Just copying my guide I made on reddit:

Thanks to the new psvimgtools, we can edit our CMA backups. This allows for installation of homebrew bubbles using the pboot trick on FW 3.60+.

This is a short guide on how to install an ARK bubble using the pboot trick on FW 3.60+ using the psvimgtools.


Needed files:
psvimgtools - https://github.com/yifanlu/psvimgtools/releases

ARK pboot bubble for Vita 3.60 - http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=47678


1. Get your PSN AID. This is the 16-hex code found in your CMA backup folder path.


To quote Yifan:"For example, if I wish to decrypt PS Vita/PGAME/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/NPJH00053/game/game.psvimg then my AID is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"


2. You can now use this site: http://cma.henkaku.xyz/ to get your KEY. Thanks Davee!


3. Download and extract the psvimgtools for your OS. We will need to use the command line/terminal for these next steps.


4. Backup a PSP game from your Vita to your computer using qCMA.


5. Find the PSP game backup in the folder: PS Vita/PGAME/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/[GAMEID]/game/game.psvimg. Copy this file to your psvimgtools folder.


6. Run "psvimg-extract -K YOUR-KEY game.psvimg game". You will get a folder named ux0_pspemu_temp_game_PSP_GAME_GAMEID.


7. Extract the ARK pboot bubble archive and find the PBOOT.PBP. Use this PBOOT.PBP to overwrite the one in your output_folder which you just generated using psvimg-extract.


8. Run "psvimg-create -n game -K YOUR-KEY game game". You will get "game.psvimg" and "game.psvmd" in your game folder. Use these to overwrite the ones in your CMA backup folder.


9. Restore the backup from your PC to your Vita using Qcma.


10. Copy ARK_01234 from the ARK pboot bubble archive to PS Vita/PSAVEGAME/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/


11. Restore the ARK-2 PSP SAVEDATA from your PC to your Vita using Qcma.


12. Say thanks to yifan.lu, xyz, Proxima, qwikrazor87 and Davee for this neat trick.

EDIT: Updated the guide. Thanks for feedback.

 

[Spatch]

Hey y'all, I've been reading this and trying to get it all going on my new PSTV, FW3.63. I'm dealing with QCMA on my MAC(Sierra 10.12.2), and I can't get passed step 6. My terminal is saying there's no such command as "psvimg-extract" and opening the psvimg-extract file doesn't seem to get me anywhere, it just says:

***-Air:~ ***l$ /Users/***/Downloads/psvimgtools-0.1-osx/psvimg-extract ; exit;

usage: psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

logout

Saving session...

...copying shared history...

...saving history...truncating history files...

...completed.


[Process completed]

Also, I just got my PSTV, and updated it to 3.63(dumb move in hindsight) is it still possible for me to get ARK running? or at least fix the whitelist?

 

[rileysrjay]

Hey y'all, I've been reading this and trying to get it all going on my new PSTV, FW3.63. I'm dealing with QCMA on my MAC(Sierra 10.12.2), and I can't get passed step 6. My terminal is saying there's no such command as "psvimg-extract" and opening the psvimg-extract file doesn't seem to get me anywhere, it just says:

***-Air:~ ***l$ /Users/***/Downloads/psvimgtools-0.1-osx/psvimg-extract ; exit;

usage: psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

logout

Saving session...

...copying shared history...

...saving history...truncating history files...

...completed.


[Process completed]

Also, I just got my PSTV, and updated it to 3.63(dumb move in hindsight) is it still possible for me to get ARK running? or at least fix the whitelist?

I wouldn't be able to help you since I don't have a Mac, but one of the good folks over on voxel's guide would be able to help you.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/guide-t...a-pstv-hacking-guide-check-here-first.403035/

I would think the pstv would be the same as ark on PS Vita, but you never know when it comes to pstv if anything's gonna be the same as Vita. As far as the whitelist goes, I think there's a guide here on hackinformer to do so:
https://hackinformer.com/2017/02/27/get-ark-vhbl-custom-themes-whitelist-hax-pstv-psvita-fw3-63/

 

[Spatch]

Thanks, I'll check em out.

 

[Cinnamon]

Thanks, I'll check em out.

For macs start the commands with ./ to execute them example:

./psvimgtools -psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

 

[Spatch]

For macs start the commands with ./ to execute them example:

./psvimgtools -psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

Eureka! You helped a lot. It turned out to be: cd ~/Desktop/psvimgtools-0.1-osx ENTER ./psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir ENTER. Voila!

Took me a long time but I got there!

Thanks guys!

 

[sirrjohn]

hey, what if sony releases a new firmware update? will ark still work?

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

hey, what if sony releases a new firmware update? will ark still work?

Yep. And if for some reason it doesn't, you should be able to just install it again as psvimgtool is something that Sony can't really patch so there will always be a way to install it

 

[sirrjohn]

Yep. And if for some reason it doesn't, you should be able to just install it again as psvimgtool is something that Sony can't really patch so there will always be a way to install it

That is awesome! I am really happy to know that.

I started using ARK today and I am loving it, remembers me of my old psp-2000 I once had.

Thanks for your reply Tom.

 

[sirrjohn]

Is it possible to run CWCHEAT in ark?

 

[EdithB]

Eureka! You helped a lot. It turned out to be: cd ~/Desktop/psvimgtools-0.1-osx ENTER ./psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir ENTER. Voila!

Took me a long time but I got there!

Thanks guys!

Hi, can you assist me trying the mac commands? When I go through all the steps I reach the step 7, I am not able to find the PBOOT file, instead, there is a EBOOT file. Per a previous advise, I left both on the folder. Then when I try step 8, I get the following messages in terminal:

Macbook $ ./psvimg-create -n game -K MYKEY game game
WARNING: skipping game/game.psvimg because it is not a directory!
created game/game.psvimg (size: 20, content size: 0)
created game/game.psvmd

And i get a 32Kb game.psvimg file and a 128 kb game.psvmd files. Then when, I bring the files and try to copy them back, i get the message on the vita: "An error has occured. (c2-12858-4)"

Please let me know if I need to modify one of the commans on the terminal as I believe this might be what is wrong with my process. I have also tried to copy my original game to the PS Vita in case this is the issue, but it seems to work perfectly with the original game.

Please also note that the ARK save file was transferred without issues... I believe this is an error with the modified file.

I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

 

[EdithB]

For macs start the commands with ./ to execute them example:

./psvimgtools -psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

I would appreciate your help, too, Cinnamon. Thank you.

For macs start the commands with ./ to execute them example:

./psvimgtools -psvimg-extract -K key input.psvimg outputdir

I would really appreciate your help too, Cinnamon. Thank you!

 

[sirrjohn]

Hi, can you assist me trying the mac commands? When I go through all the steps I reach the step 7, I am not able to find the PBOOT file, instead, there is a EBOOT file. Per a previous advise, I left both on the folder. Then when I try step 8, I get the following messages in terminal:

Macbook $ ./psvimg-create -n game -K MYKEY game game
WARNING: skipping game/game.psvimg because it is not a directory!
created game/game.psvimg (size: 20, content size: 0)
created game/game.psvmd

And i get a 32Kb game.psvimg file and a 128 kb game.psvmd files. Then when, I bring the files and try to copy them back, i get the message on the vita: "An error has occured. (c2-12858-4)"

Please let me know if I need to modify one of the commans on the terminal as I believe this might be what is wrong with my process. I have also tried to copy my original game to the PS Vita in case this is the issue, but it seems to work perfectly with the original game.

Please also note that the ARK save file was transferred without issues... I believe this is an error with the modified file.

I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

Hi, I am new to this just like you. But I can tell for sure the PBOOT "issue" is normal, I had that problem too and it ended up working fine.

About the psvimg-create I think you should get something like this, tho I am not sure how to help you any further but I am certain someone will help you out.

C:\Users\Administrador\Desktop\Vita\Vita cfw\psvimgtools-0.1-win64>psvimg-create -n game -K MYKEY game game
WARNING: skipping game/game.psvimg because it is not a directory!
adding files for ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/DOCINFO.EDAT (140 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/DOCUMENT.DAT (45d160 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/EBOOT.PBP (20949980 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/__sce_ebootpbp (200 bytes)...
created game/game.psvimg (size: 20e2d6e0, content size: 20da6e20)
created game/game.psvmd

 

[EdithB]

Hi, I am new to this just like you. But I can tell for sure the PBOOT "issue" is normal, I had that problem too and it ended up working fine.

About the psvimg-create I think you should get something like this, tho I am not sure how to help you any further but I am certain someone will help you out.

C:\Users\Administrador\Desktop\Vita\Vita cfw\psvimgtools-0.1-win64>psvimg-create -n game -K MYKEY game game
WARNING: skipping game/game.psvimg because it is not a directory!
adding files for ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/DOCINFO.EDAT (140 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/DOCUMENT.DAT (45d160 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/EBOOT.PBP (20949980 bytes)...
packing file ux0:pspemu/temp/game/PSP/GAME/ULUS10490/__sce_ebootpbp (200 bytes)...
created game/game.psvimg (size: 20e2d6e0, content size: 20da6e20)
created game/game.psvmd

I did try again with a different game, because I had issues first with PATAPON 3 but I followed a different step: instead of adding "output dir" to the last part of the command, I did not add it, and I tried again with the LocoRoco Midnight carnival, which did sync this time, however, the ARK bubble did not show, only content manager shows the ARK file exists but with no bubble on the home screen. I tried resetting the vita, but nothing. I tried getting new demos but none will sync in my vita, so I decided to use the Patapon full game again, and now instead of a 32kb file i get a 5MB file, it syncs with my PS Vita but again, no bubble, but it does display on content manager. What could i do? I also own a legitimate copy of Castlevania Chronicles, should I try with that too? To be honest, all I want is to play GBA and SNES emulators. I'm so bummed this is getting this complicated.

Thank you for the help so far, thou.

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

I was actually able to make it work! I am feeling inspired to write a guide to use with El Capitan OS, but not today... Maybe tomorrow, when I have had a good night sleep. Thanks to all! I will come back with more questions.

 

[Maopew]

I know this post has been here for ages but I have a question. How did you go about the "create" command on MAC? it keeps asking me to specify -m or -n
What I do is I drag the terminal for "create" on a separate terminal window.
Then I type "./psvimg-create -n game.psvimg -K (MYKEY HERE) inputdir outputdir HIT ENTER
I get " you must specify either -m or -n! " hope to hear from you guys soon.