Update version 3.73 is non-mandatory, which means that you do not have to update in order to carry on playing with your console. However, we would advise you to do so, as the stability of your PlayStation 3 is said to be greatly improved. Don’t expect any new features, as even Sony felt that it did not warrant an announcement.

We now wonder if Sony will begin to do this on a regular basis and only announce the updates that make significant changes? We will begin to have a play around just to see if any changes have been made, but we do not expect to report much.

Gamers will now be rushing back home from work to turn on their PS3 consoles to see what new things Sony have given them this time, but just remember that this 186MB is just to improve stability and nothing else. Having spent just under an hour on our console we can report that this update is an anti-climax, no wonder there was no mention of it.

The only improvement being reported is for PlayStation 3 playback quality when in use with certain format software, and while keeping system stability at its best is great, we cannot help feeling disappointed as extra features are always welcomed.

So if you’re reading this and are planning some gaming today, then it’s a good idea to get on slightly earlier so you can get the PS3 v3.72 update installed sooner, rather than later. Do you think this update was to keep ahead of the modders/hackers? Let us know if you had any problems installing the new firmware, and what has not worked right since the last install like PS auto updates.

We can think of a few features that this update could have brought, but for now lets look towards PS3 update 3.80, what would you like to see? Cross game chat is on top of our list, but do you have anything less obvious?

Update: Some of our readers have reported issues with the manual PS3 time being an hour behind, although this PS3 update seems to have fixed that now. Another issue is with PlayStation Home freezing, which has not been fixed according to some people.

It seems that the consoles have been overheating while playing LA Noire, but that is just a coincidence. We cannot say for certain how true this is, but this is what Rockstar would have us believe. The developer had posted a statement on their forums, but has since retracted it.

In that statement it basically said that some of the older fat 60GB and 80GB PS3s were shutting down after bleeping three times. Kotaku says that there have been reports that this has been happening on other games as well – so there could be some truth to this after all?

There have been cases where games have been freezing, to a total shutdown. This is yet another headache for Sony, as they are still trying to get over the recent hacking issue. So not only have they got to sort out their website to change PSN passwords, they might now have to push forward with another PS3 firmware update.

Has your PS3 been overheating following firmware 3.61?

As usual, Sony hasn’t dropped any details on the exact nature of the security update, but some details we’ve read over at TheSixthAxis indicates that the update was another response from Sony to counter recent attempts made by hackers.

While it’s a shame that there doesn’t appear to be any new features within the v3.55 update, it is refreshing to see Sony maintain their strong stance on delivering prompt action against any criminal activity on the PS3.

For those of you who have already updated to the new software, has anything major happened that we should know about? We usually get a flood of complaints from users after each update, stating that 3.xx has ‘crashed or frozen’ their console. Hopefully it doesn’t happen with 3.55 though and everyone can report a safe and successful update.

If you happen to find any hidden features which Sony failed to mention on the US PS Blog, be sure to share your findings with us below.

According to inquisitr.com, The new firmware is not a massive one, so does not come with many new features. However, you will now be able to play PSP minis games on your larger flat screen TV. You will also be allowed to transfer data between your PlayStation 3 consoles.

The new feature is called Data Transfer Utility; this allows you to connect two PS3 consoles via LAN, you will then need to connect both to your TV. The next step is to turn both consoles on, making certain that both have the new firmware installed.

The next step is to go to the XMB on the PS3 and then select Data Transfer Utility in the systems settings category. All you then need to do is follow the onscreen instructions. For more details visit blog.us.playstation.com.

Let us know if you managed to download the update without any problems.