PS3 Firmware Pet Peeves Volume 1

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PS3 Firmware Pet Peeves Volume 1

Submitted by Paul Munn on September 5, 2007 – 1:55 pm7 Comments

PlayStation 3 400x100

I recently did a little math and found that firmware updates for the PS3 tend to show up every 35 days or so. Given that we just got 1.92, I’m sure 2.00 will be dropped on our heads at roughly the same time Home is released next month.

The firmware on the PS3 is significantly better than when the system launched, don’t get me wrong, but there are a smattering of improvements to existing features that I’d like to see.

Pushing X to download non-game content
I just push X to trigger the download of a game demo, so why do I have to push the Start button to get a video or music file? This keeps me from using my wireless keyboard to set up downloads when I’d rather not power on a controller and it makes the UI inconsistent. I don’t have to use Start anywhere else in the Store, so why there?

Automatically put all downloads in the background
Every Thursday the new Store content appears, and when you’re downloading a file it starts in the foreground, suspending all background downloading, and gives you a button to push to put the download in the background. Please give me the option of making background downloading the default. That way I can whip through the Store, throw everything in the queue, and then log out to do something else.

Let Me Quickly Turn Off the Controller In Remote Play
Push the PlayStation button and you get your menu to turn off the system or the controller — perfect for firing up Folding@Home before you’re going to be away from your PS3 for a while. Put it in Remote Play and you’re left with one button option: the circle button to stop Remote Play mode. Pushing the PlayStation button does nothing on the controller in this mode, for some reason, and if I’m putting the PS3 in Remote Play mode, do I want to keep using my controller? No of course not, I want to turn it off so I can use my PSP from home or elsewhere to access the PS3. The workaround is to hold the PS button for about 10-12 seconds, at which point the controller is forced to shut off, but that’s a messy workaround. I should be able to shut off the controller quickly and easily. On a side note, I wasn’t able to find out that 10-12 second trick in any of the PS3 manuals. I had to Google a message board to find it. How dumb is that?

Muting Game Music Clips In The XMB
Did you download the demo of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix? (Did I get that ridiculously long name right?) Did it remind you of the worst feature of Cash Guns Chaos? That’s right, it has obnoxiously loud and fast music when you hover over the icon. I’d like the ability to mute the music on specific icons, maybe even showing the universal speaker-is-muted icon beside it so you can tell me I’m being mean and cruel by keeping you from waking up my wife and kids when I power on the PS3 late at night.

Sorting In the XMB
So why is obnoxious game music such a big problem? Because I can’t manually sort the items in the XMB how I want them. I want to decide what game the cursor lands on when the system boots up. Don’t just let me sort them by format ,or date, or some other arbitrary value. Just let me oh I don’t know choose the ALPHABET first, and then push the games UP or DOWN in the list. It’s not that hard. While you’re at it, let me do that for videos and music folders, too, ok?

Your Pet Peeves?
Everything else I can think of is a new feature, and I’m waiting to see what 2.00 and Home bring to the table before I go down that road next month.

In the meantime, what do you think needs tweaking the PS3 Firmware?

D

How about we add a feature to shut off the controller automatically after 20 minutes of inactivity?

I like that after the last folding update when folding starts automatically with the screen saver option, the controller does shut off by itself. But normally if you haven’t even bumped the controller for 20 mintutes you are obviously not using it. It would be no big deal to tap the PS button to turn it back on. I hate forgetting to stand on that button for 12 seconds and coming back downstairs later to a dead controller.
D

also, how about also or instead of having to stand on the PS button to turn it off we add an “Eject Eject Eject” style press the PS button 3 quick times to shut it off. I wish more things worked that way.
D

Ok Im on a roll now…

How about a friggin browser that works.

For gods sake just put FireFox in there with a full flash player.

Currently You can’t even watch the flash stuff on playstation.com. Duhhh!!!!!!!!
http://www.whoisbill.com Bill

I’d love the ability to have friends create accounts on my ps3, and have their stats saved to their account, and have the ability to load more then 1 account at a time, so when i play my friend in VF5 his stats are saved as are mine. t he 360 can do it, i should be able to
Techni

-Pushing X to download non-game content
-Automatically put all downloads in the background
Agreed.

-Muting Game Music Clips In The XMB
Download the Cat game from the japanese store. No matter what you do it will always be at the top of the list, and it’s silent. Plus you can use it over Remote Play

-Let Me Quickly Turn Off the Controller In Remote Play
Hold the Home button in for 5-10 seconds. The controller will shut off

-Sorting In the XMB
Press Square
DJ your moms

A feature that would relieve some frustration would being able to copy music (which we ps3 users are allowed to do via the media network) at the same time as playing them. Support for iTunes within the XMB would be a bonus too. Its sad that many of the ps3′s ad’s promote its incredible multitasking ability, but I can’t play and copy a song at the same time? I think I’ve been doing that since 1995, maybe even earlier…

It would also be nice to be able to create our own folders within each media menu, including the game menu, and move items into said folders. Sifting through a list of 30+ items is rather annoying as well.

It would also be nice if, when in 720p/1080i/1080p, the XMB scaled its text and content to the same size it is displayed at when at 480i/p. Or now that I think about it, just having the ability to adjust/resize the text and icon sizes, independent of the resolution your running your playstation at, would be nice.

Launching directly into a game via the save game menu in the XMB would be would be a classy touch as well.

When it comes down to it, I do realize that the XMB is in its infancy, as far as the PS3 is concerned. However, as large a company as it is, one would think Sony could devote more resources towards the developement of the XMB. Or if they do have the resources invested, Sony could show us by releasing an intuitive, consistent, and multitasker friendly XMB.
Gordon

I’m in agreement with the volume comment, but I want to take it further….WHY oh WHY is everything on the PS3 at different volumes? Not only is it very LOUD when I hover over the icon, but when I select and go into the game, it’s so quiet that I have to turn up my stereo (and when I exit then it’s REALLY LOUD because I’m back on the icon!). I want all the volume normalized to one level – my stereo will take it from there, thank you!

Alpha sort of titles just makes too much sense…I’ll have to try square that someone mentioned. Triangle is the “options” menu (which doesn’t include alpha) so would be a little annoyed if there is a hidden option.

Have you noticed how crappy PS2 games look, even with upconvert? It’s much better if the game supports Progressive Scan, however you have to go into the game menu and turn it on. HELLO! I’m connecting via HDMI…why would I NOT do progressive scan?? I want it to automatically use progressive scan if I’m output via HDMI, or at least have a setting I can turn on which will activate progressive scan without having to go into each game, EVERY time I load it.

The browser to me is useless. Even after setting it up to get movies off my computer, it won’t play most of them (.avi files) and those that it will play don’t stream well (but that may be due to wireless B instead of G). Sure, I can play YouTube videos, but I can’t even load the plug-ins for ABC.COM to watch last week’s episode of whatever. Also the text is so small I have to stand close to TV to view it. Maybe there’s a zoom feature I haven’t found yet (haven’t cared that much due to it being useless).

That’s my top pet peeves, but I will say this…with every upgrade things get better!

OH wait, one more peeve. I go to the store the other day and it says I can’t until I download the upgrade. Maybe it needed 1.92 but I seriously doubt it, and it shouldn’t make me wait the 15+ mins to get the new upgrade.

G.