StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Today the much talked-about firmware version 1.60 came out for the PS3, which means we're all hooking up our controllers, restarting our systems, and seeing what new features we have to look forward to. The 1.60 firmware adds the ability to use remote play on the 20GB systems with a wireless access point, which is nice. You can also now use a full-sized virtual keyboard on the Internet browser, which is even nicer. We're all here for two big reasons, though: the background downloading and Folding@Home. Let's take a look at how these additions fare on the PS3.

Folding@Home

This is actually a second download after you've installed the update, and unfortunately you can't do anything else while you're grabbing the 50MB file. So much for testing both things at once. You see a large spinning globe with points of light that are supposed to show you how many other PS3s are turned on and running Folding@Home, and it looked about right for one p.m. EST on a Thursday. The system downloads a file to work on, and you get to watch the little balls and sticks vibrate as the proteins are folded. You can choose from a few different visualizations, or just watch the globe. The audio likewise can be turned on and off. You can also join or start folding teams, check your stats, or browse the Folding@Home site to learn more about the project.

It's a full-featured Folding client, and a nice-looking screensaver. Bonus points for being able to say you're helping to cure cancer. Possibly. I have no complaints about this Folding client, though I doubt I'll use it that much. I don't like leaving my PS3 on for extended periods of time unless I'm playing, so this may be of limited use to me. I don't think being able to run Folding@Home is going to sell any systems, but it's an unconventional use of a lot of computing power in a console, and it's good to see such strong execution on the client.

Background Downloading

This is an easy feature to test. I just grabbed a bunch of movie trailers, and away we went. While those were downloading, I noticed there was now a download manager in the Network section of the XMB, and that seems to be the only way to check the progress on the downloads. I played Tekken 5, and all was well. Then I played Motorstorm, and the system didn't blink. It just kept on downloading those files like a champ. Background downloading may not be a big deal now, but as larger and larger games are added to the PlayStation Store, we're going to be very glad this is here. The only caveat is that you can't download anything while watching a Blu-ray disc; the downloads pause.

The web browser has also been updated with some new zoom functions and the ability to make text larger, which along with the full-sized virtual keyboard makes surfing a much more enjoyable experience. You can also make the system autoplay a disc, but I'll probably keep that turned off. This is a big step in the right direction for the PS3, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Okay, technically launch would have been a better time, but that's just splitting hairs.

This is a big step in the right direction for the PS3, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Okay, technically launch would have been a better time, but that's just splitting hairs.

This is a big step in the right direction for the PS3, and it couldn't have come at a better time.