Hacking Simple PS3 firmware question.

[Razum]

Alright, I'm looking to buy a new PS3 in the next week or so, and I'm also wanting to be able to softmod it.

Just 2 quick questions.

1) Do I have to worry about getting a PS3 under a specific OFW? Or is it relativly easy to mod regardless of what OFW I end up with?

2) Will I have any limitations on the system by modding it? Can I still play online and all that?

Thanks in advance guys.

Ah, and while I'm thinking about it, is a soft modded PS3 able to unlocked locked DLC?

 

[ilman]

q.1 Yes, you'll need to look for a ps3 with a firmware at least 3.55, or else you'll have to downgrade , which I've heard leads to a high chance of bricking.
q.2 Yes, as far as I know, you can't go online with a modded firmware and you can't play the newest games(although I've heard of spoofing the firmware).

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Get one of the older slims if you can, you need to have a PS3 with the lowest possible firmware being 3.55, this is the highest firmware with CFW atm. If you get any PS3 that did not have 3.55OFW on it at some point you can NOT downgrade it to 3.55. Also, if you get any PS3 above 3.55 you'll have to downgrade it with the use of a hardware flasher (by opening the console up). As for limitations, there are people who say you can get banned for going online but there are others that say you can't. I have no clue which. You also can't play most newer games on 3.55 unless you have a firmware spoofer like the True Blue dongle. There are patches for some, however, but it's a small selection.

 

[Razum]

Is there by chance any good way to tell what range of OFW is on the system before popping it open and checking in the menu? Serial number range, models, etc.

The one's that I'm currently thinking about are at Best Buy and I believe it's a slim 160 gb.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Is there by chance any good way to tell what range of OFW is on the system before popping it open and checking in the menu? Serial number range, models, etc.

The one's that I'm currently thinking about are at Best Buy and I believe it's a slim 160 gb.

You'd probably be better off buying a used or refurbished one online, that way you know you're getting an older product and it has a better chance of having lower OFW.

Also, if you receive your PS3 but you aren't sure what the lowest Firmware version you can downgrade to is you can follow my tutorial here and figure that out as well.

 

[Razum]

Hm... PS3 modding works a bit differently then Wii or PSP is seems. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind.

1) The most up-to-date exclusives I'm looking to play are Tales of Graces F and One Piece: Kaizoku Musou. Are they currently unplayable (via disk or hard drive) when using custom firmware?

2) Losing online play isn't a big deal for me, but would I still be able to connect to the Playstation Store for DLC and such?

3) Realistically, will we be seeing ways to soft mod more up-to-date firmware? (I know there's no way to know for sure, just a best guess).

4) What am I looking for on the box (for new) or the system (for used) to tell me if it's a good candidate for having the proper firmware?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for all the help.

 

[Magsor]

1. probably but it requires the true blue dongle to play newer games.
2. no but you can download most dlc and such from pirate(har har) websites.
3. we don't know the future
4. you can't tell what firmware is inside unless you find a unopened fat ps3 or slim 120 or 250 gb. In the used market you really can't tell until you boot the machine up.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

4) What am I looking for on the box (for new) or the system (for used) to tell me if it's a good candidate for having the proper firmware?
Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for all the help.

The best way to determine whether or not your PS3 can be downgraded would be searching for specific used ones. It's generally not hard to find someone who will sell the lower-firmware capable machines.

Although last I knew, Gamestop still sells refurbished lower firmware PS3s. Try buying one from there and if it isn't it, return it/exchange it. Or you could even ask the employees, you never know what you might find.

 

[Razum]

Well, thanks for all the help guys.

I looked into used ones over at gamestop and after seeing the prices (the ones they had in stock were 239.99) and the overall trade-in value of what I brought in ($49 offered total), I decided to just buy a new 160 GB at Best Buy (who had $25 off the ps3 for rewardszone members this week and gave me $137 for my trade-ins).

The system is unfortunately OFW 3.72 which means no modding for me at this point. Fortunately, I'm fairly confident that the community will eventually find a way to get CFW on that system so it's not a total lose as far as hacking goes.

Thanks for all the assistance guys, and let me know if you have anything else to recommend or add.