Unofficial PSP Hack Thread (Phat/Slim/3000/Go)

nesjess

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So in response to some noob :)D) who PMed me wanting to know more about current PSP hacking, I've decided to make this thread as sort of a resource for those of you who are interested.

Current market prices for PSPs (from my experience in the past month in my area):

1000 (Phat) - Obviously no longer sold in retail stores. Sold at GameStop used for $89.99. You could probably find one for $50-80 on eBay or CL. Fully hackable up to OFW 6.35.

2000 (Slim) - No longer sold in retail stores. Sold at GameStop used for $99.99. Since this is the newest PSP that is fully hackable, you usually see them listed on CL for about $100-150 depending on the color and version. Ex. Star Wars Darth Vader White version usually sells for a bit more. Fully hackable up to OFW 6.35

3000 (Bright) - Price dropped recently to $129.99 in all retail stores. Sold at GameStop used for $119.99. Since this is the most current model, you can find them on CL in new condition for $120 or less. Partially hackable up to OFW 6.35.

1000n (Go) - Sold for $199.99 at retail stores but no longer in production. Sold at GameStop used for $109.99. Doubtful you'll find one used in store, but I notice they have them for sale on the website currently. I found my white one on CL complete in box and it included the dock for $130. Partially hackable up to OFW 6.35.

Why choose CL?

I chose to go through CL for the same reasons many of you would: eBay and GameStop suck and retail stores don't normally put consoles on clearance.

There's always parents/kids trying to sell these things for whatever reason (kids don't play them, kid would rather have a PS3/X360/iPod/etc., person got it as a gift and didn't want it, etc.). Most of the time they just want cash quickly so don't mind taking a loss or selling way below retail.

Custom Firmware - Which PSPs can be hacked?

Custom Firmware enables you to play PSP game backups (ISO/CSO), PSX backups, and homebrew programs and emulators. Ultimately, it turns your PSP into a magical and extraordinary handheld gaming device.

The Phat and Slim are fully hackable up to OFW 6.35 (requires downgrading via "magic memory stick" and Pandora Battery).

The 3000 and PSP Go can be partially hacked with CFW all the up to OFW 6.35. In other words, it's a tethered hack that is not permanent. If you hard shutoff or remove the battery, it will revert back to OFW.

Here is a great guide that explains all of this.

www.pspslimhacks.com is a great resource for tutorials, files, updates, etc. The site is a bit difficult to understand and navigate so be prepared to do a lot of clicking and reading. The forum is a great place to pinpoint answers to any questions that you may have.

www.qj.net is also a great gaming resource. Despite the online ads and videos that slow down the site, it's up to date on current console hacking and news. They have a huge homebrew file server as well though it's somewhat tedious to navigate.

Video of CFW 5.50 GEN-D3 running on PSP Phat



What is Half Byte Loader (HBL)?

Currently, no PSP with OFW 6.37 or higher can be hacked with CFW. However, there is an exploit that was developed called Half Byte Loader (HBL) that can be installed onto any PSP up to OFW 6.37. It serves as a loader to be able to run homebrew programs and emulators.

It's as simple as installing the files to your memory stick, placing your emulation files in the GAME folder and loading the program through your PSP XMB. You just have to make sure you install the correct homebrew that is compatible with the version of HBL that you have installed.

So essentially, you're not flashing or hacking your firmware on your PSP, but accessing homebrew via an exploit. Think of it as sort of a bridge between OFW and homebrew. To be clear, HBL does not run PSP ISO/CSO backups or PSX backups.

The HBL developers have been pretty good about updating it with every OFW that's come out so I wouldn't worry about it getting outdated.

Video of HBL on my PSP Go running OFW 6.37



So there you have it. PSP hacking in a nutshell. Happy gaming!
 
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Pretty sweet,although I don't see myself getting a psp anytime soon.Now if they could make a hack that would magically expand the screen to around 13 inches so you wouldn't have to strain your eyes I might have to get one. :D
 
Haha. It's a handheld, so you can't expect it to have a huge screen. Playing on anything larger, you might as well play on your laptop. Though, your laptop won't play PSP titles.

The 3.8" screen is a pretty good size IMO. And I love that the PSP Go is so small and light. It's only 5.6-oz.

Dude, if I posted a video of me playing Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters on the CPS2 emulator, you'd think otherwise. :D
 
Great writeup!

I have my 2000 running on the 6.35 hack, easy enough to go back and forth to the OF firmware.
Looking to pick up a GO soon though.:)
 
Wow, really? Bah :p

*writes down MAC Address*

Haha. Had to bust out the LoZ cartoon reference. Oh man, that was a terrible show. I think I bought the DVDs and ended up selling it back after watching a couple of episodes. I don't remember it being that bad when I was a kid.

Yeah, I don't know the real risk in showing your MAC address. Apparently, someone could hack your PSP via the internet. I don't know if it's actually been done and when I tried to search about it, no one believed it mattered. Better safe than sorry I guess. It doesn't matter anyway, the video is not listed publicly on YouTube. Just for you trustworthy dudes. :D
 
lol, I was just messing with you. I'm way to lazy to try and pause it in time to write it down anyway :p
 
lol, I was just messing with you. I'm way to lazy to try and pause it in time to write it down anyway :p

I know man! I actually paused it to see if you could see it and you can, but whatever. LOL.

Anywho, I hope this thread is helpful to you and whoever else needed a starting point. It's very easy to fall behind in the homebrew/hacking scene for any console.

I just caught up with Wii recently. I helped Praired1ll0 update his and hack his friends. It's fun for me. :)
 
I have a PSP Fat that still has the 1.5 firmware on it. I dont play it and haven't really played it in about 2 1/2 years as i bought a Nintendo DS instead. The PSP is an amazing machine but for me, it's too pretty for rugged use. :D
 
I have a PSP Fat that still has the 1.5 firmware on it. I dont play it and haven't really played it in about 2 1/2 years as i bought a Nintendo DS instead. The PSP is an amazing machine but for me, it's too pretty for rugged use. :D

How much you want for it? :D
 
You guys suck, now I'm on the lookout for a PSP... :p

A bunch under or around $100 (higher prices with games, accessories, etc.) on CL in my area, but I really shouldn't be spending any money on this!
 
You guys suck, now I'm on the lookout for a PSP... :p

A bunch under or around $100 (higher prices with games, accessories, etc.) on CL in my area, but I really shouldn't be spending any money on this!

Haha. Yeah me neither. I came close to getting the new one at my local Target for $200 once I saw that the three free games deal was good until 3/31. But then I remembered that when I bought my old PSP, it was only $50 more and wasn't worth that long term, so I don't really think this will be either, especially with the 3DS coming out soon.

I dunno, maybe this summer I'll start looking again.
 
I bought a Star Wars edition 2000 model off of C/L for $80 a few weeks ago, today I just bought a GO for $120 pretty much mint in box, if your patient they will fall into your lap....literally.....:p
 
I bought a Star Wars edition 2000 model off of C/L for $80 a few weeks ago, today I just bought a GO for $120 pretty much mint in box, if your patient they will fall into your lap....literally.....:p

Awesome. Come on you guys. You know you want one too. Everyone is doing it. :D
 
Found my old PSP

So I was at my parents' place tonight to pick up some stuff and found my old PSP which still runs fw1.5. I've known where it was for a long time but never brought it home with me because I didn't know where the charger was - still don't. Fortunately, I did come across the car charger so I charged it a bit on the drive back.

I had forgotten how nice the screen looked! Unfortunately, I had removed the 4GB Pro Duo card from it years ago to use in my cell phone of the time. That means it was also cleaned off, which sort of sucks - I'll bet all my good stuff was on there :( I'm sure I backed it all up somewhere, but don't ask me where. I'm probably going to start digging through my old laptop as that would be the mostly likely place. I just hope it wasn't on the hard drive I replaced a few years ago :p
 
Looking at used ones, how big a deal is a wifi switch that is described as feeling loose? I don't know that I'd really use wifi at all, so it it were stuck off that wouldn't kill it for me (stuck on might be worse for battery life unless you can turn that off in software).
 
Man, no one has any advice on that? :) Any other things I should be on the lookout for in regards to buying a used PSP? I'm looking specifically for a phat since they are fully moddable.
 
Man, no one has any advice on that? :) Any other things I should be on the lookout for in regards to buying a used PSP? I'm looking specifically for a phat since they are fully moddable.

Phat is fully hackable up to a certain firmware as I mentioned. Just check which firmware it is before buying.

I've never had issues with the wifi switch on any psps I've owned.
 
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