141w ago - A few days ago Sony released PS3 Firmware 3.42 which plugged the PS3 JailBreak exploit, and today they have blocked PlayStation 3 proxy connection methods amid reports of 3.42 update issues.

As of today, to connect to PSN and use your PS3 online users are required to update to Firmware version 3.42 rendering the PS3 Firmware Bypass and DNS methods useless.

Additionally, garyopa reports via Product-Reviews.net that some users who updated to PS3 Firmware 3.42 are now experiencing various issues, to quote:

"There is numerous reports of 'Sound Problems,' they seem to be the biggest problem, with sound cutting in and out. Also reports of games like COD:MW2, Battlefield 2: Bad Company, Madden 2011 in crashing or not even loading at times.

Of course with every new firmware update, there is the series of reports of 'bricks,' the PS3 just looping, or frozen forever after the update."

146w ago - Last week Sony released PS3 Firmware 3.41 which caused issues for PlayStation 3 HDD upgraders, followed by debunking the 3.41 problems only to quietly re-release a 'fixed' PS3 Firmware 3.41 update.

Download: PS3 Firmware 3.41 Update (Fixed - US) / PS3 Firmware 3.41 Update (Fixed - EU)

To quote from PSGamer24 and CJPC HERE: "They fixed it and re-uploaded the firmware without telling anybody. The link is the same but the MD5 hash is different.

[CJ@localhost Download]$ md5sum PS3UPDAT-341*
00c835be718fc3d5f793e130a2b74217 PS3UPDAT-341-ORIGINAL.PUP
e07d2b84c9e9691c261b73e5f1aada20 PS3UPDAT-341-NEW.PUP...

147w ago - Today Examiner.com (linked above) reports that numerous users who opted to upgrade the PS3 HDD are now experiencing issues with the recently released PS3 Firmware 3.41 update.

It is not yet determined if these issues are related to the PS3 Firmware Patches Sony instituted beginning with PlayStation 3 Firmware update version 3.41, however, there is currently a lengthy thread on Sony's official board covering the issues.

To summarize, quoting from Examiner.com: "The problems being reported are the following: PS3 owners are unable to update their system to firmware 3.41, HDD upgrades aren't being allowed, systems are crashing, and after installing a new HDD the system isn't fully downloading the file and then prompts users with a message stating 'no applicable data found'."

180w ago - It's now been over two weeks since Sony released PS3 Firmware 3.10, however, according to several reports this weekend including Loot-Ninja.com (linked above) and the official PlayStation Forums it introduced a nasty Bluetooth controller sync issue.

Apparently many gamers who updated to PS3 Firmware 3.10 now have to use their PS3 controllers connected with a USB cable to play games, however, most reports are isolated to new PS3 Slim console although some early PS3 owners are also having issues it seems.

To quote: "Yesterday I ran into a troubling issue with my PS3 Slim where none of my three DualShock 3 controllers sync to my console via the wireless Bluetooth standard. Whenever I press the PlayStation button, all I get is four flashing lights as the controllers make a valiant attempt to sync with the PS3, but fail miserably.

After going through the troubleshooting steps provided by Sony, I did what any frustrated gamer would do: I searched Google. Turns out, there are quite a few people experiencing the exact same issue, some of which are having trouble with Bluetooth headsets...

190w ago - Recently we held a poll here to see how many users experienced issues after updating to PS3 Firmware 3.01, which was released to fix the issues that v3.0 was plagued with.

Most users said they updated to 3.01 fine here, however, elsewhere there are reports of v3.01 crippling PS3 consoles- including problems with Blu-ray playback, and in some cases DVD playback issues and audio glitches.

To quote: "Sony has told Eurogamer that a firmware update cannot affect the Blu-ray drive on a PS3. The problem that PS3 owners are reporting following 3.01 is 'not an issue with the firmware'.

Most, if not all, claim to have had no previous problem with their console, but having applied the firmware update discovered Blu-ray films and PS3 games froze and could not continue.

Sony customer services have been telling sufferers that they must send their machine back for repair, which costs £128 if out of one-year warranty, but there's still no real explanation for what's happened."