Up until the PS3 Slim debuted, all of the Sony PS3 consoles had support for third-party operating systems to extend the capability of the game console. As the years have gone by since the PS3 debuted, the feature has stayed intact, though few take advantage of it.

Sony has announced that the latest firmware update for the PS3 is version 3.21 and the update will eliminate the Other OS feature from the console. Sony reports that the removal of the feature is due to security concerns. The other OS feature was never offered on the PS3 Slim. 

PS3 owners using the Other Os feature will have to skip this update and skip any future updates as well to retain the feature. Sony reports that if a PS3 owner is currently using the Other OS feature and decides to update to the new firmware when it is available on April 1, they will need to back up data sorted on the OS partition because the data will not be accessible after the update. Those who choose not to upgrade to the new firmware will not be able to play games online or play games or Blu-ray movies that need the new update.