It has been over 3 years since the last PSP firmware update has been released by Sony. Since their PSP Firmware 6.60, the PSP did not see any news in terms of feature and firmware updates.
Today Sony has send an Email to playstation store users, that the PSP will lose the ability to use the Playstation Store natively via the XMB.
What does this mean?
It basically means that the ability to add content wirelessly from their PSN Store onto your PSP will be removed.
Downloading a newly bought game? Nope. Downloading something from your downloadlist, a game or a DLC you’ve bought in the past? Nope.
Before you are going to burn down their HQ, keep in mind that you are still able to download PSP content via your Computer, be it with or without the MediaGo application, and with your Playstation 3 (implying everyone ownes one).
This change will be pushed at the 15th September 2014, so it is basically next week. It will be a server-side change, so that there will not be a new PSP firmware update, and therefore ‘not updating’ your firmware will not help you to retain the PSN Store access functionality.
Especially as a PSP Go user, this is a massive slap in your face, since you are required to use digital content. If you happen to use a modified PSP Firmware, a so called PSP CFW, then you can use content without downloading it from the PSN Store, be it directly via your PSP or via your Computer.
A PSP CFW can even enable you to play your UMDs at your PSP Go, as long as you are able to dump them via another PSP, one that posesses an UMD drive.
The PS Vita, while technically not really being affected of this change, since it accesses the PS Vita PSN Store via its PSN Store Application, is actually still affected of this change.
Why? Well, if you happen to use the TN-V eCFW at your PS Vita, currently (publicly) supported up to PS Vita firmware 3.01, you are able to access the PSP PSN Store from within the XMB of the TN-V eCFW. Since this change will remove said ability of the PSP, it will also remove the ability to access the PSN Store from the PS Vita PSPemulator.
It is a sad new change, but at least we are (still) able to use the multiplayer functions of PSP games… But who knows for how long…
是時候退休了