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PSP Custom Firmware Thread

xist

Member
When I reset the device, my System Information profile now reads 6.20 PRO-B10 for the system software and [Model: 05g Fake: 6.60] for the MAC address. Will this be enough to let my PS3 send the files over?


It should be as that system info indicates that you've successfully set up the version.txt file to broadcast a new firmware information. Although i don't have a PS3 so i haven't tested this personally.
 

Emitan

Member
The screenshot feature is so cool! This is now my wallpaper (took it from the P1 opening)
pic_0000doqbz.png


EDIT: LOL Media Go backs up homebrew
 

mollipen

Member
Picked up a PSP-2000 with 6.20 firmware while in Japan, and I've used this thread today to get myself caught up to speed on the various aspects of CF.

So far, got 6.20 PRO-B10 permanently installed, and got my device to spoof 6.60 via the plugings folder. However, what I'm now wondering about is activision with Sony. I had two PSPs activated, deactived one via my PS3, but it's still showing up as active on the Sony Ent Network site (I suppose it'll probably take a few hours to update or something).

I then plugged my 2000 into my PS3, and it gave me no problem in terms of copying over one of my PlayStation Store-purchased PSP games. However, I get an error code when trying to run the game, and while trying to activite the PSP to my account via the PS3.

I'm assume that it might be because that othe PSP isn't off my account yet, meaning my two PSP slots are taken up. BUT—then I started to wonder if I was asking for trouble by trying to activate a PSP with custom firmware.

Can PSPs with CF be activated via Sony to play PSN purchases?

Edit: Seems this problem is the 80010087 problem others have had. I've tried to search through this thread to find the exact fix, but I'm still confused on what exactly to do. *cries*
 

Jubern

Member
I actually have a similar problem right now. I bought Front Mission 3 and Xenogears the day they came out on PSN and copied them to my PSP without a problem. At the time you could still simply copy the game from PS3 without the install package and it worked perfectly, despite my PSP being 5.00 m33-6.

Thing is, I deleted Xenogears some time ago, without copying it to my computer. Meaning that now that I want to go back to it, I need to re-activate it directly from my PSP, it won't simply copy the game + security keys from my PS3 to my PSP.
And it just doesn't work, whether I try to copy from the install file on PS3 (gives me an activation error and doesn't install) or download&install the game directly from my PSP (5.50 Prom) with PSN Lover (down&install w/o a problem but it won't boot because my system is not activated and PSN won't let me do it...)

Anyone here that would know a way to resolve that?
 

xist

Member
Anyone here that would know a way to resolve that?

Update to 6.60, then install 6.60 PRO and install the game from either your PS3 or via Media Go on your PC, That should overcome your problem. Since you have an older PSP you can make it permanent too.
 

Aru

Member
So firmware 6.60 is pretty much confirmed to be the last OFW. Maybe it's time for me to permanently flash 6.60 PRO on my PSP Phat ?
 

Jubern

Member
Thanks for the help. I'm really not up to date on CFW shenigans. 6.60 being the latest official FW, does it means that 6.60 PRO will play any retail/PSN game? And play demos?

Also, I got several game saves showing as "corrupted" under 5.50. They were all fine under 5.00 though. I read it was possible to restore them as the corruption is linked to the FW and not the data itself, but do you know if it will work under 6.60 or if I should do it now?
 

Aru

Member
Game saves from some CFW might need to be repaired before you can use them in a more recent OFW/CFW.
Unless Sony releases another OFW, 6.60 will be able to play all PSP games.

I just used CIPL flasher to flash my PSP 1000. Works great. If I need to update, I just boot to OFW (by pressing the Home button when the PSP starts).

But I guess PSP is pretty much a dead platform outside of Japan, so I guess Sony won't bother with OFW updates anymore.
 

xxczx

Member
If I need to update, I just boot to OFW (by pressing the Home button when the PSP starts).
You don't really need to, the way updating works is reflashing the whole of flash0. Permanent patches aren't going to risk a brick if updating to OFW from CFW since the files are getting deleted anyway.

Though this is changing with the Vita as only necessary files are downloaded/updated (which in turn gives a smaller update size)
 

mollipen

Member
Update to 6.60, then install 6.60 PRO and install the game from either your PS3 or via Media Go on your PC, That should overcome your problem. Since you have an older PSP you can make it permanent too.

Wait, okay, just to be clear.

I have 6.20 PRO permanently installed right now, because I thought that was what was the best route. But if I update to 6.60, I can then permanently install a 6.60 PRO? Or would it be a case of running a launcher to boot up 6.60 PRO as needed?
 

Jubern

Member
Game saves from some CFW might need to be repaired before you can use them in a more recent OFW/CFW.
Unless Sony releases another OFW, 6.60 will be able to play all PSP games.

Thanks for the answers. Went back to OFW, installed 6.60 and then PRO, everything is working perfectly. Except for said saves, that is.

May I ask what is the simplest way to repair saves?
 

Thaedolus

Gold Member
So I'm thinking of jumping in on a new PSP, assuming the price may drop pretty soon here. From everything I've read there isn't a real drawback to getting the 3000 model as far as CFW goes, correct? I'm basically looking to have a setup where I can rip my own UMD games and play without having to lug them around, and be able to rip my PSX classics as well. The only thing I've seen is that I may have to launch the CFW each time, which I'm fine with so long as I can just buy a new system and not get someone's hand-me-down. I also saw there's TV out, which is a feature I'd probably use extensively.
 

Jubern

Member
You only have to relaunch the CFW if you totally shutdown the PSP. And then again, it takes seconds (booting the PSP like usual > launching the Fast Recovery tool, done).

Read the OP, very first link. It explains very well what to do.

God has this whole CFW thing turned simple... It's kinda mind-blowing when you've been in it since the FW 1.5 days^^'
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Can PSPs with CF be activated via Sony to play PSN purchases?

Yes, but unfortunately the "PSNlover" plugin can't be used on temp firmwares, IIRC so it has to be spoofed on them. So you basically have to wait or bend over backwards to get PSN access with CFW.

I dunno about the 6.60/latest firmware and it's CFW and it's compatibility with newer releases as I haven't needed to update yet.
 

fatty

Member
New update to the guide (added section about accessing PSN from 6.20 PRO and included Stumpokapow's guide for screenshots)

PSP CUSTOM FIRMWARE GUIDE - UPDATING TO 6.20 PRO OR 6.60 PRO CFW

Chances are that if you are here you are probably in one of the two following categories:

- (New?) PSP user looking to venture into the world of custom firmware (CFW)

- Existing CFW user looking to update their PSP but have been out of the loop so long that they aren't sure where to start


First thing you will have to decide is if you would rather upgrade to 6.20 PRO or 6.60 PRO. Main difference is that 6.20 PRO is a permanent installation, meaning that it will boot into custom firmware every time you reboot. 6.60 PRO is temporary, which will require you to run a program called the Fast Recovery Tool whenever you want to access CFW. Most people opt for 6.60, since running Fast Recovery Tool only takes about 5 seconds, and you will remain in CFW even if you place the PSP in sleep mode, which is what most people use anyway.

If you want to read a little more about the pros and cons check out this thread. Some small things to note, it appears that there is more support for plugins and CTF themes (customized themes for your PSP XMB) on 6.20 but most still prefer 6.60 since you have the latest official firmware and can access PSN (see note below for a workaround to access PSN with 6.20 PRO). If you're still not sure what to choose, I would recommend going with 6.60 PRO.

So let's get started...

UPGRADING YOUR PSP (CURRENTLY ON OFFICIAL FIRMWARE) TO 6.60 PRO

Follow Wololo's guide: PSP Custom Firmware for dummies

Very straight forward, if you need more help determining your type of PSP, check the first section of this guide, which includes pictures of the different PSP models. Everything else from the guide is pretty self explanatory.


UPGRADING YOUR CFW PSP TO 6.20 PRO (PERMANENT) or 6.60 PRO (TEMPORARY)

If you are on custom firmware, you will need to flash/install an original official firmware (OFW 5.00) using a program called Hellcat's Recovery Flasher before continuing with the upgrade. This is all detailed at How To Softmod (Hack) Your PSP. (Video tutorial on Youtube)

After you are on OFW 5.00 you can continue on in the same tutorial to install either 6.20 PRO or 6.60 PRO or if you prefer you can use wololo's guide to install 6.60 PRO.

Note to those choosing 6.20 PRO:
PSN still checks your firmware to see what version you are on and will require you to upgrade if you're not on the latest (6.60). Same goes for trying to transfer files from your PS3 to the PSP. To get around this, all you have to do is download this fake version of 6.60, unzip the rar file and place the version.txt file (just as it is, don't modify it) in the 'seplugins' folder located on the root drive of your PSP.

From here access the VSH menu (by pressing select) to make sure the 6.60 version.txt file is enabled: Select 'Recovery Menu', then 'Configuration', and you should see that Use version.txt in /seplugins is enabled. Exit out and reset your VSH Menu and you should be set. You can check to see that you are on Fake 6.60 by selecting your System Settings and then choosing System Information.

Thanks goes to DisturbedOne at wololo.net for the file.​

Not much else to it, since the early days of PSP CFW the process has been very streamlined and user friendly. If you are intimidated, don't hesitate to ask questions, just make sure you've read through the guides. The people here at GAF are very helpful, and have helped me more times than I can recall. Good luck!

Additional Resources:

GBAtemp.net's general modding FAQ


EMULATORS:

Emulation on PSP, WIKI at GBATEMP.net (latest version of the most popular emulators on PSP)
Emulator Favorites on PSP - new backgrounds!, thread at racketboy.com (links to a few emulators with customized backgrounds applicable to that emulator)
ofw HomeBrew list / free psp game, app, emulator, thread at wololo.net (huge list of different software for your PSP)​


CONVERTING PSOne GAMES TO PSP
Guide for Converting PSOne games to PSP Guide by jamstruth (dated Jan 28th, 2010)

You’ll need:
Alcohol 52% (or you can use ImgBurn as Mejilan does)
PSX2PSP 1.4.2

Websites for PSOne game icons for PSP:
http://forums.qj.net/psp-themes-mods-media/85800-ps1-eboot-backgrounds-icons.html

TAKING SCREENSHOTS FROM YOUR PSP (Thanks goes to Stumpokapow)

There are a bunch of different plugins that can do screenshots. The one I'm using right now is called prxshot.prx

You can download it here:
http://github.com/downloads/codestation/prxshot/prxshot-0.4.0.zip

To install:
1) Unzip, hook up PSP to USB
2) Copy the prxshot folder to Memory Stick:/seplugins/ -- if there is no seplugins folder, create it.
3) Inside seplugins folder, create game.txt, pops.txt, vsh.txt if any of the three don't exist. game.txt tells the PSP which plugins to use inside PSP games. pops.txt tells the PSP which plugins to use inside PS1 games. vsh.txt tells the PSP which plugins to use in the OS.

If you are putting the plugin on the PSP's internal storage (IE with a PSP go), write the following in all three files:
ef0:/seplugins/prxshot/prxshot.prx 1

If you are putting the plugin on the PSP's memory stick, write the following in all three files:
ms0:/seplugins/prxshot/prxshot.prx 1
Just that one line. Nothing before, nothing after.

4) Save the files. Reboot PSP. Remember to use the Pro Restore again.

To take a screenshot:
1) Press the music note button. Screenshots will shot up in PSP photos or in Memory Stick:/PSP/SCREENSHOT

To verify which plugins are running:
1) Make sure you're using CFW
2) Press select in the XMB
3) Select Recovery Menu
4) Select Plugins
5) Select either System Storage if you're using a PSP that has internal storage or Memory Stick if you're using a PSP that doesn't. You'll see the plugins there.
 

Aru

Member
Are you really sure that 6.20 PRO is permanent by default ? I thought we had to use CIPL flasher to make it permanent (or something like it). CIPL flasher is also available for 6.60 PRO, so I see little reason to not upgrade to 6.60 PRO (for most PSPs).
 

fatty

Member
Are you really sure that 6.20 PRO is permanent by default ? I thought we had to use CIPL flasher to make it permanent (or something like it). CIPL flasher is also available for 6.60 PRO, so I see little reason to not upgrade to 6.60 PRO (for most PSPs).

I tried both methods for each of my two PSPs. For the PSP Go I did 6.60 PRO and the PSP 1000 (named after yours truly), I used 6.20 PRO. I used 6.20 PRO on the fatty because it won't stay in sleep mode for very long before losing battery life so I'll shut it down all the way. But yeah, it's permanent.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Great job fatty. I think in a month or two when the Vita is out everywhere, and we're 100% sure that the PSP is done from a firmware perspective, it might be a good idea for us to lock up this thread and create a new thread with guides (mostly what you've just written). I'd like to directly mirror the guides like the Wololo one as well as getting independent mirrors for any of the files, so that we don't end up with dead links.

It's amazing how easy things have gotten.
 

xxczx

Member
Are you really sure that 6.20 PRO is permanent by default ? I thought we had to use CIPL flasher to make it permanent (or something like it). CIPL flasher is also available for 6.60 PRO, so I see little reason to not upgrade to 6.60 PRO (for most PSPs).
6.60 permanent is pseudo-permanent (and only for PSP 1000/fully hackable 2000s) There's no real way to get permanent CFW on anything higher than (IIRC) 6.20.
 

Dunan

Member
Fatty, that's a fantastic guide! I'll be travelling for a week or so and won't be able to touch my PSP, but when I get back I'm going to give it a good look and maybe go for 6.60PRO, because there just doesn't seem to be any way to get the game I bought on the PSN to run on my PSP.

Xomtor, Xist, and everyone else, thanks for all your help -- I just must be doing something wrong. I tried acquiring the game by connecting my PSP to the PS3, again while signed into the PSN on my PSP beforehand, etc., etc., but in every single case I get the 80010087 error that Shidoshi gets, and to top things off, if I try to look at the software manual (press Triangle and navigate to it when you have the game's XMB icon selected), it tells me that the copyright information for the game is not valid!

(Seriously, Sony? Something I rip from my UMD runs just fine, but when I pay you a second time to have a DRMed, unsellable, unreturnable-even-if-it-doesn't-function digital file, you tell me that there's a copyright problem?)

It's extra disappointing because I love the Valkyria Chronicles series and am happy to buy the DLC. If there are games that I'm willing to pay for twice over, this is one series that deserves that. But instead I'm stuck with $23 worth of nothing!
 

fatty

Member
Fatty, that's a fantastic guide! I'll be travelling for a week or so and won't be able to touch my PSP, but when I get back I'm going to give it a good look and maybe go for 6.60PRO, because there just doesn't seem to be any way to get the game I bought on the PSN to run on my PSP.

Xomtor, Xist, and everyone else, thanks for all your help -- I just must be doing something wrong. I tried acquiring the game by connecting my PSP to the PS3, again while signed into the PSN on my PSP beforehand, etc., etc., but in every single case I get the 80010087 error that Shidoshi gets, and to top things off, if I try to look at the software manual (press Triangle and navigate to it when you have the game's XMB icon selected), it tells me that the copyright information for the game is not valid!

(Seriously, Sony? Something I rip from my UMD runs just fine, but when I pay you a second time to have a DRMed, unsellable, unreturnable-even-if-it-doesn't-function digital file, you tell me that there's a copyright problem?)

It's extra disappointing because I love the Valkyria Chronicles series and am happy to buy the DLC. If there are games that I'm willing to pay for twice over, this is one series that deserves that. But instead I'm stuck with $23 worth of nothing!

Thanks Dunan. I placed the 6.60 version.txt file on my PSP 1000 this morning before copying the game (Castlevania Chronicles) from the PS3 to the PSP. I got a 800XXXXX error (don't remember the whole number). What I ended up doing is deleting the PSP 1000 from my registered devices on PS3 and then reactivated it. Didn't have a problem copying over after that. You might have already tried that but just thought I would throw it out just in case. Also, I was signed in through my PS3 and not the PSP.

Great job fatty. I think in a month or two when the Vita is out everywhere, and we're 100% sure that the PSP is done from a firmware perspective, it might be a good idea for us to lock up this thread and create a new thread with guides (mostly what you've just written). I'd like to directly mirror the guides like the Wololo one as well as getting independent mirrors for any of the files, so that we don't end up with dead links.

It's amazing how easy things have gotten.

Thanks. I think that would be a good idea with the new thread, esp. to have independent mirrors for the files and guides.
 

Aru

Member
6.60 permanent is pseudo-permanent (and only for PSP 1000/fully hackable 2000s) There's no real way to get permanent CFW on anything higher than (IIRC) 6.20.

Wrong. I have permanent 6.60 PRO.
I used CIPL flasher on my PSP 1000 and every time I start my PSP, it boots on 6.60 PRO and not on OFW.
 

mollipen

Member
I ended up upgrading to OFW 6.60 with 6.60-PRO available whenever I need it. Decided that was the best option, and it indeed seems to be the case. I can get all of my PSN purchases back onto the PSP, custom firmware is there when I need it, and everything is happy!

I think I will now used some of the money I saved from canceling my Vita pre-order for getting a 32GB card for this thing, so that I can actually carry around my whole collection at once. *heh* Oh PSP, why are you so swell?
 

xxczx

Member
If you fully turn the PSP off, you'll need to run the CFW patch to get the CFW working again.
No, that's semi-CFW.
What do you mean by pseudo-permanent?
Wrong. I have permanent 6.60 PRO.
I used CIPL flasher on my PSP 1000 and every time I start my PSP, it boots on 6.60 PRO and not on OFW.
... that's what I mean by pseudo.. I don't know all the technical details but it writes files to the flash0 and loads them when booting (QuickStart) So you're booting into OFW first then going into CFW. Permanent doesn't do this.

PSPs that can't load the CIPL flasher (some 2000s, 3000 and Go's) have to manually QuickStart by loading up FastRecovery. But with Go's you can just downgrade to 6.20 and use the permanent patch (3000s can also do this but last I heard, it's a fast way to a brick)
 

B.K.

Member
Is there any way to copy a PS1 game from a PS3 to a PSP on 6.20? I bought Final Fantasy VIII so I could put it on my Go and now, it won't let me copy it over. I get a message to update my PSP.
 

fatty

Member
Is there any way to copy a PS1 game from a PS3 to a PSP on 6.20? I bought Final Fantasy VIII so I could put it on my Go and now, it won't let me copy it over. I get a message to update my PSP.

Check a page back on the guide there's a section where it says 'Note to those choosing 6.20 PRO:" and it will show you what needs to be done to copy it over. Before you copy you may have to delete the PSP from your registered devices on the PS3 and then reactivate it. This is all assuming you are on custom firmware though.
 

drizzle

Axel Hertz
With all the Vita talk, I remembered I had a PSP buried somewhere. Being bored, I decided to install 6.60 ME on it. It had "5.50 Prometheus 3" CFW and it's a PSP Slim v2, so the sky is the limit for me.

I chose 6.60 ME because it's a permant CFW solution (it's not a temporary hacked to be permanent), it works with older Plugins (even though I deleted most of them by now) and was easily updateable from the 5.50 Prometheus: I didn't have to revert back to the OFW before applying it. I know 6.20 PRO is permanent and "hackeable" to access the Store, but I'm tired of half assed ways to access it. 6.60 is the latest firmware, so there isn't much that they can do to lock me out. Time to enjoy some new cheap PSN PSP games!

Seems pretty stable so far. I read some "6.60 PRO vs 6.60 ME" threads and didn't see anything that PRO has that ME doesn't. We'll see.

I also just impulse-bought two 16gb sdcards to use with my MS Pro Duo. It's been sitting on my drawer for long enough. I've been using a fake as hell 16gig MS Duo card that's falling apart: If I just push it into the slot, the PSP doesn't recognize it, I need to shove a piece of paper in there so the contacts work. That's what you get for buying cheap and obviously fake products - the metal on the contacts is too flimsy.

One Question: Is POPs Loader still a thing? 6.60 ME has a "unlocked PSX emulator", whatever that means... do I still need POPs Loader and POPs "images"?

I just wish dust would stop getting behind the plastic that protects. I have no idea why it still happens, but it does. I changed my screen before (started showing stripes to the point where it became unplayable), but I put all foam back on the same place.... Oh well, I guess I'll just open it up and wipe again.
 

mr2xxx

Banned
One Question: Is POPs Loader still a thing? 6.60 ME has a "unlocked PSX emulator", whatever that means... do I still need POPs Loader and POPs "images"?

I did the 6.2 Pro Permanent firmware and no poploader or any program was needed to load psp images or psx images.
 

drizzle

Axel Hertz
I did the 6.2 Pro Permanent firmware and no poploader or any program was needed to load psp images or psx images.
POPs Loader was never about being needed, POPs loader is about loading different versions of the PSX Emulator that shipped in different PSP Firmware. (because some games don't work with newer version of the emulators)

I'm just wondering if that's still a thing.
 

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
Yeah, the Pro CFW dudes released a new version of POPSLoader with much more support. It's pretty damn awesome.
 

abasm

Member
I really want a Go so I can play my games on my tv like a console... but I could almost buy a Vita for that price...

Remotejoy is nice, because it outputs a lossless image, and I can control the game with my PC 360 controller. (second stick and all)

The lack of TV-out on the Vita is a huge bummer. The thing is only a few shoulder buttons shy of being a portable PS3.
 

mollipen

Member
Just got one of these of amazon with 2x 16gb cards and it works like a charm for under $40.

I just ordered this exact same thing (with 2x 16GB) myself today!


My favorite use for CFW, hands-down. It's like a nut PS2 I can take outside!

Sorry for the potentially stupid question, but how are you doing this? It looks like it's just running through USB—is that true?

Edit: Er, wait, maybe I'm misunderstanding. Are you streaming content TO the PSP in that photo? Or from it?
 

abasm

Member
Sorry for the potentially stupid question, but how are you doing this? It looks like it's just running through USB—is that true?

Edit: Er, wait, maybe I'm misunderstanding. Are you streaming content TO the PSP in that photo?

Both, sort of. Google "RemoteJoy Lite".

Basically, it streams the PSP's screen out to a computer program, which also sends inputs back to the PSP (all through USB). In short, you can plug your PSP into your computer and play it as you would a PC game.

There are a few downsides to keep in mind. 480x272 gets super-pixelated when blown up (there is no up-scaling), and the program places extra demand on the PSP, so overclocking is essential. You can also adjust the quality of the output to increase responsiveness--the best balance of quality and response requires a slight sacrifice to the color range, and results in some dithering. None of those things really bother me, though.
 
Despite the newfound ease of installing CFW I'm having trouble on my psp-1000 phat. I went ahead and installed 6.60 OFW (overwriting the ancient version of 5.00 m33 I had on there) and copied all the relevant subdirectories from the 660PRO package I downloaded from the tutorial linked. Then I try to install.

The app appears to successfully install the modules and prints no error messages but it doesn't properly boot into CFW. I get a black screen, then the device powers off. I can restart into OFW and play games just fine, I just miss all the nice features of my old CFW.
 
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