Sony Computer Entertainment recently slashed the price of its popular PlayStation 3 gaming console, and now it is slashing a feature from the device: PS3 gamers no longer will have the option to use other operating systems, including Linux, according to Sony.
A new software update to be released this week will eliminate the OS-choice feature. Sony said it had its consumers in mind when it made the decision to disable the feature.
“The decision was made to protect the intellectual property of the content offered on the PS3 system as well as to provide a more secure system for those users who are enjoying games and other entertainment content on the PS3,” said Julie Han, a Sony spokesperson.
In the next system-software update (3.21) for the PlayStation 3, the “Install Other OS” feature will be disabled. The feature was available on older PS3 systems. Gamers who own an existing slimmer model of the PS3 will not be affected by the update.
“In addition, disabling the ‘Install Other OS’ feature will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system,” Han said.
For those users who have utilized the “other OS” feature and plan to run the update, Sony warns that they should first back up any data stored on the hard drive used by the alternate OS. Backing up the data will help users to avoid data loss and will enable them to have access to the stored data after the 3.21 upgrade.
Sony’s move was a formal about-face since Linux was touted as a differentiator at one time, according to Lewis Ward, an IDC analyst. “I can’t imagine more than one percent of PS3 owners actually installed it,”…