Waninkoko 3.55 PS3 firmware leaves consoles dead

Unforeseen problem bricks PS3 Slims

Reports are circulating that a recently released firmware for Sony's PlayStation 3 console, which uses the derived signing key to allow unmodified consoles to play homebrew and illegitimately downloaded games, is breaking consoles.

Waninkoko Custom Firmware (CFW) version 3.55, released just four hours ago, was designed to be a full implementation of the current official firmware (OFW), including all of the features of Sony's full release and working with the very latest games - but adds the ability to run code signed by the key released by George Hotz from work carried out by hacker group fail0verflow.

Sadly, some users who installed the firmware - created by a Spanish console hacker dubbed Waninkoko and also known as HackinBlack - are reporting that their systems become unstable and, in certain cases, become completely unusable.

Affected systems can, in the worst-case scenario, refuse to boot at all - leaving the console 'bricked,' in the parlance of the firmware-flashing world - with PS3 Slim models the worst affected by the flaw.

Sadly, the act of installing a custom firmware has another consequence: it breaks the terms and conditions of Sony's warranty, leaving those who have broken consoles no choice but to find a way of repairing the damage themselves or buying a brand new unit.

Describing the bricking problem as 'unexpected,' Waninkoko told fans: "I already know I made a huge mistake. [I'm] working on an alternative way, with no brick risk. [There's] no ETA."