FAQ: What is the Photoshop CS6 13.0.2 update? What is the 13.1 update?

Question

What updates have been released?
  Photoshop CS6 has two new updates: 13.0.2 and 13.1. The 13.0.2 update is available only for Mac users and updates the user interface to be Retina compatible. The 13.1 is for Creative Cloud subscribers and adds new features to Photoshop CS6.
How do I get the updates?
  Simply go to Help > Updates to launch the Adobe Application Manager (AAM) to start the download process. You may already have an AAM notification to install these updates waiting in your task bar. You can also download and install the 13.0.2 update from here:
Photoshop 13.0.2 update for CS6
  Don't see the updates in AAM? Make sure the Adobe Application Manager is updated to 6.2 or later.
Windows
Mac OS
  Note: Using this update patch will install the latest version of AAM, which may be greater that 6.2.
  Additionally,
Updates not available for Creative Cloud products
What is the availability of these updates?
  The 13.0.2 update is available only for Mac OSX version 10.6 or later. The 13.1 update is only available to Creative Cloud subscribers (including Creative Cloud single-app membership, i.e. subscribing to Photoshop only), but it is for both Windows and Macintosh.
  Some of the Photoshop CS6 System Requirements have changed in order to allow for the features in the 13.1 update.
Windows XP and Vista are no longer supported.
The video card VRAM requirements have gone up to 512 MB.
For more information, see:
New system requirements for Photoshop 13.1
Heads Up: Photoshop System Requirement Changes
Error: "Graphics hardware not officially supported" occurs in Photoshop 13.1 (Subscription Edition)
Do I need to install both updates?
  No, the 13.1 update also includes the Retina display enhancements added with 13.0.2. So on the Mac platform, you will only be asked or are required to install the 13.1 update if you are a Creative Cloud subscriber.
What are the new features added for Creative Cloud subscribers in 13.1?
  There have been many new features added to Photoshop CS6, including:
Smart Object support for Blur Gallery and Liquify — Enjoy the creative freedom to experience non-destructive editing with Blur Gallery and Liquify now that both features offer Smart Object support.
Conditional Actions — Speed up image processing by creating Conditional Actions. These commands use logic to automatically choose among different Actions based on rules that you establish.
Crop tool refinements — User-inspired enhancements to the Crop tool allow you to work smarter.
Copy CSS — Quickly export Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) markup for text and objects, potentially saving hours of work translating your Photoshop designs into web code.
Load color swatches from HTML or CSS — Import color swatches so that you can easily design incredible websites.
Improved Type Styles — Ensure consistent type formatting across multiple documents by defining shareable default styles, which are then available in any Photoshop document.
3D type enhancements* — Enhance 3D type with new GL preview and image-based lights (IBL) improvements.
  For more information on these features, including demonstration videos, please see:
Release Notes Photoshop 13.1 update
Membership Exclusive Features
New Exclusive Photoshop Features for Creative Cloud Members!
New Photoshop Features and Team Version Headline Major Update to Adobe Creative Cloud
*Note: Photoshop CS6 single-app subscription is for the Standard version, which does not include 3D features and thus does not include these enhancements. Creative Cloud subscription comes with Photoshop CS6 Extended and includes the 3D enhancements.
I am not a Creative Cloud subscriber, why do I not the get the 13.1 update? Doesn't my full purchase also qualify me for free updates?
  When you buy Photoshop CS6 outright, you are essentially buying a static product. You still qualify for minor, bug fixing releases like 13.0.1 and 13.0.2, but your purchase will not include any new features, as has always been the case in the past.
  When you subscribe to Creative Cloud, you are not buying CS6, you are subscribing to whatever the latest version of Photoshop is. This means you are immediately entitled to any new features and upgrades as they become available. And this is only one of the many great reasons to be a Creative Cloud subscriber. Find out more here:
Adobe Creative Cloud
Why do my images appear smaller on my Retina enabled Mac after installing the 13.1/13.0.2 update?
  Retina displays use a higher pixel density than a normal monitor. The individual display pixels are approximately one half the size of previous devices. While working in Photoshop before installing the 13.1/13.0.2 update, as with any other non-Retina optimized application, the number of pixels used is doubled to give a normal, non-miniaturized appearance. This can cause applications to be slightly blurred or pixilated. Thus, when viewing images in Photoshop, the zoom level is effectively double whatever is displayed. At 100% zoom, the image is displayed so that every one image pixel is shown with four display pixels, the same as viewing the image at 200%. With the 13.1/13.0.2 update, Photoshop now displays natively on Retina screens, meaning that image pixels now appear at the much smaller Retina size, thus reducing the amount of screen space they take up when viewed at 100%.
Photoshop CS6 HiDPI and Retina Display Support FAQ
Known Issues
  The following are known issues with the 13.1 and 13.0.2 updates but have been fixed in the 13.1.1 and 13.0.3 updates:
Program error opening files in 13.1 and 13.0.2
Photoshop 13.1/13.0.2 crashes opening EPS files
Photoshop crashes after updating to 13.1 or 13.0.2 on Retina display
  For more information, see:
Photoshop 13.0.3/13.1.1 Updates Now Available
Why have icons disappeared?
  Due to changes in the number of pixels involved in the UI, some icons can disappear. If the Photoshop Dock icon is now blank, rebooting the computer will refresh the system and load the new HiDPI icon. Some extensions do not have a Retina ready icon and thus will be blank when you have the panel minimized. In most cases like these, we may have to wait until the manufacturer also releases a HiDPI version of the Extension. Additionally, sub-menu headers may become blank when you view the contents of the sub-menu. For example, if you select Filter > Sharpen, while viewing the list of Sharpen, Sharpen Edges, Sharpen More, etc "Sharpen" itself will be blank.
Additional known issues:
Image on second monitor goes black
No Print Size button in Zoom tool options in Photoshop CS6

Answer 1

Curt Y wrote:
You might want to wait.  There are some bugs in it and Adobe is working on it.  See threads posted in last few hours.
Well that might explain things more than I've garnered from the Forums.  I've got a MacBook Pro with Mountain Lion and a Mac Pro with Lion, both with CS6 Design and Web Premium on them.  The Mac Pro updates Photoshop to 13.0.3, the MacBook Pro is "stuck" at 13.0.1.  It won't update via the "Help/Updates" or by downloading and trying to install manually.  AAM gives an error when trying manually; says to contact support.  Other CS6 apps, i.e. Illustrator, do not update on the MBPro either.  I've uninstalled/reinstalled, deactivated/reactivated, etc., to no avail.  If it means anything, I just deactivated the Illustrator app, quit it, restarted, and the splash screen (which shows the loading progress) showed "Try" on it - haven't noticed that before, and I have not installed any trial downloads.  I'm at a loss as to why one installation of CS6 Design and Web Premium (physical/downoad) will update properly on one computer and not the other.
Am waiting to see if Adobe has an answer.  The apps work, just don't update...
Tom