Facebook confirmed for PS3

By Robert Purchese Published 12 November, 2009

Source gives Eurogamer the nod.

A source close to Sony has told Eurogamer that yes, Facebook is heading to PS3.

The images of the service that appeared on the PlayStation website - caught by Scrawl before removal - were posted by mistake, we're told.

The official Sony UK PR line is that there will be more information on this "very shortly".

Could Sony introduce Facebook to PS3 before Microsoft can to Xbox 360? Live, remember, gains Last.fm, Twitter and Facebook as part of a social update sometime this autumn period.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (75) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • myiagros #1 2 years ago

    According the thesixthaxis this could arrive in 3.10 as early as next week:

    http://ww w.thesixthaxis.com/2009/11/11/p...

  • Rowlsten #2 2 years ago

    Sneaky sneaky :D

  • DevilsNeverCry #3 2 years ago

    Ha, and yet, who cares about FB still? xD

  • mcmonkeyplc #4 2 years ago

    Time for MS to get there heads out of the sand me thinks.

  • reelbigkris #5 2 years ago

    The funny thing is.... with the ps3's browser you can access face book anyway. How does this really benefit anyone?

  • YobRenoops #6 2 years ago

    Will this then come out before the 360 implementation?

    After all MS's harping on about it as well.

  • TonyCocaCola #7 2 years ago

    I dont see what's so good about accessing facebook through a console

  • Steroyd #8 2 years ago

    I would have been surprised if Sony didn't at least try to build upon, Uncharted 2's twitter thing.

    And if the Friends list border colour change is true, my friendlist is going to become psychedelic when this update hits.

    The funny thing is.... with the ps3's browser you can access face book anyway. How does this really benefit anyone?

    It'll either be a straight link to the website like the BBCi player or it'll be integrated into PSN ala Uncharted 2 twitter updates.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 11:55

  • Syrette #9 2 years ago

    What reelbigkris said.

  • keano #10 2 years ago

    seems every electrical device now needs some sort of social networking ability.....heaven forbid i couldnt tell some one how hungry i am when opening the fridge

    all this means is another way to advertise a console
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 11:58

  • timewarp87 #11 2 years ago

    Great now I can keep up with what my friends are doing in Farmville in game and when Im not on a pc/mobile

  • NorUraeus #12 2 years ago

    Dear Eurogamer, the PS3 got a webbrowser, which means all these services are available on the PS3 since launch...

  • Paulie_P #13 2 years ago

    I have trouble* logging on to facebook using the web browser - does anybody else have the same trouble?

    *it seems to load the frames but none of the updates appear.

  • Bigglesworth #14 2 years ago

    @foreverafternothing : What Steroyd said.

  • Chazmeister #15 2 years ago

    Facebook, meh, social networking for people not old enough to meet down the pub.

  • Shinetop #16 2 years ago

    I'm still amazed at how many people fail to see the difference between accessing a service via a console on an interface tailored to the console versus accessing a service via a console on an interface tailored to a webbrowser on a PC with a mouse.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 12:22

  • myiagros #17 2 years ago

    The PS3 web browser is awful, i've never managed to use it for more than 10 mins without it completely locking up my system.

  • bodypopper #18 2 years ago

    It's not that hard to use the web browser to access Facebook so, yes, PS3 got there first.
    I'll still use my laptop for Facebook as I'm unlikely to want to fire up my console to find out what my old school chums are having for tea tonight.
    I'd rather pretend to shoot people in the face for three hours instead like normal well-adjusted people.
    Edited by 2 at 12/11/09 @ 12:27

  • miiiguel #19 2 years ago

    What Shinetop said.

  • davisorle #20 2 years ago

    Seriously. The innovation and motivation of Sony deserves to enter the Guinness Book. Never seen a company copy so many things from another in such short time and by so far. I thought Sony only hoped they had MS' money . They never said "their services" as well... lol

    Competition is good and all but its just sad that you will always have ppl praising Sony for all those things just cause they dont see further from their PS console. I mean out of self respect, if I were Sony I wouldnt be that obvious into ripping off my competitor so much and make others question me. Do something new ffs. And dont give me a Wimmote wiyth a gay name, saying it a whole new experience.

    All in all its great news for all PS3 owners interested in Facebook. I never did use Facebook ever since i made my account on the PC and I deny to use it. Worst case would be to reply on the phone not my website all the time :/. Really was disturbing yet hilarious when I first walked into my parents house , each a laptop on their lap and logged into Facebook.. lol

    @mcmonkeyplc
    Well, if MS was just standing and waiting for Sony to come up with the next moves and just walk along or run through the pointers will make MS look any better to you..? o.O wtf is the matter with you ppl.

  • kangarootoo #21 2 years ago

    "Facebook, meh, social networking for people not old enough to meet down the pub."

    Isn't that a little like saying "Telephones, meh, communication for those not old enough to just shout across the room"?

    I think your comment says more about you and your circle of friends than anything else. Maybe if all your friends didn't live in the same town, the benefits might be more apparent.

  • kangarootoo #22 2 years ago

    @davisorle

    You needed all those words just to regurgitate the usual "Ooooo, Company X are copying"?

    Two words.

    Grow. Up.

  • miiiguel #23 2 years ago

    Just to be even more clear, having a web-browser does not equal having access to all the content over the internet, at least in a usefull way.
    This is not the 90's anymore.

  • IneptPercy #24 2 years ago

    I prefer real social networking, it can b done without a console or computer.

  • funkateer #25 2 years ago

    I wish Sony would spend their resources on things that matter. Like getting the EU PlayStation Store on par with the JP and US ones.
    Who wants FaceBook on their consoles anyway?

  • canIdoyabombsforya #26 2 years ago

    Facebook is the burberry cap of the internet.

  • 2099net #27 2 years ago

    Forget sodding facebook, twitter etc. When the hell are they going to make SD content on BDs upscale? I still can't believe this hasn't been added!

  • Skurmedel #28 2 years ago

    As long as it won't be as shittily coded as the main Facebook site...

    Also I'm slightly with Funkateer on this, please work on the bloody PSN store. :(
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 12:41

  • des #29 2 years ago

    Sony=this gen copycats...cant say that i blame them for doing it
    Note to Sony fans,if you want some feature on PS3,just spam MS with requests,it seems to be working...lolz

  • Steroyd #30 2 years ago

    I mean out of self respect, if I were Sony I wouldnt be that obvious into ripping off my competitor so much and make others question me. Do something new ffs. And dont give me a Wimmote wiyth a gay name, saying it a whole new experience.

    This is the new chicken and egg argument, would you say Nintendo were the first to have motion sensing gaming?

    What's funny is that people bitch on PSN for not copying the cross game game chat doohicky feature that XBL has THE CYCLE COMPLETES ITSELF!!!

    Lets face it, we're at a point where it's very hard not to come up with something that hasn't been done in some form or other somewhere else, the best you can hope is do what the competitor does, improve it in your own vision and hope it's different/fresh enough so consumers flock to it like flies to dung.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 12:56

  • Toothball #31 2 years ago

    I don't even use Facebook on my PC, so having it appear on consoles isn't any use to me at all.

  • Freek #32 2 years ago

    It's not so much copying as it is providing features that people expect to be there as standard if you call a product a multimedia hub.

  • Eraser #33 2 years ago

    Lately there have been so many "accidental" postings of stuff that shouldn't be announced yet that I'm beginning to wonder if these postings weren't so accidental after all.

  • jefranklin18 #34 2 years ago

    Bloody hells teeth. The people that do the firmware updates, and therefore the budgets associated with them, are in no way related to the EU PSN store. Different teams, different release schedules and different buckets of cash.

    I suspect the Facebook update will including status updates being automatically sent to FB, eg jefranklin is now playing SingStar or jefranklin has just got trophy x. I just hope there is a way of turning this off as I am not sure I want my non-gaming friends knowing how big a nerd I am.

    @davisorle: SingStar/Lips, Buzz/I forget the name of the MS game. They all copy each other, get over it.

  • sneetch #35 2 years ago

    @TonyCocaCola
    I dont see what's so good about accessing facebook through a console

    That's because you obviously have access to a PC, not every console owner has easy access to one.

  • keano #36 2 years ago

    fact is when ur dual screening with comp and console...it pretty obsolete ;)

  • 52pickup #37 2 years ago

    I use Facebook quite often, as do many of my PSN friends, so i can see an integrated app being useful if you want to check your profile for messages,tags etc... Though i do question (as do many others) Sony's priorities. Yes, Facebook is huge and i would use it often but, i think first and foremost it is a gaming console, so adding most wanted features for gamers to enhance gaming and online services for games is more important. Oh and those ugly grey boxes... get rid of those please!

  • Burkey123 #38 2 years ago

    Hopefully they are removing those horrible grey borders around our friend list. I'd rather that than facebook tbh.

  • davisorle #39 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    Clarifying why i have that opinion and making my point is showing imaturity? I could just come out as a fanboy and the usuals say something bad for what they are doing and be flamed as a fanboy. You need to think straight and instead of trying to be a smaartass, to not be a dumbass and open your eyes as in why i said all i said. You were the one that was reading my whole post apparently so who needs to grow up? Noone forced you to read it all and bitch about it.. lol thats new.

    @des
    So true.

    @ Steroyd

    I never denied that. I yet agree with it. I love competition and me being against improving from whoever something would be stupid of me and anyone thinking that way. Im just irritated from the kiddos that we both know excist and will say " thank god Sony came up with the Wand" or.. Thank God they thought of bringing Facebook on the console". If Sony wasnt going around saying "we did something new here" when they talk abotu wands and instead said " we are improving what X competitor gave you and you loved" ( im not a Wiimote fan :p and yes I know how old the motion controlling is. I had one of those Sidewinter controlers from MS for my PC about... 10 years ago? Was like the SixAxis. Hated it. Was crappy tech back then specially. ). In that case I wouldnt think less of them.


    Anyhow. Thats about it :)

  • funkateer #40 2 years ago

    "Bloody hells teeth. The people that do the firmware updates, and therefore the budgets associated with them, are in no way related to the EU PSN store. Different teams, different release schedules and different buckets of cash. "

    In the end those 'buckets of cash' are all coming from the same source, so your point is moot. The point is prioritizing those buckets of cash.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 13:12

  • makeamazing #41 2 years ago

    Personally i think Facebook is a waste of time, and yes you could access it from the web browser already. But the console market has become a "Me first" type situation, so if Sony can get in before MS with a new FB icon (like the BBC tv channel), they feel they have got one over... I dont think it makes much difference, but that is what all three manufacturers are doing right now. I think Sony want to do this because MS made such a big deal about it in the first place...

  • Skurmedel #42 2 years ago

    jefranklin: Strange argument, just because they are separate teams doesn't mean the overall focus is wrong.
    As it is now, the store sucks balls, whether it's EU, US or any other version of it. It's just horrible, and I'm talking about the interface so the firmware people would most definitely have something to do with it.

  • Zidargh #43 2 years ago

    I would've thought an innovative way of doing this would be to integrate Facebook into PlayStation Home.

  • M_of_the_sys #44 2 years ago

    @Skurmedel

    I don't mind the interface but I guess people with different opinions don't count.

  • kangarootoo #45 2 years ago

    @davisorle

    I have no idea what you just said to me. Except for this bit.

    "I could just come out as a fanboy"

    Errr, yes? It would probably save us all a lot of time, yourself included.

    The alternative though of course, is to make an concerted effort NOT to be a fanboy. And just comment on stuff as objectively as you can, instead of getting bogged down in "company X (who I hate) copied, but company Y (who I like) were inspired by".

    You must surely have an opinion about Facebook on the PS3 that has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the 360 or the Wii?

  • kangarootoo #46 2 years ago

    @Skurmedel

    The interface isn't that bad. I don't even know whether I "like" it or not.

    I use it, it works, I buy stuff and then I leave. The searching could be better, but its never been a major barrier for me. I have no strong feelings about it either way.

  • xentar #47 2 years ago

    and one feature more for the PS3 you would have to pay on Xbox... :)
    Facebook on a console is really not all that big of an event, revamp of the web browser would make more poeple happy (and allow them to use "normal" facebook as well) but thinks like this really seem to improve the value of PS3 with its free online services.

    Now bite me, xbox owners and fans

  • mr_mcgregors #48 2 years ago

    John Koller (SCEA) spoke of social network integration back in April 09, two months before it was announced for Xbox360 and DSi.
    He didn't specify/announce/confirm a facebook app, but did say that plans were underway.

    Essentially, I don't think anyone's copying anyone else - they all see facebook/twitter essential marketing tools.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 13:33

  • grayn #49 2 years ago

    What grayn said.

  • VandelayIndustries #50 2 years ago

    davisorie, keep it up chap, and one day you might be as entertaining as Donnie.

    As for Facebook on PSN, makes sense to have a direct link on the XMB like iPlayer and VidZone and I would hope that YouTube (among other popular sites) gets the same treatment eventually.

  • TonyHarrison #51 2 years ago

    Facebook? How very 2008.... it's all about twitter now... until the next utterly pointless thing comes along that is...

  • xentar #52 2 years ago

    @TonyHarrison: you may like twitter but the usage numbers speak volume about facebook being THE thing.
    Just look at this http://ww w.techcrunch.com/2009/10/13/as-...

  • jefranklin18 #53 2 years ago

    @funkateer: From an accounting point of view, they will be completely different buckets of cash as they will be completely separate entities in SCE. Also keep in mind, the publishing of 3rd party content is controlled by the publisher so if Konami want the EU PS store to not get RE1, then they're the ones to complain to.

    @Skurmedel: Not been on any store other than the EU one so can't comment on those. For me the store design is functional and does its job but if you ask 100 people to design a webstore interface (which is what it is, essentially) you will get 100 different designs. And each will think their's is better than the other 99.



  • Bigglesworth #54 2 years ago

    As for Facebook on PSN, makes sense to have a direct link on the XMB like iPlayer

    I have a feeling they're not going to implement it that way... As others have pointed out, you can get to facebook easily enough from the browser. If you take a good squint at the leaked shot, you can see that the facebook icon is nestled in the PSN Account Management section, which suggests to me its maybe going to be more of a control panel for game-facebook-related functionality...

  • rprince #55 2 years ago

    It was leaked to me today that if you type aitch tee tee pee colon backslash backslash eff aay see ee bee oh oh kay dot see oh em into the browser on the PS3 this feature is already there...

  • Skurmedel #56 2 years ago

    M_of_the_Sys: Where did I say they didn't?

    The 360 store isn't perfect either, it could be improved, but it's rather much better. It's not a question of me having a better design, I just find it hard to work with.

    The picture gallery thing for the titles could really need an alphabetical version. The searching doesn't work especially well.

    Add on top the fact that I'll have to maintain two different store accounts because my country doesn't contain the same stuff as the UK one does and it just means I don't visit it.
    Edited by 4 at 12/11/09 @ 14:38

  • Chazmeister #57 2 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    "I think your comment says more about you and your circle of friends than anything else. Maybe if all your friends didn't live in the same town, the benefits might be more apparent."

    If you mean mature adults, then yes you'd be right.

    As for my friends that live in others parts of the country/world. There's always email, oh and of course the telephone.

    Anyway in the first instance I was mearly being cheeky and flippant, didn't mean to upset you dear. Perhaps you could get a virtual group hug from your Facebook friends, you could obviously do with it.

  • carrotcake #58 2 years ago

    remember how the ps store changed from browser based to a native application... and account management stuff changed from browser based to having all the options built into the xmb. sooo much faster. so having a facebook app is NOT the same as trying to use the web version of that site in the crappy ps3 browser. gosh.

  • Bigglesworth #59 2 years ago

    @designerheadache

    From Account Management? (See my post just above)

    edit: though having a quicklink in 'Network' as well would certainly make sense, as you said.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 14:53

  • oreillymj #60 2 years ago

    So you get another icon clttering up what was the lovely minimal XMB to save retards from creating a bookmark/favourite in the browser.

    Just to score points against MS.

  • tonynibbles #61 2 years ago

    The last thing I want is fucking Facebook.

    I want Twitter and a LastFM or Spotify client, please.

  • Widge #62 2 years ago

    Last FM I'd go for

  • Bigglesworth #63 2 years ago

    So you get another icon clttering up what was the lovely minimal XMB to save retards from creating a bookmark/favourite in the browser.

    *sigh*
    Can you consider for just a moment that it may not be just a link to the website?

  • ronuds #64 2 years ago

    I always wonder what MS and Sony would do if Twitter, Facebook, etc. weren't the "in" sites anymore? I mean, hell, it wasn't long ago that Myspace was the big social networking site. Not too much of a stretch to think Facebook could be meeting its end any time as well.

  • jefranklin18 #65 2 years ago

    &Widge & TonyNibbles

    I suspect that with the PS3 having VidZone available from the XMB, LastFM is not going to get a look in. That's fine by me, I rate VidZone pretty highly, and their semi-regular exclusives make it stand out a bit from the crowd.

    EDT: For poor grammar
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 15:43

  • Adam128 #66 2 years ago

    Facebook on consoles really doesn’t make sense to me. If you want to use it properly then you'd need a keyboard and a mouse so why not just use your PC. I cant believe that many people who have a console online don’t have access to a PC.

  • Widge #67 2 years ago

    I just want Last FM for the stat tracking aspect. My tastes are too niche for Vidzone too!

  • Dizzy #68 2 years ago

    "Facebook on consoles really doesn’t make sense to me. If you want to use it properly then you'd need a keyboard and a mouse so why not just use your PC. I cant believe that many people who have a console online don’t have access to a PC. "

    This is not really for "using" FB... it is more to post pictures of your gaming exploits and to let games post automatically to FB "User XXX had finally beaten uber boss 666 in game ZZZ" + picture.

  • Skurmedel #69 2 years ago

    I never completed boss 666 :(

  • spookyzombie #70 2 years ago

    I'd personally rather have 4OD and the ITV Player etc. I do sometimes use BBCi, but I can't see myself using Facebook at all.

  • ronuds #71 2 years ago

    @ xentar

    Do you really think people pay for Live so they can use Facebook and Twitter? I know I pay mostly for online play and the like, which I'll gladly pay for given what happened to the PS3 upon MW2s release. I'm glad to have the kind of stability XBL normally offers.

    Everyone saying "you have to pay to use this over XBL, hahaha!" should probably realize what they're saying - which is that people are paying to use XBL so they can have Facebook. Which I'm sure most of you would agree is completely ridiculous.

  • M_of_the_sys #72 2 years ago

    @Skurmedel

    I was just trying to point out that there's always going to be a difference in opinion amongst users when it comes to the interface. Unless there's a big calling, huge calling for a change, they won't change it.

    I can't be bothered creating a US or Jap account but that's not so much to do with the interface but more so to do with content provided. It's SCEE to blame there.

    @ronuds

    While I agree that £40 a year isn't much (it's even less than that isn't it?) I'd still rather not have to pay it. The PS3 problems with MW2 were sorted out in two days. Not bad for a free service IMO. I'm still doing the campaign so haven't got my teeth into online mode yet so it hasn't caused me any trouble.

    I'm not getting into a which online service is better debate but for a free service, PSN does it's job well.

    Edit: Oh and +1 for 4OD and ITV online. If Sky can create a sports package without all the entertainment crap, I'd be all up for Sky Player too.
    Edited by 1 at 12/11/09 @ 23:16

  • monkeywithnoeyes #73 2 years ago

    @xentar

    "now bite me, xbox owners and fans" - obviously typing this whilst MW2's online is still FUBAR on the ps3 right?

  • Slipstream #74 2 years ago

    (A source close to Sony has told Eurogamer that yes, Facebook is heading to PS3.)

    Oh? As opposed to me already being able to open it as a bookmark in my in-built browser? The mind boggles...

  • VMerken #75 2 years ago

    Oh dear. I hope Sony allows me to un-select Facebook integration in the options menu once it's there. Not a fan of "social network sites" at all. An internet browser as a gateway to any site I want to visit is good, but forcing particular non-Sony sites down my throat (because let's face it, I'm going to have to upgrade the firmware if I want to keep playing the new games) is not.
    Edited by 1 at 13/11/09 @ 10:22