Where, oh where, is our PSP update?

by David Touve { Aug 19th 2005 at 2:45PM }

Sony PSP backside Let's remind ourselves of the words of SCEA, posted last week and still resting as they were, regarding the expected release of the 2.0 update to the PSP firmware:

The PSP Firmware 2.0 Upgrade for the North American market will be available during the week of August 15th, instead of on August 12, as previously reported.

Well… its afternoon on Friday the 19th of August here in the US (except for those in the pacific islands). And like a bride (or groom) standing at the alter during some uncomfortable pause as the expected to be betrothed does not appear upon the 3rd replay of their musical cue, PSP fanatics sit/stand dumfounded. There's no reference to the update on the Playstation/PSP website, no updates in the message boards. We can only hope that this update is so fantabulous that it brews espresso, runs the lights and features of our homes and carries no bugs that might make our happy little portables sick to their stomachs.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Grafix @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

thanks for remembering us pacific island people!

well ive been staying up til past 12 am everynight to see if it released or not. so i can use it the next day.

its making me angry, what the hell are they waiting for?

it makes me want to get a xbox360 just in spite!

Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Just like all the great games for the psp this one's MIA

Help Need GTA PSP NOW Luminies is burning a block in my head

Fuzz @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Just be glad you're not in Europe . . .at least Sony was gracious enough to sell the PSP in North America, poor . .poor negleceted Europeans . .

Dean @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Who ever doesnt have the JPN version, and is complaining, is a fucking moron.

Sin ViCiOuS @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

This is why i wont buy a PS3 .. it's just unprofessional never mind deceptive..

PSP owner @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

But the JPN firmware voids the warranty, I dont want to take that risk. Now HURRY UP SONY!

Brian @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Sony continues to drop the ball with this device:

- They fail to deliver the software (my UMD movies outnumber my games 2 to 1)
- And now they fail to deliver the firmware update.

Between the 2 SKUs announcement for the Xbox360 and the failure to get the 2.0 Firmware update... this just has not been a good week to be a gamer.

Mark @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

not only does the JPN firmware void the warranty but you won't be able to install the US version if you have the JPN version. Plus I am guessing Sony is fixing some problems with the JPN version or else it wouldnt have gotten delayed.

YoYo-Pete @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Sony officially said that if you have updated a US PSP with the JPN firmware, you will be able to run the US 2.0 firmware to replace the JPN firmware once it is available.

zerox @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

[quote]not only does the JPN firmware void the warranty but you won't be able to install the US version if you have the JPN version. Plus I am guessing Sony is fixing some problems with the JPN version or else it wouldnt have gotten delayed.[/quote]

Sony has released a statement about this issue and they said if you had upgraded to the 2.0 japanese that you will still be able to upgrade to the US 2.0 when it comes out and thus get your warranty back....maybe this could be the holdup, they could be having problems getting it to replace the japanese 2.0 on US psps that they know soo many people have already put on there.....who knows

Snow @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

why would anyone want to upgrade (at least from 1.5)? If you have 1.51 or 1.52, you already screwed yourself, mineaswell get it while its hot.

but with 1.5 homebrew rocks, i play more snes on my psp than psp games :)

J @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

There's something I don't understand. At first people were complaining that games were forcing people to update their firmware or else they couldnt play it, saying they didnt want to update. Now people are complaining that they can't update their firmware. It really makes no sense whatsoever

oomp @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

The only thing I noticed when I upgraded to jpn 2.0 was my psp stopped reading my Nba Street Showdown UMD disc. All my other games work fine. I am not around enough other psp owners to know if that is just a bad disc or an upgrade issue, but I haven't heard anything about others having problems. I'm looking forward to the update to see if it fixes itself.

Nick @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

i will never buy a sony product again after this im switching to xbox

Tony @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

This is beat, where is the update already???

but i appreciate your coverage on this subject... everytime i get online i check here for the information.. your better than SCEA

Mars @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

I've asked the same question elsewhere, but why are people so militant when it comes to the 2.0 release? If Sony hadn't previously given a date people wouldn't really care. Sony is offering us a Freebee upgrade that they were under no obligation to make. Please be patient guys.

Keith Sheehan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Frankly, I'd rather have Sony release a quality upgrade rather than one that has to be pulled at the last minute and re-released becuase of quality control issues (iPAQ anyone?). I also agree with zerox that they probably now have an added complexity in their testing in that they now have to not only patch previous ROMs but they have to patch the 2.0 Japanese ROM as well.

Danny @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Sony shouldn't have given a date. Now that they have opened their stupid mouths, they should keep us updated.

Theo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

There are multiple reasons to be upset with Sony's failure. Many of us are hoping that the PSP will have real longevity in the market. The device's obvious benefits are no guarantee that it will survive. Presently, Sony is alienating its core fan base. Bringing the internet to the PSP in an intuitive fashion makes it much more desirable to the average potential user. There has been a lot of positive buzz about this and now everything is going negative. Annoying the early adopters and generating negative feelings is a great way to kill a new item's market share. Sony needs to get 2.0 or beyond out to the American market and stop making promises without backing them up.

figures @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

let's face it the execs at headquarters are lovin' this. no matter how pissed off any of us gets they know like flies to shit we'll a come scurryin' when the update comes out. oh how we cuss and point fingers when things don't go our way. but once it comes out we will treat them like the gods they feel they are until the next time they shit on us. gotta love the sony gods. phfffffffffffffffffff!

omg wtfg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

"Sony continues to drop the ball with this device:

- They fail to deliver the software (my UMD movies outnumber my games 2 to 1)
- And now they fail to deliver the firmware update.

Between the 2 SKUs announcement for the Xbox360 and the failure to get the 2.0 Firmware update... this just has not been a good week to be a gamer."

Would you want underdeveloped games? It's not Sony's fault for wanting to make a better game.

hobo on the side @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!me want psp 2.0!!

nigah lisios @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

I want that 2.0 upgrade now I can't wait any more.

Mark Cook @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

The Japanese 2.0 got cracked pretty quick, didn't it? Sony's probably holding the US version back so that it can plug some more security holes.

F. Villa @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Sony is taking their time because:
1) they want the PSP to multitask - listening to music while browsing the web at the same time
2) PSP will be able to stream audio to the Apple Airtune
3) they are finishing the keyboard driver so any USB keyboard can be used
4) they are developing the software so one can download music from a ftp server

Oh, these are just my pipe dreams.

Childlikecake @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

I'm very confused at the fact that they haven't released 2.0 and yet have said all Euro/Australian PSPs will be shipped with it. That's a lot of PSPs sort out! How the hell can they not have finished the upgrade and expect to have it on all Euro/Austrlian models in time for September 1st?

DannyMac @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

The PSP is in the toilet; it's up to Sony to fish it out before it gets flushed.

I feel it was that one hacker's fault of announcing, a few days before the update was to be released, a security flaw that could lead to the 2.0 firmware running homebrew. I remember when that hit the net. I was like, "You stupid idiot, you're going to single handedly cause the PSP 2.0 update to be delayed."

Gianni Gotti @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Dannymac,

Thats the whole pronlem with DRM & these loony encryption schemes, they end up punishing the 95% of the user base who is honest due to the 3-5% who are hacking & ripping stuff.

I really hope that Sony extracts their cranium from their hindquarters and comes up with a plan to harness the enthusiasm of the homebrew set and use it to drive the PSP forward. I am not holding my breath though.

In the meantime I want my web browser already!

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

"The PSP is in the toilet; it's up to Sony to fish it out before it gets flushed."

I love this mindset. "They aren't doing what I want, and net nerds who OWN the system and SEVERAL games/UMDs are bitching about wanting more." Yeah, that's just SCREAMING failure in my head. The reason people are so ticked is because they have the product and they want more more more. If the PSP was in the toilet, people wouldn't give a shit and this thread would be dry. Like an Ngage thread.

So yes, Sony is pissing people off. No, the PSP is not "in the toilet", unless you dropped it while pushing out a shit.

Richard @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Would not be surpised if US update ver 2.0 comes out same time as European launch of PSP on Sept 1!!!!

J Crowley @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Well, technically, Sony has until 23:59:59 tomorrow night to get it out while still keeping true to their "week of August 15th" word.

This whole thing has been an enormous public relations fuckup. What they SHOULD have done is not give ANY date--even for the Japanese update--until they had both the Japanese and the North American updates finished, and then release them simultaneously. I could understand if it was just another security update, but for such anticipated features, it's poor release strategy.

Instead, they released the Japanese firmware first, then freaked out when the North American owners put it on their machines. What did they THINK was going to happen? Especially without their giving an estimated date for North American release. Yeah, sure, we'll just sit here waiting indefinitely.

Then, when they finally gave a date, they blew right by it with no release. No announcements or anything. I had to e-mail Sony about it in order to get any kind of answer. Which turned out, of course, to be pretty vague and pathetic ("keep checking the week of August 15th!") considering that as a global megacorporation, they should be a little more organized than, y'know, an epileptic eighth grader.

Now, they've blown right through about 7/8 of their deadline, with no status reports or progress information. It's pretty damned incompetent. What's even more disturbing is that they don't even seem to care about alienating half their target market.

In short, Sony should not only /fire/ their public relations team and product release planning department, but fire them all from a large cannon into the sun.

all of you guys suck! @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

T_T blah you stupid people who have been posting so far...ITS JUST A PSP! theres a great new thing they have developed! you know what its called? THE OUTDOORS! stop sitting in front of your computer or tv or puny handheld device all day and night! T_T your wasting yer live away

King of Carrot Flowers @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

"If you have 1.51 or 1.52, you already screwed yourself"

or maybe it came that way.

KirbyMeister @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

#30 That was such an obvious Futurama reference...

#28 It's not a matter of 'more more more' but Sony making promises and not keeping to them. They have to the end of this week to release; and that's less than two days.

#27 If Sony allowed homebrew they wouldnt get any royalties from 3rd party game sales. Game console makers disable homebrew and have a set of secret codes which basically say 'I am a licensed game'. The console manufacturer makes money by selling access to these codes by demanding a royalty per game sold. Most homebrew exploits dont crack these codes; but instead find security exploits in either the firmware or a game which allows the software that has already been checked for the secret code to be injected with new homebrew code. After that you can do ANYTHING until a firmware update patches your specific exploit.

Alan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

I downloaded the other 2.00 firmware and it works fine.

Frank @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Im no expert, but with the psp 2.0 web browser, couldnt you just go to an emu site and get a new emu there thats meant for a computer? Dont shoot me if i happen to singlehandedly delay the 2.0 like that other guy.

J Crowley @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

No. It has to be compiled to run on a specific platform, regardless of how you get it /onto/ the PSP.

joedirt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

the reason that the us 2.0 update has been delayed is that they are fixing the memory leek in the internet browser

J Crowley @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

One would think that wouldn't take them more than a week to accomplish. I mean, friggin' /basement/ programmers can get things done quicker than that.

Gumbyx84 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:10PM

Does no one think that Sony is just screwing up just like they always do? This happened witht he PS2, this happens with games, this happens all the time. I do believe that the early "crack" of the Japanese 2.0 firmware (which I will explain later) didnt help things much, but I still think Sony screwed up big. They know how long it takes to review and program something as complicated as a Firmware, so they should know better then to give ANY kind of date.

My idea of the "Crack" of the current 2.0 firmware may not be as "real" as we all thought. Didnt everyone notice that the video that circulated around the web stops just after the "fake" update is loaded? Anyone that talks about homebrew must know that you can edit "EBOOT"s with certain programs. Who is to say that this test program wasnt just an editted 2.0 upgrade program. I will say that I do not know what happens when you run the standard upgrade program, and if it boots up like a normal game. If it doesnt, then I am wrong. But being a follower of Emu and Homebrew for many a years has made me a bit skeptical about stuff like this.