Seems interesting alright. I read that too, he sends the necesary chip so it functions, but the Chinese have their own other parts and boards and do it themselves. Maybe the Chinese in some contracted bit of the deal have it clamped down to just run on that firmware. Perhaps something with the preloaded stuff on the memory card they include make it a necessity. Krikzz isn't complaining and seems willing to help if I were to receive an item in the mail though support should be from the Chinese. There's probably more to it than can be said or can be clearly said since neither party does english as a first language so something could be lost in translation. As it is, if firmware is a worry, then don't bother updating it as it won't improve your basic game experience anyway. Take the discount, the free memory card pre-loaded with a crap ton of games by region or don't. Even if you don't want their junk, format the card at a low level and use it for something else.