PSP custom firmware thread

[dc-arena]

There are some parts of the HowTo that sound confusing. I think I'll wait for a YouTube video showing it being done before risking it.

[Richie]

There are some parts of the HowTo that sound confusing. I think I'll wait for a YouTube video showing it being done before risking it.

it's basically the same as the GTA one:

1) upgrade your psp to the OFFICIAL 3.5 firmware
2) backup your (original NOT fake) memory stick then format it using the psp itself to do the formatting
3) set the PSP to default settings and ensure the language is set to english
4) copy the exploit files over to the MS (including the 1.5 firmware update) - copy everything _inside_ the 'MSROOT' to the root of your MS - but dont copy the MSROOT folder itself
5) plug in the mains adapter (just in case) and launch the lumines UMD - your battery must higher than ~80 % as well
6) as soon as the title screen appears, press start
7) the downgrader will launch - read the (simple) onscreen instructions carefully and if you dont want to go ahead press the L shoulder button to cancel the downgrade

[TEENWOLF]

Can confirm the Lumines method works fine. Did it myself this morning to downgrade from 3.50 back to 1.50.

[dc-arena]

it's basically the same as the GTA one:

1) upgrade your psp to the OFFICIAL 3.5 firmware
2) backup your (original NOT fake) memory stick then format it using the psp itself to do the formatting
3) set the PSP to default settings and ensure the language is set to english
4) copy the exploit files over to the MS (including the 1.5 firmware update) - copy everything _inside_ the 'MSROOT' to the root of your MS - but dont copy the MSROOT folder itself
5) plug in the mains adapter (just in case) and launch the lumines UMD - your battery must higher than ~80 % as well
6) as soon as the title screen appears, press start
7) the downgrader will launch - read the (simple) onscreen instructions carefully and if you dont want to go ahead press the L shoulder button to cancel the downgrade

Cheers. What would be a fake memory stick? I have the original 32mb one and a 1gb one. Can I use either?

[Richie]

Cheers. What would be a fake memory stick? I have the original 32mb one and a 1gb one. Can I use either?

well basically there are many many fake memory sticks in circulation thanks to unscrupulous ebay sellers. some (but not all) of these fake sticks have a high failure rate. Normally you wouldn't care too much, but if it fails during a flashing process then you might be left with a broken psp.

it's really an unlikely eventuality, but I thought I'd mention it for completeness.

you can tell if your MS is fake by doing the following:

under photo, music or movie press triangle and choose information. next to MagicGate if it says "Unknown" then your stick is a fake, since MagicGate content protection encryption (lol) is mandated by Sony on all MS products. The piraters (rightly) figured that no-one would ever care about MagicGate and so didnt bother rev-engineering it.


Your 1GB stick has more than enough capacity. In theory so has your 32MB stick since the DG files are ~1.1MB and the 1.5 firmware eboot is about 16MB. I haven't used this downgrader yet but personally I would never use a 32MB stick for downgrading because one of the earlier DaX downgraders wrote log files to the MS during downgrading and this caused bricking on 32MB sticks when the space ran out. I'm sure this isn't the case anymore but I still wouldn't try it

[importaku]

Ok so i have 3.02

Whats the easiest way i can flash my psp as i don't have gta or a us copy of lumines.

Am i stuffed or is there a way?

[EvilBoris]

You need one of those 2 games

[importaku]

LOL typical i have lumines but it japanese.

Maybe one day i can have suzuki bakuhatsu running on my psp via emulator.

[Richie]

You need one of those 2 games

any us/eur copy of lumines will work, but only *some* copies of GTA LCS - those have the following codes on the UMD disc itself:

ULES-00151#
ULESE00151#1

but this one will not work

ULES-00151#2

these are UK codes. qj.net has info about US codes

but seriously - as of now lumines is still prolly easier to get

also you should note that to use GTALCS you can only go as far 3.03 - any further and it has to be lumines

[dc-arena]

Just completed the downgrade this morning. Bit scary but its all good. Now I am ready for 3.4 OE

[Richie]

and sony have already released 3.51 in Japan, the only reported change (babelfish) being a fix to a "vulnerability of security."

I wonder what that could be? So nice to see sony protecting us from ourselves, and protecting us from owning a PSP that's actually worth owning.

[Mofoman]

and sony have already released 3.51 in Japan, the only reported change (babelfish) being a fix to a "vulnerability of security."

I wonder what that could be? So nice to see sony protecting us from ourselves, and protecting us from owning a PSP that's actually worth owning.

LMAO, brilliant and so true!! I'm dissapointed that Sony is not giving us more functionality that is really useful during the updates to the firmware. I would like to see the device get some games specific extra functionality such a live arcade type service.

I really can't think of too many specifics at the moment, but I just want more from the updates. They are not just there for sony to battle hackers in my opinion, and that seems to be what they are doing instead of actually giving us more functionailty to draw people away from emulator activity, otherwise people will see that as the only reason to have the machine in the first place.

[Daragon]

Can anyone confirm that the platinum release of lumines works with this new exploit? Found a copy for a bargainous £5 in a local asda.

I already have said exploit courtesy of my GTA:LCS first release, but its nice to have a game that will downgrade any version, not to mention that I'm in need of a good puzzler for my PSP as its my handheld of choice these days.

[Richie]

LMAO, brilliant and so true!! I'm dissapointed that Sony is not giving us more functionality that is really useful during the updates to the firmware. I would like to see the device get some games specific extra functionality such a live arcade type service.

I really can't think of too many specifics at the moment, but I just want more from the updates. They are not just there for sony to battle hackers in my opinion, and that seems to be what they are doing instead of actually giving us more functionailty to draw people away from emulator activity, otherwise people will see that as the only reason to have the machine in the first place.

thanks man :-)

I'll apologize now for going off topic but yeah I completely agree with you too in that I hate this age where 'updates' actually REDUCE functionality. I mean what sort of message does this send out to the non-geek masses? It's going to end up in a security nightmare when people realise that they cant tell if an upgrade will actually make their hard-earned hardware less functional, and permanently so.

things like XBLA and wiiware indicate that allowing homebrew isn't just feasible but also financially sensible. again i agree with you that I want more from updates but dont know quite what - i'd just love to be surprised and feel 'no way - i must install that!'. Having said that, a live arcade thing might really be the killer app the PSP needs. I just get the feeling that those who might be put off writing homebrew for a big TV console might go for homebrew on a little PSP that's less daunting.

and, of course, it's been said countlessly before but such a move would remove any justification for installing a pirate-friendly firmware (not that I have anything but the highest respect for DaX).

[NekoFever]

Can anyone confirm that the platinum release of lumines works with this new exploit? Found a copy for a bargainous ?5 in a local asda.

Yes, it works. There's only one version of the game and it has the exploit in it. GTA only got patched because Sony made them do it before they'd press any more copies. Lumines is OOP at the moment so there aren't any more to press unless they get really desperate about it and try a recall.