Sony has quietly released a firmware update to the PlayStation 3 that, according to initial reports, blocks the now-infamous PSJailbreak exploit that enabled users to copy games to local storage devices and run home-brew applications on their game consoles. Sony is offering no specific information about the update, saying only that it “includes additional security features.”
PSJailbreak appeared in mid-August as the first serious threat to Sony’s copy-protection regime on the PlayStation 3 console—and, unlike traditional modchips that alter a game console, PSJailbreak was just a USB dongle: hook it up to the console and users could do things Sony forbids, like copying games to the internal hard drive or running custom applications.
An Australian court quickly shut down sales of PSJailbreak and ordered inventory turned over to Sony.
However, Sony’s firmware update comes just a day after reports that PSJailbreak has been ported to USB-enabled mobile phones, including the Nokia N900 and the Palm Pre. With the PSJailbreak software, users can reportedly just connect their devices to the PlayStation 3 console using a USB cable to circumvent Sony’s restrictions.
Reports are also circulating that Sony can detect network game players who are using PSJailbreak and opt to ban them from PlayStation Network.
