PlayStation 3 removal of OtherOS with system update 3.21
On 1 April 2010, system software update 3.21 for the PlayStation 3 removed the "Install Other OS" feature, which allowed owners to install a second operating system such as Linux on the console. Sony stated the removal was "due to security concerns", two months after hacker George Hotz used the feature to obtain low-level access to the console's memory.[1][2]
Background
[edit | edit source]"OtherOS" was a feature of early PlayStation 3 models, allowing user-installed operating systems such as Linux or FreeBSD.[3] In November 2009, ahead of the release of the slimmer PS3 model, Sony stated that the new model would not support the feature, which remained available on the older models still on sale.[4]
In late January 2010, hacker George Hotz announced he had gained hypervisor-level access to the console's processor through the OtherOS feature, with read and write access to system memory.[5] CNET reported that the exploit "distressed Sony with the risk of pirated PS3 games".[2]
Sony's removal of OtherOS feature
[edit | edit source]On 28 March 2010, Sony announced that the 3.21 system software update, released 1 April 2010, would "disable the 'Install Other OS' feature" across all PS3 models, stating the removal was "due to security concerns".[1] Sony did not itemize the security concerns. A later class action complaint alleged the concerns "did not involve a threat to PS3 users, but rather reflected Sony's concerns that the Other OS feature might be used by 'hackers' to copy and/or steal gaming and other content".[6]
Sony's response
[edit | edit source]Sony's public statement on the change was the PlayStation Blog announcement on 28 Mar 2010, which said the feature was removed "due to security concerns" and that Sony apologized for the inconvenience.[1] CNET reported that the removal was explained as being for "security reasons", without further detail.[2]
Lawsuit
[edit | edit source]A class action, Venture v. Sony Computer Entertainment America (4:10-cv-01811), was filed on 27 April 2010 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California,[7] with lead plaintiff Anthony Ventura alleging Sony disabled "valuable functionalities originally advertised as available with the Sony PlayStation 3".[6][8]
In October 2016, Sony agreed to a settlement that would pay $55 to class members who could prove they used the OtherOS feature and $9 to those who bought a console knowing of the feature, from a $3.75 million fund.[9][10]
On 2 February 2017, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected the proposed settlement, writing that the court had concerns "that the settlement agreement is not fair, reasonable, and adequate"; by that point, 25 percent of gamers who had tried to claim the $55 refund had been rejected.[11] A revised settlement, approved in December 2017, offered a single class of claimants up to $65 each, with claims due by 15 April 2018.[12][13] Checks of about $10 were reported mailed to claimants in November 2018, from the $3.75 million fund.[14]
Consumer response
[edit | edit source]The removal was poorly received among the Linux and homebrew community; CNET's coverage described readers who used the feature for research and cluster computing, and noted the feature had "most recently been exploited" by Hotz.[2] Courthouse News reported the removal came "to the frustration of many PS3 owners", and that Ventura had bought a PlayStation 3 instead of competing consoles because it offered the Linux feature.[8] Of the gamers who tried to claim the initial $55 refund, 25 percent had been rejected by the time the court threw out the first settlement deal.[11]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Seybold, Patrick (2010-03-28). "PS3 Firmware (v3.21) Update". PlayStation. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Steen, Patrick (2010-03-29). "PS3 loses Linux support after hack: Three people (and a penguin) cry". CNET. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Boyes, Emma (2006-11-27). "Yellow Dog Linux launches for PS3". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2025-12-21. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
- ↑ "New Slimmer and Lighter PlayStation®3 to Hit Worldwide Market This September". Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. 2009-08-18. Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ↑ Hotz, George (2010-01-22). "Hello, hypervisor, i'm geohot". geohot's blog. Archived from the original on 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Anderson, Nate (2010-04-29). "Linux on the console? Sony sued for removing PS3 support". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ "In Re Sony PS3 "Other OS" Litigation (4:10-cv-01811)". Court Listener. 2010-04-27. Archived from the original on 2026-11-04. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 McCann, Nick (2011-12-09). "Sony Tosses PlayStation 3 Upgrade Claims Aside". Courthouse News Service. Archived from the original on 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Miller, Paul (2016-06-22). "Sony agrees to pay millions for abandoning Linux on PS3". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Kravets, David (2016-06-21). "Sony agrees to pay millions to gamers to settle PS3 Linux debacle". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kravets, David (2017-02-02). "Game over for PS3 Linux settlement—judge concerned gamers won't get paid". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Hollister, Sean (2018-03-16). "Ever buy an original PS3? Sony may owe you $65". CNET. Archived from the original on 2025-09-13. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Good, Owen S. (2018-03-18). "PlayStation 3 Phat owners have a month left to claim 'OtherOS' class action settlement". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2026-11-03.
- ↑ Khan, Danial Arshad (2018-11-04). "Sony sending $10 settlement checks for PS3 "Other OS" lawsuit". GearNuke. Archived from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2025-08-16.