PS3 Firmware Update 4.90 Released, Here’s What It Does

Sony has just released a firmware update 4.90 for the PS3, which appears to have resolved some minor stability and performance issues with the console.

This is a surprising update from Sony since the console is now more than two decades old. It was succeeded by the PS4 and followed by the PS5. Despite the console’s age, there is still some support for it, as seen with the new firmware update.

Sony has not disclosed if the firmware update is related to security fixes, but it appears to be one. The official changelog for the PS3 firmware update 4.90 mentions that it improves the system’s performance, but usually, this is not the case.

PS3 Firmware Update 4.90 Patch Notes

• This system software update improves system performance.

There don’t appear to be any major changes mentioned in the firmware update changelog. However, there might be an exploit discovered for the console that hasn’t been disclosed yet, so Sony deemed it appropriate to patch it before it becomes widespread. Usually, they have bug bounty hunts for this purpose, where a hacker can share any exploit that they might have discovered for the hardware and get a reward for it.

If you have installed this new firmware update, you might not notice any major changes. The download size of this update is also small and should be under 1 GB.

The security of the PS3 was broken a long time ago, and the console was open to exploits, leaving the door open for things like homebrew. It is possible to run PS1, PS2, and PSP games on the PS3, thanks to native emulation offered by Sony. There are also other homebrew tools available to take advantage of the PS3, so if you have one lying around, it is possible to get more out of it, just in case you still want to use it.