Hacking What is the difference between CFW and HFW

[depaul]

Hello everyone.
My old slim CFW PS3 just died after more than 8 years of good and faithful service.
I plan to buy another PS3 but I can only find HFW based models.

Concerning the difference between HFW and CFW:
- Does HFW load automatically? i.e you don't need to launch a web browser or a hack every time you boot up the PS3?
- Does HFW allow to install PSN games?
- Does HFW allow to install multiman and Retroarch ?
- Does HFW allow to run PS2, PSP and PS1 isos like old CFW PS3 ?
- Can HFW run JB or ISO games format ?

Thank you very much.

Edit : So after I asked in the psx forum : You have to launch HEN Enabler every time you boot. And HFW HEN can run almost anything CFW does (multiman, PS2 Classics...), except some tools that don't work on HEN like CCAPI.

 

[Dimensional]

https://www.psx-place.com/resources/4-85-hfw-hybrid-firmware.873/

 

[depaul]

Ok is there something HFW can't do compared to CFW?
Does HFW load automatically? i.e you don't need to launch a web browser or a hack every time you boot up the PS3?

Thanks

 

[SupremeDevice]

Looks like HFW isn't much useful on it's own, but brings back the (now patched) webkit exploits needed to install CFW.

 

[depaul]

Looks like HFW isn't much useful on it's own, but brings back the (now patched) webkit exploits needed to install CFW.

Ok I actually bought a PS3 super slim with HFW 4.86 and HEN. It can run ISOs, install PKGs, and homebrew like Retroarch and almost everything...

The only downside is that you have to launch PS3hen homebrew everytime you start PS3, but no problem since it's offline and only takes about 5 seconds.

 

[tygrys10sCFW]

I using CFW 4.86 REBUG and I can said (I can't find any modded store) for hfw I saw a lot of stores and mods. then hfw better XD

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

but on hfw you must update ps3 to go online.

 

[Deleted member 323844]

Custom Firmware is a Custom Firmware xD

Hybrid Firmware is just a regular Official Firmware with a legacy-exploitable browser, nothing else, it doesn't have any patches and it won't run homebrew. You need to install HEN (through the exploitable browser) in order to run homebrew.

 

[LaFemme69]

Ok I actually bought a PS3 super slim with HFW 4.86 and HEN. It can run ISOs, install PKGs, and homebrew like Retroarch and almost everything...

The only downside is that you have to launch PS3hen homebrew everytime you start PS3, but no problem since it's offline and only takes about 5 seconds.

depaul, if u'r sill following this post plse mșg me.

i'm a newbie who just managed to JB my old ps3 w HFW 4.86, Hen 3.0.2, multiman v4.85.01, webman 1.47.35......i have a few questions if u can help me w since i haven't grasp the whole concept of HFW.

1) Certain games stuck on black screen, had to press power to shut down coz game pad unresponsive. how can i fix that?
2) i want to learn how i can play back-up bluray ISOs, esp. 3D movies.... if that is possible and how
3) can HFW 4.86 read/write NTFS ext. HDD
4) HFW 4.87.1 is out, need to upgrade from 4.86? how, easy?
5) what does webman do, since multiman is used to load and play games.

.... for now. ;-)

thanks in advance

KD

 

[depaul]

Hi @LaFemme69 and welcome to the forum.

1) Certain games stuck on black screen, had to press power to shut down coz game pad unresponsive. how can i fix that?
In general HFW+HEN is just like CFW (The only main difference is that you have to enable HEN after each restart, also HEN doesn't support PS2 ISOs, you have to convert them to PS2 Classics Packages).
So if some game doesn't work it must be a problem with the game itself. Just try to download it again. I use PKGs and ISOs format and never had a problem,

2) i want to learn how i can play back-up bluray ISOs, esp. 3D movies.... if that is possible and how
In XMB scroll over to “Video” from the PS3 menu. Scroll down to “USB Device" and you find the Blue-Ray .ISO

3) can HFW 4.86 read/write NTFS ext. HDD
Yes, just like CFW. Most Backup managers support ISOs from NTFS HDDs.

4) HFW 4.87.1 is out, need to upgrade from 4.86? how, easy?
Just download the HFW firmware from the official source and put it into your USB PS3/UPDATE/. In XMB go to update, then update from USB storage (Not from the internet).

5) what does webman do, since multiman is used to load and play games.
Webman is just more practical since you can load ISOs from XMB without having to launch Multiman.

 

[LaFemme69]

Hi @LaFemme69 and welcome to the forum.

1) Certain games stuck on black screen, had to press power to shut down coz game pad unresponsive. how can i fix that?
In general HFW+HEN is just like CFW (The only main difference is that you have to enable HEN after each restart, also HEN doesn't support PS2 ISOs, you have to convert them to PS2 Classics Packages).
So if some game doesn't work it must be a problem with the game itself. Just try to download it again. I use PKGs and ISOs format and never had a problem,

*** all the games are PS3 games but in 'folder' format, how can i rip them to ISO or PKG formats?

2) i want to learn how i can play back-up bluray ISOs, esp. 3D movies.... if that is possible and how
In XMB scroll over to “Video” from the PS3 menu. Scroll down to “USB Device" and you find the Blue-Ray .ISO

*** sorry, i am new to this....XMB? from multiman environment or the original environment before activating HEN? I can also store the ISO in PS3 internal HDD? which app do i use to play the ISO movies?

3) can HFW 4.86 read/write NTFS ext. HDD
Yes, just like CFW. Most Backup managers support ISOs from NTFS HDDs.

4) HFW 4.87.1 is out, need to upgrade from 4.86? how, easy?
Just download the HFW firmware from the official source and put it into your USB PS3/UPDATE/. In XMB go to update, then update from USB storage (Not from the internet).

*** is there a need to update, is 4.87.1 better and more stable than 4.86?

5) what does webman do, since multiman is used to load and play games.
Webman is just more practical since you can load ISOs from XMB without having to launch Multiman.

*** so when do you webman and when do you use multiman?

thank you for your responses which i've been looking forward to. (see above ***)

 

[depaul]

thank you for your responses which i've been looking forward to. (see above ***)

Hi. You're welcome.
1) Normally the folder format should work too. But you can test :
-Try PKG format (download from that PS3 PSN Packages sites), install it and and activate it.
-OR Convert your game folder format into ISO format using this tool : https://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3-iso-tools.68/ . Put ISO into PS3ISO folder (internal or external HDD)

2)Sorry I don't have experience playing Blu-ray movies. I'm not sure about this point. XMB is just the PS3 interface try to go to VIDEOS -> USB.
Otherwise there is an excellent software called MOVIAN. Try it you can open many video formats.
https://store.brewology.com/ahomebrew.php?brewid=196

4) I tested both versions there are no real differences. I heard 4.87.1 updates keys for Blu-ray playback.

5) They both do the same thing. Webman can launch ISOs directly from PS3 interface so you save some time, but webman can't run folder format, where multiman can.

 

[LaFemme69]

Hi. You're welcome.
1) Normally the folder format should work too. But you can test :
-Try PKG format (download from that PS3 PSN Packages sites), install it and and activate

4) I tested both versions there are no real differences. I heard 4.87.1 updates keys for Blu-ray playback.

5) They both do the same thing. Webman can launch ISOs directly from PS3 interface so you save some time, but webman can't run folder format, where multiman can.

---- XBM is THE PS3 OFW interface or multiman interface?
---- are you running 4.87.1? updating it won't affect my current set up or i'd have to go through process of jailbreaking again?
---- still uncertain how PKG works. I have to install PKG package then games IN PKG will work

 

[depaul]

XMB is the original PS3 interface. Here is what I am talking about:

- Sorry if you update HFW you need to reinstall hen via the same ps3xploit site method

- PKGs files are downloadable from PSN servers directly. You put them into your external USB and install them. There is a method to activate them via .RAP files but it's not legal and can't be posted on GBATemp so the internet is your friend!

 

[LaFemme69]

XMB is the original PS3 interface. Here is what I am talking about:

- Sorry if you update HFW you need to reinstall hen via the same ps3xploit site method

- PKGs files are downloadable from PSN servers directly. You put them into your external USB and install them. There is a method to activate them via .RAP files but it's not legal and can't be posted on GBATemp so the internet is your friend!

thank you for letting me know about updating HFW, that's what i was afraid of that i'd have to reinstall everything again....

can PS3 play ISO's on it's own or it has to run through multiman?

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Ok I actually bought a PS3 super slim with HFW 4.86 and HEN. It can run ISOs, install PKGs, and homebrew like Retroarch and almost everything...

The only downside is that you have to launch PS3hen homebrew everytime you start PS3, but no problem since it's offline and only takes about 5 seconds.

PS3Hen doesn't require an Internet connection, right? Because I'm thinking about getting my hands on the Super Slim as it's the smallest of the PS3 models, and if it can install RetroArch for sure and run everything off the HDD including PS2 games using the internal PS2 emulator which, while not perfect, is still good enough to play most of the PS2's library just fine?

 

[depaul]

thank you for letting me know about updating HFW, that's what i was afraid of that i'd have to reinstall everything again....

can PS3 play ISO's on it's own or it has to run through multiman?

You're welcome! To play PS3 ISO you can use any backup manager like multiman. Webman also can launch an ISO directly from PS3 menu without having to launch the backup manager.

Webman is like multiman, just that it can load ISOs within PS3 menu, so you don't need to launch a backup manager first.

PS3Hen doesn't require an Internet connection, right? Because I'm thinking about getting my hands on the Super Slim as it's the smallest of the PS3 models, and if it can install RetroArch for sure and run everything off the HDD including PS2 games using the internal PS2 emulator which, while not perfect, is still good enough to play most of the PS2's library just fine?

Yes.
-You only need internet connection the first time you install HFW and HEN to activate your PS3 online (an important step). After that you don't need internet connection you can stay completely offline for ages.
On PS3 Hen you can't run PS2 ISOs like on CFW. You need to convert them first to installable PKGs using PS2 Classics Gui. And then you can play PS2 games normally.

Everything on HEN is just like CFW really. The only big difference is that you need to launch the HEN ENABLER icon every time you power on the PS3.

 

[LaFemme69]

You're welcome! To play PS3 ISO you can use any backup manager like multiman. Webman also can launch an ISO directly from PS3 menu without having to launch the backup manager.

Webman is like multiman, just that it can load ISOs within PS3 menu, so you don't need to launch a backup manager first.

working well so far. I find webman easier and faster to use. run prepiso, then all the ISOs from the ext.HDD shows up in 'webman games'. just mount and play.

next project is to learn how to set up PS3 to play over the net work. ps3serv seems complicated. lol

thank you for all your help.

kd

 

[LaFemme69]

next project is to learn how to set up PS3 to play over the net work. ps3serv seems complicated. lol

thank you for all your help.

kd

mission accomplished. so far, ps3netserv works well.

 

[depaul]

Great idea. Glad you made all these good stuff with PS3!
I never tried loading ISOs from LAN. I might try and see the loading speed difference with internal HDD!

 

[LaFemme69]

Great idea. Glad you made all these good stuff with PS3!
I never tried loading ISOs from LAN. I might try and see the loading speed difference with internal HDD!

i'm sure nothing beats the speed of internal HDD, if it's large enough to store the games, updates and game save. haven't really tested a whole lot of games but good so far.