Best Buy defends PS3 update charge

US retailer Best Buy has defended the $30 charge it is asking of US customers to update the firmware on their PS3s – a procedure that’s completely free to any consumer with access to the internet.

Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers services to support virtually all the gear we sell – and gaming consoles are no exception,” a spokesperson told Industry Gamers.This service has been available to our customers for nearly two years.

While many gamers can handle firmware upgrades easily on their own, those customers who do want help can get it from Geek Squad, and we continue to evaluate this offering to ensure it meets their needs. The service goes beyond a firmware updates, and includes user account setup, parental control setup and other components.”

However, what Best Buy doesn’t address are the somewhat dubious claims made by the ad fronting its Firmware Upgrade service.

Specifically, it claimed that paying for the $30 update adds various features to PS3, including the ability to play all Blu-ray movies and PS3 games”, eliminate bugs and glitches”, make the system run smoother” and offer improved system settings”.