Latest PS3 Firmware Updates

[hudson]

If it was the case, then I expect the new wireless PS3 keypad to feature a screen capture button, but I don't think it does looking at images of it.

[JP]

I'd expect it to use the Home button on the controller to be honest.

I know that the XMB runs in the background of all games now but the games that have been updated to support it, such as Uncharted, pause the game as soon as you press it.

A simple option in the menu to take a screen shot then would work just the same as on a keyboard.

Probably best to remember that the PS3 keypad is being introduced around the same time and it was announced that it would have Friends Icon & Message Box keys.

Looking at the picture it's easy to see those two keys and also that there is another between them so it's possible that it could be that although the icon on it doesn't really suggest it will.

[Matt]

Tap to grab a screen, as you won't want it stopping the game; hold for 1 sec to get to the XMB, 3 secs for the Turn Console Off screen. Easy

[Number45]

I don't think the PS button is particularly conducive to just tapping it, personally. I'm sure it could be done though.

A simple option in the menu to take a screen shot then would work just the same as on a keyboard.

But wouldn't that capture the pause screen?

I'm glad they're doing it anyway. The number of times I've wanted to take a snap in games (Particularly GTA4) is huge.

[Matt]

You can't pause the game for a grab; likewise an option in the XMB to take a shot wouldn't work, as what you see on the screen is what's in the framebuffer. Actually there would be a way, depending on how the pause menu is rendered, but it's doubtful they'd do it that way as it would be dependent on the game. In XMB, remember the game doesn't pause, so by the time you've finished mucking around to find the Screenshot option, the photo opp would have gone.

Maybe it'll be Select + Start or something. It must be a direct frame buffer grab, that's the only realistic way to do it across every game.

[JP]

Yeah, it depends on how they take it.

I was thinking that they could have an option to just remove the pause menu once it was paused though but I'm not sure if that would be possible or not? It's really difficult to know how they could do it because I'm not sure how the pause menu actually works.

I had read somewhere else that the XMB you see is a virtual XMB rather than the one you get when not playing a game. I don't know how they worked that out apart from a tiny hint due to it always showing the default XMB rather than a customised one but I'm not convinced that really means anything.

We don't even know if it's happening yet but I do like stuff like this.

[Matt]

It could be a Pause option, but then games would have to specifically support it, at which point it's not much use - why would that be a firmware update when the game could do that all by itself (like those 100s of Resistance grabs you sent me ).

Also, having it an ingame pause option, would really limit the rendering options open to devs. You can do it, so you're overlaying the menus (and optionally the hud) and can get a frame grab before those are drawn, but that wouldn't be available for every game. It depends how the devs sequence the rendering pipeline.

If it happens, it'll be a quick Home press, immediate frame buffer grab.

A great feature if it's real, I wanted that badly on the 360. Particularly in Just Cause, there were times I wanted to grab a screenshot, that game looked amazing!

[Brad]

As a side note in-game XMB does not work in Call of Duty 3. Pressing the PS button causes behavior like we used to get before the in-game XMB update. Clearly some jiggery-pokery going on!

[Number45]

Yet more evidence of the suckery of Treyarch?

[saif]

Erm, what would stop the xmb being forced to disappear for the single frame when it is being captured?

[Matt]

Erm, what would stop the xmb being forced to disappear for the single frame when it is being captured?

Not sure what you mean there mate. I think you mean taking a screenshot in XMB, and the XMB temporarily disappearing while a screenshot is taken, then reappearing?

If so, then nothing is stopping them implementing it that way. Other than bringing up the XMB doesn't pause a game, so by the time you've puleld the XMB up (a few seconds), and then selected Take Screenshot, whatever pic you wanted may have passed you by. I don't see it being implemented that way, it must be an instant grab for it to be worthwhile.

[Myth]

Could they not just do something as simple as L1 and PS Button or something to caputre an image?

[Matt]

It depends on how the PS3 handles input requests. I guess the OS parses all inputs, in which case yes that would work fine.

[hudson]

I've been putting the idea of shaking the six-axis whilst holding all four shoulder buttons forward for months to do it.

[Matt]

Let's hope they don't listen to you