Sony Kills "Other OS" Support With New PS3 Update

PS3 Firmware 3.21 will be available this Thursday. It will disable the “Install Other OS” feature that was made available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models by iPhone hacker George Hotz. This feature enabled users to install an operating system.

On the PlayStation Blog, SCEA director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold said the move was due to "security concerns". Though no specific concerns were named, the move comes almost exactly two months after Hotz, who famously unlocked the iPhone, announced he had hacked the PS3's operating system. Sony's PSP has suffered from similar exploits, leading to widespread piracy on the portable.

Seybold emphasized that the v3.21 firmware update is optional for current PS3 owners with Linux on their systems. However, consoles that do not have the update will no longer be able to log onto the PlayStation Network, play games online, use online features of games, play newer Blu-ray discs, or play copyright-protected videos from media servers.

For most of you, this won’t have any impact on how you use your PS3. If you are one of the few who use the “Other OS” feature, then you can choose not to upgrade your system. However, doing so will result in missing out the new features listed below:

• Ability to sign in to PlayStation Network and use network features that require signing in to PlayStation Network, such as online features of PS3 games and chat.
• Playback of PS3 software titles or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3 system software version 3.21 or later.
• Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under Settings).
• Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3 system software 3.21 or later.

If you currently use the “Other OS” feature and you wish to update to system software 3.21, make sure you back-up any data stored within the hard drive partition used by the “Other OS,” as they will not be able to access that data following the update.

Hotz has vowed to fight back and restore Linux support on the PS3. He said, "The PlayStation 3 is the only product I know that loses features throughout its lifecycle. Software PS2 emulation, SACD playback, and OtherOS support are all just software switches you can flip. It's unbelievable you would go and flip one, not just on new boxes you are shipping, but on tens of millions already in the field".