Xbox360 and PlayStation3 Updates for Fall

Rival console game system Thanksgiving updates: One is a real update, the other a real turkey. Sony PlayStation3 has just received its firmware revision 2.01, and Xbox360 is rumored to receive a massive update to its dashboard.

PlayStation3 Firmware 2.01

The PlayStation3 firmware revision is no rumor - it was delivered early in the morning of Nov. 20, to the PlayStation Network. Gamers who don’t happen to be connected can still get the update from Sony via the web, but make sure your PS3 was sold in North America only before using this version of the update.

No major breakthroughs for your system are present in 2.01. Instead, it’s mostly what Sony is calling “system stability improvements,” which are always a good thing. It also fixes an issue with the Remote Start feature that was added in Firmware 2.0.

Unfortunately PS3 gamers are still waiting for DivX support.

There have been some early (secondhand) reports of the update causing problems. The Digital Thoughts blog says Call of Duty 4 owners have been experiencing unspecified difficulties since updating with revision 2.01.

Xbox360 Massive Update 

Rumors of what will be included in the fall Xbox 360 update have been kicking around for awhile. Recently, a user at the Official Xbox 360 Forums named Post Up provided allegedly leaked details on the significant update to the Xbox 360.

Personally, I’m going out on a limb here and calling B.S. to this one. If I had a Microsoft Point for every leaked Xbox live update detail I’ve heard, I could buy a new Arcade game. Rumors are always half true because an update always seems to be coming and people love to make predictions.

Post Up’s rumor received a little more attention than most rumors because the Xbox 360 Forums recently deleted his initial post with the same information. This has people thinking Microsoft was doing damage control.

The list of new features is rather fantastic, and includes the long-awaited support for IPTV on Xbox 360. But since Microsoft has already said it’s not ready to launch IPTV for fall, the rumor is likely just that – albeit creative and determined.