PS3 firmware v4.50 coming, auto-downloads not restricted to PS+

The next PlayStation 3 update, which is coming today, will bring the console's system software to version 4.50 and open up automatic downloads to all PlayStation Network users, according to the European PlayStation Blog.

PlayStation Plus, a subscription service atop the free PSN service, launched in June 2010 with exclusive features such as automatic background downloads of PS3 firmware updates and of content from the PlayStation Store. Firmware version 4.50 will remove the PS Plus requirement for those two services.

In addition, the upcoming software will add privacy settings for PSN Trophies, allowing users to choose which of their Trophies are visible to other PSN users. And lastly, the 4.50 update will also let people transfer data wirelessly between a PS3 and a PlayStation Vita.

The most recent PS3 update, version 4.46, was released in late June.