Late last month rumors once again began to emerge that in-game XMB access would finally be coming to the PlayStation 3 via a firmware update. Well, rumors turned out to be true this time, with the company recently confirming that firmware version 2.4 will include not only the aforementioned feature but also Sony’s take on Xbox 360 Achievements, the Trophies reward system.

While official information about the 2.4 firmware is still scarce, Trophies are expected to be rewarded for accomplishing certain in-game tasks and be associated with a player’s online PSN profile. In typical Sony fashion, the company stopped short of pegging down a specific date for firmware 2.4 but they did promise to reveal more details “shortly.” In the meantime, they’ve released firmware version 2.36, which will reportedly fix some bugs users experienced when playing certain PlayStation titles – perhaps they are finally addressing the freezing problems in GTA IV?