The Destructoid tip line reached critical mass, when PS3 users were hit with an unannounced firmware update (without any explanation) this morning. Rumors swirled, and according to at least onesource, the mystery code was enacted to do the unthinkable — allow users to rip PS2 games to their PS3’s hard drive.
Since then, we’ve learned that the update is actually designed to addfurther stabilityto the PS3’s backward compatibility. We’re sorry to disappoint any pirates out there, but you aren’t going to be able to rent games and rip them to your PS3’s hard drive on the cheap. Sony’s not that stupid.
Nonetheless, wouldn’t it be cool if Sony released an update that allowed us to install our PS2 games to the HDD, but required us to have the disk in the slot, likeDMC4? Sony could still curbpiracyandcut down on those painful loading times that PS2 games are known for. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. Care to make this happen while we patiently wait for in-game XMB and Home, Sony? Something tells me that we have a better chance of seeing classic PS2 games on PSN — for a fee.
[Update: According to the PlayStationblog, the update is actually about improving the stability of online PS3 games. Sorry, folks. It doesn’t hurt to dream.]
[Thanks to the zillion tipsters who sent us this]
