Support NeoGAF

[pancakesandsex]

You're right, I just heard back from SCEA.



http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/47564

now thats a credible answer.
i see diddly was posting there too. are you a developer? i have junior goggles on.

So there was no actual "unlocking" it was just sony telling devs "ok you can ship games that are hard coded to run at full speed now" is this correct?

 

[SRG01]

You're right, I just heard back from SCEA.



http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/47564

Hmm. Interesting. This could be good news for homebrew.

 

[Metalmurphy]

Piracy with video games is a mixed bag. On one hand its like giving out "free copies" of stuff to speed up adoption.

On the other hand lets not kid ourselves about people deciding they would rather copy than "pay money".

Right?

So you think DA Firmware only function is allowing piracy?

Sorry mate, but i like to buy my games, and i still use the DA Firmware. Why?
Dumping games to the memory stick for faster loads and no disc swapping
Unlocking the 333Mhz (until now)
4th brighness level
Recovery Menu
Plugin Support
XMB mods/costumization
Homebrew

Again, DA was one of the best things that ever happened to the PSP.

 

[mrklaw]

except for those ones which aren't hard coded and simply run as fast as they can. eg Wipeout?

 

[~Kinggi~]

If they release a new redesigned slim psp with the new speed increase, i will buy one.

 

[Cdammen]

I bought and sold (for a profit) my PSP (I've still go the games and saves) a couple of weeks ago. Couldn't stand the refresh rate, build quality, battery consumption and loading times... this will be addressed in the redesign (wasn't this confirmed by Sony?).

So... PSP redesign + 333mhz unlocked = Bliss. Sony, you better announce the date at this E3. I've got the money, just give me the merchandise

 

[Mejilan]

Bout time they do this. Seriously. I hope this also works retroactively with older games, and not just new ones specifically coded to utilize the full CPU. Still not likely to swap out DA firmwares for official ones. Sony's way too slow in rolling out the features unlocked long ago.

 

[M3wThr33]

except for those ones which aren't hard coded and simply run as fast as they can. eg Wipeout?

You're confusing a locked clock speed with a locked framerate.

Wow. I can't believe this is going over so many heads.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Maters: 266 Mhz
All other PSP games: 222 Mhz
All PS1 games: 333 Mhz
Future PSP games: CAN be 333 Mhz if they want.
Homebrew: Can run any game at any speed. This can help the framerate in nearly all games. However, if a game has a locked framerate, the code will pause to make sure it's running no faster than say 30fps.

Older titles will NOT be affected by this news. Seeing any difference in MGA means you are crazy.

 

[rothbart]

I thought that the 333 Mhz mode makes some damage to the PSP wifi

That was forever ago when the hackers were trying to force-unlock the CPU by "figuring things out". Surely Sony knows how to do it the correct way.

 

[pancakesandsex]

You're confusing a locked clock speed with a locked framerate.

Wow. I can't believe this is going over so many heads.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Maters: 266 Mhz
All other PSP games: 222 Mhz
All PS1 games: 333 Mhz
Future PSP games: CAN be 333 Mhz if they want.
Homebrew: Can run any game at any speed. This can help the framerate in nearly all games. However, if a game has a locked framerate, the code will pause to make sure it's running no faster than say 30fps.

Older titles will NOT be affected by this news. Seeing any difference in MGA means you are crazy.

the MGA thing was iffy and i stated that in my post.
i havent played it in forever and i wasnt in any of the slowdown heavy parts so its prolly just the fact that i havent played it in a while that got me thinking it might be better than last time i tried it.

woulda been cool :-(

 

[Mario]

Older titles will NOT be affected by this news. Seeing any difference in MGA means you are crazy.

Well, there were some observations that a firmware update prior to 3.5 (I forget which) made some menu activity in MGA run a little smoother i.e. a higher frame rate.

This is technically possible (as I understand it) if the underlying firmware update sped up some system functions used in that aspect of the game. However, from the testing we did at the time, we couldn't really see any tangible difference.

 

[Mejilan]

I haven't had a problem using my PSP's wifi to check for network updates, browse, or access remote play with my PS3. And I've been using custom firmwares for what, a year now?

 

[consoul]

It's been a loooooong time coming.

Damn, when I first blogged about the clockspeed in April 2005, I thought they'd lift the cap within a year max.

*edit* Hang on. The clockspeed restriction never was in the firmware though.
It was in the development libraries. So...it's not really the firmware 3.5 that really "unlocked" the full 333MHz, is it?

Wouldn't it be the new SDK, rather than the firmware?

 

[M3wThr33]

Ah, you're right. I guess system ops might be performed faster. But I still think it was a placebo effect.

Is this something that's simply a new policy for Sony? To allow this? Could Gripshift get a little patch to enable it? Would it make a difference?

 

[Pimpwerx]

It's been a loooooong time coming.

Damn, when I first blogged about the clockspeed in April 2005, I thought they'd lift the cap within a year max.

*edit* Hang on. The clockspeed restriction never was in the firmware though.
It was in the development libraries. So...it's not really the firmware 3.5 that really "unlocked" the full 333MHz, is it?

Wouldn't it be the new SDK, rather than the firmware?

FW must have something to do with it, b/c Dark_Alex just hacks the FW, and you can lock the game clock at 333MHz. TBH after the first five minutes of playing ATV Offroad Fury, I haven't run a game at anything less than 333MHz. I've yet to encounter these framerate or loading problems people complain so much about. From Day1, my PSP has been gaming bliss.

IMO, the best thing Sony can do to move people from Open Edition firmware (the reason for piracy) is to get PSP game dloads working. Let legit games run off the damn memory stick and just shelve the worthless UMD standard. Let's face it, the UMD drive is the weakest part of this machine. Let's just forget it even happened and make the PSP the new iPod. Now, instead of needing iTunes to get your music, you need PSN to get your games. But I think a dload-only format can finally work out here. PEACE.

 

[Mario]

Is this something that's simply a new policy for Sony? To allow this? Could Gripshift get a little patch to enable it? Would it make a difference?

I can't really comment on the details of how this is being enabled, but GripShift PSP is not really patchable (at least not by any mechanism I'm aware of).

Originally of course, probably like most near launch titles, GripShift was built with a 333MHz CPU speed up until it was dialed back. Its a pity because we pretty much had it running at 60fps across the board at 333MHz which helped it look and play better.

 

[Mejilan]

That's disappointing. Great for future games, of course, but...

I don't understand why Sony can't just recreate whatever it is that Dark Alex, and other homebrew coders do.

 

[stressboy]

I can't really comment on the details of how this is being enabled, but GripShift PSP is not really patchable (at least not by any mechanism I'm aware of).

Originally of course, probably like most near launch titles, GripShift was built with a 333MHz CPU speed up until it was dialed back. Its a pity because we pretty much had it running at 60fps across the board at 333MHz which helped it look and play better.

That last part makes me sad.

 

[M3wThr33]

That last part makes me sad.

Well, not to repeat ourselves again, but open PSPs don't give those "limits" a second glance.

 

[drohne]

wow! nintendo fans had to pay $250 for their upclock! though i wish sony had taken this step when 3rd parties were more enthusiastic about the platform.

if crisis core and gow aren't running at 333 already, i think we'll see some amazing things before psp is through.

 

[Durante]

credible responses only please.

What's credible? It's easy to look up for yourself, The API functions of PSP have all been reverse-engineered and publically documented.

FWIW, every PSP application requests the clock speed it wants to run at - it's just that not all requests will be granted :lol. You can also change clock speed as often as you like at runtime. My homebrew PSP game does that to switch between 111, 222 and 266 MHz depending on load, saving battery and maintaining the framerate.

I don't understand why Sony can't just recreate whatever it is that Dark Alex, and other homebrew coders do.

Because they would have to re-QA every PSP game out there at 333MHz.

wow! nintendo fans had to pay $250 for their upclock!

:lol

 

[M3wThr33]

I think the PSP is going to experience a renaissance this Xmas. If E3 holds true with this redesign, I think a lot more people will get on board. AND because (As far as we know) the new PSPs won't be on the same firmware, they'll HAVE to buy games as opposed to it simply being a choice before.
That and there's always new games coming out, as always.

Oh, and as for re-QAing all the games to run at 333Mhz, look at the BC testing the PS3 got.

 

[consoul]

FW must have something to do with it, b/c Dark_Alex just hacks the FW, and you can lock the game clock at 333MHz.

The clockspeed has always been a software configurable variable. No firmware "hacking" was required. The 222MHz cap was only enforced in the dev libraries (and was checked at the TRC stage).

In other words, the PSP was always capable of 333MHz, regardless of the firmware (as countless other homebrew apps proved long before DarkAlex's firmware hacks came along). It was only legit devs that were bound by the clockspeed restrictions, not because of the firmware, but because of the SDK and TRC.

 

[Mario]

I think the PSP is going to experience a renaissance this Xmas.

I agree, on hardware sales at least. I think the price drop, possible redesign, PS3 connectivity, improved firmware functions, and an ever improving software catalogue could combine nicely to help drive PSP sales in the second half of the year.

Hopefully software sales improve to match.

 

[M3wThr33]

All that's good, but it needs something to get it press on the news. The redesign would be the perfect way for morning news stations to bring it up as the gadget of the week.

It's hardly big news when an existing product gets better. And that's the sucky part. Regardless of the improvements, it still has that first impression, which it should have shaken off months ago.

 

[Fafalada]

if its dependent on how the game is coded, can it be "variable", or is it locked. is there a choice in the matter?

Application can control it completely - and vary it literally from frame-to-frame if you feel the need to. I have no idea how many games used this ability though.

most clockspeed specific parameters are defined during compile time unless the programmer wishes to have variable clockspeeds during run time.

Ok, maybe it's just my prejudice (I consider idea of using clockspeed specific parameters a bad thing), but I'm curious what would be the rationale for using them in any case? (short of hw limitations that force you to use mhz dependant timers or something nasty like that).

Anyway, lots of embeded hw devices varies clockspeed even without letting the application know - variable clockspeeds are not exactly new practice.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Isn't this technically not a "free upgrade", since the 333mhz is what you bought in the first place?

 

[Kinan]

PSP God of War is gonna use the new clock speed, confirmed today in official Sony blog.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/06/25/inside-the-developers-studio-follow-up-cory-barlog/

. I hear that the official news about unlocking the PSP processor speed is out there. Many people are asking if God of War: Chains of Olympus is going to take advantage of this. The short answer is yes we are!

My guess they will just switch to it for some most intensive scenes, and core of the game will still run at 222.

 

[Kinan]

internal server error... double post...

 

[M3wThr33]

PSP God of War is gonna use the new clock speed, confirmed today in official Sony blog.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/06/25/inside-the-developers-studio-follow-up-cory-barlog/



My guess they will just switch to it for some most intensive scenes, and core of the game will still run at 222.

I'm sure that they had a hand in REQUESTING it. This isn't something that comes out of the blue. There has to be a handful of developers that went to Sony saying "Look, if you want this high profile game to sell, we're going to need 333."
I'm guessing Ready at Dawn and Squareenix are the big two.

 

[Mario]

I'm sure that they had a hand in REQUESTING it. This isn't something that comes out of the blue. There has to be a handful of developers that went to Sony saying "Look, if you want this high profile game to sell, we're going to need 333."
I'm guessing Ready at Dawn and Squareenix are the big two.

Its certainly possible, and something we have been wondering about at the office. Another possibility is that the rumoured redesign is coming with a higher performance battery, and they want software that pushes the capabilities to drop at the same time.

Either way, the update comes in handy, and we'll be getting some benefits from it as well in our own development.

 

[nli10]

Good news, explains why GOW PSP looks far better than any other PSP game!

Expect at least 10 hours battery life on the new PSP redesign, technology has caught up with the PSP finally and Sony are now letting the system realize it's full potential

Cool - with the decent games starting to appear too it might finally be time to get a PSP (if they sort all the other non-portable handheld issues out too).

What are the odds that the redesign has a 500MHz chip clocked down to 333MHz though

 

[M3wThr33]

Its certainly possible, and something we have been wondering about at the office. Another possibility is that the rumoured redesign is coming with a higher performance battery, and they want software that pushes the capabilities to drop at the same time.

Either way, the update comes in handy, and we'll be getting some benefits from it as well in our own development.

50% more Jackassery?

 

[Monk]

Its certainly possible, and something we have been wondering about at the office. Another possibility is that the rumoured redesign is coming with a higher performance battery, and they want software that pushes the capabilities to drop at the same time.

Either way, the update comes in handy, and we'll be getting some benefits from it as well in our own development.

:/ All this news is making it hard for me to be DS and Wii only. Anyone got a good psp site i can go to?

 

[Mario]

50% more Jackassery?

More ass per square inch can't be a bad thing.

 

[Aisenherz]

PSP God of War is gonna use the new clock speed, confirmed today in official Sony blog.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/06/25/inside-the-developers-studio-follow-up-cory-barlog/



My guess they will just switch to it for some most intensive scenes, and core of the game will still run at 222.

BS

 

[Kinan]

BS

You mean you are not able to switch clocks on fly? Or that switching on fly doesn't make sense from programming point of view? Cause it looks reasonable to implement it from battery saving pov. And games normally do have more and less demanding scenes, unless PSP GoW is a graphic fest from the beginning and to the very end.

 

[quetz67]

You mean you are not able to switch clocks on fly? Or that switching on fly doesn't make sense from programming point of view? Cause it looks reasonable to implement it from battery saving pov. And games normally do have more and less demanding scenes, unless PSP GoW is a graphic fest from the beginning and to the very end.

It is probably not that it isnt possible, but if you push less polygons and textures the power consumption goes down anyway.

 

[flarkminator]

You mean you are not able to switch clocks on fly? Or that switching on fly doesn't make sense from programming point of view? Cause it looks reasonable to implement it from battery saving pov. And games normally do have more and less demanding scenes, unless PSP GoW is a graphic fest from the beginning and to the very end.

I had a conversation with Andrea about this. I'm probably going to **** this up but here goes. The PSP itself automatically adjusts the clock speed on the fly when it detects that there is a lot going on or not going on. The system already does this while running at 222. Say you pressed pause and brought up a menu. It will automatically drop down so as not to use up resources.

Also as for switching on the fly, the change from running at 222 maxed, and running at 333 maxed is based on a register flag.