Firmware 2.50 adds hidden recovery menu
It appears that firmware 2.50 also added one other feature, meant to help PS3 owners that are trying to troubleshoot their system. A recovery menu (pictured above) gives users access to a variety of restore features. It will even allow users to install a new firmware update, should anything go wrong during the installation process. To access the menu, you must hold down the power button to turn on the PS3 until you hear three beeps. Then the menu will show up.
There are a few reports of systems bricking after firmware updates, so this may be Sony's attempt at creating a fix for future problems. Hopefully, we'll never have to actually use this feature -- but if we do, it may be a quick way of avoiding a trip to the post office to send the PS3 to Sony's support center.
[Thanks, Noshino!]
