[paolo]

The next firmware update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) system will be released on April 1st according to a post on Sony’s Playstation blog.

In the post, Patrick Seybold of Sony says that version 3.21 of the firmware will disable the “Install Other OS” feature from older versions of the PS3.

Newer “slim” versions of the PS, launched in September of last year, never had the feature therefore those systems will be unaffected.

Sony says its disabling the ability to add Linux to the PS3 out of “security concerns.” Consumers and organizations that currently use the feature can choose not to upgrade their PS3 systems although the following additional features will no longer be available;

* 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

Sony recommends that PS3 users who are currently using the “Other OS” feature and wish to upgrade should first 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.

Discuss in Digital Home’s Video Gaming forum.