Sony PlayStation 3 Update Will Enable 3D Content (PC Magazine)

The Sony PlayStation 3 game console will be made 3D-capable via a firmware update, Sony has announced.

The announcement was made at the Tokyo Games Show, and confirmed via a blog post on the European version of the Sony PlayStation blog.

“It has just been revealed at the Tokyo Game Show SCEI SCEJ media briefing press conference that PlayStation 3 will support 3D Blu-ray 3D Disc playback from 21 September 2010, through system software update 3.50, allowing you to watch movies in stunning stereoscopic 3D,” James Gallagher, a blog manager for Sony, wrote.

“PlayStation 3 already supports stereoscopic 3D gaming, with games such as MotorStorm 3D Rift, WipEout HD and SuperStardust HD available now and upcoming titles such as Killzone 3 and MotorStorm Apocalypse set to take advantage of this immersive new technology,” Gallagher added. “3D Blu-ray 3D Disc playback, in addition to stereoscopic 3D gaming, and stereoscopic photo support add up to thewill [sic] deliver users with total 3D package for PS3 owners.”

3DTV technology has begun to ramp in anticipation of the holiday season, with companies like Toshiba announcing their first HDTV sets this week and retailers scheduling 3D TV demo days. Still, other have wondered whether declining 3D sales spell doom for the technology.

As to whether you should buy a 3DTV or wait, there’s the cost element: Toshiba, for example, has said that users will need a 3D capable TV, a 3D-capable HDMI cable, the Blu-ray player, as well as the necessary 3D glasses.