The system update can either be a gift or a curse — giving players some cool new feature to tool around with or preventing them from playing their favorite game online. And in the PS3's case, the system update has somewhat of a negative connotation.
With that being said, Sony has released a new update (number 4.5) for the PS3 that might alleviate some of that negative connotation. It's not common that we cover system updates, mind you - especially PS3 updates since they are so prevalent - but the latest is worth highlighting for several reasons.
For starters, this new PS3 update takes an extremely useful feature that was once locked behind the PlayStation Plus paywall and gives it to everyone: automatic downloads. Yes, automatic downloads of updates and purchases are now available to all PS3 users, not just PS Plus subscribers.
That means PS3 owners can set a 2-hour window during which their console will power on and check for system updates and game updates. Additionally, any purchases made before the window will be downloaded during that pre-determined time.
Let's face it, PS3 updates are an extreme inconvenience both because they take so long to download and install and they are fairly frequent on the console. There's nothing worse then firing up the ole PS3 in the hopes of messing around in Grand Theft Auto Online or even watching a Netflix movie and discovering that an update is in the way.
For PS Plus users, such a situation rarely comes into play, and now everyone can enjoy the benefit of automatic downloads. Of course, they have to download this new update the old fashioned way first.
Although this bridges the feature gap between PS Plus users and regular PS3 owners, there are still several useful features left behind the $50/year pay wall. Those include the Instant Library of free games, the ability to sync trophies automatically, cloud saves, and discounts on SEN purchases.
In addition to automatic downloads, this latest PS3 system update also introduces a new trophy privacy setting that allows players to select which trophies are visible to friends. We're not entirely sure why someone would want to hide their trophies...except those people who played through Hannah Montana: The Movie simply for the platinum trophy.
The update also includes an option to transfer data from the PS3 to a PS Vita using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. Previously, gamers who wanted to transfer saves or games off their console had to use a USB cord, but now they have two more options.
Overall, what this latest update offers is pretty substantial especially for regular PS3 users. It's a shame it couldn't have come earlier, not a month before the launch of the PS4, but luckily automatic downloads will come standard with PS4.
What do you think of the latest PS3 update? Do you find a feature like automatic downloads useful? Should it have been a free feature from the beginning?
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Source: PlayStation Blog