The PSP in Profile - PSP's and the Custom Firmware Choices of Toda
And so to address the Eternal Question…Is there really a God, what are we all here for and is 42 a relevant answer?…ahem, which PSP firmware Is best?
The simple answer is that no firmware is in itself the best, they simply fulfil the requirements of the individual using the PSP. There have always been alternative custom firmwares on offer even when Dark Alex was active but at the time the choice was simple…OE, M33 or whatever iteration of the team’s release history simply eclipsed the opposition. However the PSP got old and developers gradually grew disinterested and so when Alex left the scene for the second, and seemingly final, time the future looked bleak. Who would provide future updates when new protections were implemented?…and that’s just about when “FIRMWARE WARS!” began. Ultimately it’s personal choice in the most part, but the differences and Pro’s and Con’s between them do help that decision, as does the model of PSP you possess. Additionally we’ll only be considering what I’ve called “end-stage” firmware releases…the final iteration in the chain of releases which in virtually all firmwares is the definitive CFW to opt for in that series .So where best to start than with a nice diagrammatic reference showing exactly which firmwares will work on which PSP models. This will give you a quick idea of your options...read on for further elaboration.
(Yes people still use it!)
5.00M33-6 is NOT for all. In fact it’s not for many people at all, in part because nearly all PSP’s released from mid 2008 won’t work with it, and also because it’s become user unfriendly for want of a better descriptor. So who can use it and why should they? (the following refers to the Vanilla M33 install....)
PSP 3000 and PSP Go owners move along now. This isn’t the firmware you’re looking for...it simply isn’t compatible. As for PSP 1000 users you’re good to go should you desire. However, it’s those darned PSP 2000’s that throw a spanner in the works….it all comes down to motherboards and whether you have a protected Pre-IPL and IPL chain (rendering your PSP incompatible with this firmware) or not. Now with the advent of signed homebrew and temporary HEN’s and CFW’s it’s become a simple matter to identify your motherboard (and I won’t go into the details here other than to say PSPIdent does a sterling job), but if on checking you find your PSP 2000 has a TA-088v3 motherboard you can go and join the 3000 and Go owners. This PSP motherboard CANNOT use M33 firmwares.
So we’re now left with PSP 1000’s (all of them) and the PSP 2000’s which DO NOT have a TA-088v3 board…you guys can use M33-6. Again it’s beyond my mandate to explain installs (which I won’t be doing for any firmwares discussed) but suffice to say a simple Recovery Flash will work wonders with a small update if required. So that’s WHO can use it…but WHY would you want to?
Firstly there’s the 1.50 Kernel. Now this is an old and virtually redundant component, only to be used on PSP 1000’s, but there are some homebrews that were coded solely for this Kernel. Meaning that the only way to use them is to own a PSP 1000, on 5.00m33-6 with the 1.50 Kernel installed. It was also argued for a long time about the performance of certain 1.50 emulators superseding their revisions although today this may be a moot point. No other firmware has the 1.50 option, and whilst there are some very comparable options to gain some 1.50 compatibility in other firmwares or systems, such as LEDA or Time Machine, they are not the real thing. In all honesty the 1.50 kernel is mainly going to be a curio for the inquisitive…most of these homebrews weren’t that great to start with, but there some out there that still see some use today.
In all firmwares from 3.80 and up Sony heavily "optimized" the fatmsmod.prx, the memory stick driver governing access speed. Now whilst the 3.71 fatmsmod.prx can be flashed to 5.50 GEN to somewhat alleviate this issue DAX did something better. He added a setting to the Recovery Menu which boosted the access speed to the memory stick, rendering it faster than both Sony’s optimised driver and the old 3.71 fatmsmod. Why does this matter? Obviously this is a personal thing but many people report that PSP games in both ISO and CSO format, and even PSX games load faster with this option enabled, with less lag and skipping in FMV’s if the game is compressed or the memory stick itself is slow. Additionally, slower memory sticks can have issues with loading many plugins at boot (especially the case in the CR5400 adapters) and thus enabling this speed boost can solve many plugin compatibility issues (CWCheat can be a culprit here).
5.00 M33-6 also has access to the popsloader plugin and it’s argued that PSX eboot compatibility is at its pinnacle on this firmware. Whilst GEN has popsloader too, it doesn’t have access to 5.00 pops and additionally may possess quirks in its usage that 5.00 M33-6 doesn’t have. Simply put, if you want to ensure the best compatibility for user created PSX eboots then 5.00 M33-6 is where it’s at. This plugin compatibility carries over across the board, with M33 boasting arguably the greatest range of compatible themes and plugins purely down to the time it’s been around and the fact that it’s based off the work of the people who produced earlier firmwares.
And finally you have the age old argument about stability….it’s up to you how you feel about this one because it’s hardly as if the other options are causing PSP’s to drop like flies, but many people feel safer with a tried and trusted firmware….just like a folk tale told around the campfire many M33 users just don’t want to update and fear change.
So this sound great so far...well the glaring problem here is that M33 is NOT natively compatible with games which required 5.5x+ firmwares. From around the release dates of Beaterator, Il Sturmovik and Disgaea 2 to the present day, games will NOT run without minor fixes. Needless to say with the use of tools such as Yoshiro’s game decrypter, Revenge-Crew’s Eboot.bin Patcher, torky’s M33 plugin and Takka’s ISO Tool they’ll all work fine on M33 with a few button presses, but many people don’t wish to fix their own games and want ease of use and native compatibility. In addition many UMD’s cannot be fixed so whilst later CFW’s can play games UMD, M33 cannot in many cases. However, that same incompatibility with new games has a trade off….5.00 M33-6 plays all the older PSP games which may be broken in other firmwares. Now these may be few and far between but if you want security in the back catalogue and are able to patch new games yourself you have the best of both worlds.
This is where the user unfriendliness crops up. If you’re new to the PSP, want minimum fuss or just can’t be bothered to check for fixes and patches you shouldn’t be using M33. Personally I’d never advise any new entrant to the PSP scene of today to start here….get familiar with the console and if you wish to try a plugin, theme or homebrew that only works on M33, or want to try out the speed boost or some non-compliant PSX game, then come back.
PRO’s
• 1.50 Kernel possible
• Fastest Memory Stick Access
• Very Wide Plugin/theme/homebrew Compatibility
• Best compatibility with user created PSX eboots
• Plays entire PSP library prior to introduction of 5.50 OFW natively.
CON’s
• All games from the advent of 5.50 require decrypting/patching
• Not all PSP’s can utilise 5.00M33-6
Fun fact! – On 3.90 M33 versions Dark Alex implemented a surprise easter egg…a Happy M33-Day surprise on April 2nd (- or March 33rd!)
Patching Games for M33 (and GEN)
Patching games to play on 5.00M33 and 5.03/5.50 GEN is not hard...for the vast majority of games which require decryption/patching to work on these firmwares the process is as follows:-
• Get the latest version of ISO Tool and place it in PSP/Game. Then run it
• Select the ISO
• Select EBOOT decrypt.
• It will ask you if you wish to backup the EBOOT.BIN. Should you be modifying your only copy of the ISO, then press yes to keep an original.
• ISO Tool will then ask if you wish to version patch. Select Yes.
• Let it do it’s work.
• Now select the ISO again and select Patch Prometheus.
• Select the Prometheus patch option appropriate for your game (most of the time the ME631 option is a good choice.) However, these modules are not included, so you’ll need to grab them as well when you get ISO Tool and place them in PSP\GAME\iso_tool\DATA\prometheus\ME631\
Again similar to 5.00 M33-6 if you have a PSP 3000, a PSP Go or a PSP 2000 with a TA-088v3 motherboard then 5.50 GEN D3 isn’t for you. 5.03 GEN C, a temporary version of the GEN firmware is an option however for TA-088v3’s and PSP 3000’s (still nothing for Go users).
When it was clear Alex had gone for good, and new games started popping up that wouldn’t play on 5.00 M33-6 it was clear that a new solution was needed. At first various decrypters popped up to get around this issue, but as time went on Team GEN (Yoshiro et al.) managed to implement use what they’d learnt from M33 and create a 5.50 CFW which was able to decrypt and play these games. At the time the compatibility of 5.50 GEN was generally more dependable for those newer protected games (although GEN did manage to break compatibility with some older games…. explained by Liquidzigong elsewhere) and so many people flocked to the new firmware. After all they wanted to play the new games with the minimum of fuss, and Dark Alex didn’t look like he was coming back.
However, GEN had some nasty problems, with release mixups and problems with save corruption on moving up (or even down) to it. As time went on GEN D3 Final work out it’s foibles and seemed the best solution for many, with the patching tools we have today not so easy to use and people seeking an easier method to play their games. Like M33, GEN had decent plugin support, although they all had to be ported to this new 5.50 firmware, and critically had popsloader compatibility (though 5.50 GEN D3 is reported as inferior to 5.00 M33-6 for overall PSX use). However, given that the team behind this firmware didn’t have the experience of Dark Alex, GEN D3 also lost features which had been present on previous firmwares, such as the Memory Stick Speed Up and the almost total compatibility with older games, homebrews and plugins.
Whilst all this was happening there had been an explosion in the exploitation of firmware vulnerability and the PSP Dev Davee of Team Typhoon released a Homebrew Enabler called Chickhen. Whilst this didn’t play ISO’s on its own, it allowed the running of homebrew from the XMB and after various different Custom Firmware Enablers, the 5.03 GEN series cropped up resulting in 5.03 GEN C. This was a temporary firmware that resided in the PSP’s memory when it was on and required Chickhen to initialise (leading to PSP’s being left in Sleep mode rather than powered off). Similar to 5.50 GEN it possessed the innate decryption that alternatives didn’t have and a good support for plugins, popsloader included.
However, roll forward to today and the introduction of 6.xx games and their protections and GEN D3 can no longer play new games without patching, nor can it confidently claim total support of all old games. With the introduction of alternative firmwares and components to play these games it’s entire raison d'être had been removed as it no longer makes things easy for new users, and the merits it had over 5.00 M33-6 seem increasingly fragile.
In reality the reason for picking 5.50 GEN D3 as a final firmware to stick on seems very tenuous. It offers little to no advantage over later firmwares and even lags behind preceding firmwares in some respects. There is little to no reason for opting for GEN firmware as all it has no unique feature.
PRO’s
• Good plugin support, most importantly popsloader compatibility
CON’s
• New games still require patching, some old games may be broken by the GEN components
• Save corruption.
• Today virtually every alternative firmware does most things better than GEN
• Upgrading can be a pain thanks to the version.txt modification
Fun fact! – Miriam, creator of the original GEN firmware during the 3.xx kernel days is allegedly coder Helldashx (also responsible for earlier firmwares) Alex and Miriam/Helldash had a bit of a falling out over the whole GEN firmware…
Update woes???
With the scene dependent upon game patches and fixes to keep the games compatible with current firmwares , a Chinese coder going by the usernames Liquidzigong (or alternately hrimfaxi) who had been releasing individually applied fixes, created a bolt on set of components for both GEN and M33 firmwares (giving rise to.) Again, these could give rise to various conflicts with older games, plugins or homebrew but in the main served as an ideal solution for many, enabling them to remain on whichever firmware they were currently on and yet incorporate a game decrypter into it.
Of the three releases, and having dismissed GEN as redundant given that newer firmwares are generally accepted as preferable for most people, 5.00 M33-6 is the only one still commonly recommended today. Whilst it can lead to some incompatibilities and save issues those who wish to stick with a firmware they know, keep the MS Speed boost and use popsloader can often be found to use this Prometheus module, rendering newer games which had required patching, playable as clean images. The Prometheus Module incorporates many of the fixes found in ISO Tool and serves as a neat way to increase game compatibility whilst remaining on an old firmware base.
To that end recommending it as a final resting place seems a difficult call….if you want the definite advantage of 5.00 M33-6 don’t mess with it, just patch your own games. If you want to play clean games without patching update to one of the newer 6.xx firmwares.
PRO’s
• Plays 5.5x+ games clean on earlier firmwares
CON’s
• It’s essentially a cop out firmware add on. Good as an introduction but I wouldn’t stick here.
Total Noob has violated GPL license agreements in his work and thus cannot be supported. If you value your freedoms use PRO or ME.
Who can use it? Virtually everyone, with the only prerequisite being 6.20 firmware. That means PSP 3000, TA-088v3 and PSP Go owners finally get a look in!
Whilst Liquidzigong worked on patches for games, and additional components to add to extant firmwares work was underway on the 6.xx firmware. A PSP developer named Total_Noob had discovered a potential exploit which might allow Kernel access. This was of great interest to many, especially those who owned PSP 3000’s and Go’s and were unable to downgrade to a usable firmware. Up to now those who were updated too far to utilise Chickhen were reliant on usermode exploits such as Half Byte Loader.
Total_Noob created a Homebrew Enabler (a HEN) which worked on 6.20, and with the backing of PSPGEN and some behind the scenes contact with Coldbird and Virtuous Flame to share ideas and advice, he released TN HEN A, the first fully working HEN for 6.20. Whilst it didn’t support ISO’s natively, two ISO loaders were quickly released (by dridri and Liquidzigong) enabling PSP Go owners to finally enjoy the treasures of games not yet featured on the PSN.
TN HEN E additionally boasted custom eboot support for PSX games, PSN access, a wide plugin and homebrew support, and with the arrival of signed applications would run natively from the XMB after a full power off (it is after all still just a Lite Custom Firmware which is only temporary). It doesn’t boast complete support for the library of PSX eboots, nor does it have support for the popsloader plugin as this has not yet been ported to the 6.xx kernel. ISO support with the custom loaders is again slightly variable, with almost all new games working fine but with one or two hiccoughs present in older games from the birth of the PSP.
Additionally Total Noob ported the HEN to 6.39 giving those on 6.39 an alternative to PRO firmware. This effectively shares the same pro's and con's as TH HEN-E with no built in ISO loader, although ardi has released a patched version 6.39 TN HEN-A Xtended which does have ISO drivers including the Inferno option of PRO.
PRO’s
• Runs on EVERY Console capable of 6.20 OFW.
• Signed…no need of an enabling homebrew
• Good plugin support
• Custom PSX support
• Password lock at startup
CONS’s
• PSX and PSP game support somewhat weaker than PRO firmwares , requiring an additional ISO Loader
• Potentially finished further development.
• Permanent version allegedly somewhat buggy
Again, much like TN HEN the only prerequisite is that you have either 6.20, 6.35 or 6.39. firmware. PSP Go’s, 3000’s and TA-088’s are fine with this as are all previous models.
Whilst Liquidzigong had been active with his Prometheus modules and firmware modification to fix games for 5.00, 5.03, and 5.50, Prome-4 was never intended to launch the way it did. He’d released it to a closed test group and when a Moderator on his home site decided to leak it (all his beta testers had tagged versions…Holly Li didn’t spot this….) he felt betrayed. Packing up Prometheus from then on he left rendering it dead.
Sometime later, with TN HEN on the horizon and hope pinned on that for the future of the scene, renowned coders Coldbird and the newly arrived Virtuous Flame were developing a 6.31 PRO LCFW, trying to trump TN HEN and boasting an inbuilt ISO Loader. Later this changed to 6.35 as its base as 6.35 shared the same vulnerability, and as time went on we ended up with a cracked 6.39 as well, thus giving the most recent releases of 6.20, 6.35 and 6.39 PRO firmwares. Despite those differing version numbers they are effectively identical, the main difference being that the 6.20 firmware can be flashed permanently to all motherboards bar the 07/09g 3000, whilst the 6.39 PRO firmware can be flashed permanently to FULLY HACKABLE 2000's and 1000's using a custom IPL (CIPL). It differs in many respects to TN HEN with a built in ISO loader, it’s own ISO Driver (Inferno) and great PSX and PSP game support. Similarly to TN HEN it’s signed to allow temporary versions ease of use and minimum fuss for reboots on full power off, although since the temporary version and permanent version share features, and the downgrader by Davee allows movement from 6.35 to 6.20 many people simply opt for the permanent version. However, unlike TN HEN, the PRO firmwares do modify flash0 very slightly, and whilst the changes are backed up when installing, if you’re not comfortable modifying your internal system files then consider your options. The uninstaller does restore the original file as with any file flashing there is an associated risk, albeit very small.
Featuring a Recovery Menu, a dual boot to OFW for the Permanent version, PSX manual support and a whole host of fixes and customisations, along with PSN support it really seemed ideal. However whilst generally very capable, PRO does tend to suffer from less plugin and homebrew compatibility than TN HEN although many feel that this is a minor quibble. Additionally those who want the best of both worlds and are on 6.20 and using the temporary PRO firmware can boot between the two (TN HEN and PRO). Most recently PRO team have implemented their own version of DA's speed boost, a permanent flashable version of 6.39 for fully hackable 1000/2000's and UMD Video support. For many the icing on the cake for PRO firmware is the addition of popsloader so that previous versions of pops can be used for PSX eboots. However, this is not perfect across the hardware and using pops versions from firmwares not supported by your PSP's motherboard tends to be a bit of potluck.
If there's any hope for the PSP it rests mostly with the people involved in PRO.
PRO’s
• Great ISO and PSX support (with unique Inferno ISO driver)
• Inbuilt ISO Loaders
• Actively Developed
• Signed and Permanent Versions both stable
• PSN Support
• Speed Up/RAM cache option
• Popsloader
CON’s
• Plugin and homebrew support generally accepted to be currently inferior to TN HEN E
• Does modify flash0
Downgrading from 6.35 to 6.20 - The 6.35/6.31 -> 6.20 Downgrader By Davee
Neur0n, another established coder had also been beavering away with things and is currently engrossed in ME, a firmware which aims to port the best bits of 5.00M33 to 6.39. Obviously it’s still a work in progress and can be buggy but features a Recovery Menu, M33 and OE ISO drivers and supposedly good plugin and game support. Additionally it will boot into 6.39 Official Firmware if the Home Button is depressed on power up and can be set up to dual boot with PRO firmwares.
With an ISO Mount option, support for both temporary and fully flashed console options and a seemingly good plugin compatibility it's certainly shaping up, plus Neur0n has taking the popsloader component of PRO firmware and integrated into his latest release (via an additional user customisation)
However, with his joining Team PRO it's a safe bet to say the future PRO firmwares will adopt many of this firmwares features.
PRO’s
• ISO Video Mount
• Plays new PSP games and PSX games.
• Plugin support
• Dual boot OFW and CFW
• Constant updates!
• Modified PRO popsloader
CON’s
• Compared to PRO the changelog reads like a comedy of errors....filled with minor patches and fixes the firmware suffers from a somewhat greater degree of unpredictability.
Whilst hope will never run dry, many on later firmwares, or those who simply don’t wish to run a CFW have an alternative solution…self-authenticating their games so that they’ll play on CFW. Now, thanks to TonyDansa we have an easy way to quickly and efficiently make PSP ISO’s which will work on OFW using ISO2eboot_v2. Utilising the Fake_np v5 application from TPU users can effectively repackage their games with demo headers so that their OFW thinks that they’re authentic demos.
So how does this work? Well there are some proviso’s - first games may not exceed the largest released demo size thus far which is around 728Mb (meaning you’ll need to remove content or downsample audio/video from larger games with something like UMDGen). It should also work on already patched games but it was initially created for clean images only, and as ever not all games will be compatible. Additionally your PSP needs to be on a firmware of 6.20 or above.
• Simply take the iso2eboot_v2.exe and place it in the root directory with your ISO's, CSO's, DAX's, and JSO's
• Run the "iso2eboot_v2.exe" and select "Convert isos to Eboots"
• Watch the seconds of your life tick by in their unceasing movement to your inexorable demise until the application finishes it’s job.
So that’s it as it is today…..based on opinion yes, but as unbiased as I can be. Flame me if you want...i don't care, i'll just cry silently, miles from you behind an LCD screen. Pick one…if you don’t like it try another. Don’t brick your PSP.
REMEMBER, there is no BEST firmware, there's only THE BEST FIRMWARE FOR YOUR NEEDS<sup>1</sup>.
New users....stick with the simplest option and learn about what you want to achieve that you can't with your current firmware. Remember, sometimes PSP's don't come back.
…Or you know, you could just not bother and use OFW and Signed games and rip and downsample the big ones…
Useful Links -
PSP Modding FAQ - (by Rydian)
IHow to Softmod your PSP - (by prowler_)
Making and Using a Pandora Battery+MMS to Install CFW - (by ProtoKun7)
How to find all files mentioned in this guide
<sup>1</sup>- The exception is of course GEN, no one uses GEN!
<sup>2</sup> - Text originally written a week ago....damn submission timetables
<sup>3</sup> - Firmware comparison chart in association with RM Arts, All Rights Reserved
Appendix The First – With Firmware chosen, which PSP should I get?... (Or PSP's and Me...)
<!--quoteo(post=3630984:date=May 7 2011, 12:47 PM:name=badgerkins)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(badgerkins @ May 7 2011, 12:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The thought of buying a PSP never occurred to me until I was browsing Amazon and stumbled upon it and its relatively cheap price. Theres quite a few models so I was wondering which one should I get? Is the PSP 1000 obsolete? I don't mind it having less extra features, just want to play games well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
“Which PSP should I buy?” It’s a common enough question, and one which has provided multiple different answers over the PSP’s lifetime thanks mostly to the firmwares available at the time, but also in part due to the hardware differences between generations. With differing shapes and sizes, functionality (and even internal differences within the same model type), it’s fair to say that a newcomer could easily be overwhelmed by the choices in front of him or her. The difficulty with picking the right PSP model for you is that even today, reaching the end of the PSP’s lifespan it’s hard to eliminate one model entirely as they all possess different merits and can now ALL run CFW (given some small exceptions). Having read about the firmwares and which model can use which firmware, the question remains what are the hardware differences?
The PSP 1000 was first launched in Japan in December 2004, and it established the template for the PSP’s general body shape for the next 5 years. Today it’s by far the cheapest of the available models due to it’s age, and consequently it can prove hard to find one in as good condition as might be desired.
Handling a PSP 1000 for the first time immediately reveals an obvious difference to its brethren…it’s a much heavier console and seems much more solid, with a metal frame and a bulk giving it a feeling of durability which the lighter models don’t possess. It really does feel more “solid” for want of a better word. Unlike later PSP’s the UMD Drive is spring loaded with a trap for UMD’s to sit in place, and the memory stick port has a real pull out piece rather than the narrow tab it was replaced with. Additionally the PSP 1000 has it’s speakers set at the bottom of the console and it is the only version to feature an IR Port, and whilst it’s not particularly useful some homebrew is able to take advantage of it. Finally, whilst of little consequence to most, the initial models possessed LCD’s made by either Sharp or Samsung. There’s some argument over which is superior but the Samsung screens seem to be slightly green tinged compared to Sharp LCD’s which exhibit a sharper screen aspect (no pun intended).
LCD manufacturer aside the screen is slightly dimmer than subsequent models and whilst this can be remedied by pumping up the brightness that comes at the cost of battery life span. It’s not a giant complaint but certainly something to be aware of. Equally if you hunt for it then the PSP 1000 screen does have some evidence of motion blur when things are moving quickly on screen (eg rapidly scrolling through menu options). It’s minor but it’s there. And sticking with small quibbles the speakers themselves are less resonant than their successors and due to their placement are sometimes obscured by players hands when gaming.
At 32MB the 1000 has only half the RAM of the 2000, 3000 and Go which can lead to noticeable extension in loading times when playing from UMD. When loading from memory stick however, this increase is much diminished and given the paucity of homebrew that takes advantage of the 64MB RAM, having only 32MB has very little effect on the systems functionality. The Analogue nub is somewhat stiffer than in later models and the D-Pad itself is also slightly sunken with little vertical travel to a depression(a feature shared by the R and L shoulder buttons) which whilst of little concern to the majority may impinge of the serious beat ‘em up fan, making button combinations on the D-Pad a little harder to accomplish. The 1000 is also the only model not to feature a TV out function or USB charging.
However, the PSP 1000 has one massive advantage – it’s by far the easiest model to install a CFW on as it is capable of running every firmware version both Official and Custom (and subsequently is the only console able to utilise the 1.50 Kernel). Thanks to that it’s by far the hardest console to brick.
PRO’s
• It’s cheap!
• Fully hackable – and Very easy to “hack” too!
• Make and use a Pandora on all models
• Very hard to permanently brick with firmware tinkering as can utilise a Pandora battery
• Feels very durable
• Possesses an IR Port and has access to the 1.50 Kernel. Whilst these are merely curio’s now there are still some nice things which can be accomplished with them (standing outside of a TV shop and changing all the channels immediately springs to mind).
CON’s
• Dimmest screen
• Motion blur?
• Sunken D-Pad
• No USB Charge
• No TV out – must rely on homebrew streaming to PC Monitor
• 32MB RAM – This does have little real impact upon the systems performance but some emulation (i.e N64, CPS2) does take advantage of the 64MB of the later generations.
Launched a couple of years after the 1000, the PSP 2000 is often simultaneously regarded as both the best and worst iteration.
Much lighter than its predecessor, and about 2/3rd’s it’s thickness, the build feels somewhat cheap and fragile in comparison. Of minor note is that the Wifi switch has been moved to the top edge of the system, the IR panel removed, the speakers have been shifted upward and the UMD compartment now merely a pull out door, with no securing mechanism for the inserted software. What becomes apparent on powering up however, is the improvement in screen and sound quality…colours are brighter and crisper, sound is a tad louder and more defined and the whole package just feels slightly more refined. Whilst these differences are minimised as the 1000’s brightness is increased, the fact that the PSP 2000 does it due to a better screen rather than increased brightness is obviously advantageous to battery life. The motion blur has been all but eliminated although there is on occasion some minor evidence of on screen ghosting…of course once more this is something that most people have to look for.
The 2000’s D-Pad is greatly improved, standing proud of the console and it’s immediately apparent that it’s much better for fine control. The same can be said of the shoulder buttons too which now feel more like buttons with a greater range of vertical movement, and the nub itself is looser and less stiff. Unlike the 1000, the Slim PSP can be charged via it’s USB port and TV out is now fully featured - games can therefore be played on the big screen (although this is an immensely underwhelming experience in most circumstances, with the limited PSP resolution looking awful on most TV screens). The 2000 also has 64MB of RAM and a UMD cache option…as noted this extra RAM isn’t terribly essential but it’s nice to have it for the sake of completeness and the minor performance boost (moreso if you’re utilising the few homebrews that take advantage of it). Additionally a nice feature is that if the PSP 2000 battery is swapped out for the PSP 1000’s battery then a couple of extra hours charge time can be gained (a replacement battery cover is required for this).
The problem lies in hacking the 2000. Early 2000’s are much like the 1000 insofar as the fact that they can be easily hacked with a permanent CFW and utilise the fabled Pandora battery. However, Sony mixed things up and introduced a new motherboard with a different security implementation later in the 2000’s lifespan. This prevented the old hacks from working, disabled the effect of the Pandora battery and rendered the latter day 2000’s incapable of running any of the extant firmwares. Bricks could no longer be recovered since without a Pandora battery service mode could not be entered and it seemed that CFW was a thing of the past. At which point temporary CFW’s (or LCFW’s) sprung up which were resident in the systems RAM.[See firmware discussion).
Essentially this means buying a Slim PSP 2000 is a tricky process – they can be the best system to own for many as the early models are recoverable from bricking (can use a Pandora), have the extra RAM and TV out, and possess better screens, speakers and controls. However, end up with a latter day slim (the TA-088v3) and you effectively have a neutered PSP 3000.
PRO’s
• Lighter, thinner, brighter, louder than the PSP 1000
• Can benefit from increased charge capacity of PSP 1000 battery due to power efficiency
• 64MB RAM
• Better D-Pad, Shoulder buttons and nub
• TV Out
• USB Charging
• Potentially fully hackable and capable of Pandora use
CON’s
• Cheaper feeling build quality
• Ghosting?
• Difficulty in determining 2000’s “hackability” due to motherboard identification
• Potentially unable to use earlier permanent CFW’s and unrecoverable from bricking due to inability of TA-088v3 from using a Pandora battery.
• Narrower range of Firmwares available to these systems
{NOTE: As discussed in the firmware guide there now exists a permanent firmware for previously “unhackable” slims. However, if your PSP 2000 is over 6.35 OFW it’s conceivable that a full Pandora CFW install will be impossible if that console has a TA-088v3 motherboard. You will need to run a firmware downgrade in those systems to get to 6.20 for a potential Perm CFW}.
CRITICAL ERROR! When all 2000's aren't created equal...
The principal reason that firmware prior to CFW’ing is inconsequential on PSP 1000’s and all 2000’s bar those with the TA-088v3 motherboard is because the Pandora, or rather Jigkick, battery allows the PSP to boot into Service Mode. That is, rather than boot from it’s internal memory, the Pandora battery tells the PSP to load from an alternate location enabling a system recovery; a Pandora Battery is simply a normal battery that has had its internal serial number rewritten to 0xFFFFFFFF. The PSP reads this serial from the battery’s EEPROM and attempts to boot its Pre-IPL/IPL (Initial Program Load – think of it as your PC’s MBR) from the Memory Stick instead of its internal NAND memory. Thanks to a timing attack PSP coders had been able to dump and modify the Pre-IPL of these older PSP’s so that it could be instructed to run a Custom IPL (this involving appending unsigned data to a small block of signed data on the Pre-IPL).
All PSP 1000’s and 2000’s boot in this manner, first checking the battery’s serial and then deciding what to do next. For CFW installation it reads the modified files on the “Magic Memory stick” and does as directed. In the TA-88v3 however, the Motherboard possesses increased security via a different Pre-IPL and IPL authentication method. Whilst the battery is still checked and allows the PSP to read from the MS, the old Pre-IPL that had been used before was no longer verified by the PSP’s checks…in effect preventing any access to the IPL and preventing a boot (and subsequently the method of entering Service mode was changed rendering the Pandora useless on the 3000…just search for the controversy surrounding Datel and it’s Blue Tool battery.)
What this means is in any PSP capable of utilising service mode AND allowing a modified Pre-IPL to run and seek an address on a custom IPL, that it’s largely irrelevant what’s written in the PSP’s internal memory (the NAND)….it could be ruined by the user or even missing great chunks of data; when using a Pandora Battery and a Memory stick containing Update information a completely new firmware can be written into place, and the custom Pre-IPL and IPL set in place. Thus a PSP 1000 and earlier 2000’s are a doddle to install CFW because firmware is totally irrelevant….it can just be replaced through use of a Pandora if it’s too high to use any existing exploits.
Conversely as there is no way to do the same thing to on a PSP TA-088v3, 3000 or PSP Go thanks to the new security, any changes which brick the console and prevent it from booting cannot be undone. In addition if that console is running a firmware that has had all its exploits sealed there is no way to bypass it and install a CFW. This makes firmware important prior to a purchase if it’s the users intent to install a CFW as too high a starting firmware and it’s impossible. Equally this means that any CFW’d PSP TA-088v3, 3000 or Go which undergo fatal alterations to their internal memory which prevent a normal boot cannot be recovered (bricked).
Thus for the purposes of a Pandora battery CFW installation or recovery, a 1000 is always the best purchase as it’s guaranteed to succeed, whereas with the introduction of the newer PSP 2000 motherboard preventing the Pandora/MMS combo from working it can be a gamble to guarantee that the system in question is “Fully hackable”. Certain limited edition 2000’s have been identified that do not have TA-088v3’s which makes a purchase somewhat easier (see table above) although there is a small danger of a replacement shell concealing a newer model. Using PSPIdent, a homebrew tool that provides detailed hardware information, is thus the safest method for identifying a Pandora compatible slim, to pin down exactly which motherboard is present.
Finally, the creation of a Pandora/Jigkick battery by Softmod is a process dependent on two things – the battery has an EEPROM chip which can be modified and the PSP itself can write to the EEPROM. Whilst all PSP 1000’s can do this, only 2000’s released around launch possess the ability. This has no impact upon the ability to utilise a Pandora battery but many people find it convenient to create their own for unforeseen events.
Thankfully differences between the 2000 and 3000 can be discussed in brief as it’s less a new build than a minor upgrade. On first inspection the console shell has slightly rounded edges and the Home button has been replaced by the Playstation button, with the other buttons in the underscreen array taking on an oval aspect, and the metal ring on the UMD door adopting a much thinner profile. It has all the upgrades that the 2000 had over the 1000 (64MB RAM, Controls etc…) but in addition also features a built in microphone (not that the average user will see much use of it) and an upgraded antiglare screen.
Aside from it’s hacking potential the screen is the root cause of much argument about the merits of the 3000. It has a wider colour gamut and far more colour saturation, but often that can lead to the question of whether it’s providing a real representation of the intended images of an overly colourised version. Side by side images create a massive distinction between the 1000, 2000 and 3000 screens but in reality it’s noticeable but not the gargantuan difference that press releases often make out. What caused controversy was the issue of scanlines….the 1000 had it’s motion blur which many never really noticed. The 2000 had it’s occasional ghosting, but the 3000 has scanlines and whichever way you cut it they’re there whether you look for them or not. In actuality again much like the previous screen issues it’s not that big a problem, but it isn’t as easily ignored as previous problems. Scanlines aside, the screen of the 3000 is certainly brighter, more colourful and provides a much gaudier take on many PSP titles.
The real crux of the 3000 is that it shares that same security implementation of the latter day 2000….Pandora batteries won’t put it into service mode and as with the Slim’s TA-088v2 motherboard the 3000’s have the same Pre-IPL/IPL set up which prevents a custom loader being patched from launch. Thus it’s entirely possible to brick these systems permanently If one unwittingly tinkers with system files. As with the TA-088v3’s, buyers need to know the system firmware in advance…if it’s on an Official firmware above 6.35 (at the time of writing) then that console will be unable to run any CFW except the 6.39 PRO firmwares without downgrading using some1's 6.39 Downgrader and must rely upon that one firmware and it's associated compatibilities with homebrew, or no Custom firmware and signed games.
PRO’s
• Much the same as the PSP 2000 (RAM, Controls, Battery life)
• Super-duper screen with ultra wide colour gamut and saturation
• Built in Mic
CON’s
• SCANLINES!
• As with the TA-088v3 Slims a bricked console may become a paperweight. Limited firmware choices
• Annoying 07 and 09G motherboards which further limits firmware choices…must be identified prior to downgrade
• As discussed in the firmware guide there now exists a permanent firmware for previously “unhackable” motherboards.
• Over 6.35 and console must be downgraded with some1's 6.39 downgrader to utilise any other firmwares besides 6.39 PRO
To 6.36 and BEYOND! Downgrading a PSP that's above 6.35 using some1's 6.39 Downgrader
With a primary concern of portability the redesign of the PSP Go into a sliding, almost “cell-phone” styled body was a total departure for the system. With no UMD drive it’s totally dependent on digital content and to that end has a heft 16GB of built in flash memory for system storage (further expandable with an M2 memory stick). Now much lighter, smaller and less console like the PSP Go was a true portable system.
The trouble was that the Go seemed to do away with many good features of the PSP line. The screen was reduced in size, and featured all the same pro’s and con’s of the 3000’s LCD but in a smaller package (antiglare, wider colour gamut but with scanlines ). The controls also suffered…..there’s no getting away from the fact that the controls initially feel cramped, resulting in extended play becoming more difficult for some people with larger hands compared to the larger models. The D-Pad, as if because of the sliding screen, has suddenly sunk further into the system, and is if anything worse than the 1000’s sunken controller despite being slightly more “clicky” (the face buttons are also “clicky” though this time it’s solely a good thing). Also the nub is now really that…a tiny projection sitting much closer to the D-pad, albeit that it feels responsive with a nice resistance when in use. And again the shoulder buttons seem to have been worsened compared to the 2000 and 3000 feeling somewhat “spongey “in their travel in comparison to the superior 2000 and 3000. Also bizarrely the Go has a max clockspeed increase to 480Mhz (compared to 333 on older models). Whether anyone has actually noted any differences due to this is a moot point.
Admittedly that sounds overly harsh, and for the average person the only lasting annoyance will be the sunken D-pad. The screen size reduction is noticeable but does serve to boost the looks of some less comely games and the 16GB of internal memory is nothing to be sniffed at. Coupled with Blue Tooth tethering (yes you can hook your Go up to your PS3’s Dual Shock 3 and play games on the big screen via TV out). The Go really is portable however due to it’s size, although given that the battery is now non removable the console is dependant upon a single charge and cannot have a new battery swapped in (although rechargeable hand grips can be obtained).
However, the good news is that if anything the Go is an easier console to CFW’ise than it’s predecessor the 3000. No fiddly boards that won’t work some of the newer firmwares. It’s the same proviso that your console cannot be over 6.35 OFW to run a CFW without downgrading but by use of some1's 6.39 Downgrader to get to 6.20 then the Go is a fully CFW’able machine.
PRO’s
• Most portable PSP by a mile
• Screen effectively on par with the 3000 if not improved due to size reduction (this is also a negative point!)
• 16GB internal memory
• Bluetooth
CON’s
• No removable battery
• Smaller screen with Sacnline
• No UMD drive means no bargain UMD purchases
• Limited CFW choice. If the system is over 6.35 MUST be downgraded with some1's 6.39 Downgrader or just use PRO firmware and Signed games. (downgrading gives alternatives.)
PSP Screen Side by Sides
tl;dr?
Note: It's NOT ok to copy and reproduce this guide in Full or in part on any other site bar GBAtemp without asking me for permission. If you see excerpts or reproductions elsewhere please let me know. Thanks.
The simple answer is that no firmware is in itself the best, they simply fulfil the requirements of the individual using the PSP. There have always been alternative custom firmwares on offer even when Dark Alex was active but at the time the choice was simple…OE, M33 or whatever iteration of the team’s release history simply eclipsed the opposition. However the PSP got old and developers gradually grew disinterested and so when Alex left the scene for the second, and seemingly final, time the future looked bleak. Who would provide future updates when new protections were implemented?…and that’s just about when “FIRMWARE WARS!” began. Ultimately it’s personal choice in the most part, but the differences and Pro’s and Con’s between them do help that decision, as does the model of PSP you possess. Additionally we’ll only be considering what I’ve called “end-stage” firmware releases…the final iteration in the chain of releases which in virtually all firmwares is the definitive CFW to opt for in that series .So where best to start than with a nice diagrammatic reference showing exactly which firmwares will work on which PSP models. This will give you a quick idea of your options...read on for further elaboration.
5.00 M33-6
(Yes people still use it!)
5.00M33-6 is NOT for all. In fact it’s not for many people at all, in part because nearly all PSP’s released from mid 2008 won’t work with it, and also because it’s become user unfriendly for want of a better descriptor. So who can use it and why should they? (the following refers to the Vanilla M33 install....)
PSP 3000 and PSP Go owners move along now. This isn’t the firmware you’re looking for...it simply isn’t compatible. As for PSP 1000 users you’re good to go should you desire. However, it’s those darned PSP 2000’s that throw a spanner in the works….it all comes down to motherboards and whether you have a protected Pre-IPL and IPL chain (rendering your PSP incompatible with this firmware) or not. Now with the advent of signed homebrew and temporary HEN’s and CFW’s it’s become a simple matter to identify your motherboard (and I won’t go into the details here other than to say PSPIdent does a sterling job), but if on checking you find your PSP 2000 has a TA-088v3 motherboard you can go and join the 3000 and Go owners. This PSP motherboard CANNOT use M33 firmwares.
So we’re now left with PSP 1000’s (all of them) and the PSP 2000’s which DO NOT have a TA-088v3 board…you guys can use M33-6. Again it’s beyond my mandate to explain installs (which I won’t be doing for any firmwares discussed) but suffice to say a simple Recovery Flash will work wonders with a small update if required. So that’s WHO can use it…but WHY would you want to?
Firstly there’s the 1.50 Kernel. Now this is an old and virtually redundant component, only to be used on PSP 1000’s, but there are some homebrews that were coded solely for this Kernel. Meaning that the only way to use them is to own a PSP 1000, on 5.00m33-6 with the 1.50 Kernel installed. It was also argued for a long time about the performance of certain 1.50 emulators superseding their revisions although today this may be a moot point. No other firmware has the 1.50 option, and whilst there are some very comparable options to gain some 1.50 compatibility in other firmwares or systems, such as LEDA or Time Machine, they are not the real thing. In all honesty the 1.50 kernel is mainly going to be a curio for the inquisitive…most of these homebrews weren’t that great to start with, but there some out there that still see some use today.
In all firmwares from 3.80 and up Sony heavily "optimized" the fatmsmod.prx, the memory stick driver governing access speed. Now whilst the 3.71 fatmsmod.prx can be flashed to 5.50 GEN to somewhat alleviate this issue DAX did something better. He added a setting to the Recovery Menu which boosted the access speed to the memory stick, rendering it faster than both Sony’s optimised driver and the old 3.71 fatmsmod. Why does this matter? Obviously this is a personal thing but many people report that PSP games in both ISO and CSO format, and even PSX games load faster with this option enabled, with less lag and skipping in FMV’s if the game is compressed or the memory stick itself is slow. Additionally, slower memory sticks can have issues with loading many plugins at boot (especially the case in the CR5400 adapters) and thus enabling this speed boost can solve many plugin compatibility issues (CWCheat can be a culprit here).
5.00 M33-6 also has access to the popsloader plugin and it’s argued that PSX eboot compatibility is at its pinnacle on this firmware. Whilst GEN has popsloader too, it doesn’t have access to 5.00 pops and additionally may possess quirks in its usage that 5.00 M33-6 doesn’t have. Simply put, if you want to ensure the best compatibility for user created PSX eboots then 5.00 M33-6 is where it’s at. This plugin compatibility carries over across the board, with M33 boasting arguably the greatest range of compatible themes and plugins purely down to the time it’s been around and the fact that it’s based off the work of the people who produced earlier firmwares.
And finally you have the age old argument about stability….it’s up to you how you feel about this one because it’s hardly as if the other options are causing PSP’s to drop like flies, but many people feel safer with a tried and trusted firmware….just like a folk tale told around the campfire many M33 users just don’t want to update and fear change.
So this sound great so far...well the glaring problem here is that M33 is NOT natively compatible with games which required 5.5x+ firmwares. From around the release dates of Beaterator, Il Sturmovik and Disgaea 2 to the present day, games will NOT run without minor fixes. Needless to say with the use of tools such as Yoshiro’s game decrypter, Revenge-Crew’s Eboot.bin Patcher, torky’s M33 plugin and Takka’s ISO Tool they’ll all work fine on M33 with a few button presses, but many people don’t wish to fix their own games and want ease of use and native compatibility. In addition many UMD’s cannot be fixed so whilst later CFW’s can play games UMD, M33 cannot in many cases. However, that same incompatibility with new games has a trade off….5.00 M33-6 plays all the older PSP games which may be broken in other firmwares. Now these may be few and far between but if you want security in the back catalogue and are able to patch new games yourself you have the best of both worlds.
This is where the user unfriendliness crops up. If you’re new to the PSP, want minimum fuss or just can’t be bothered to check for fixes and patches you shouldn’t be using M33. Personally I’d never advise any new entrant to the PSP scene of today to start here….get familiar with the console and if you wish to try a plugin, theme or homebrew that only works on M33, or want to try out the speed boost or some non-compliant PSX game, then come back.
PRO’s
• 1.50 Kernel possible
• Fastest Memory Stick Access
• Very Wide Plugin/theme/homebrew Compatibility
• Best compatibility with user created PSX eboots
• Plays entire PSP library prior to introduction of 5.50 OFW natively.
CON’s
• All games from the advent of 5.50 require decrypting/patching
• Not all PSP’s can utilise 5.00M33-6
Fun fact! – On 3.90 M33 versions Dark Alex implemented a surprise easter egg…a Happy M33-Day surprise on April 2nd (- or March 33rd!)
Patching Games for M33 (and GEN)
Patching games to play on 5.00M33 and 5.03/5.50 GEN is not hard...for the vast majority of games which require decryption/patching to work on these firmwares the process is as follows:-
• Get the latest version of ISO Tool and place it in PSP/Game. Then run it
• Select the ISO
• Select EBOOT decrypt.
• It will ask you if you wish to backup the EBOOT.BIN. Should you be modifying your only copy of the ISO, then press yes to keep an original.
• ISO Tool will then ask if you wish to version patch. Select Yes.
• Let it do it’s work.
• Now select the ISO again and select Patch Prometheus.
• Select the Prometheus patch option appropriate for your game (most of the time the ME631 option is a good choice.) However, these modules are not included, so you’ll need to grab them as well when you get ISO Tool and place them in PSP\GAME\iso_tool\DATA\prometheus\ME631\
5.50 GEN D3 and it’s 5.03 GEN C counterpart
Again similar to 5.00 M33-6 if you have a PSP 3000, a PSP Go or a PSP 2000 with a TA-088v3 motherboard then 5.50 GEN D3 isn’t for you. 5.03 GEN C, a temporary version of the GEN firmware is an option however for TA-088v3’s and PSP 3000’s (still nothing for Go users).
When it was clear Alex had gone for good, and new games started popping up that wouldn’t play on 5.00 M33-6 it was clear that a new solution was needed. At first various decrypters popped up to get around this issue, but as time went on Team GEN (Yoshiro et al.) managed to implement use what they’d learnt from M33 and create a 5.50 CFW which was able to decrypt and play these games. At the time the compatibility of 5.50 GEN was generally more dependable for those newer protected games (although GEN did manage to break compatibility with some older games…. explained by Liquidzigong elsewhere) and so many people flocked to the new firmware. After all they wanted to play the new games with the minimum of fuss, and Dark Alex didn’t look like he was coming back.
However, GEN had some nasty problems, with release mixups and problems with save corruption on moving up (or even down) to it. As time went on GEN D3 Final work out it’s foibles and seemed the best solution for many, with the patching tools we have today not so easy to use and people seeking an easier method to play their games. Like M33, GEN had decent plugin support, although they all had to be ported to this new 5.50 firmware, and critically had popsloader compatibility (though 5.50 GEN D3 is reported as inferior to 5.00 M33-6 for overall PSX use). However, given that the team behind this firmware didn’t have the experience of Dark Alex, GEN D3 also lost features which had been present on previous firmwares, such as the Memory Stick Speed Up and the almost total compatibility with older games, homebrews and plugins.
Whilst all this was happening there had been an explosion in the exploitation of firmware vulnerability and the PSP Dev Davee of Team Typhoon released a Homebrew Enabler called Chickhen. Whilst this didn’t play ISO’s on its own, it allowed the running of homebrew from the XMB and after various different Custom Firmware Enablers, the 5.03 GEN series cropped up resulting in 5.03 GEN C. This was a temporary firmware that resided in the PSP’s memory when it was on and required Chickhen to initialise (leading to PSP’s being left in Sleep mode rather than powered off). Similar to 5.50 GEN it possessed the innate decryption that alternatives didn’t have and a good support for plugins, popsloader included.
However, roll forward to today and the introduction of 6.xx games and their protections and GEN D3 can no longer play new games without patching, nor can it confidently claim total support of all old games. With the introduction of alternative firmwares and components to play these games it’s entire raison d'être had been removed as it no longer makes things easy for new users, and the merits it had over 5.00 M33-6 seem increasingly fragile.
In reality the reason for picking 5.50 GEN D3 as a final firmware to stick on seems very tenuous. It offers little to no advantage over later firmwares and even lags behind preceding firmwares in some respects. There is little to no reason for opting for GEN firmware as all it has no unique feature.
PRO’s
• Good plugin support, most importantly popsloader compatibility
CON’s
• New games still require patching, some old games may be broken by the GEN components
• Save corruption.
• Today virtually every alternative firmware does most things better than GEN
• Upgrading can be a pain thanks to the version.txt modification
Fun fact! – Miriam, creator of the original GEN firmware during the 3.xx kernel days is allegedly coder Helldashx (also responsible for earlier firmwares) Alex and Miriam/Helldash had a bit of a falling out over the whole GEN firmware…
Update woes???
Want to eliminate that irritating 9.90 firmware warning you get when you try to update?
1. Change USB Mode to flash0 in the VSH menu
2. Connect to PC
3. Go to flash0/vsh/misc/version.txt
4. Open up version.txt in notepad
5. Change 9.90 to 5.00
6. Exit out and don't forget to change USB back to memory stick
1. Change USB Mode to flash0 in the VSH menu
2. Connect to PC
3. Go to flash0/vsh/misc/version.txt
4. Open up version.txt in notepad
5. Change 9.90 to 5.00
6. Exit out and don't forget to change USB back to memory stick
Prometheus Modules - Prometheus-4 for 5.00 M33, 5.03 GEN C and 5.50 GEN D3
With the scene dependent upon game patches and fixes to keep the games compatible with current firmwares , a Chinese coder going by the usernames Liquidzigong (or alternately hrimfaxi) who had been releasing individually applied fixes, created a bolt on set of components for both GEN and M33 firmwares (giving rise to.) Again, these could give rise to various conflicts with older games, plugins or homebrew but in the main served as an ideal solution for many, enabling them to remain on whichever firmware they were currently on and yet incorporate a game decrypter into it.
Of the three releases, and having dismissed GEN as redundant given that newer firmwares are generally accepted as preferable for most people, 5.00 M33-6 is the only one still commonly recommended today. Whilst it can lead to some incompatibilities and save issues those who wish to stick with a firmware they know, keep the MS Speed boost and use popsloader can often be found to use this Prometheus module, rendering newer games which had required patching, playable as clean images. The Prometheus Module incorporates many of the fixes found in ISO Tool and serves as a neat way to increase game compatibility whilst remaining on an old firmware base.
To that end recommending it as a final resting place seems a difficult call….if you want the definite advantage of 5.00 M33-6 don’t mess with it, just patch your own games. If you want to play clean games without patching update to one of the newer 6.xx firmwares.
PRO’s
• Plays 5.5x+ games clean on earlier firmwares
CON’s
• It’s essentially a cop out firmware add on. Good as an introduction but I wouldn’t stick here.
6.20 TN HEN-E (LCFW)6.39 TN HEN-A and 6.20 TN HEN D Permanent
Total Noob has violated GPL license agreements in his work and thus cannot be supported. If you value your freedoms use PRO or ME.
Whilst Liquidzigong worked on patches for games, and additional components to add to extant firmwares work was underway on the 6.xx firmware. A PSP developer named Total_Noob had discovered a potential exploit which might allow Kernel access. This was of great interest to many, especially those who owned PSP 3000’s and Go’s and were unable to downgrade to a usable firmware. Up to now those who were updated too far to utilise Chickhen were reliant on usermode exploits such as Half Byte Loader.
Total_Noob created a Homebrew Enabler (a HEN) which worked on 6.20, and with the backing of PSPGEN and some behind the scenes contact with Coldbird and Virtuous Flame to share ideas and advice, he released TN HEN A, the first fully working HEN for 6.20. Whilst it didn’t support ISO’s natively, two ISO loaders were quickly released (by dridri and Liquidzigong) enabling PSP Go owners to finally enjoy the treasures of games not yet featured on the PSN.
TN HEN E additionally boasted custom eboot support for PSX games, PSN access, a wide plugin and homebrew support, and with the arrival of signed applications would run natively from the XMB after a full power off (it is after all still just a Lite Custom Firmware which is only temporary). It doesn’t boast complete support for the library of PSX eboots, nor does it have support for the popsloader plugin as this has not yet been ported to the 6.xx kernel. ISO support with the custom loaders is again slightly variable, with almost all new games working fine but with one or two hiccoughs present in older games from the birth of the PSP.
And thus whilst not the last release it would be negligent not to mention 6.20 TN HEN D which could be permanently installed to all models capable of running it (EXCEPT 07/09g PSP 3000’s!), previously unhackable models included. TN HEN D Permanent is not the newest release, nor the most bug free, but if the thought of having to waste 5 seconds of your life scrolling to enable a HEN bothers you this is an option. Obviously, whilst the temporary versions of TN HEN don’t go anywhere near your critical flash0 files
Additionally Total Noob ported the HEN to 6.39 giving those on 6.39 an alternative to PRO firmware. This effectively shares the same pro's and con's as TH HEN-E with no built in ISO loader, although ardi has released a patched version 6.39 TN HEN-A Xtended which does have ISO drivers including the Inferno option of PRO.
PRO’s
• Runs on EVERY Console capable of 6.20 OFW.
• Signed…no need of an enabling homebrew
• Good plugin support
• Custom PSX support
• Password lock at startup
CONS’s
• PSX and PSP game support somewhat weaker than PRO firmwares , requiring an additional ISO Loader
• Potentially finished further development.
• Permanent version allegedly somewhat buggy
6.20 PRO B8 Permanent, 6.35 PRO B8 and 6.39 PRO B8 (permanent)
Again, much like TN HEN the only prerequisite is that you have either 6.20, 6.35 or 6.39. firmware. PSP Go’s, 3000’s and TA-088’s are fine with this as are all previous models.
Whilst Liquidzigong had been active with his Prometheus modules and firmware modification to fix games for 5.00, 5.03, and 5.50, Prome-4 was never intended to launch the way it did. He’d released it to a closed test group and when a Moderator on his home site decided to leak it (all his beta testers had tagged versions…Holly Li didn’t spot this….) he felt betrayed. Packing up Prometheus from then on he left rendering it dead.
Sometime later, with TN HEN on the horizon and hope pinned on that for the future of the scene, renowned coders Coldbird and the newly arrived Virtuous Flame were developing a 6.31 PRO LCFW, trying to trump TN HEN and boasting an inbuilt ISO Loader. Later this changed to 6.35 as its base as 6.35 shared the same vulnerability, and as time went on we ended up with a cracked 6.39 as well, thus giving the most recent releases of 6.20, 6.35 and 6.39 PRO firmwares. Despite those differing version numbers they are effectively identical, the main difference being that the 6.20 firmware can be flashed permanently to all motherboards bar the 07/09g 3000, whilst the 6.39 PRO firmware can be flashed permanently to FULLY HACKABLE 2000's and 1000's using a custom IPL (CIPL). It differs in many respects to TN HEN with a built in ISO loader, it’s own ISO Driver (Inferno) and great PSX and PSP game support. Similarly to TN HEN it’s signed to allow temporary versions ease of use and minimum fuss for reboots on full power off, although since the temporary version and permanent version share features, and the downgrader by Davee allows movement from 6.35 to 6.20 many people simply opt for the permanent version. However, unlike TN HEN, the PRO firmwares do modify flash0 very slightly, and whilst the changes are backed up when installing, if you’re not comfortable modifying your internal system files then consider your options. The uninstaller does restore the original file as with any file flashing there is an associated risk, albeit very small.
Featuring a Recovery Menu, a dual boot to OFW for the Permanent version, PSX manual support and a whole host of fixes and customisations, along with PSN support it really seemed ideal. However whilst generally very capable, PRO does tend to suffer from less plugin and homebrew compatibility than TN HEN although many feel that this is a minor quibble. Additionally those who want the best of both worlds and are on 6.20 and using the temporary PRO firmware can boot between the two (TN HEN and PRO). Most recently PRO team have implemented their own version of DA's speed boost, a permanent flashable version of 6.39 for fully hackable 1000/2000's and UMD Video support. For many the icing on the cake for PRO firmware is the addition of popsloader so that previous versions of pops can be used for PSX eboots. However, this is not perfect across the hardware and using pops versions from firmwares not supported by your PSP's motherboard tends to be a bit of potluck.
If there's any hope for the PSP it rests mostly with the people involved in PRO.
PRO’s
• Great ISO and PSX support (with unique Inferno ISO driver)
• Inbuilt ISO Loaders
• Actively Developed
• Signed and Permanent Versions both stable
• PSN Support
• Speed Up/RAM cache option
• Popsloader
CON’s
• Plugin and homebrew support generally accepted to be currently inferior to TN HEN E
• Does modify flash0
Downgrading from 6.35 to 6.20 - The 6.35/6.31 -> 6.20 Downgrader By Davee
So you've run 6.35 PRO, seen that you don't have an 07/09g 3000, and are keen to try a Permanent 6.20 firmware?
From firmware 6.30 and up, Sony started using an enforced public key method of verifying KIRK data (the PSP's security keys) and removing the ability to load the old types of data, such as the firmware updates of the past. Thus 6.35 simply cannot decrypt an updater eboot and it's PRX's and therefore the index.dat spoofing method for downgrading can't be used. Davee, he of ChickHEN and Team Typhoon fame, came up with a cunning downgrade method to move PSP's capable of running 6.20 Firmware back down to it from 6.35 (though NOT PSP 3000 007 or 9g's which will brick)
In Davee's own words - "This application does the simple job of rebooting into the updater with a PRX that allows the updater to decrypt. A PRX that uses the pspdecrypt source and index.dat spoofing, nothing fancy."
The process is simple:
• Copy the "PSP" folder to your PSP.
• Copy the 6.20 OFW update to PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP (on the PSP Go the update goes on the equivalent eflash location)
• The downgrader is signed so from your 6.35/6.31 OFW XMB simply run it and follow the instructions.
Get it from Davee's site
* For some1's 6.39 Downgrader please skip down to PSP 3000/PSP Go section
From firmware 6.30 and up, Sony started using an enforced public key method of verifying KIRK data (the PSP's security keys) and removing the ability to load the old types of data, such as the firmware updates of the past. Thus 6.35 simply cannot decrypt an updater eboot and it's PRX's and therefore the index.dat spoofing method for downgrading can't be used. Davee, he of ChickHEN and Team Typhoon fame, came up with a cunning downgrade method to move PSP's capable of running 6.20 Firmware back down to it from 6.35 (though NOT PSP 3000 007 or 9g's which will brick)
In Davee's own words - "This application does the simple job of rebooting into the updater with a PRX that allows the updater to decrypt. A PRX that uses the pspdecrypt source and index.dat spoofing, nothing fancy."
The process is simple:
• Copy the "PSP" folder to your PSP.
• Copy the 6.20 OFW update to PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP (on the PSP Go the update goes on the equivalent eflash location)
• The downgrader is signed so from your 6.35/6.31 OFW XMB simply run it and follow the instructions.
Get it from Davee's site
* For some1's 6.39 Downgrader please skip down to PSP 3000/PSP Go section
Neur0n's Minimum Edition firmwares - 6.39 ME series (currently ME-8) (Light and Fully flashed)
Neur0n, another established coder had also been beavering away with things and is currently engrossed in ME, a firmware which aims to port the best bits of 5.00M33 to 6.39. Obviously it’s still a work in progress and can be buggy but features a Recovery Menu, M33 and OE ISO drivers and supposedly good plugin and game support. Additionally it will boot into 6.39 Official Firmware if the Home Button is depressed on power up and can be set up to dual boot with PRO firmwares.
With an ISO Mount option, support for both temporary and fully flashed console options and a seemingly good plugin compatibility it's certainly shaping up, plus Neur0n has taking the popsloader component of PRO firmware and integrated into his latest release (via an additional user customisation)
However, with his joining Team PRO it's a safe bet to say the future PRO firmwares will adopt many of this firmwares features.
PRO’s
• ISO Video Mount
• Plays new PSP games and PSX games.
• Plugin support
• Dual boot OFW and CFW
• Constant updates!
• Modified PRO popsloader
CON’s
• Compared to PRO the changelog reads like a comedy of errors....filled with minor patches and fixes the firmware suffers from a somewhat greater degree of unpredictability.
Using ISO’s on OFW – when CFW isn’t an option
Whilst hope will never run dry, many on later firmwares, or those who simply don’t wish to run a CFW have an alternative solution…self-authenticating their games so that they’ll play on CFW. Now, thanks to TonyDansa we have an easy way to quickly and efficiently make PSP ISO’s which will work on OFW using ISO2eboot_v2. Utilising the Fake_np v5 application from TPU users can effectively repackage their games with demo headers so that their OFW thinks that they’re authentic demos.
So how does this work? Well there are some proviso’s - first games may not exceed the largest released demo size thus far which is around 728Mb (meaning you’ll need to remove content or downsample audio/video from larger games with something like UMDGen). It should also work on already patched games but it was initially created for clean images only, and as ever not all games will be compatible. Additionally your PSP needs to be on a firmware of 6.20 or above.
• Simply take the iso2eboot_v2.exe and place it in the root directory with your ISO's, CSO's, DAX's, and JSO's
• Run the "iso2eboot_v2.exe" and select "Convert isos to Eboots"
• Watch the seconds of your life tick by in their unceasing movement to your inexorable demise until the application finishes it’s job.
THE END!
So that’s it as it is today…..based on opinion yes, but as unbiased as I can be. Flame me if you want...i don't care, i'll just cry silently, miles from you behind an LCD screen. Pick one…if you don’t like it try another. Don’t brick your PSP.
REMEMBER, there is no BEST firmware, there's only THE BEST FIRMWARE FOR YOUR NEEDS<sup>1</sup>.
New users....stick with the simplest option and learn about what you want to achieve that you can't with your current firmware. Remember, sometimes PSP's don't come back.
…Or you know, you could just not bother and use OFW and Signed games and rip and downsample the big ones…
Useful Links -
PSP Modding FAQ - (by Rydian)
IHow to Softmod your PSP - (by prowler_)
Making and Using a Pandora Battery+MMS to Install CFW - (by ProtoKun7)
How to find all files mentioned in this guide
<sup>1</sup>- The exception is of course GEN, no one uses GEN!
<sup>2</sup> - Text originally written a week ago....damn submission timetables
<sup>3</sup> - Firmware comparison chart in association with RM Arts, All Rights Reserved
Appendix The First – With Firmware chosen, which PSP should I get?... (Or PSP's and Me...)
<!--quoteo(post=3630984:date=May 7 2011, 12:47 PM:name=badgerkins)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(badgerkins @ May 7 2011, 12:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The thought of buying a PSP never occurred to me until I was browsing Amazon and stumbled upon it and its relatively cheap price. Theres quite a few models so I was wondering which one should I get? Is the PSP 1000 obsolete? I don't mind it having less extra features, just want to play games well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
“Which PSP should I buy?” It’s a common enough question, and one which has provided multiple different answers over the PSP’s lifetime thanks mostly to the firmwares available at the time, but also in part due to the hardware differences between generations. With differing shapes and sizes, functionality (and even internal differences within the same model type), it’s fair to say that a newcomer could easily be overwhelmed by the choices in front of him or her. The difficulty with picking the right PSP model for you is that even today, reaching the end of the PSP’s lifespan it’s hard to eliminate one model entirely as they all possess different merits and can now ALL run CFW (given some small exceptions). Having read about the firmwares and which model can use which firmware, the question remains what are the hardware differences?
The “Fat” PSP 1000 (…don’t fall for the heavy bones excuse!)
The PSP 1000 was first launched in Japan in December 2004, and it established the template for the PSP’s general body shape for the next 5 years. Today it’s by far the cheapest of the available models due to it’s age, and consequently it can prove hard to find one in as good condition as might be desired.
Handling a PSP 1000 for the first time immediately reveals an obvious difference to its brethren…it’s a much heavier console and seems much more solid, with a metal frame and a bulk giving it a feeling of durability which the lighter models don’t possess. It really does feel more “solid” for want of a better word. Unlike later PSP’s the UMD Drive is spring loaded with a trap for UMD’s to sit in place, and the memory stick port has a real pull out piece rather than the narrow tab it was replaced with. Additionally the PSP 1000 has it’s speakers set at the bottom of the console and it is the only version to feature an IR Port, and whilst it’s not particularly useful some homebrew is able to take advantage of it. Finally, whilst of little consequence to most, the initial models possessed LCD’s made by either Sharp or Samsung. There’s some argument over which is superior but the Samsung screens seem to be slightly green tinged compared to Sharp LCD’s which exhibit a sharper screen aspect (no pun intended).
LCD manufacturer aside the screen is slightly dimmer than subsequent models and whilst this can be remedied by pumping up the brightness that comes at the cost of battery life span. It’s not a giant complaint but certainly something to be aware of. Equally if you hunt for it then the PSP 1000 screen does have some evidence of motion blur when things are moving quickly on screen (eg rapidly scrolling through menu options). It’s minor but it’s there. And sticking with small quibbles the speakers themselves are less resonant than their successors and due to their placement are sometimes obscured by players hands when gaming.
At 32MB the 1000 has only half the RAM of the 2000, 3000 and Go which can lead to noticeable extension in loading times when playing from UMD. When loading from memory stick however, this increase is much diminished and given the paucity of homebrew that takes advantage of the 64MB RAM, having only 32MB has very little effect on the systems functionality. The Analogue nub is somewhat stiffer than in later models and the D-Pad itself is also slightly sunken with little vertical travel to a depression(a feature shared by the R and L shoulder buttons) which whilst of little concern to the majority may impinge of the serious beat ‘em up fan, making button combinations on the D-Pad a little harder to accomplish. The 1000 is also the only model not to feature a TV out function or USB charging.
However, the PSP 1000 has one massive advantage – it’s by far the easiest model to install a CFW on as it is capable of running every firmware version both Official and Custom (and subsequently is the only console able to utilise the 1.50 Kernel). Thanks to that it’s by far the hardest console to brick.
PRO’s
• It’s cheap!
• Fully hackable – and Very easy to “hack” too!
• Make and use a Pandora on all models
• Very hard to permanently brick with firmware tinkering as can utilise a Pandora battery
• Feels very durable
• Possesses an IR Port and has access to the 1.50 Kernel. Whilst these are merely curio’s now there are still some nice things which can be accomplished with them (standing outside of a TV shop and changing all the channels immediately springs to mind).
CON’s
• Dimmest screen
• Motion blur?
• Sunken D-Pad
• No USB Charge
• No TV out – must rely on homebrew streaming to PC Monitor
• 32MB RAM – This does have little real impact upon the systems performance but some emulation (i.e N64, CPS2) does take advantage of the 64MB of the later generations.
The “Slim” PSP 2000 (Fighting Fit)
Launched a couple of years after the 1000, the PSP 2000 is often simultaneously regarded as both the best and worst iteration.
Much lighter than its predecessor, and about 2/3rd’s it’s thickness, the build feels somewhat cheap and fragile in comparison. Of minor note is that the Wifi switch has been moved to the top edge of the system, the IR panel removed, the speakers have been shifted upward and the UMD compartment now merely a pull out door, with no securing mechanism for the inserted software. What becomes apparent on powering up however, is the improvement in screen and sound quality…colours are brighter and crisper, sound is a tad louder and more defined and the whole package just feels slightly more refined. Whilst these differences are minimised as the 1000’s brightness is increased, the fact that the PSP 2000 does it due to a better screen rather than increased brightness is obviously advantageous to battery life. The motion blur has been all but eliminated although there is on occasion some minor evidence of on screen ghosting…of course once more this is something that most people have to look for.
The 2000’s D-Pad is greatly improved, standing proud of the console and it’s immediately apparent that it’s much better for fine control. The same can be said of the shoulder buttons too which now feel more like buttons with a greater range of vertical movement, and the nub itself is looser and less stiff. Unlike the 1000, the Slim PSP can be charged via it’s USB port and TV out is now fully featured - games can therefore be played on the big screen (although this is an immensely underwhelming experience in most circumstances, with the limited PSP resolution looking awful on most TV screens). The 2000 also has 64MB of RAM and a UMD cache option…as noted this extra RAM isn’t terribly essential but it’s nice to have it for the sake of completeness and the minor performance boost (moreso if you’re utilising the few homebrews that take advantage of it). Additionally a nice feature is that if the PSP 2000 battery is swapped out for the PSP 1000’s battery then a couple of extra hours charge time can be gained (a replacement battery cover is required for this).
The problem lies in hacking the 2000. Early 2000’s are much like the 1000 insofar as the fact that they can be easily hacked with a permanent CFW and utilise the fabled Pandora battery. However, Sony mixed things up and introduced a new motherboard with a different security implementation later in the 2000’s lifespan. This prevented the old hacks from working, disabled the effect of the Pandora battery and rendered the latter day 2000’s incapable of running any of the extant firmwares. Bricks could no longer be recovered since without a Pandora battery service mode could not be entered and it seemed that CFW was a thing of the past. At which point temporary CFW’s (or LCFW’s) sprung up which were resident in the systems RAM.[See firmware discussion).
Essentially this means buying a Slim PSP 2000 is a tricky process – they can be the best system to own for many as the early models are recoverable from bricking (can use a Pandora), have the extra RAM and TV out, and possess better screens, speakers and controls. However, end up with a latter day slim (the TA-088v3) and you effectively have a neutered PSP 3000.
PRO’s
• Lighter, thinner, brighter, louder than the PSP 1000
• Can benefit from increased charge capacity of PSP 1000 battery due to power efficiency
• 64MB RAM
• Better D-Pad, Shoulder buttons and nub
• TV Out
• USB Charging
• Potentially fully hackable and capable of Pandora use
CON’s
• Cheaper feeling build quality
• Ghosting?
• Difficulty in determining 2000’s “hackability” due to motherboard identification
• Potentially unable to use earlier permanent CFW’s and unrecoverable from bricking due to inability of TA-088v3 from using a Pandora battery.
• Narrower range of Firmwares available to these systems
{NOTE: As discussed in the firmware guide there now exists a permanent firmware for previously “unhackable” slims. However, if your PSP 2000 is over 6.35 OFW it’s conceivable that a full Pandora CFW install will be impossible if that console has a TA-088v3 motherboard. You will need to run a firmware downgrade in those systems to get to 6.20 for a potential Perm CFW}.
CRITICAL ERROR! When all 2000's aren't created equal...
PSP’s, Firmware, IPL’s and the Jigkick
The principal reason that firmware prior to CFW’ing is inconsequential on PSP 1000’s and all 2000’s bar those with the TA-088v3 motherboard is because the Pandora, or rather Jigkick, battery allows the PSP to boot into Service Mode. That is, rather than boot from it’s internal memory, the Pandora battery tells the PSP to load from an alternate location enabling a system recovery; a Pandora Battery is simply a normal battery that has had its internal serial number rewritten to 0xFFFFFFFF. The PSP reads this serial from the battery’s EEPROM and attempts to boot its Pre-IPL/IPL (Initial Program Load – think of it as your PC’s MBR) from the Memory Stick instead of its internal NAND memory. Thanks to a timing attack PSP coders had been able to dump and modify the Pre-IPL of these older PSP’s so that it could be instructed to run a Custom IPL (this involving appending unsigned data to a small block of signed data on the Pre-IPL).
All PSP 1000’s and 2000’s boot in this manner, first checking the battery’s serial and then deciding what to do next. For CFW installation it reads the modified files on the “Magic Memory stick” and does as directed. In the TA-88v3 however, the Motherboard possesses increased security via a different Pre-IPL and IPL authentication method. Whilst the battery is still checked and allows the PSP to read from the MS, the old Pre-IPL that had been used before was no longer verified by the PSP’s checks…in effect preventing any access to the IPL and preventing a boot (and subsequently the method of entering Service mode was changed rendering the Pandora useless on the 3000…just search for the controversy surrounding Datel and it’s Blue Tool battery.)
What this means is in any PSP capable of utilising service mode AND allowing a modified Pre-IPL to run and seek an address on a custom IPL, that it’s largely irrelevant what’s written in the PSP’s internal memory (the NAND)….it could be ruined by the user or even missing great chunks of data; when using a Pandora Battery and a Memory stick containing Update information a completely new firmware can be written into place, and the custom Pre-IPL and IPL set in place. Thus a PSP 1000 and earlier 2000’s are a doddle to install CFW because firmware is totally irrelevant….it can just be replaced through use of a Pandora if it’s too high to use any existing exploits.
Conversely as there is no way to do the same thing to on a PSP TA-088v3, 3000 or PSP Go thanks to the new security, any changes which brick the console and prevent it from booting cannot be undone. In addition if that console is running a firmware that has had all its exploits sealed there is no way to bypass it and install a CFW. This makes firmware important prior to a purchase if it’s the users intent to install a CFW as too high a starting firmware and it’s impossible. Equally this means that any CFW’d PSP TA-088v3, 3000 or Go which undergo fatal alterations to their internal memory which prevent a normal boot cannot be recovered (bricked).
Thus for the purposes of a Pandora battery CFW installation or recovery, a 1000 is always the best purchase as it’s guaranteed to succeed, whereas with the introduction of the newer PSP 2000 motherboard preventing the Pandora/MMS combo from working it can be a gamble to guarantee that the system in question is “Fully hackable”. Certain limited edition 2000’s have been identified that do not have TA-088v3’s which makes a purchase somewhat easier (see table above) although there is a small danger of a replacement shell concealing a newer model. Using PSPIdent, a homebrew tool that provides detailed hardware information, is thus the safest method for identifying a Pandora compatible slim, to pin down exactly which motherboard is present.
Finally, the creation of a Pandora/Jigkick battery by Softmod is a process dependent on two things – the battery has an EEPROM chip which can be modified and the PSP itself can write to the EEPROM. Whilst all PSP 1000’s can do this, only 2000’s released around launch possess the ability. This has no impact upon the ability to utilise a Pandora battery but many people find it convenient to create their own for unforeseen events.
The “Brite” PSP 3000 (not so clever)
Thankfully differences between the 2000 and 3000 can be discussed in brief as it’s less a new build than a minor upgrade. On first inspection the console shell has slightly rounded edges and the Home button has been replaced by the Playstation button, with the other buttons in the underscreen array taking on an oval aspect, and the metal ring on the UMD door adopting a much thinner profile. It has all the upgrades that the 2000 had over the 1000 (64MB RAM, Controls etc…) but in addition also features a built in microphone (not that the average user will see much use of it) and an upgraded antiglare screen.
Aside from it’s hacking potential the screen is the root cause of much argument about the merits of the 3000. It has a wider colour gamut and far more colour saturation, but often that can lead to the question of whether it’s providing a real representation of the intended images of an overly colourised version. Side by side images create a massive distinction between the 1000, 2000 and 3000 screens but in reality it’s noticeable but not the gargantuan difference that press releases often make out. What caused controversy was the issue of scanlines….the 1000 had it’s motion blur which many never really noticed. The 2000 had it’s occasional ghosting, but the 3000 has scanlines and whichever way you cut it they’re there whether you look for them or not. In actuality again much like the previous screen issues it’s not that big a problem, but it isn’t as easily ignored as previous problems. Scanlines aside, the screen of the 3000 is certainly brighter, more colourful and provides a much gaudier take on many PSP titles.
The real crux of the 3000 is that it shares that same security implementation of the latter day 2000….Pandora batteries won’t put it into service mode and as with the Slim’s TA-088v2 motherboard the 3000’s have the same Pre-IPL/IPL set up which prevents a custom loader being patched from launch. Thus it’s entirely possible to brick these systems permanently If one unwittingly tinkers with system files. As with the TA-088v3’s, buyers need to know the system firmware in advance…if it’s on an Official firmware above 6.35 (at the time of writing) then that console will be unable to run any CFW except the 6.39 PRO firmwares without downgrading using some1's 6.39 Downgrader and must rely upon that one firmware and it's associated compatibilities with homebrew, or no Custom firmware and signed games.
PRO’s
• Much the same as the PSP 2000 (RAM, Controls, Battery life)
• Super-duper screen with ultra wide colour gamut and saturation
• Built in Mic
CON’s
• SCANLINES!
• As with the TA-088v3 Slims a bricked console may become a paperweight. Limited firmware choices
• Annoying 07 and 09G motherboards which further limits firmware choices…must be identified prior to downgrade
• As discussed in the firmware guide there now exists a permanent firmware for previously “unhackable” motherboards.
• Over 6.35 and console must be downgraded with some1's 6.39 downgrader to utilise any other firmwares besides 6.39 PRO
To 6.36 and BEYOND! Downgrading a PSP that's above 6.35 using some1's 6.39 Downgrader
Certain that there was room for manoeuvre, the developer some1 worked on porting Davee's 6.35 downgrader (mentioned above in a previous spoiler). He succeeded and managed to port the application to work on 6.39 - this was a breakthrough as now ANY PSP with any firmware (at the time of his work) could be downgraded to run a CFW. No more unhackable consoles! In essence this is a signed tool which a PSP can run to allow a firmware update that wouldn't previously work to downgrade that console.
In his own words:
In his own words:
The PSP Go ( Game over man….)
With a primary concern of portability the redesign of the PSP Go into a sliding, almost “cell-phone” styled body was a total departure for the system. With no UMD drive it’s totally dependent on digital content and to that end has a heft 16GB of built in flash memory for system storage (further expandable with an M2 memory stick). Now much lighter, smaller and less console like the PSP Go was a true portable system.
The trouble was that the Go seemed to do away with many good features of the PSP line. The screen was reduced in size, and featured all the same pro’s and con’s of the 3000’s LCD but in a smaller package (antiglare, wider colour gamut but with scanlines ). The controls also suffered…..there’s no getting away from the fact that the controls initially feel cramped, resulting in extended play becoming more difficult for some people with larger hands compared to the larger models. The D-Pad, as if because of the sliding screen, has suddenly sunk further into the system, and is if anything worse than the 1000’s sunken controller despite being slightly more “clicky” (the face buttons are also “clicky” though this time it’s solely a good thing). Also the nub is now really that…a tiny projection sitting much closer to the D-pad, albeit that it feels responsive with a nice resistance when in use. And again the shoulder buttons seem to have been worsened compared to the 2000 and 3000 feeling somewhat “spongey “in their travel in comparison to the superior 2000 and 3000. Also bizarrely the Go has a max clockspeed increase to 480Mhz (compared to 333 on older models). Whether anyone has actually noted any differences due to this is a moot point.
Admittedly that sounds overly harsh, and for the average person the only lasting annoyance will be the sunken D-pad. The screen size reduction is noticeable but does serve to boost the looks of some less comely games and the 16GB of internal memory is nothing to be sniffed at. Coupled with Blue Tooth tethering (yes you can hook your Go up to your PS3’s Dual Shock 3 and play games on the big screen via TV out). The Go really is portable however due to it’s size, although given that the battery is now non removable the console is dependant upon a single charge and cannot have a new battery swapped in (although rechargeable hand grips can be obtained).
However, the good news is that if anything the Go is an easier console to CFW’ise than it’s predecessor the 3000. No fiddly boards that won’t work some of the newer firmwares. It’s the same proviso that your console cannot be over 6.35 OFW to run a CFW without downgrading but by use of some1's 6.39 Downgrader to get to 6.20 then the Go is a fully CFW’able machine.
PRO’s
• Most portable PSP by a mile
• Screen effectively on par with the 3000 if not improved due to size reduction (this is also a negative point!)
• 16GB internal memory
• Bluetooth
CON’s
• No removable battery
• Smaller screen with Sacnline
• No UMD drive means no bargain UMD purchases
• Limited CFW choice. If the system is over 6.35 MUST be downgraded with some1's 6.39 Downgrader or just use PRO firmware and Signed games. (downgrading gives alternatives.)
PSP Screen Side by Sides
tl;dr?
Note: It's NOT ok to copy and reproduce this guide in Full or in part on any other site bar GBAtemp without asking me for permission. If you see excerpts or reproductions elsewhere please let me know. Thanks.
