Long awaited PS3 firmware brings in-game XMB and trophies

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 01 July 2008 02:57

Your IT - Entertainment

The wait for in-game access to the PlayStation 3's XMB is almost over. Version 2.40 firmware for the PS3 arriving on July 2 will also handle trophies awarded in online games.

In-game access to the XMB will allow players to check whether friends are online, read and send messages, and in some cases change game settings - all without quitting the game in progress.

The 2.40 firmware also doubles the capacity of the Friends list to 100 entries.

The new trophy system will allow online games to mark players' achievements. According to SCEE, many games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies, and players who pick up all three will also get a platinum trophy.

Super Stardust HD is the first game to support trophies, but it is set to be joined by BUZZ! Quiz TV, LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm Pacific Rift, NBA 09, PAIN, PixelJunk Eden, Resistance 2, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, and Warhawk. Some of these will require a downloadable update.

In related news, SCEE has announced that the DualShock 3 wireless controller for the PS3 will go on sale in Europe on July 2.

The new controller combines SIXAXIS motion-sensitive control, vibration feedback and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

Sony expects "almost all" future PS3 games will support the DualShock 3, which already works with many existing titles provided the console is running 1.94 or later firmware.

According to the company, more than 28 million DualShock controllers have been sold since 1998.