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How to Put Wallpapers on Your PS3

Sony's PlayStation 3 console includes a graphical user interface that enables you to access all of its nongaming features. The XrossMediaBar, or XMB, allows you to connect to the Internet, organize your music and movies, and access the online PlayStation store. Much like Mac and PC operating systems, the PS3 lets you set or change the appearance of its XMB and background to anything you want. It provides a selection of included backdrops and themes, but you can also create your own using a Windows PC.

Things You'll Need

Windows PC
USB Drive
Graphics editing application
Text Editor

Instructions

- 1
  Connect your USB drive to the PlayStation 3 and copy the theme folder across to it. Find the theme folder in the directory "PS3_Custom_Theme_v180\sample\simple\." Eject the USB drive and connect it to your PC. Navigate to the directory and create a new folder inside "simple" called "MyTheme" or something similar.
- 2
  Launch your graphics editing application and create a new image. If your television is a high definition set, create the image at a size of 1920 by 1080 pixels. If it is standard definition, create it at 640 by 480 pixels. Check the file size of your created image. The maximum size for a backdrop is 2MB.
- 3
  Save your finished image file as a JPEG with your chosen file name, taking care to include the correct suffix. High definition files should end with "_HD.jpg" and standard definition files with "_SD.jpeg." For example, "MyWallpaper_HD.jpeg" is a usable file name for a high definition file.
- 4
  Transfer your wallpaper to the "Simple" directory on your USB drive. Locate the file "simple.xml" in the same folder and rename it to whatever you would like to call your theme, for instance, MyCoolTheme.xml." Open this file in a text editor, such as Notepad or Wordpad. Replace the text "Sample(simple)" with the name you would like displayed in the PlayStation menu when selecting your theme. For Instance "MyCoolTheme." Save the file in the "simple" folder.
- 5
  Launch the Theme Compiler tool found in the "PS3_Custom_Theme_v180" folder. It's called "p3tcompiler.exe." Drag the .xml file you just created onto the compiler and click "Run." This will create the necessary files in the theme folder you created at the start.
- 6
  Create a folder on your USB drive called "PS3" and within that, another called "THEME." Navigate to the files created by the compiler and locate the "MyCoolTheme.p3t" file. Move this file to the "THEME" folder you just created. Eject the drive and connect it to the PlayStation.
- 7
  Navigate to the "Settings" button on the PlayStation's XMB. Scroll down to "Theme Settings" and select "Install." Select the USB drive and then "MyCoolTheme." Press "X" to install the theme. When the progress bar completes, return to the "Theme Settings" menu and select "MyCoolTheme" from the list of available themes.

PlayStation 3