Rumor: Sony bringing Firefox into PS3?

Posted Nov 18, 2009 at 3:56PM by Glenn M. Listed in: PS3 Tags: Firefox, Linux, Mozilla, Sony

Now that the new line of PS3s have lost the support for installing Linux, Sony must've felt the need to provide an upgrade for its built-in browser. Hot and fresh out of the rumor mill: Sony is in talks with Mozilla about adding Firefox support for the PS3.

Word comes from PlayStation Insider, which reports that they've received a tip from "a source very close to Sony." The informant says that Sony had been in talks with Mozilla lately about providing Firefox for the PS3, but pointed out that it is uncertain if an agreement has been reached.

If indeed the PS3 gains support for Firefox and all its plugins, then this will be great news for those who use their PS3s for web-browsing, especially those who bought the new Slim. For now, we wait until more info comes out.

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Comments

# cool — DFresh 2009-11-18 10:38

would be nice

# ... — FelisCatusLover 2009-11-18 10:40

We'd have a better chance seeing Microsoft do something useful then see FireFox on the PS3. At least not the full FireFox, with add-ons and stuff. Of course, if it does happen, that would be great. Though I do hope they dont put a color icon for it like they did with the PS Store icon and all, those things are so tacky.

# :D — jgr9 2009-11-18 11:11

That would be sweet and maybe this would have them update Flash more often and would get some stuff working that still doesn't. That would be nice.

# ..... — Bountyhunter53 2009-11-18 11:38

That means we get a browser which owns so much IE is *****ting themselves. NICE!

But seriously Firefox is bloody quick and flipping fast at rendering pages. And with its strong structure it means we also get a nice flash plug-in which the PC uses at the moment. It could be that the Flash 10.1 could be implemented into the PS3 (basically allows the GPU to render the flash bits and videos :D). And also it has a strong community so development will go on forever.

# add ons — LooM 2009-11-18 12:08

I can imagine they would bring it on the ps3 platform.. However I highly doubt you'd be able to use extension.. probably more like a modified version of firefox..

# You do know — Vman00 2009-11-18 12:10

that Sony has a better chance than MS in adding Mozilla Firefox to their console, right? Seeing how MS already have their own browser....IE?

# Could be.... — Bountyhunter53 2009-11-18 12:27

Platform specific addons, meaning addons just for the PS3. If Sony replies to this rumor with "We do not comment on speculation or rumors" then it means we have Firefox

# this would be.. — Sw3RvE 2009-11-18 12:29

AWESOME

esp if it can be upgraded when new versions come out and not have special ps3 firefox updates.

# @ feliscatuslover — truk 2009-11-18 12:47

haha fail

# Oh wait! — Vman00 2009-11-18 12:57

I read his comment wrong. I epically failed. This is what happens when you try to comment between sessions of MW2 Demolition.

# OH GOD THIS IS A BLESSING — houaruto 2009-11-18 13:31

having siblings around the house i always use my PS3 for surfing the interwebs.........throw in my favorite web brower firefox and who can ask 4 anything better...........i'm typing this on the PS3 N i have never regret buying it.............all these great freebies from Sony gotta give them 2 thumbs up

# what? — NarooN 2009-11-18 13:49

What's this? Sony's been reading the forums I see. Not too long ago where pretty much everyone ripped Sony a new one for the current browser. I tried telling everyone how easy it'd be to get Firefox or Chrome on the PS3.

# ... — FelisCatusLover 2009-11-18 14:17

No reason to insult IE, the fact that it's a Microsoft product speaks for itself.

# :( — truk 2009-11-18 14:54

double fail, on my part.

# Easy? — eaferrari24 2009-11-18 15:19

Do you have any idea how hard it would be to migrate firefox over to a completely new architecture.. even if it does come out.. it will prob be crippled

# Get the F&$K out of here!! — BattleFox721 2009-11-18 16:05

This would be absolutely AWESOME. If they do this I would be gratefully happy!! Dam Sony is just pulling out the cards..loving it!!

# .. — Techni 2009-11-18 17:24

Am I the only one here who installed linux and runs firefox on their PS3?

# Great if true — Thinker 2009-11-18 17:54

If true, this is splendid, splendid news. I use FF 99.9 % of the time, and resent having to use the vastly inferior IE.

# it would be nice.... — gammy69er 2009-11-18 18:58

but this could become problematic for FF, as the plugins would have to be heavily modified and restricted. I think this could be the Backdoor Hackers have been waiting for.

FF Has Been Open Source forever - even when it was Mozilla Web Browser (built On Netscape I might add - History Lesson). A lot of people know the complete ins and outs of this program. It is crappy that PS3 web browser is soooooo bad, but it may stay that way for a while yet.

Anyways, as long as it supports more stuff, including HTML5, i'll be happy.

# Slim PS3 — SSJGoku786 2009-11-18 20:16

Why will it be "especially" great news for slim PS3 owners?

# -- — TheJoker 2009-11-18 21:19

this would make the ps3 ALOT better.

# That would be cool — nehebkau 2009-11-18 23:52

I would actually use the Browser then

# omg — RaphaelDDL 2009-11-19 01:17

GOD, HEAR THIS RUMOR AND MAKE IT COME TRUE!!!

# Different architecture — micl_s 2009-11-19 06:54

The PS3 wouldn't be able to use the same flash plugin as PCs, it would need a different architecture and built specifically for the PS3 (which would fall into adobe's terrirtory, not mozilla's). And it will probably take some time for it to get decent considering the linux 64 bit flash player gets choppy from time to time :(

# because — LooM 2009-11-19 07:01

There is no option to install alternative OS on the slim version.. This means no linux and therefore no option to install a secondary browser than the original xmb browser.. :)

that's why.

# Easy way to determine if a sony rumor is false — Cydonos 2009-11-19 09:05

If

1) The rumor is about the PS3, and

2) It would make the customer happy

Then no, it is false.

# power pc version — braindead 2009-11-19 11:08

I currently use yellowdog linux on my ps3 which has FF 3.0.12, as it is a power pc build I don't see a huge problem running it on the game side, firefox addons and plugins are linux, windows and os x/apple so I'm not so sure how they would fare.

Seeing as Sony got adobe to build them a one off ppc version of flash I'll wager cash changed hands so I hope mozilla (being free open source software) get a nice little donation

Firefox rules

# Firefox? — log_out 2009-11-19 13:53

Why firefox?

I would perfer the best browser atm: OPERA

# if by best — Mad-elph 2009-11-19 14:11

if by best you mean WebKit then sure. FF is great, but WebKit is better. Regularly Safari and Webkit made browsers do so much better than FF. But anything is better than IE and that include the current PS3 browser

# CANT WAIT! — Aceboogz 2009-11-19 15:04

Blazing fast load times = PS3 THE BEST!

Suck on deez nutz XFailmen

and ur junky windows media center explorer that no one has

# "" — FutureWarfare 2009-11-19 16:38

This would be the greatest thing entering the PS3!

I'm on Firefox right now! I hope it will be as close as possible to FF 3.5.

# - — mr.x256 2009-11-23 06:49

If this is true then it better read PDF files!

Does anybody else feel that the PSP has a better browser than the PS3?

# You are so wrong... — Sloma 2009-11-23 08:39

Yes, because FF is open it's more difficult to sneak anything to it. It's like everybody would be watching your hands when you just try to do that. Anybody that knows little about programming would prevent it, just this it would went public right away. Besides, compared to any other browser with closed code, FF is the fastest in getting patches. I don't want to think how many holes are in IE that we just don't know about, simply because we can't see source code. Think again.

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