PlayStation 3 system software
The PlayStation 3 system software is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 3. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both FreeBSD and NetBSD known internally as CellOS or GameOS. It uses XrossMediaBar as its graphical shell.
The process of updating is almost identical to that of the PlayStation Portable and the later PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The software may be updated by downloading the update directly on the PlayStation 3, downloading it from the user's local official PlayStation website to a PC and using a USB storage device to transfer it to the PlayStation 3, or installing the update from game discs containing update data.
The PlayStation 3 system software continues to be updated as of 2025 for performance and security enhancements, and to renew the Blu-ray encryption key.
Technology
System
The native operating system of the PlayStation 3 is CellOS, which is believed to be a fork of FreeBSD; TCP/IP stack fingerprinting identifies a PlayStation 3 as running FreeBSD, and the PlayStation 3 is known to contain code from FreeBSD and NetBSD.The 3D computer graphics API software used in the PlayStation 3 is LibGCM and PSGL, based on OpenGL ES and Nvidia's Cg. LibGCM is a low level API, and PSGL is a higher level API, but most developers preferred to use libGCM due to higher levels of performance. This is similar to the later PlayStation 4 console which also has two APIs, the low level GNM and the higher level GNMX.
Unlike many Software Development Kits for mobile app platforms, Sony's PlayStation 3 SDK is only available to registered game development companies and contains software tools and an integrated hardware component. Due to the fact that it requires a licensing agreement with Sony, a number of open source and homebrew PS3 SDKs are available in addition to a number of leaked PS3 SDKs.
Graphical shell
The PlayStation 3 uses the XrossMediaBar as its graphical user interface, which is also used in the PlayStation Portable handheld console, a variety of Sony BRAVIA HDTVs, Blu-ray disc players, and many more Sony products. XMB displays icons horizontally across the screen that be seen as categories. Users can navigate through them using the left and right buttons of the D-pad, which move the icons forward or back across the screen, highlighting just one at a time, as opposed to using any kind of pointer to select an option. When one category is selected, there are usually more specific options then available to select that are spread vertically above and below the selected icon. Users may navigate among these options by using the up and down buttons of the D-pad.The basic features offered by XMB implementations varies based on device and software version. Apart from those appearing in the PSP console such as category icons for Photos, Music and Games, the PS3 added Users, TV and Friends to the XMB. Also, XMB offers a degree of multitasking. In-game XMB features were added to the PS3 properly with firmware version 2.41 after causing early implementation problems. While XMB proved to be a successful user interface for Sony products such as PSP and PS3, the next generation Sony video game consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation Vita no longer use this user interface.
Cooperation with handheld consoles
The PlayStation 3 supports Remote Play with Sony's handheld game consoles, the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Vita. However, unlike Remote Play between the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation Vita, the problem with PS3 was that it only supported a "select" few titles and results were often laggy. However, it is clear that Remote Play with the PS3 was the testing bed for its much better integration with the PS4.Also, for users having both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita, it is possible to share media files videos, music and images between them by transferring multimedia files directly from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation Vita, or vice versa. Furthermore, they can use a service called cross-buy which allows them to buy certain games that support this feature one time, and play them in both Sony platforms. Not only that, but in the case of most such games, their saved games actually transfer back and forth between devices, allowing players to pick up from the moment they left off.
There is also a feature called cross-play covering any PlayStation Vita software title that can interact with a PlayStation 3 software title. Different software titles use Cross-Play in different ways. For example, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a title supporting the Cross-Play feature, and the PS3 version of the game can be controlled using the PS Vita system. In addition, some PS3 games can be played on the PS Vita using the PlayStation Now streaming service.
Non-game features
Similar to many other consoles, the PlayStation 3 is capable of photo, audio, and video playback in a variety of formats. It includes various photo slideshow options and several music visualizations. The PlayStation 3 is able to play Blu-ray and DVD movies as well as audio CDs out of the box. When playing an audio CD, the system attempts retrieve album information from Gracenote, however this service is no longer available. The system was also capable of using streaming media services such as Netflix and Spotify from the PlayStation Store.In early versions of the system software, the web browser included in the PS3 was based on NetFront, which was also used on the PlayStation Portable. From version 4.10 released in 2012, the web browser was upgraded to be based on the more modern WebKit, which is used in Apple Safari and continues to be used on newer PlayStation systems. The web browser can play Adobe Flash content. Still, the PS3 web browser struggles to connect to modern websites due to the prevalence of modern Transport Layer Security and HTTPS.
Early versions of the PlayStation 3 system software provided a feature called OtherOS, which was available on the PS3 systems prior to the slimmer models launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system such as Linux, but due to security concerns, Sony later removed this functionality through the 3.21 system software update. According to Sony Computer Entertainment, disabling this feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system. Sony was successfully sued in a class action over the removal of this feature. The settlement was approved in September 2016. Sony agreed to pay up to $55 to as many as 10 million PS3 owners, but denied wrongdoing.
Furthermore, the PlayStation 3 provides printing support. It can for example print images and web pages when a supported printer is connected via a USB cable or a local network. However, only a selection of printers from Canon, Epson, and Hewlett-Packard are compatible with the PS3.
Backwards compatibility
All PlayStation 3 consoles are able to play original PlayStation games. However, not all PlayStation 3 models are backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 games. In summary, early PS3 consoles such as the 20GB and 60GB launch PS3 consoles were backwards compatible with PS2 games because they had the PS2 "Emotion Engine" CPU in them. Some later models, most notably the 80GB Metal Gear Solid PS3 consoles are also backwards compatible, through partial software emulation in this case since they no longer had the PS2 CPU in them, although they do have the PS2 GPU in them, allowing for reduced backward compatibility through hardware-assisted software emulation. All other later models, such as the 40GB, 140GB, PS3 Slim, and PS3 Super Slim are not backwards compatible with PS2 games, though users can still enjoy PS One and PS3 games on them. According to Sony, when they removed backwards compatibility from the PS3, they had already been at a point where they were three years into its lifecycle; by that time the vast majority of consumers that were purchasing the PS3 cite PS3 games as a primary reason, meaning that the PS2 compatibility was no longer necessary. Nevertheless, PS2 Classics which are playable on the PS3 have officially been introduced to the PlayStation Network for purchase afterwards, although they are only a selection of PS2 games republished in digital format, and unlike PS3 games, they lack Trophy support. Later when the PlayStation 4 console was released, it was not backward compatible with either PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, or PlayStation 1 games, although limited PS2 backward compatibility was later introduced, and PS4 owners might play a selected group of PS3 games by streaming them over the Internet using the PlayStation Now cloud-based gaming service.LV0 keys
The PlayStation 3 LV0 keys are a set of cryptographic keys which form the core of the PlayStation 3's security system. According to a news story on Polygon:With the LV0 keys, users are able to circumvent restrictions placed by Sony, more commonly known as jailbreaking. The LV0 keys were released online by a group calling themselves "The Three Musketeers", granting users access to some of the most sensitive parts of the PlayStation 3. With access to these areas, users can decrypt security updates and work around the authorized PlayStation firmware. This allows PlayStation 3 firmware updates to be modified on a computer so that they can be run on a modified console. The Three Musketeers decided to release the code after a group of rival hackers obtained the code and planned to sell it. While this is not the first time the PlayStation 3 has been hacked, according to Eurogamer, "The release of the new custom firmware—and the LV0 decryption keys in particular—poses serious issues." It also says that "options Sony has in battling this leak are limited" since "the reveal of the LV0 key basically means that any system update released by Sony going forward can be decrypted with little or no effort whatsoever".