Here is the definitive you would typically find inside a ps3 update list.txt file. This covers major features and security patches.
| Version | Release Date | Key Features & Changes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Nov 11, 2006 | Launch firmware (Japan). Basic Blu-ray playback. | | 1.10 | Nov 22, 2006 | Added "Assign Buttons" for controllers. | | 1.30 | Dec 2006 | Added upscaling for PS1/PS2 games. | | 1.50 | Feb 2007 | Blu-ray Disc Profile 1.1 support. | | 1.60 | Mar 2007 | Background downloading added. Folding@home. | | 1.70 | Apr 2007 | PS1 games playable via Remote Play (PSP). | | 1.80 | May 2007 | PS2 upscaling and DLNA media server support. | | 1.90 | Jul 2007 | In-game XMB access (limited). | | 2.00 | Nov 2007 | Custom themes and "Information Board" added. | | 2.10 | Dec 2007 | DivX and WMV codec support (massive for media users). | | 2.17 | Mar 2008 | BD-ROM playback improvements. | | 2.20 | Mar 2008 | Blu-ray Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) support. | | 2.40 | Jul 2008 | In-game XMB (full access) and Trophies introduced. | | 2.43 | Sep 2008 | Stability for LittleBigPlanet . | | 2.50 | Oct 2008 | Power Save settings , Flash player improvements. | | 2.53 | Dec 2008 | Revoked certain "glitched" game saves. | | 2.60 | Jan 2009 | Photo Gallery application. | | 2.70 | Apr 2009 | Text chat (keyboard) in games. | | 2.76 | Jun 2009 | Mandatory update for newer Blu-ray movies. | | 2.80 | Aug 2009 | Improved playback quality for Batman: Arkham Asylum . | | 3.00 | Sep 2009 | New XMB waves, Clock, and What's New section. | | 3.01 | Sep 2009 | Minor stability. | | 3.10 | Nov 2009 | Facebook integration (photo/video sharing). | | 3.15 | Dec 2009 | Save data copy protection toggle. | | 3.21 | Apr 2010 | Removed "Install Other OS" (Linux support killed). | | 3.30 | Jun 2010 | 3D Blu-ray disc playback support. | | 3.40 | Jun 2010 | PlayStation Plus subscription launch. | | 3.50 | Sep 2010 | 3D movies on Netflix , Bluetooth headset improvements. | | 3.55 | Dec 2010 | The last exploitable OFW (Geohot jailbreak). | | 3.56 | Jan 2011 | Security patches (broke many CFWs temporarily). | | 3.60 | Mar 2011 | PSN security overhaul (Post-Outage patch). | | 3.61 | Jun 2011 | Mandatory password change for PSN reactivation. | | 3.66 | Jul 2011 | Game performance improvements. | | 3.70 | Aug 2011 | Auto-download for system updates . | | 3.72 | Oct 2011 | Stability for Battlefield 3 . | | 3.73 | Dec 2011 | Improved Blu-ray 3D stability. | | 4.00 | Nov 2011 | PS Vita connectivity introduced. | | 4.10 | Feb 2012 | PlayStation Store redesign. | | 4.11 | Mar 2012 | Security fix (anti-CFW). | | 4.20 | Jun 2012 | Cloud save management and archiving. | | 4.21 | Jul 2012 | Minor fixes. | | 4.22 | Aug 2012 | Blu-ray copyright protection update (CINAVIA). | | 4.25 | Oct 2012 | 70-minute video clip capture (YouTube uploads). | | 4.30 | Oct 2012 | New Store layout , Bluetooth keyboard stability. | | 4.31 | Dec 2012 | System software performance. | | 4.33 | Jan 2013 | Game compatibility. | | 4.40 | Mar 2013 | Automatic game patches (background download). | | 4.41 | Apr 2013 | Security update. | | 4.45 | Jun 2013 | Brick warning (recalled, reissued as 4.46). | | 4.46 | Jun 2013 | Fixed 4.45 brick issue. | | 4.50 | Oct 2013 | Two-factor authentication prep. | | 4.53 | Dec 2013 | Stability for Gran Turismo 6 . | | 4.55 | Feb 2014 | Security patches (CFW blocking). | | 4.60 | Jun 2014 | Mandatory update for PSN access. | | 4.65 | Aug 2014 | Game compatibility. | | 4.66 | Sep 2014 | Improved system performance. | | 4.70 | Feb 2015 | Reduced store lag. | | 4.75 | May 2015 | Security fixes. | | 4.76 | Jul 2015 | Minor updates. | | 4.78 | Oct 2015 | Stability. | | 4.80 | Apr 2016 | Mandatory PSN update. | | 4.81 | Oct 2016 | Security update (last major patch for CFW prevention). | | 4.82 | Nov 2017 | Minor stability. | | 4.83 | Apr 2018 | Mandatory PSN sign-in update. | | 4.84 | Oct 2018 | Updated Blu-ray keys. | | 4.85 | Mar 2019 | Minor stability. | | 4.86 | Oct 2019 | Improves system performance. | | 4.87 | Jun 2020 | Minor fixes. | | 4.88 | Oct 2020 | Stability for game startup. | | 4.89 | May 2021 | Minor patch. | | 4.90 | Feb 2022 | Improved system performance. | | 4.91 | Feb 2023 | Minor stability (latest as of writing). | ps3 update list.txt