A new firmware update for the PS3 is live, but a significant number of reports indicate it's locking users out of their systems. Posters on the official PS3 Support forum noted they couldn't boot their systems after the update, and some users said restoring file systems didn't resolve the issue.

According to the PlayStation Twitter account, the 4.45 update includes trophy notification options and "improved system stability" - the words 'fish' and 'barrel' come to mind.

We've reached out to Sony to clarify the situation. While the issues don't seem to be affecting all users, it might be wise to avoid downloading and installing the update for the time being.