Sony Releases Firmware Update 3.55, Update Fixes Absolutely Nothing

Sony has today pushed out version 3.55 of their PlayStation 3 firmware. Calling it a “minor” update that adds a “security patch”, the update has no changelog on the dashboard, and the entirety of Sony’s blog post on the subject is half as long as this sentence. The update is mandatory; users cannot connect to the PlayStation Network until they’re patched and up to date.

The update is obviously to patch around updates made to PSJailbreak, which include the recently released PS Downgrade, which lets homebrewers downgrade to older firmwares to either play unauthorized games or revert back to 3.12, the last firmware that supported Other OS/Linux installations.

This completely pointless update that affects maybe .01% of the world’s userbase took me exactly eight minutes and fifty four seconds from initial download to reboot. What bothers me is that Sony isn’t being upfront about what’s going on; regular users weren’t told anything in a changelog (bigger updates are filled with changes, Sony’s way of saying “hey, look at what we’re doing!”), and they’re not even admitting there was an issue in the first place. If the process were less annoying, it wouldn’t be a problem, but the process of patching a firmware involves loading in a completely new one every single time, and pre-loading of downloads – something that should have been bog standard in the first place – is a “perk” to the paid PlayStation Plus programme.

With the homebrew and hacking scene more involved, and PSJailbreak being open source, look forward to wasting more time in the future.


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8 responses to “Sony Releases Firmware Update 3.55, Update Fixes Absolutely Nothing”

  1. Rob Gallagher Avatar
    Rob Gallagher

    god i miss 3.12….

  2. The Future of Sega Avatar
    The Future of Sega

    I’m glad I switched back to my Xbox. Playstation sucks now. PS3 is Sony’s downfall.

  3. highonpot@2aminmanhattan Avatar
    highonpot@2aminmanhattan

    hey are u guys the magazine wit the tv superhero the blue guy who’s face was a tv. I loved that magazine it was the best. Run on sentence, be free.

    1. Christopher Bowen Avatar

      highonpot – Um, not really sure what you’re talking about. If you’re talking about the original GameFAN magazine, no, we are not affiliated with Dave Halverson, though we started this site with his blessing.

      Future of Sega – Though I see merit in your statement, I do have to admit that it’s nice to be able to get online perks without having to pay $60/yr to Microsoft. That’s a big deal for me, and is a major reason why I slowed down my 360 purchasing significantly.

  4. Mark B. Avatar
    Mark B.

    The one thing I prefer about the 360 firmware updates is the lack of a need to download and THEN install them. When I boot up the Xbox and log in, I see a message that says “HEY NEW UPDATE DOWNLOAD NAO” and then boom, I’m good. With the Sony system, assuming I don’t immediately check the update system, I find out about the update when I go to do something and am informed “There’s an update”, which means I have to go tell the system to update, plow through the EULA, wait for it to download, and wait for it to install. It’s literally the difference between two minutes and fifteen minutes when dealing with the systems, and I have a high speed FIOS connection that downloads like it means it.

    Which is also the reason that I haven’t bothered to check anything online with the Wii since Muscle March came out. It’s not the time that’s important, it’s the fact that you can’t be bothered to NOT make me waste it.

  5. OddCrysis Avatar
    OddCrysis

    u know what rubs me the wrong way? i’m having treble singing into the network and staying sign in like WTF, with my connection 70% to 80% i feel like the last 2 updates it start going down hill for me. -U_U my other issue is when i sign in Playstation Home it takes like 15 to 20 minutes to get in, the i have to wait 2 more minutes for a server, then get in Home. about a minute later system freezes when i try to access my wardrobe, or i get booted from the server. back at the sign in Playstation Home screen, then i get disconnected from the server. then have to wait 2 minutes again. this is very unbelievable. i’m loosen hope in Soney it’s very sad to me. i spent a load of money on the network. this is the thanks i get, Soney need to step there game up b4 they start loosing more clients.
    i spent enough money on Playstation 3 stuff that i could have parches’d over 3 Playstation 3 and more.i am a super hardcore soney fan. i’m beginning to loose faith.i hope Playstation 4 don’t have problems like this or els O_o

  6. sup Avatar
    sup

    took me 1 minute to update with a 500gb 16mbcache 7200rmp hard drive and a fast broadband

  7. […] this sounds suspiciously like the absolutely useless firmware update from last month, you would be absolutely […]

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