PSP Custom Firmware Guide
In this guide we will discuss the differences between the major custom firmwares that are most commonly used by the PSP, in this modern time, helping you to choose the custom firmware that best suits you.
There are really only 6 custom firmwares out there that are used nowadays, these include the famous 5.00 M33-6, 5.03 GEN-C and 5.50 GEN D-3 Final, 6.20/6.39 TN, 6.20/6.39/6.60 PRO and 6.39/6.60 ME.
There are two types of custom firmware
1). Full Custom firmware, which relies on the use of the pre-ipl exploit and flashes a custom ipl onto your PSP. This makes the CFW firmware permanent on your PSP, where it will always be on CFW even after a shut down. These types of custom firmwares are only available for PSP 1000s and certain PSP 2000 models (Non Ta-088v3). These PSPs are termed fully hackable and allows the use of a Pandora Battery and Magic Memory Stick to recovery from a brick.
Examples that use this method is 5.00 M33-6, 5.50 GEN-D3 and 6.60 ME.
2). Light/Partial Custom Firmware, relies the use of a kernel exploit and rebooting the PSP into a Homebrew Enabled (HEN) Environment. This method is really only used on PSP 2000 with newer motherboards (Ta-088v3), PSP 3000s and the PSP GO. This is used because these new PSP models, patched the pre-ipl exploit, rendering the old method of full custom firmware not possible. These new PSPs cannot recover from a brick with a Pandora battery and Magic Memory Stick also.
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Light custom firmwares usually involves flashing new modules to flash0 on the PSP, without replacing any existing ones, offering most features, if not all features of a full custom firmware. The only disadvantage to this type of firmware is that once you fully shutdown your PSP, you must reload the files to enter HEN/LCFW mode once again. Also because they only flash additional modules, the chance of bricking is minimal.
Examples are 5.03 GEN-C, 6.20 TN and 6.20/6.35 PRO
Although 6.20 TN and 6.20/6.35 PRO is strictly speaking a Homebrew Enabler (HEN), they offer more features than the usual HEN, therefore they are usually called Light Custom Firmwares, where if you fully shut down your PSP, you must load the HEN again to enter HEN mode again.
This Custom Firmware is a full custom firmware where it uses the pre-ipl exploit, and flashes a custom ipl to your PSP, such that the PSP will always be in CFW even after a cold reboot. This CFW is only available for PSP 1000s and fully hackable PSP 2000s (Non Ta-0088v3).
5.00 M33-6 is the latest and more than likely the last CFW by the famous Dark_Alex. It contains the usual set of features of a custom firmware like native ISO loading, plugin support, recovery menu, vsh menu etc. This firmware is said to be the very stable and offers the best homebrew and plugin compatibility. It offers support for the 1.50 kernel addon increasing homebrew compatibility, which is not featured in any other CFW.But due to the lack of updates, it lacks support of new PSP titles, making them only playable by patching the ISO using the Prometheus modules/addon by Liquidzigong.
•High plugin and homebrew compatibility
•Supports Popsloader, increasing PSX compatibility
•Support for 1.50 kernal addon
•Most stable 5.xx full custom firmware
•ISO Video Mount
•MS Speed Hack, improving speed of fake Memory Pro Duos
Cons
•Lack of support of new PSP titles without patching
•No native PSN access
These firmwares are custom firmwares developed by Team GEN of PSPGEN.
5.03 GEN-C is a light custom firmware which utilises ChickHEN and flashes additional modules to add plugin and iso loading functionality to ChickHEN.
5.50 GEN-D3 is a full custom firmware available only for fully hackable PSPs, namely all PSP 1000 models and selected PSP 2000 models.
There are few advantages to these firmwares, which are said to be based off the M33 CFW. The only real advantage as compared to 5.00 M33-6 is that it supports more new PSP titles without patching , yet due to the lack of support, it has fallen to same position as M33, where newer PSP titles must be patched for them to be playable with the use of Prometheus modules/addon.
Compared to M33, it is said to be less stable, buggy, offers less homebrew compatibility.
•Supports some new PSP titles without patching
•Supports Popsloader, increasing PSX compatibility
Cons
•Not very stable, containing many bugs
•Less homebrew/plugin compatibility compared to M33
•No MS speed hack, native PSN support or 1.50 kernal addon support
6.20 TN is a HEN/LCFW developed by Total_Noob. It was the first publicly released 6.xx HEN causing the initial revival of the PSP scene in a 6.xx era.
6.39 TN-A is just a ported version of 6.20 TN-E for 6.39 OFW. It offers the same features and compatibility as TN-E.
This HEN is purely temporary based, where no modules are flashed onto the PSP, residing only in the RAM, thus there's zero chance of bricking. Although it is a HEN, it offers many custom firmware features including custom PSX/PSN PS1 support, plugins support, vsh menu.
Also due to the developer's stand against piracy, it offers no native iso loading support, but this is made up through exclusive features including a start-up password system and a recovery menu like feature, embedded onto the XMB, known as TN-Settings, where one can enable/disable plugins and change XMB/Game clock speed etc.
Unfotunately due to many haters/flamers complaining about the lack of native ISO support, TN HEN has potentially ceased any further developement, making TN-E potentially the last public TN-HEN released.
•High homebrew compatibility
•Password system at start-up
•TN-Settings, for changing configurations and enable/disable plugins on XMB
•Native PSN access
•Completely temporary based (Zero chance of bricking)
Cons
•No native ISO loading support
•No Popsloader support, decreasing custom PSX compatibility
6.20/6.35/6.39/6.60 PRO-B10 is a (L)CFW developed by Virtuous Flame and Coldbird , based on the kernel exploit used by Total_Noob's HEN and the kernel exploits used in some1's 6.60/6.39/6.38 Downgrader. This CFW is currently the only 6.xx open source CFW.
Also due to it being open-source, many existing PSP devs have joined in the developement of PRO cfw, and now is actively developed with many new features being integrated eg. MS Speed Hack and ISO video mount.
This firmware flashes additional modules to the flash0 of the PSP, thus there is a slight chance of bricking. These firmwares, has native iso loading support, plugin support , custom PSX support, recovery menu etc. The most promoted feature, at the moment, is its Inferno ISO Driver, which is based of the M33 driver, but is fixed of its many bugs, therefore promoting high ISO compatibility of newer PSP titles.
There is little difference between the 6.20 and 6.35/6.39/6.60 version. The only difference between the two, is that the 6.20 version has a 'Permanent Patch' option. This option allows the replacement of the vshmain module, which is loaded as soon as the PSP boots, with another signed custom vshmain module, which loads the flashed PRO modules upon start-up, creating a type of 'Full' custom firmware, in a sense that it automatically boots into CFW mode even after a coldboot. This option is available for any PSP model(including the PSP GO and some PSP 3000s) that came with a default 6.20 or less firmware.
The 6.35/6.39/6.60 version does not contain this option, thus you must load the LCFW EBOOT to enter CFW mode after each coldboot. This option is not available due to Sony using a new signature key for 6.3X+ firmwares.
This Custom Firmware is also the first 6.XX CFW to support Popsloader, where developer, Virtuous Flame, developed a new Popsloader for 6.xx PRO CFW, increasing the support/compatability for custom PSX games.
•Inferno Driver, increasing compatibility for new PSP titles.
•Native PSN access support
•Permanent Patch option for 6.20 version.
•If Permanent Patch is used, pressing select at startup will boot into Official Firmware.
•ISO Video Mount
•MS Speed Hack
•Open Source CFW and is in constant developement.
•Popsloader support, increasing custom PSX support
Cons
•Flashes additional modules to flash0, therefore there is a slight chance of bricking, but it is minimal.
•Lower homebrew/plugin support compared to 5.xx firmwares.
6.39 ME-9.7/6.60 ME 1.6 is a custom firmware developed by Neur0n.
There are 2 versions, one being a full custom firmware which flashes a custom IPL, only available for PSP 1000s and certain PSP 2000s (Non Ta-088v3).
The other version being a Light Custom Firmware, which only flashes additional modules and is not permament, this version supports all PSP 1000/2000/3000/GO models.
There are no differences between the two regarding features, only one being permanent while the other isn't.
This CFW contains all features of a modern custom firmware including PSX support, native ISO loading, plugins support, vshmenu, recovery menu etc.
This CFW is slowly becoming a sucessor of M33, as it slowly begins include many features included in M33 firmware, like the MS Speed Hack.
It is a firmware that is still in it's development stages, thus it's degree of stability is unknown, but it offers a feature, where if you push HOME Buttom upon boot up, 6.39/6.60 official firmware is loaded instead.
In order to install this firmware, the user's PSP usually must already be on a Homebrew Enabled Environment or in an existing custom firmware.
Also due to it being a custom firmware of the latest official firmware 6.60, it should offer support for the newest PSP titles.
Also this CFW is one of the few 6.xx CFW to support Popsloader, where developer Neur0n developed a patch/plugin, known as popsbridge, which utilises the existing 'Popsloader for 6.XX PRO', making it compatable on ME CFW.
•Custom firmware of the latest official firmware, thus giving all features of latest official firmware
•Native PSN access support
•Ability to enter official firmware by pressing HOME Buttom on start-up
•High ISO compatibility, with 5 ISO drivers (ME,Normal,M33,OE,NP9660)
•Plugin manager in VSH Menu
•ISO Video Mount
•MS Speed Hack
•Popsloader support, increasing custom PSX support/compatability
Cons
•Still in its developement stages, thus stability in unknown
•Less homebrew/plugin support compared to 5.xx formware, but seems to have the best 6.xx plugin support
Overall 5.xx custom firmwares offer more homebrew and plugin support, due to the fact that most homebrew have not been updated to support 6.xx firmwares.
They also offer more custom PSX support, as popsloader is supported. But due to their lack of support , ISO compatibility has become low without patching, making these firmware slowly becoming a thing of the past.
6.xx custom firmwares are slowly becoming the most used custom firmware at this time. Although they offer less homebrew/plugin/PSX support, they are still in development, and are in constant improvement, yet they do offer high ISO compatibility of newer PSP titles and native PSN supprot. Also with new motherboards models appearing on new PSP 3000/PSP GO models, coming with a default 6.xx+ firmware, these 6.xx (L)CFW are available for any PSP model that came with 6.60 or less firmware, making it the most compatible firmware in this modern age.
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