PS3 firmware update 4.46 is released, some still unable to fix bricked systems

PS3 update 4.46 now releasing, and resolves the issue that impacted a small number of PS3s last week. Details here: http://t.co/7QN7JleqKS

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 27, 2013

Hours ago, Sony released firmware update 4.46 for the Playstation 3 as promised, intended to fix issues with update 4.45. The update comes with instructions to manually download software, activate safe mode on your PS3, and then manually update the software to the system.

PS3 firmware update 4.45 was intended to allow you to turn off trophy notifications, however, several users complained that their XMB went missing after updating, rendering their units inoperable. We reported last week that Sony acknowledged the problem, and that they were going to release a fix for the problem by today. 

It has also been confirmed that PS3 firmware update 4.46 includes the update to let you turn off trophy notifications. To access the option, go to XMB, System Settings, and choose "Trophy Notifications". You can then toggle between options "Display" and "Do Not Display."

The update seems to have fixed many units. However, some are still struggling with bricked units and have come on to the Playstation community forums to share their woes. 

Its unfortunate that what is an otherwise innocuous update ended up becoming more trouble than its worth. Some users explain they were able to fix all issues after wiping their hard drive and redownloading their games and media after properly updating. It does seem that more people were able to fix their units than were unable to, but you still need to be on your guard and recognize that the risk of bricking your console is still out there. 

If you are planning to do this upgrade yourself, you will need a USB Mass storage device with 168 MB free memory to download the software to. You will also need to physically connect a controller to the affected console, and we recommend you back up your data first.