The buzz is all over the internet, PlayStation comrades. Firmware 2.40 is on the way and it looks like it’s going to be an update worth being proactive about. I usually shrug at my firmware downloads and update whenever I so happen to play a game that connects to the internet, but this is the one that we’ve been waiting for.

The new XMB (Cross Media Bar) will be fully accessible in-game which was a huge advantage for the 360 making the X-Box more user-friendly. But with this download, you’ll be able to toggle between your game and the XMB at the press of a button.

Other features that have been buzzed about are download management, friends, messaging, and a Trophy System. (Read X-Box Achievements.) Granted, the PlayStation Network is taking a lot of cues from X-Box Live, but doing so will make the PSN all the better in conjunction with PS Home that is on the horizon.

With all this, one can’t seem to help but create parallels to X-Box Live, but the most notable aspect of all this is that if the PlayStation Network service continues to be free as well as delivering a competitive product in terms of quality, I think we’ve got a surefire winner on our hands.