PlayStation 3 Firmware Update 4.45 Reportedly Bricking Some Systems

Sony released firmware update 4.45 for the PlayStation 3 earlier today, but those of you who haven’t already done so should probably avoid the update for now.

A growing number of users are reporting on the PlayStation 3 support forums that since installing the update, their system will no longer turn on. To make matters worse, one user claims that not even a file restore was able to bring the system back to working order.

Fortunately for those of you who already have installed the update, the issue doesn’t appear to be universal – if you updated and your console appears to be working as it should, then you likely have nothing to worry about.

According to various user reports, the issue seems to apply to users who use their system’s original HDD and to those who use an external HDD alike. However, many of the users experiencing difficulties do appear to be using larger hard-drives above 500GB, as The Sixth Axis points out in their report.

Sony has yet to acknowledge the problem, so it isn’t known how soon an update can be deployed. Additionally, it isn’t clear whether or not those affected will have to reformat their hard-drives or not, as system functionality seems to vary from user to user.

PlayStation 3 firmware update 4.45 seemed simple enough; according to the changelog, the main addition was the ability to opt-out of notifications upon receiving a Trophy.

Unfortunately, we won’t know anything more until Sony issues a statement. We’ve reached out to Sony Computer Entertainment of America for comment, and will provide an update should we hear anything more.

In the meantime, those of you who haven’t updated are advised to wait.