PS3 firmware update reportedly on track for March

Looks like Sony's going to give European gamers a little treat to try to make up for the long wait they've had to endure to get a PS3 of their own, with the company reportedly set to release the first major firmware update for the PS3 alongside the console's debut in Europe in March (which they're still sticking by). The firmware update has been rumored about before, but has now apparently been confirmed by Phil Harrison himself, speaking at a recent event for the Sony-funded Threespeech blog. Most of the updates revealed at this time look to be centered on the PS3's non-gaming abilities, with new XMB multi-tasking capabilities that'll let you do voice or video chat while you browse the XMB or play games, as well as new audio playback animations, additional photo album features, auto-resume for downloads from the PlayStation Store, and "additional XMB display options" -- exactly what that means, we're not so sure. Those with a PSP will also get a few new tricks, including new Remote Play functionality that'll let you access media stored on your PS3 via any WiFi connection. No word on a fix for the problems with PS1 and PS2 games, though we suppose/hope that could be one of the "additional display options."

[Via Joystiq]