Sony has announced that it will be releasing its latest firmware upgrade for the PS3 with Blu-ray Profile 2.0 capabilities. To be released later this month, the new PS3 firmware will make the Sony’s console the world’s first Blu-ray player that supports format enhancements.

With the new firmware PS3 users will have access to BD-Live where they can use interactive features when playing Blu-ray discs. These features include downloadable video content, ringtones, games and other features associated with movies on Blu-ray discs.  The new firmware will also enable users to copy photo and music playlists from their PS3 to PSP units.

To test BD-Live, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing two movie  titles with exclusive downloadable content through BD-Live. The two titles are Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day.

Other features that will  included in the new PS3 firmware include:

• Resume play from the point where the disc was stopped even if the disc had has been removed
• Remote play setting that will allow using the PSP as a remote control for music played through PS3
• Enhanced internet browser including  web-based video streaming
• Plays DivX and WMV format videos larger than 2GB
• Improved movie playback through mosquito noise reduction.

The questions now are, will this new firmware convince console gamers to finally purchase the PS3? And will the Blu-ray capabilities of the PS3 regain Sony’s  lost share console gaming market?

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Entry was posted on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at 10:41 am under Playstation 3, Software.