While I know that you guys have been making a little bit of noise in our Playstation forums regarding the Playstation 3 2.40 firmware, we've finally received official word on a release date and a complete feature list.

Firstly - the good, the 2.40 firmware will be released tomorrow. Secondly - the bad, you'll have to wait until evening. The firmware update will add a bunch of new features and enhancements which Playstation 3 owners have wanted for quite some time.


A preview of what to expect from the ingame XMB.
As you probably already know, the 2.40 firmware will bring XMB access in game. Pressing the Playstation button on the controller will bring up the XMB menu, allowing you to send messages to friends, check who is online, read and send messages, and change game settings. In addition, the friends list limit will be increased to 100. Custom soundtracks will also be an option for developers.

The 2.40 firmware will also bring trophies to user profiles, allowing them to show-off what they've achieved online. Many online games will give players the opportunity to win Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies - with Platinum awarded to those who grab the previous three.


Warhawk, Super Stardust HD and PAIN will be some of the first titles to see trophies.
The first game to see the introduction of Trophies will be Super Stardust HD, with many other games having trophies planned. A short list of games which will be featuring trophies are as follows:

- Buzz Quiz TV
- Little Big Planet
- Motorstorm Pacific Rift
- NBA 09
- PAIN
- PixelJunk Eden
- Resistance 2
- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
- Warhawk

Other games may add trophies via downloadable add-ons or patches in the future. A FAQ regarding the 2.40 firmware has been published on the Playstation Blog, in which Eric Lempel, Director of Playstation Network Operations answers a number of questions, with a selection below:

Can you use the web browser in game?
No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.

Will we be able to stream music (either via media server or USB drive) for custom soundtracks or is it relegated to music stored on the HDD?
Currently only music stored on the HDD is accessible in games that support this feature. We'd also like to reiterate that Firmware v2.40 merely enables custom soundtracks. It's up to developers to include this feature in upcoming games (or to patch existing ones).

Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?
No, Trophies aren't retroactive.

Is there a limit to how many trophies the devs can put set by Sony?
There's not a limit on number of trophies, but there's a value assigned to each trophy. Developers must balance out the trophies that are available to stay within an overall value based on whether the game is considered large-scope or small-scope. Essentially, a user that has unlocked every trophy in one game would have the same level as a user that unlocked every trophy in another title, all titles (depending on scope) have the same overall impact on a users' level.

There is a huge bunch of questions and answers on the FAQ, if you're interested - take a look. Once we've actually got our hands on the 2.40 firmware and we've got it hosted, we'll be sure to let you know.