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Could Vita become the ultimate Homebrew-Machine?

D

Damon Bennet

Member
Yay, my first thread, dont flame me!

This has crossed my mind: I was always a huge fan of emulators and homebrew on handheld system, because they can offer the fun and abilities of many many platforms.

The first Handheld that i felt was a good choice for emulating stuff was the Gamepark GP32

gp32f.jpg


That thing was able to emulate anything up to the SNES (but not the Gameboy Advance)
A few systems followed that were praised as the next homebrew coming, but the pure amount of systems (gamepark split up and both resulting comnpanies released a system, then there was the tapwave zodiac, the gizmondo etc, but none of those had a great homebrew community).

So I wonder, how high is the possibility for the PS Vita to be hacked and getting a living homebrew-scene (I have no idea what the state of PSP homebrew is)?

Vita is a Beast, so it should be able to emulate a lot of stuff. Some picture I found on GAF while searching for a similar thread made me think:

UGTr7.png


this would be great (even if it shouldnt be too comfortable to hold, but possible anyway).



But the most important thing is:
Could Vita run a Dreamcast-Emulator (ignoring the fact that null dc is basically dead), just judging by its specs? I have no idea about that stuff, but Vita is packed with highend tech, and a portable dreamcast player would be like the greatest thing on earth.

As there are youtube videos of NullDC running on android
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5-kV_TRNyg
Not that good, but I believe with the additional power of vita games like power stone should definitely be possible, right?

What do you guys think, is it possible for vita to become a great homebrew device? The input methods are surely there!
 
C

Castor Krieg

Banned
Damon Bennet said:
But the most important thing is:
Could Vita run a Dreamcast-Emulator (ignoring the fact that null dc is basically dead), just judging by its specs? I have no idea about that stuff, but Vita is packed with highend tech, and a portable dreamcast player would be like the greatest thing on earth.
Click to expand...

No, it could not. Frankly, looking at the PSP situation in the West, you won't find many supporters of Vita homebrew here. Want homebrew? Get PSP. I would like to get some great Japanese games on Vita in Europe, which won't happen if it gets hacked.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Castor Krieg said:
No, it could not. Frankly, looking at the PSP situation in the West, you won't find many supporters of Vita homebrew here. Want homebrew? Get PSP. I would like to get some great Japanese games on Vita in Europe, which won't happen if it gets hacked.
Click to expand...

There is a route to homebrew on Vita that doesn't carry side effects wrt piracy etc. So I think that kind of homebrew might be looked upon more favourably round here. (i.e. PS Suite development which will be available to anyone)

Whether that route brings enough performance for all the kinds of emulation mentioned in the OP is another matter though...
 
MightyKAC

MightyKAC

Member
To answer your question, yes. It's raw power, reported ease of programming and multitude of input options would make it an awesome homebrew device.

Now I'll take my leave of this thread before the Homebrew = Piracy crowd comes in and renders all possibility of intellectual discourse on the matter impossible.

Edit: oh dear me it seems I've already been beaten. :p
 
K

kitch9

Banned
Let's see.... Do I want shitty old games that have been around for years badly emulated on my shiny new device?

The answers no, the Vita needs to be unhacked to entice devs to make new stuff I'm not bored of playing.

I don't care what anyone says, "homebrew" fucked the psp over.
 
T

Takao

Banned
gofreak said:
There is a route to homebrew on Vita that doesn't carry side effects wrt piracy etc. So I think that kind of homebrew might be looked upon more favourably round here. (i.e. PS Suite development which will be available to anyone)

Whether that route brings enough performance for all the kinds of emulation mentioned in the OP is another matter though...
Click to expand...

Sony's not going to let people rip their UMD collections, or run SNES and Dreamcast emulators via Suite, so the majority of legit homebrewers kind of can't see that as an option.

I'd still much rather not see Vita hacked until well after the platform has made a good name for itself.
 
diffusionx

diffusionx

Gold Member
Takao said:
I'd still much rather not see Vita hacked until well after the platform has made a good name for itself.
Click to expand...

This. If the Vita is going to be hacked, then let it be hacked in a year or two, after the platform is established a bit.

But my guess is that this thing will be cracked open fairly quickly.
 
iceatcs

iceatcs

Junior Member
PSP homebrew is dying I don't think they will have motivate to comeback if Vita crack. iTunes App, Suite, Android are around.

Although underworld homebrew always will be there. Such as emulators, backup managers etc..
 
T

Takao

Banned
diffusionx said:
This. If the Vita is going to be hacked, then let it be hacked in a year or two, after the platform is established a bit.

But my guess is that this thing will be cracked open fairly quickly.
Click to expand...

I'd much rather they focus on the 3DS, but given Sony's court battles I doubt the hackers won't try.
 
M

Mandoric

Banned
No.

In terms of "proper" homebrew, the kind platform holders would smile upon, CPU and GPU performance simply isn't at much of a premium. The screen is nice, but its resolution is comparable to Android and iOS devices. I'm sure I'll have my dedicated 2ch browser and so on loaded the second they're developed, whether for Suite or a jailbreak, but it's not doing anything exceptionally better than a phone.

Homebrew-specific games have never gotten anywhere. Even programs like Yaroze or XBLIG have been extremely under-the-radar, hiding similarly wonky titles beyond a warranty void is right out.

In terms of emulation, also not really. The DS, while it certainly has quite the library, is pretty much the only candidate for Vita emulation that wasn't emulated on the PSP. Borderline systems and titles may work better, but it isn't gonna emulate the PS2 gen, and we can already do everything earlier.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
Takao said:
Sony's not going to let people rip their UMD collections, or run SNES and Dreamcast emulators via Suite, so the majority of legit homebrewers kind of can't see that as an option.
Click to expand...

If you mean run a PSP emulator to run a UMD rip, no - but the performance wouldn't be there anyway.

Same for a DC emulator, I'd guess. Some others might be possible though, performance wise, under Suite's VM. It might depend on any other technical restrictions that crop up - we shall see.

And no, Sony wouldn't distribute such things for you on PSN in any case. But with Suite you can code and transfer code to your Vita and run it - so other means of distribution would be possible, presumably...

I think we might see other 'homebrew' interest beyond emu though. Whether it's still considered homebrew if people chuck that stuff up on the PSN store though is another question... :)
 
iceatcs

iceatcs

Junior Member
Takao said:
I'd much rather they focus on the 3DS, but given Sony's court battles I doubt the hackers won't try.
Click to expand...

3DS need to be crack unlock, region lock is total stupid.

Unfortunately, all of the hacker eyes are on Sony because of the history. I hope hackers rather to focus on the device has the limitation right.
 
C

canvee

Member
I hope it doesn't get hacked. Homebrew supporters argue that they want to back up their physical games and access extra features. Vita is region free, offers digital games, and has a features packed os. I would hope that those features would ward off the hackers, but that it doubtful. I know homebrew leads to some genuinely great stuff for consumers, but it can also open the floodgates to rampant piracy and so I hope vita doesn't have to share the same fate as the psp (and ds in its later life).
 
B

badcrumble

Member
I hope the PS Suite allows for emulators, but that's just about all I need/want.

But yeah, sure, if it did get hacked, it would be a ridiculously great homebrew machine, battery life aside.
 
Y

ymmv

Banned
I hope there won't be any homebrew at all on the Vita. Real homebrew is cool, but we also know that piracy is the homebrew killer app and I don't want the Vita to suffer the same fate as the PSP in the west.
 
D

Damon Bennet

Member
badcrumble said:
I hope the PS Suite allows for emulators, but that's just about all I need/want.

But yeah, sure, if it did get hacked, it would be a ridiculously great homebrew machine, battery life aside.
Click to expand...

yess. I want a portable dreamcast. that woulde be THE reason for me to buy a vita. more than úncharted,

if suite allows for emulators everything would be fine!
 
G

googleplex

Member
MightyKAC said:
To answer your question, yes. It's raw power, reported ease of programming and multitude of input options would make it an awesome homebrew device.

Now I'll take my leave of this thread before the Homebrew = Piracy crowd comes in and renders all possibility of intellectual discourse on the matter impossible.

Edit: oh dear me it seems I've already been beaten. :p
Click to expand...
No, but no one should just be blind to the fact that there is a direct correlation between Custom firmware and piracy.
 
MightyKAC

MightyKAC

Member
googleplex said:
No, but no one should just be blind to the fact that there is a direct correlation between Custom firmware and piracy.
Click to expand...

Yes, and there's also a direct co-relation between kitchen knives and domestic stabbings, and yet we are still able to have a coherent discussion about one that doesn't necessarily involve the other.
 
R

Ri'Orius

Member
Mandoric said:
In terms of "proper" homebrew, the kind platform holders would smile upon, CPU and GPU performance simply isn't at much of a premium. The screen is nice, but its resolution is comparable to Android and iOS devices. I'm sure I'll have my dedicated 2ch browser and so on loaded the second they're developed, whether for Suite or a jailbreak, but it's not doing anything exceptionally better than a phone.
Click to expand...

Buttons.
 
S

sykoex

Lost all credibility.
kitch9 said:
Let's see.... Do I want shitty old games that have been around for years badly emulated on my shiny new device?

The answers no, the Vita needs to be unhacked to entice devs to make new stuff I'm not bored of playing.

I don't care what anyone says, "homebrew" fucked the psp over.
Click to expand...
But it was easier to get homebrew on a DS and that system did fine. Hell, same story with the PS1, modchips were rampant for that system and it still had an incredible library and sales.
 
T

Takao

Banned
sykoex said:
But it was easier to get homebrew on a DS and that system did fine. Hell, same story with the PS1, modchips were rampant for that system and it still had an incredible library and sales.
Click to expand...

Very different demographics between the PSP and the DS, and comparing the ease of downloading an ISO in the 2000s, to downloading, and burning, or buying burned games in the 90s is kind of silly.
 
D

djplaeskool

Member
sykoex said:
Hell, same story with the PS1, modchips were rampant for that system and it still had an incredible library and sales.
Click to expand...

PS1 predates widespread access to high-speed internet.
If anything, the age of digital console piracy started with the Dreamcast.
 
B

Brashnir

Member
sykoex said:
But it was easier to get homebrew on a DS and that system did fine. Hell, same story with the PS1, modchips were rampant for that system and it still had an incredible library and sales.
Click to expand...

You don't even need to look back in time that far. 360 and Wii are both easy to pirate games on, and yet game sales still demolished their PS3 counterparts back when the PS3 was impossible to pirate.

If being hard to pirate was a boon to game sales, PS3 would have been a fucking juggernaut from 2006 to 2010.
 
M

manueldelalas

Time Traveler
The only reason I'm interested in the VITA is because of it's potential to be the ultimate emulator machine, so 4 years from now, I'll probably grab one, one cheap 32GB card and hack the hell out of it. The biggest problem is the battery life, but what the hell, I hope in 4 years there is a solution for it.
 
legacyzero

legacyzero

Banned
Homebrew, YES. Piracy, NO.

I want the Vita to succeed. I have a CFW PSP myself and consider it to be one of the best investments I ever made. I absolutely love it.

Unfortunately I dont think Sony or anything any other (IE Nintendo, MS, etc) see Homebrew as anything but piracy. At least that's what it seems to me.

I hope this thread doesn't get locked over something stupid though. I hope for some good discussion for this.
MightyKAC said:
Yes, and there's also a direct co-relation between kitchen knives and domestic stabbings, and yet we are still able to have a coherent discussion about one that doesn't necessarily involve the other.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
CamHostage

CamHostage

Member
Up through PlayStation 1, the best bet for an emulation dream machine is an Android Sony Xperia Play. The emulators are out there and are always in development, the ROMs can be stored easily on a huge SD card, the controls are good (I've played one, but not a game with the sticks, so I don't know how well it handles analog), the screen is big, and the price has dropped insanely. (Right now they're already close to free on contract, I don't know what the unlocked status is but I'm sure it'll drop as the system gets older.) It won't do DC, but future Android devices, who knows.

Expecting a locked system like Vita to be freed (sure, a hack will happen, but when/if and how much popularity the hacks attain considering it's a Trophy-bound system and could lose value when hacked, hard to say; PSP homebrew was hot for a while and great software came out, but when it cooled off, it stopped cold) and solve all your emulation dreams doesn't seem even necessary considering how active the open market is these days.
 
C

Chris R

Member
My secret hope and dreams is that when the Vita gets CFW, there is some version of Pops found that can run PS2 games. I'd run out and buy a Vita (and the largest possible memory stick) so damn fast, and load it up with all my PS1 and PS2 games and be forever happy. I mean think about it... A PORTABLE PS2! It would be insane!
 
M

Mama Robotnik

Member
I wouldn't mind one way or another. If anything to provide a less extortionate way of saving data, I suppose.

The real necessity is the 3DS though, it needs to be region-free one way or another.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
rhfb said:
My secret hope and dreams is that when the Vita gets CFW, there is some version of Pops found that can run PS2 games. I'd run out and buy a Vita (and the largest possible memory stick) so damn fast, and load it up with all my PS1 and PS2 games and be forever happy. I mean think about it... A PORTABLE PS2! It would be insane!
Click to expand...

Ben Heck would be jealous
 
legacyzero

legacyzero

Banned
rhfb said:
My secret hope and dreams is that when the Vita gets CFW, there is some version of Pops found that can run PS2 games. I'd run out and buy a Vita (and the largest possible memory stick) so damn fast, and load it up with all my PS1 and PS2 games and be forever happy. I mean think about it... A PORTABLE PS2! It would be insane!
Click to expand...

Well that wouldn't be a problem as long as the freaking developers would get on board with HD re-releases for all the popular stuff. (IE MGS HD collection, DMC, FFX :)D) etc.)

But lack of support for HD re-releases would keep me interested in CFW.
 
Raonak

Raonak

Banned
Hopefully not.
It needs to fend of hackers or it'll be the psp situation all over again. ya know.western devs not wanting to develop for it due to high piracy rate

It needs to remain unhacked for atleast the first 2 years imo.

Seeing how strong the PS3 is standing up to hacking, i have high hopes that Vitas security will be as good, if not better.
Sony security engineers are mostly smart; sure the public key business was a huge mistake, but they somehow recovered from that and managed to re-lock the ps3. It's very impressive, since I and everyone else assumed that sony wouldn't be able to lock it again.
 
C

Chris R

Member
legacyzero said:
Well that wouldn't be a problem as long as the freaking developers would get on board with HD re-releases for all the popular stuff. (IE MGS HD collection, DMC, FFX :)D) etc.)

But lack of support for HD re-releases would keep me interested in CFW.
Click to expand...

But will every HD release be playable on the Vita? I mean I haven't been paying too much attention to it since it won't be out in the USA for quite some time and none of the launch titles are forcing me to buy the thing day 1. Or is it some kind of screen sharing (where the disc has to be in your PS3 and connected to the internet or local network)?
 
K

Kuran

Banned
Somewhere I really want it to have homebrew.. since the power would enable devs to get full-speed/sound Saturn and Amiga emulation.

But at the same time this comes with a heavy price, and unless it happens later in the Vita's life, it won't be welcomed by me.

I'm surprised the 3DS hasn't been hacked yet.
 
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