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A new firmware upgrade to Sony Relevant Products/Services's PlayStation 3 could help move the game console into a more central role as an entertainment hub in the living room.

Sony Computer Entertainment announced on Wednesday that upgrade version 1.80, available on Thursday, permits upscaling PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 games, along with DVD movies, to full 1080p resolution when seen on an HDMI-compatible high-def TV.

HDMI is a standard for transmitting high-definition video signals, along with audio.

The new update also adds the capability for users to have Remote Play functionality through a PlayStation Portable (PSP). Remote Play requires not only version 1.80 on a powered-up PS3, but also PSP firmware version 3.50, coming out at the end of this month.

Connecting Everything

"The capability to upscale DVDs to HD quality is a feature normally only associated with top-range DVD players," Sony said in a statement, "and its inclusion in the latest firmware upgrade now allows PS3 owners with an existing DVD collection to dramatically enhance the viewing pleasure of their DVD collection when viewed through a compatible HD TV set."

In addition, on a home network, upgraded PlayStation 3s will be able to play images, music, and video that are stored on DLNA-enabled devices anywhere in the home. DLNA, offered in such devices as PCs or laptops, is the Digital Living Network Alliance standard for sharing content between consumer electronics devices.

If a PlayStation 3 owner wants to print photos stored on the machine, the 1.80 update will enable that as well. Or the user can insert storage media into selected Epson printers to print.

PS3 Ups and Downs

The PlayStation 3, while a technological powerhouse, has had its ups and downs. Last week, Sony announced that its video game business would lose about $413 million this fiscal year, and that it won't recover until there are more PlayStation 3 games. Through March 31, it had shipped 5.5 million PlayStation 3 machines, not quite hitting its target of six million.

Among next-generation consoles, the PlayStation 3 is in third place, behind Nintendo's innovative Wii in first place and Microsoft Relevant Products/Services's Xbox 360 in second.

At the end of April, Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi, who spearheaded the game console's development, announced his retirement. His announcement was not unexpected by industry observers, given that the PS3 had been delayed in launching and criticized for its high price.

Ironically, the delay has been attributed to Sony's decision to include a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, which now becomes more valuable because of the version 1.80 update.