PS3 firmware update takes it to 2.17, enables new mystery PS2 feature

Turn on your PS3 today and you'll find a shiny new update just waiting to delay you from checking out the latest additions to the PlayStation Store. Hang on, I mean waiting to enrich your user experience of course. Unlike some updates, this one is apparently about as unexciting as they come, winning itself a mere paragraph of explanation on the official PlayStation blog. Most of which is preamble.

Here's what it does: It improve the operating stability of SOME online PS3 titles. Thank god that's out there. Hardly even worth the effort really.

However, there's a much more interesting part. What isn't mentioned on the US PlayStation blog but is stated on the Japanese PlayStation site, is that the firmware also makes it possible to install PS2 software to the hard disc. Now that is potentially very exciting. It could mean we're getting jolly close to seeing PS2 game downloads in the PlayStation Store. We're not sure how that effects all those who bought the 40GB models without the backwards compatibility, but it should be interesting to see how this develops anyway.

Could be a sign that PS2 BC is coming soon and downloads available on PSN.

If the PS3 gets BC and rumble in the pack I will buy one at the next price drop (which shouldn't be all that long here in Australia).

I thought this was debunked yesterday? Apparently it's just an update to give hard drive support to PS2 games that require a hard drive, like FFXI.

I know B/C will come to all consoles through pure software emulation, but of course the big question is when?
Now this firmware could lead to pure B/C solution, you know, they could have included pure software emulation right now to test the waters on a world wide level and see if any issues arise, this is just my theory of course but it could be possible.

Yah...I will be buying PS3 soon if they implement PS2 BC. Still so many PS2 games i never got to play after moving over to 360...god of war 2 etc...

Anyone else with a PS3 checked this out? (I'm too lazy to dust it off and plug it back in....)

We've been able to play FFXI on the PS3 for quite some time :P This HAS to be something else.

I noticed that BC was improved on my 60gb european model. FF XII movies are now watchable, but not great. Before they were hopeless, you'd get 1 frame every second or so. Now they are jerky and display in a black framed box, but you can at least tell what is happening.

I hope that Sony do go down the PS2 games on the store route, would be a nice addition to the catalogue of games that can be downloaded and played (if you're Japanese of course, the UK store is pretty crap tbh)