Sony releases new PlayStation 3 update nearly 20 years after launch

[midian182]

What just happened? It's been nearly 20 years since the PlayStation 3 launched, but that doesn't mean Sony is done pushing out updates for the console. A new one rolled out today, though how much owners appreciate it will likely depend on how they use their machine.

The 4.93 update for the PlayStation 3 arrived this morning, exactly one year after the 4.92 update. As PlayStation Lifestyle reports, the patch notes are the same vague line PS3 owners have been seeing for years: "This system software update improves system performance."

Sony's own support page shows the same wording for versions 4.89, 4.90, 4.91, 4.92, and now 4.93, which tells you that this isn't some exciting late-life feature drop for a console from 2006.

But while this might sound like a generous act at a time when some companies are dropping support for games that are half as old as the PS3, Sony's actions aren't altruistic.

The likely reason for the update is to combat PlayStation 3 modding and jailbreaking, or at least make things more difficult for people using them.

These annual patches are widely understood to be tied to Blu-ray encryption keys, which means they help Sony keep control over the aging hardware while also disrupting modded systems and custom firmware until the homebrew community catches up.

Sony more or less says as much itself, just in far more polite language. On its official PS3 update page, the company notes that the console needs a renewed Blu-ray player encryption key to keep playing Blu-ray discs.

An older PlayStation manual explains that the AACS encryption key used for Blu-ray copyright protection expires every 12 to 18 months and has to be renewed through a system software update.

That doesn't mean the update is completely useless. If you own an unmodded PS3 and still use it to watch Blu-ray movies, installing 4.93 is probably a good idea. Sony says installing the update requires at least 200MB of free space, and without these periodic renewals, older hardware can eventually lose the ability to play newer Blu-ray media properly.

FlatpanelsHD made the same point last year when Sony rolled out 4.92, noting that without these updates the PS3 would eventually stop playing Blu-ray discs.

In related news, the PlayStation 3 made headlines in February when Netflix announced that it would be ending app support for the lowest-selling PlayStation home console on March 3.

Netflix became available on the console in 2009, but because a deal between Xbox and Netflix made the digital version of the app exclusive to the Xbox 360, PS3 users had to request a Blu-ray disc to access the service. The deal ended in 2010, allowing PlayStation 3 owners to finally download and use the Netflix app.

Image credit: Nikita Kostrykin

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Sony releases new PlayStation 3 update nearly 20 years after launch

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I haven't had my PS3 plugged in for over 6 years now. Just sitting quietly in its box, waiting for the day that it might be called upon to be used again. In the end it wasn't used for gaming, just streaming Netflix. Makes me wonder if I should just plug her in and connect her to the internet just to update.......

I really need to design a shelf system to house my PS2, PS3, Sega Genesis, SNES and mini-NES (wish I still had an original NES....oh well). I could get them all out of storage, out on display and ready to use should the desire strike instead of having most of them boxes up and hiding.

 

[cldmstrsn]

I still use my PS3 regularly for blu rays so this is good news

 

[Vanderlinde]

Older blu-rays will likely work, it's only the new editions that are expecting a renewed key. Without the path it would fail to work.

But 200MB free space for just a key? It's likely there's more to it then just a patch.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Or you simply go here...

https://www.reddit.com/r/ps3homebrew/comments/1rwxb31/493_just_released_how_do_i_spoof_my_firmware

 

[vidajamesDM]

I'm not a fan of this console gatekeeping, Nintendo do it too, to an obsessive degree! Doing all this toxic control grabbing is just going to push console gamers onto PC, it's self-sabotage really! They could choose instead to do something gamers actually want, like abandoning AI slop in games and making games playable in full after servers end. Even move back to physical media so we actually own games we buy, not just a license to play them until the platform owner decides to remove them! I blame publishers, CEOs, and Shareholders for chasing profit growth instead of product quality and affordability!

 

[maxxcool7421]

Since most modded ps3's are running cracked/copied games this does not actually matter. fully modded ps3's dont need the keys and any existing old ps3 dvds have old keys already trusted by the ps3 itself ..

this patch is a big fuzzy nothingburger

 

[LimyG]

I still use my PS3 for 1080p commercial blu-ray on my 2007 Pioneer plasma Kuro.
Still looks great!

I haven't jail broken or modded it at all so until I find a blu-ray that won't play, I won't add this update.
200MB. Mmmm. What else is there included?

My last update was about 4 years ago. Having said that, most of my 1080p blu-rays are movies that are at least that old.

 

[MrQuickWrench]

Thank you Sony. I have been a huge fan of Sony consoles my entire life. Since the first PlayStation console. I have owned several and always boasted about how my PlayStation never broke down to all my Xbox friends. I remember when PS2 first released I couldn't afford a memory card so I just left my system running nonstop for like two years. It never failed. I still have it today and it works great. I have been using my PS4 since 2019 and never ever had a problem with it either. I had to open it and clean the fan once because it started running at high speed and I didn't want to cause unnecessary wear and tear. Since I did that I haven't heard the fan run once. It stays cool and runs perfectly. I will continue to play as a Loyal PlayStation gamer for the rest of my days. Wish I could afford a PS5 but in due time. Because of the support from Sony people like myself who can't afford to buy a new console every time one comes out can keep gaming. You are appreciated.

 

[Sam Bridges]

I own 3 PS3, the one that’s on my desk and I use to test games when I buy them at the flea market I already upgraded. I’ll let that one cook for a bit, but I’m not interested in modding and that’s not a good reason for me to not upgrade all of them. We’ll see if I discover Sony gave me an other reason not to upgrade. LMAO.

 

[LimyG]

Thank you Sony. I have been a huge fan of Sony consoles my entire life. Since the first PlayStation console. I have owned several and always boasted about how my PlayStation never broke down to all my Xbox friends. I remember when PS2 first released I couldn't afford a memory card so I just left my system running nonstop for like two years. It never failed. I still have it today and it works great. I have been using my PS4 since 2019 and never ever had a problem with it either. I had to open it and clean the fan once because it started running at high speed and I didn't want to cause unnecessary wear and tear. Since I did that I haven't heard the fan run once. It stays cool and runs perfectly. I will continue to play as a Loyal PlayStation gamer for the rest of my days. Wish I could afford a PS5 but in due time. Because of the support from Sony people like myself who can't afford to buy a new console every time one comes out can keep gaming. You are appreciated.

The PS3 really was/is high quality. I even ran F@H on it when they implemented that. Made the machine warm.

I actually bought it when the slim was released primarily as it was said to be (and was IMO) the best blu-ray player at that time.

I was delighted to find games that I enjoyed too. Eden I still play.

Haven't been interested in consoles since those days.

The great thing that really stands out re: PS3 Slim, is that it is
high quality durable hardware - I am amazed it still works perfectly after 1,000s of hours of use.

I think those days of great hardware, at, reasonable prices are over.
(I got through 3x Xbox 360 - Red Ring of Death. Then gave up on it.)

 

[LimyG]

I own 3 PS3, the one that’s on my desk and I use to test games when I buy them at the flea market I already upgraded. I’ll let that one cook for a bit, but I’m not interested in modding and that’s not a good reason for me to not upgrade all of them. We’ll see if I discover Sony gave me an other reason not to upgrade. LMAO.

Yeah, let us know how it goes. I'm holding off until I know exactly what it does.
My current PS3 slim is excellent and works perfectly. Wouldn't want to damage it.

 

[OortCloud]

I'm not a fan of this console gatekeeping, Nintendo do it too, to an obsessive degree! Doing all this toxic control grabbing is just going to push console gamers onto PC, it's self-sabotage really! They could choose instead to do something gamers actually want, like abandoning AI slop in games and making games playable in full after servers end. Even move back to physical media so we actually own games we buy, not just a license to play them until the platform owner decides to remove them! I blame publishers, CEOs, and Shareholders for chasing profit growth instead of product quality and affordability!

I mostly agree with you, but a non-jailbroken platform does stop most cheating. Having said that, at this point it seems a bit pointless on the PS3 which has been broken more times than Donald Trumps vows.

 

[jari428]

I'm not a fan of this console gatekeeping, Nintendo do it too, to an obsessive degree! Doing all this toxic control grabbing is just going to push console gamers onto PC, it's self-sabotage really! They could choose instead to do something gamers actually want, like abandoning AI slop in games and making games playable in full after servers end. Even move back to physical media so we actually own games we buy, not just a license to play them until the platform owner decides to remove them! I blame publishers, CEOs, and Shareholders for chasing profit growth instead of product quality and affordability!

Your game discs have always been licenses for the content. You don't "own" a company's copyrighted material and it always came with conditions they were allowed to sue you over if you broke.

Also the vast majority of PS5 games are fully on disc with no download required. Not sure how much more they could possibly return to physical media.

All this waffling over physical media is incredibly performative. Discs and cartridges are vulnerable to all kinds of issues and aren't any more reliable 15-20 years down the line than digital servers are. This very article is about needing an online update just to keep watching your physical media.

 

[Squid Surprise]

All this waffling over physical media is incredibly performative. Discs and cartridges are vulnerable to all kinds of issues and aren't any more reliable 15-20 years down the line than digital servers are. This very article is about needing an online update just to keep watching your physical media.

That last part is a bit disingenuous… while disc storage isn’t perfect, it doesn’t have “all kinds of issues”… provided you keep them in a safe location, they’re quite durable, and you DON’T need any updates to keep playing them - the update is for playing NEW discs.

 

[RBeringerx]

Why then doesn't my old Blu-ray player need an annual update?

 

[jari428]

That last part is a bit disingenuous… while disc storage isn’t perfect, it doesn’t have “all kinds of issues”… provided you keep them in a safe location, they’re quite durable, and you DON’T need any updates to keep playing them - the update is for playing NEW discs.

Provided you keep them in a safe location...the disc can still be scratched when inserting or spinning, can rot in its case over time, and the laser required to read them can fail. And indeed, you need this new update to play new discs, which I imagine is pretty frustrating for those who wanted a reliable offline player.

I treat my physical media very carefully and yet one of my PS2 discs got scratched by the console itself, followed by the console laser failing completely. Funny enough, the most reliable way to preserve and play my games on the original hardware is a completely digital solution.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Provided you keep them in a safe location...the disc can still be scratched when inserting or spinning, can rot in its case over time, and the laser required to read them can fail. And indeed, you need this new update to play new discs, which I imagine is pretty frustrating for those who wanted a reliable offline player.

I treat my physical media very carefully and yet one of my PS2 discs got scratched by the console itself, followed by the console laser failing completely. Funny enough, the most reliable way to preserve and play my games on the original hardware is a completely digital solution.

The laser is a non-issue, as you just get a different player… your data is still safe…

And disk rot isn’t a thing… they can get scratched, but that’s pretty rare - and if you backup your discs digitally, you get the best of both worlds…

And why would my old collection care about updates if they work already?

 

[jari428]

The laser is a non-issue, as you just get a different player… your data is still safe…

And disk rot isn’t a thing… they can get scratched, but that’s pretty rare - and if you backup your discs digitally, you get the best of both worlds…

And why would my old collection care about updates if they work already?

"Just get a different player" only works for as long as they manufacture new players to buy. In the end you're still relying on corporations to sell you a replacement because the original wasn't built to last.

Disc rot is absolutely a thing. There was a whole news story not that long ago about a batch of Warner Bros. DVDs rotting on people's shelves, and they weren't even compensated with direct replacements. This applies to cartridges and flash storage, too, as Nintendo 3DS carts and Wii U internal storage will die if they stay unused for too long.

What happens to your old collection when you decide to add a new Blu-ray to it, and have to wait for a system update before it'll play?

 

[flamespear86]

Thank you Sony. I have been a huge fan of Sony consoles my entire life. Since the first PlayStation console. I have owned several and always boasted about how my PlayStation never broke down to all my Xbox friends. I remember when PS2 first released I couldn't afford a memory card so I just left my system running nonstop for like two years. It never failed. I still have it today and it works great. I have been using my PS4 since 2019 and never ever had a problem with it either. I had to open it and clean the fan once because it started running at high speed and I didn't want to cause unnecessary wear and tear. Since I did that I haven't heard the fan run once. It stays cool and runs perfectly. I will continue to play as a Loyal PlayStation gamer for the rest of my days. Wish I could afford a PS5 but in due time. Because of the support from Sony people like myself who can't afford to buy a new console every time one comes out can keep gaming. You are appreciated.

It's actually crazy You kept your PS2 on for that long. It definitely cost more in electricity than the cost of a memory card.

 

[Squid Surprise]

"Just get a different player" only works for as long as they manufacture new players to buy. In the end you're still relying on corporations to sell you a replacement because the original wasn't built to last.

Disc rot is absolutely a thing. There was a whole news story not that long ago about a batch of Warner Bros. DVDs rotting on people's shelves, and they weren't even compensated with direct replacements. This applies to cartridges and flash storage, too, as Nintendo 3DS carts and Wii U internal storage will die if they stay unused for too long.

What happens to your old collection when you decide to add a new Blu-ray to it, and have to wait for a system update before it'll play?

Blu ray players will exist as long as new blu rays are being sold… so an irrelevant problem…
Disc rot is very rare - and only applies to certain titles… they will generally last 60-100 years… if not more… can you guarantee my digital cloud provider will still be in business then?

 

[Shirley Dulcey]

One of those annual updates probably also updated the information needed to talk to the root DNS servers, so that the Playstation can continue to function on the internet.