Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
PlayStation 3 system software
open-in-new
<p>The PlayStation 3 system software is the updatable <a href="/facts/Firmware/62UVKIUK">firmware</a> and <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> of the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_3/obhuo97V">PlayStation 3</a>. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a> and <a href="/facts/NetBSD/PTm5HWls">NetBSD</a> known internally as <i>CellOS</i> or <i>GameOS</i>. It uses <a href="/facts/XrossMediaBar/hzqP914I">XrossMediaBar</a> as its graphical shell. </p><p>The process of updating is almost identical to that of the <a href="/facts/PlayStation_Portable/dj4sa6wo">PlayStation Portable</a> and the later <a href="/facts/PlayStation_Vita/KEvRtFjD">PlayStation Vita</a>, <a href="/facts/PlayStation_4/wMtdFnoP">PlayStation 4</a>, and <a href="/facts/PlayStation_5/vJ2ahUoK">PlayStation 5</a>. The software may be updated by downloading the update directly on the PlayStation 3, downloading it from the user's local official PlayStation website to a PC and using a USB storage device to transfer it to the PlayStation 3, or installing the update from game discs containing update data. </p><p>The PlayStation 3 system software continues to be updated as of 2025 for performance and security enhancements, and to renew the <a href="/facts/Blu-ray/zyPalhfG">Blu-ray</a> encryption key. </p>