bomb]

Wish there was a way to disable all these health warnings now tbh.

One when you start the system (!), 3D warning, Move warning, Seizure warning, 'do not shut off while saving' warning heh. It's getting a bit excessive. No?

[r21]

yeah, agreed, having a way to disable the warnings would be useful. i suggest the next update, if there is any, implement a feature that after being forced to having seen the warnings once, they dont show up anymore :D
btw, i thought those warning came on discs?

[NEW-AGE]

WARNING!!! you are about to be Warned of a Future Warning

[Focus]

WARNING!! You are about to switch off future WARNINGS!!

[NEW-AGE]

You Have Been Warned!?! Next Warning YOU will be Banned, i love that Phrase, what use is it to me if ive been banned Then warned about it?

[prodg52]

There's a legal term called "Failure to Warn" It's a company's liability if they don't tell you of potential danger. So thanks to never ending lawsuits in the US Sony has to put this warning label out there. It will not go away... ever. Just like McDonalds has to put Warning Hot on it's coffee cups. Of course coffee is hot :/

[DarkBlood]

true but it should be skippable at best no one *who doesnt want too* shouldnt have to endure looking at the screen upon starting the game everytime

this is probably only there to back the *im prepared to be dammned for this* idiots who dont know any better

[Mr_cheese]

just like a packet of nuts contains the warning 'may contain nuts'

[QuodEratDemonstrandm]

Or CAUTION: HIGHLY FLAMMABLE on a bottle of lighter fluid. Yeah duhh that's why I'm buying the stuff.

[Biggest]

Except the American justice system allows ignorance to file suit. I hate extra warnings as much as the next guy, but I can't find fault with a company trying to protect themselves for people that need money fast and don't know Montell Williams.

[PirateThom]

This new warning is really annoying... why not have this on the same screen as the PS3 logo instead of adding another few seconds to start up time?

Insane...

Or, more to the point, why not have it on the game start up screen where it normally appears anyway.

[KyRo]

That is something I don't get considering they took the Playstation 3 logo away every time we booted up the game to make things faster.

[Mr_cheese]

maybe they're about to having a new ps3 boot up intro with flashing lights and explosions. lol

[Kahvipannu]

"maybe they're about to having a new ps3 boot up intro with flashing lights and explosions. lol "

Lol, that would be awesome! Not.

"Or, more to the point, why not have it on the game start up screen where it normally appears anyway. "

Agreed. Common sense is rare these days, but I'm guessing it might be somekind of legal thing...

[A-Glorious-Dawn]

Lol Mr cheese

[UltimateIdiot911]

Noooooo. I hate health warnings. It's annoying on the Wii already.

[MUNKYPOO]

its taking forever to update......

[joeyisback]

the ps plus icon only pops up on xmb if ur sign out of psn

[BitbyDeath]

yea, mine too. Seems broken

[evilunklebud]

I was kind of hoping for more with the 4.00 designation….

[CloseSecond]

PS3 is a sunset system so don't expect anything really great from now on. They'll be saving that for the PS4.

[Taz Yamauchi]

people love to complain about everything called an update nawadays, even if they were given a free game with the update they will still complain 'why is it free? they should have made us buy it'

[CloseSecond]

Yeah, no reason to complain. The last update reduced the number of activated systems from 5 to 2.

People expect more for their updates especially the major updates regardless if they are free or not. The whole "free" argument is bull$hit. I have spent my hard earned money and put lots of my time into the PS3 so its not wrong to have expectations. If Sony doesn't deliver what consumers want/expect then consumers will move onto another brand.

I've lost all brand loyalty for Sony over the past 12 months:
- PSN breach
- abandoned PSP Go
- lowered the number of activated systems
- lack of new features
- on-line pass

Honestly, they have taken much of the fun out of gaming in my household this year.

[Taz Yamauchi]

Go buy an Xbox and start a new Brand Loyalty as yu call it

[cyclonus007]

1. Unless you have 5 PS3's, I don't see the problem with allowing you to only share content between 2, if you even have THAT many.

2. "People expect more for their updates" Well, people's expectations are their own problem, aren't they?

3. "PSN breach" Sony got breached but if you remember back to last summer, EVERYONE was attacked in some form of another. EA, Nintendo, BioWare and Valve are just off the top of my head. Even Microsoft is dealing with a problem of people breaching accounts and stealing ACTUAL money, something a little worse than PSN being partially down for a month.

4. "Abandoned PSP Go" Yeah...not many people bought it. But the PSP is still being supported.

5. "Lowered the number of activated systems" See #1.

6. "Lack of new features" I recall getting CinemaNow and DirectTV NFL in the last few weeks. Also a Home redesign and a now Free-to-Play MMO.

7. "Online pass" If inputting a one-time code is keeping you from enjoying a game, I feel sorry for you.

[jessupj]

If Sony has abandoned gaming, then I'd hate to think what MS is... perhaps the physical embodiment of pure evil that hates and destroys all things gaming.

Sony's not perfect by any means, but at least they have a passion for great gaming. MS doesn't give a dam about gaming or where the industry goes. Look at how fast they dropped you core gamers for the juicy casual pie.

[andibandit]

@jessupj

here we go again with, MS did this and that, and therefore Sony is better.
It's irrelevant, im sure i could find countless examples of companies who are worse than both of them, but here's the thing: We are talking about PS3 4.00 Firmware Hidden Features.

[MasterCornholio]

Nice that the update will prepare my PS3 for my future Vita.

XperiaRay

[theEx1Le]

I see the key tone problem hasn't been addressed yet either, minor annoyance but still.

[Jdub895O]

wheres my cross game chat!!!! OMG! lol

[Mickbelfast]

It's not coming lol because talking to a few friends who are in a party playing mw3 while your in a party playing battlefield while another friend is playing FIFA doesn't really work

[Jdub895O]

Ok so whats up with all the disagrees? I like how majority of you on this website dont get sarcasm.

[-IronMan-]

I always get random invites etc.. cause my PSN screen name is awesome.

[Jeebus]

I get a lot too, haha. What's yours?

[jizzyjones]

All I can see is more clutter for my beautiful XMB, 5 icons now for saved data.......come on now, surely the XMB can be simplified and icons can be cut down.

[Ace_Man_6]

How come I don't the PS+ icon on my XMB? :(

[GhostofHorizon]

You have to be logged out and it's on the same slide as home. It will ask you to log in, and then it doesn't do anything so I don't know if it's not working for me or what...

Once you sign in, it goes away so yeah, maybe that's why you don't see it.

[PirateThom]

Eh, not sure if this is new...

You know the status bar at the top? Icon and date/time?

Does that normally stay on there during patches or is it new?

[Nizzy79]

what a flop... looks like we get a bunch of hot garbage

[manitobawpg]

100% sure it wasn't there.

And i dont think i got the "installing update press ps button to continue", turned off my tv came back and everything was good didn't have to press the ps button.

[Kahvipannu]

"Yea... This worth the name of 4.00.

#not "

Comment got removed, reason:Trolling. Wutherfang? Get a grip N4G.

[JoelT]

This should have been an incremtal update. Sony promised that major releases would be BIG changes. When is the XMB getting a UI update? Thats what I'm waiting on.

[phatfreddy1978]

Yeah but I already speak English why do I need UK support?

[CoryHG]

I'm sorry but if there's one thing Sony sucks in is updating their own operating system. two years ago we were hearing "oh xmb will have a new look, cross game chat, yada yada" and it's all security updates. Now they actually go to a 4.0 and there's nothing of importance. Wow a health sign? must be sony got sued recently for that. What a joke.

[beavis4play]

so, it's ANOTHER update that we're FORCED to download (if we want to be online) that doesn't provide a whole lot.

[Dingodile]

I still want an option for playing invisible ! :(

[KwietStorm_BLM]

At least it's not just me. 5 years and this simple feature still isn't in. I'd also benefit from a categorized download history list. Right now it's just a search engine with no search.

[Mickbelfast]

Go to the store at the top right corner go to my downloads that's where all your downloads are

[ForROME]

LAME = how about an xmas present style update; overhaul the UI, something grand instead of code updates

[RevXM]

Decent update, xmb seemed even quicker now.

But Imo they need to rework the ingame menu and some features/make things convenient.

Also I really would like real trophy autosync, like Achievements on 360.
And the option to have saves uploaded and stored instantly after I quit a game.

And if possible Sony should let us be able to defrag our drives. A defrag could speed up some systems quite a bit.

[Kahvipannu]

I totally agree the general loading times, updates, trophy synchs, marketplace, many things just drag. I call my PS3 WaitStation these days, heh. They are nothing too serious, but I find myself very often waiting when using PS.. And now tehy added couple more seconds to the boot, wrong direction I say.

[GTRrocker]

Still no cross game chat?

Good. Fuck all that bullshit. If I wanted to talk to people I'd leave my house.

[CynicalVision]

People are still going on about Cross-Game Chat? The next generation is right around the corner, the Vita and the next Playstation will have it. So give it up already because it's not going to happen on the PS3.

[Mickbelfast]

Update 4.ZERO & the playstation store update is the worst one I've ever seen

[Tunerboy8732]

Is it just me or does the text look better on the internet browser with the new firmware?

[stri]

I personally understand the need for these updates, however; that said, I don't understand why Sony refuses to acknowledge the many thousands of requests for the same features.

Cross-Game-Chat(yeah I said it), is a good example of this.
I don't care what Sony says, as a fellow programmer I happen to know for a fact that it is possible on the current PS3 software structure.
Aside from the possibility of a legality we're not aware of, I'm confused by their neglect in this area.

...for the longest time I've requested a plethora of ideas, and have yet to see many of my favourites implemented.

Such as:
-Password protection for nearly everything. I have kids on my profile all the time. I would like to protect my profile, but also any installed games, etc.

-Longer text for comment

-a small comment area so I can know who the bloody hell each of my friends are.

-Pal/NTSC support.

-Organization options.

-More than 2 Font type and style options.

-Canadian dictionary

-MORE AVATARS!!! This one is huge, I want either a way to design my own(I don't care if it requires approval even), or better ones to purchase/use.
I want gifs too...Personally I don't want some stupid background behind my avatar. The possibilities are endless and our current choices are dismal at best.

-Why the hell is a private text chat **** <<< doing this when I swear. I'm pretty sure I can talk however I choose to my friends. If they don't like it, they can UNFRIEND me.

-A better email system, because frankly the current one sucks.
...and get rid of that hold shift erase all bs...that's just annoying.

-A usable browser would be good.

Honestly the list goes on and on...but I won't continue further.

I'm just irritated that Sony continues to neglect the things that the consumer keep asking for.

We do have the right to want it, and deserve better treatment.
We as the gamer invest more than money...we invest time, which is a great deal more valuable.

It's time Sony starts taking that seriously by finally adding some features that we've actually been asking for since launch.
...and I don't care how close a new console is.
This is getting out of control.