Hacking PS3 Vs XBOX 360 for homebrew?

[xephos]

I am finally tired of sharing a xbox with my little brother and all of his little friends always wanting to play with me on live, so I deiced to buy a new console just for me and I am wondering which to get for back-up loading, homebrew, ease of hacking, and finally which has better console longitivity. I am leaning towards the PS3, but I am unsure...any opinions would be great thanks so much.

 

[FAST6191]

This could get a bit complex as there are various things to account for- both the PS3 and 360 are not quite as hackable as the say the wii or the original xbox or the handhelds and MS and Sony have done a bit to counter things as times goes on. I do not consider hacking either that troublesome but it is not as simple as the wii or the original xbox which amounted to simple software hacks and I have been playing around with electronics and computers for years so I am probably not the person to ask here.
Equally the PS3 scene has if not died out then not kept up to date with Sony's counters which is odd from a technical standpoint but hey it is what it is.

Copied games- probably the 360 with a DVD hack. This only allows simple copied games though with a few minor things like savegame hacking and DLC injection of a handful of DLC (stuff like borderlands double pack and fallout expansions that come as installers). Originally it was a matter of flashing the drive (easy enough for most older versions of the drives) and burning games with an image burner but today flashing can be a bit harder (some of the slims especially) and for many new games you will need a hacked DVD burner (nice drives that are common and cost about the same as a normal DVD drive). http://jungleflasher.net/downloads.html has a nice tutorial.

Homebrew- the 360 has some (mainly a handful of playable but crude emulators and some proof of concept stuff) but most of it revolves around copied games and things there and it is nowhere near the original xbox or wii. The PS3 has a bit more for some reason (some more polished emulators and not quite proof of concept but not XBMC grade) but I would still not place it alongside the wii or original xbox. For proper homebrew on the 360 you need a JTAG hacked or Reset Glitch Hacked (RGH) box- both come at the cost of online play (DVD hacks occasionally get banned although nobody has in a couple of years now- we still advise a fatalistic attitude though and to take proper precautions). JTAG requires a box that has not been updated since August 2009 and some minor wiring and basic components where RGH can be done on most (although MS threw a wrench into the works a month or two back) with a fairly cheap chip (about half the price of a game for the top end stuff). Both JTAG and RGH though have region free*, game hacks, menu hacks (things like control remapping), hard drive (USB and onboard), XBLA and DLC loading and more although do note that for the time being (there has been some interesting work of late) you will probably also want to combine it with a DVD hack.

*Europe has some pretty nice western RPGs come out first and can take a while to appear stateside and Japan has a fair few shmups if you like that sort of thing so it is nice to have even if you have a NA console.

Equally Sony blocked much of PS3 homebrew methods so you need to downgrade (I am not so familiar with current PS3 downgrading) or get a console that has not been updated which means you more or less can not play new games (and I guess that means no access to PSN either- there were a few methods for a while but Sony seemed to have studied basic network security since that whole hacking debacle).

Longevity... given how similar the PS3 and 360 are in terms of capabilities and that games companies are spending silly money making them and not to mention the wii U being speculated to only be marginally better than both of those I imagine both will be tossed the odd port for years to come.
I will leave it you to decide if any of the exclusives are dealbreakers for you, as I see it the 360 gets most of the RPGs with the exception of disgaea and atelier and maybe just the edge in multiplatform versions but there is little in it. Again games companies are in the must spend money phase rather than anything else more sensible which means exclusives are less of a thing than they once were and if you have a PC then 360 exclusives are even fewer and further between. Even among the few exclusives that do arise both platforms tend to get the sequels to exclusives be they spiritual or conventional- no demon's souls on the 360 but there was dark souls for instance. I normally dislike linking wikipedia but as this is a simple list comparing session http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_360_games and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PlayStation_3_games

 

[Magsor]

For homebrew? the wii wins hand down.

PS3 holds great potential but the community is not very active.

Xbox360 has an active community but it requires hardware modification that are not for beginners.

Depends on where you stand.

 

[qlum]

This could get a bit complex as there are various things to account for- both the PS3 and 360 are not quite as hackable as the say the wii or the original xbox or the handhelds and MS and Sony have done a bit to counter things as times goes on. I do not consider hacking either that troublesome but it is not as simple as the wii or the original xbox which amounted to simple software hacks and I have been playing around with electronics and computers for years so I am probably not the person to ask here.
Equally the PS3 scene has if not died out then not kept up to date with Sony's counters which is odd from a technical standpoint but hey it is what it is.

Copied games- probably the 360 with a DVD hack. This only allows simple copied games though with a few minor things like savegame hacking and DLC injection of a handful of DLC (stuff like borderlands double pack and fallout expansions that come as installers). Originally it was a matter of flashing the drive (easy enough for most older versions of the drives) and burning games with an image burner but today flashing can be a bit harder (some of the slims especially) and for many new games you will need a hacked DVD burner (nice drives that are common and cost about the same as a normal DVD drive). http://jungleflasher.../downloads.html has a nice tutorial.

Homebrew- the 360 has some (mainly a handful of playable but crude emulators and some proof of concept stuff) but most of it revolves around copied games and things there and it is nowhere near the original xbox or wii. The PS3 has a bit more for some reason (some more polished emulators and not quite proof of concept but not XBMC grade) but I would still not place it alongside the wii or original xbox. For proper homebrew on the 360 you need a JTAG hacked or Reset Glitch Hacked (RGH) box- both come at the cost of online play (DVD hacks occasionally get banned although nobody has in a couple of years now- we still advise a fatalistic attitude though and to take proper precautions). JTAG requires a box that has not been updated since August 2009 and some minor wiring and basic components where RGH can be done on most (although MS threw a wrench into the works a month or two back) with a fairly cheap chip (about half the price of a game for the top end stuff). Both JTAG and RGH though have region free*, game hacks, menu hacks (things like control remapping), hard drive (USB and onboard), XBLA and DLC loading and more although do note that for the time being (there has been some interesting work of late) you will probably also want to combine it with a DVD hack.

*Europe has some pretty nice western RPGs come out first and can take a while to appear stateside and Japan has a fair few shmups if you like that sort of thing so it is nice to have even if you have a NA console.

Equally Sony blocked much of PS3 homebrew methods so you need to downgrade (I am not so familiar with current PS3 downgrading) or get a console that has not been updated which means you more or less can not play new games (and I guess that means no access to PSN either- there were a few methods for a while but Sony seemed to have studied basic network security since that whole hacking debacle).

Longevity... given how similar the PS3 and 360 are in terms of capabilities and that games companies are spending silly money making them and not to mention the wii U being speculated to only be marginally better than both of those I imagine both will be tossed the odd port for years to come.
I will leave it you to decide if any of the exclusives are dealbreakers for you (the 360 gets most of the RPGs with the exception of disgaea and atelier and maybe just the edge in multiplatform versions but there is little in it- again games companies are in the must spend money phase rather than anything else more sensible and so exclusives are less of a thing than they once were and if you have a PC then 360 exclusives are even fewer and most of those you probably can play otherwise or not miss much with both platforms tending to get the sequels to exclusives be they spiritual or conventional- no demon's souls on the 360 but there was dark souls for instance). I normally dislike linking wikipedia but as this is a simple list comparing session http://en.wikipedia...._Xbox_360_games and https://en.wikipedia...Station_3_games

actually most games can be played using some paid usb sticks (the trueblue and recently the JB King) they use some sort of encryption to prevent it from being done by just custom firmware but the main reason why there are so little new hacks on the ps3 is not because of drm but more because of a lack of hackers working on the ps3.

 

[xephos]

Oh wow thanks guys, ummm I am not all that great with soldering to a tiny point on a xbox board...so I may go with a ps3, also when I said longevity I guess I should have specified, how long the console lasts before it gets YLoD or RRoD. Also with the back-ups I do not want to use DVD/Bluray discs because I am kinda lazy and don't like switching my games nor will I go online with whatever I pick. Finally with homebrew...I probably use only emulators to play retro games

 

[FAST6191]

Thanks qlum I am bit out of touch with the day to day stuff of the PS3, I was well aware of the general dearth of quality hackers working on the PS3 though which has a tendency to make me umm and ahh when asked as I kind of like knowing there is a very good chance I can do stuff in the future.

As for console reliability- jasper 360 (they were the last original style board first seen in late 2008 so pretty much everything you will find on a shelf in terms of the old 360) and newer (seen only in the slims) are pretty good and PS3s have nothing to complain about. I would still like to teach the board and case designers and/or those that signed off on it some of the basics of materials science and mechanics as well as slap those that decided lead free solder was the way forward but realistically I have only had to fix old boards and ones people screwed up trying to mod.

For what it is worth you can get premodded consoles as well and it is not that hard to drum up a modder on forums or online tat/services merchants. Since the massacre that was the first wii drive chips I have stopped saying soldering is easy (especially if you only have basic kit) but this is probably harder than that- still nothing someone that can solder basic through hole and surface mount pads should shy away from though.

If you want emulators get an old PC, stick in some ram if necessary and maybe a quieter fan before shoving some nice game oriented linux (XBMC and MAME play quite well together) on it or get an original xbox (they have 720p out if that is what you want with quality emulators and can be had for next to nothing) or maybe hack a wii.

Still if you do not want discs that means JTAG/RGH 360 and PS3 disc loading was never really a thing so pretty much any viable hack there.

 

[jalaneme]

Oh wow thanks guys, ummm I am not all that great with soldering to a tiny point on a xbox board...so I may go with a ps3, also when I said longevity I guess I should have specified, how long the console lasts before it gets YLoD or RRoD. Also with the back-ups I do not want to use DVD/Bluray discs because I am kinda lazy and don't like switching my games nor will I go online with whatever I pick. Finally with homebrew...I probably use only emulators to play retro games

If you are not bothred with online then get the ps3 and install cfw, you will still have to buy newer games though dont waste your time with dongles.

 

[xephos]

Thanks qlum I am bit out of touch with the day to day stuff of the PS3, I was well aware of the general dearth of quality hackers working on the PS3 though which has a tendency to make me umm and ahh when asked as I kind of like knowing there is a very good chance I can do stuff in the future.

As for console reliability- jasper 360 (they were the last original style board first seen in late 2008 so pretty much everything you will find on a shelf in terms of the old 360) and newer (seen only in the slims) are pretty good and PS3s have nothing to complain about. I would still like to teach the board and case designers and/or those that signed off on it some of the basics of materials science and mechanics as well as slap those that decided lead free solder was the way forward but realistically I have only had to fix old boards and ones people screwed up trying to mod.

For what it is worth you can get premodded consoles as well and it is not that hard to drum up a modder on forums or online tat/services merchants. Since the massacre that was the first wii drive chips I have stopped saying soldering is easy (especially if you only have basic kit) but this is probably harder than that- still nothing someone that can solder basic through hole and surface mount pads should shy away from though.

If you want emulators get an old PC, stick in some ram if necessary and maybe a quieter fan before shoving some nice game oriented linux (XBMC and MAME play quite well together) on it or get an original xbox (they have 720p out if that is what you want with quality emulators and can be had for next to nothing) or maybe hack a wii.

Still if you do not want discs that means JTAG/RGH 360 and PS3 disc loading was never really a thing so pretty much any viable hack there.

I can play the emulators off of my PC, but I go to LAN parties sometimes and I don't like dragging a TJ07 around especially since it weighs about 60 lbs with all of my components and there isn't a lock for it . I also don't understand what you are saying about the discloading? Do you mind explaining it a bit more...please and thank you

 

[FAST6191]

Anything the 360 or PS3 emulates via homebrew or hacked commercial emulators with the possible exception of the original xbox emulators (which are not that good for anything not on the list) and whatever the PS3 can do to the PS2 (not sure what exists there for hacked machines and last I checked PS2 emulation was demanding but doing pretty good on PCs) can be played on anything this side of a mobile phone these days- no need for a massive rig for it so if you want it might be better to find an old P4 laptop or something if weight is an issue.

Disc loading.... I am not sure what I can say. The DVD hack is by far the most common hack done to the 360 (mainly as it is quite simple for the older drives, the JTAG hack requires specific setups and the RGH is still quite new and a bit involved) but as you said you did not care for burning/swapping discs you have to look at other options (see also the paragraph below this as I forgot a key thing from the last few months) like JTAG and RGH. PS3 disc loading was toyed with but USB took hold first and nobody really went in for it on the PS3 that I have seen. For the 360 at least the general idea is after you hacked the drive (these days you are also advised to pay attention to updates to the system firmware to see if MS upped their game) you get an iso, check it with ABGX360 and burn it to a verbatim DL disc with a hacked DVD burner (it is the same as updating the DVD firmware of a drive).

Oh and I should have also mentioned optical disc drive emulators- same idea as DVD flashing really with the same restrictions (region locking such that it is on the 360- http://www.abgx.net/filename/?ch=6 and no hacked games, homebrew or niceties) but it can read from a USB drive instead (if you ever saw the WODE on the wii it is the exact same idea). Price is about $100 at the low end I think although I have not checked recently and European prices seem a bit higher than that.

 

[xephos]

Thanks so much for that clarification, just to get things straight I can do ISO loading on either console? Also does a JTAG/RGH xbox console support HDD's larger than 250 GB? Also PCSX2 is near perfect on my 2500K and 6950's it runs every game I throw at it

 

[FAST6191]

Nice- I have not really bothered to upgrade my machine in a few years so I have not gone in for PS2 emulation much.

Yeah JTAG/RGH removes the drive size and model restriction. You will want a laptop drive (you can use a big one but you will need to find 12V to add to it) and some of the larger sata drives up around the 1TB are too tall for the case.

ISO loading- I am not sure about the ODDE stuff but on the 360 you have two main choices
1) Install it as a GOD (games on demand) install (iso2god makes the required files). Bonus -you can also install to hard drive from disc and swap a couple of bytes to do the exact same thing with a program like NXE2GOD. This works on the standard menu.
2) Iso extraction- exiso gui and it will even FTP it to the console. You will need a loader like xexmenu (a simple neogamma style menu if you are coming from the wii) or freestyle dash (FSD) (a more fleshed out GUI driven affair) to run these but you can autoboot them with a program like dashlaunch and if you really want there are jump loaders/forwarders to use on the main menu but not many people go in for this.

PS3 is pretty similar.

 

[xephos]

Alright so I have been looking into a RGH xbox and saw that it has a lot of soldering...do you know of anyone that could do that for me in exchange for financial compensation or should I just learn how to solder better?