PlayStation 3's last system update has killed the console for good

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was very confused upon seeing that the PS3 had received a software update late last month. The console is almost 17 years old, so you wouldn’t think that there’d be anything else to add to it after all this time.

By all accounts, it didn’t really seem like the update did much. According to the patch notes, it added “additional features, improved usability, and enhanced security”, so basically just a run-of-the-mill regular update. However, as GameSpot reports, some are speculating that it could have done more harm than good.

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Over on ResetEra and Reddit, there have been multiple new reports of PS3 users being unable to download games from the PSN Store - many are being greeted with an error message which reads: “An error occurred during the install operation - (80029509).”

“Getting a download to go through seems like pure luck now and I think the latest firmware update despite being for ‘stability’ did more harm than good as it didn't error out this much before. So far this thread is the only real resource I've seen with others discussing the issue. It seems to be an issue whether you have 2FA or not,” ResetEra user Jawmuncher wrote. “I also experienced this when downloading a game the other day, but I tried again a little later and the game downloaded fine. There’s a definite inconsistency to it,” added Liam Allen-Miller. “I've had this error since last week. Most of the time, retrying a few times manages to get the download going. If not, waiting a few minutes usually solved the issue for me,” Joey Ravn replied.

On Reddit, one user reported that they were also experiencing the same issue on their PS Vita, which hasn’t received a recent software update. This could suggest that the PS3’s update isn’t the problem, but at the time of writing, Sony hasn’t commented on the situation, so it’s impossible to know for sure.

At the very least, it sounds like most people who’ve persisted trying to download things have been able to make it work eventually, so if you’re being affected by this, don’t give up.