PS3 System Software 2.10

Welcome to the new Firmware for the PS3. not much included in this update and it's mainly just media based.

• DIVX/XVID and WMV playback support.
• Blu-Ray Profile 1.1.
• New Bitmapping for [MUSIC].
  
• Voice Changer
• New visualisation in [MUSIC].
  
• Blu-Ray Data Utility has been added under [VIDEO].
  

The Voice Changer might be a problem with some people online as it lets the user to change the pitch of their voice over microphone or/and camera.

Blu-Ray Profile 1.1 has been an update lots of users have requested as some new movies coming next month will be using this. Profile 1.1 enhances the BD JAVA so multiple video streams can be played at once, basically PnP. Also added in the Profile is downloadable content within the movie.

DIVX/XVID playback has some limits forced. Max file size is 2GB, and can't play files encoded with DIVX 3.11 and before.


UPDATE: There seems to be a few secret unlisted updates in this new Firmware:

• The ability to Remote Play PS1 games, either on the PS3's HDD or on disc in the drive.
• Enhancements to the web browser, including the removal of the background, so you can see the XMB background image behind the browser.
• The ability to remember the last played location on BD and DVD videos even if you remove the disc.
  

DualShock 3 Controller

Well, they have come out....sort of, currently only in Japan but can be imported by online shops. The rest of the world will be getting the controller early in 2008. Support for the new controller has been available for a while now, in the Ratchet & Clank game was Firmware V1.94 which was solely to enable support for the controller, then V2.00 came out as a download with the support added as well.

The controller is a lot heavier than the standard SIXAXIS controller, with the addition of motors that's not a surprise, the DualShock 3 has all the features in the SIXAXIS but has rumble included. So it's a Bluetooth wireless controller, with motion sensing, and vibrating functionality.

The DualShock 3 controller has a lot less battery life than the SIXAXIS, where the SIXAXIS's battery life is 40 hours before recharging the DualShock 3 lasts for 15 hours before needing to be recharged. The controllers rumble is compatible with older PS1 and PS2 games and can be turned on or off in the Controller Options when pressing the PS button in the game. PS3 games are able to control the level of vibration more than the older PS1/2 games, which only had 2 settings, slight vibration and heavy vibration.

Slowly more and more PS3 games are coming out with rumble support, most already out games are getting patched to add the ability and most new games are coming with the support built in.