Playstation 3 Firmware Update 3.21: April Fool’s?

The official Sony blogs announced the removal of the “other OS” option from the older Playstation 3 models was released today. The press release states that the “PS3 Firmware 3.21 will be available this Thursday. It will disable the ‘Install Other OS’ feature that was available on the PS3 systems prior to the current slimmer models, launched in September 2009. This feature enabled users to install an operating system, but due to security concerns, we’re now removing this feature.”

There is some chatter that this may be an April 1st gag. However, if the press release is an April Fool’s joke, it’s certainly been an ill-conceived one, as the black-lash from Linux loving owners has been fearsome. Even those owners who have chosen not to use the option have expressed concern that a feature, used by Sony as a unique selling point when the console originally launched, is potentially being removed.

Whether the 3.21 firmware is a real update or a badly thought out April Fool’s day joke, it doesn’t seem to have attracted quite the attention wanted.