Is Firmware the Same as Software? Here’s the Real Difference

When people hear terms like firmware and software, it’s easy to assume they’re pretty much the same thing. After all, they both involve technology running behind the scenes.

But while they sound similar, they serve very different purposes in your devices.

Software is defined as “any set of instructions that tell a computer or device what to do” One of the key things about software is how flexible it is. It gets updated all the time. You might download a new app, install an update for your operating system, or get a patch that fixes a bug or adds new features. Those updates are routine, and for most of us, they happen automatically in the background.

Now, firmware is a little different. Technically, firmware is also a type of software, but it works much closer to the hardware. It’s responsible for making sure the physical components of your devices actually function. Without firmware, your devices wouldn’t even power on properly.

Video game consoles, like PlayStation, have software that helps run the games. But it’s the firmware that tells the controller what buttons do when interacting with the game. The firmware can be found on the inside of the device on small microchips.  They can be updated to add more functionality or take some away.

Firmware helps the hardware work; software helps you use the hardware.

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