An apparent scoop today hints that the PlayStation 3 should receive a major firmware update in the near future. The 3.0 update as described by VG247 will center on a new reputation system for the PlayStation Network. Much like Xbox Live, it would let gamers rate each other and view each other's reputations. They can purportedly flag offending players, though whether this can lead to a ban isn't clear. It may bear similarities to a similar approach in Little Big Planet.

The update would also let game patches, not just PlayStation Store downloads, download in the background. Home theater users would also finally have the option of sending audio simultaneously through HDMI and digital audio output.

While these are significant, there is also an implication that the interface itself may change more substantially and has been likened to the New Xbox Experience interface in use on the Xbox 360, though much of what this implies is a mystery.

No time frame is provided for 3.0, but news of it surfaces just as Sony has been rumored to launch its smaller, 120GB PS3 in the fall.