Ending a long period of speculation and leaks, Sony finally made it official today. PlayStation 3 firmware 2.4 will bring the much requested in-game XMB access feature, along with the addition of an Xbox Live-esque “Trophies” system.

Though Sony isn’t ready to pin a firm release date on the firmware just yet, previous statements made by Sony UK boss Ray Maguire indicate that the firmware will hit this summer.

Alongside the long-awaited announcement of firmware 2.4, Sony confirmed that 2.36 is due out “soon.” As initial rumors suggested, the update will improve system stability with select PlayStation titles.

Firmware (v2.36) coming soon, (v2.40) to include trophies, in-game XMB [PS Blog]

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