PlayStation 3 system software

The PlayStation 3 system software is the updatable firmware and operating system of the PlayStation 3. The base operating system used by Sony for the PlayStation 3 is a fork of both FreeBSD and NetBSD known internally as CellOS or GameOS. It uses XrossMediaBar as its graphical shell. The process of updating is almost identical to that of the PlayStation Portable and the later PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The software may be updated by downloading the update directly on the PlayStation 3, downloading it from the user's local official PlayStation website to a PC and using a USB storage device to transfer it to the PlayStation 3, or installing the update from game discs containing update data. The PlayStation 3 system software continues to be updated as of 2026 for performance and security enhancements, and to renew the Blu-ray encryption key.