Filed under: playstation hacks

Thanks go to sometimes hacker, C.K. Sample, III, author of PSP Hacks for contributing this how-to.

So you've heard about this homebrew thing that all the cool kids have been doing, but you have already upgraded to version 2.6 of the firmware so that you could play all the latest and greatest games on the PSP. Fortunately for you, some very diligent hackers have been working round the clock to discover ways to get around the limitations put in place by the latest firmware.

The solution isn't in the form of a downgrader, but rather in the form of an eLoader (EBOOT loader) that lets you use Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories to run homebrew on a PSP with version 2.0, 2.01, 2.5, and 2.6 of the firmware. Not all homebrew will run via this method, but there is a rather easy to read compatibility chart and I'm sure more things will begin working in future releases of the eLoader.

To help you along in your quest to homebrew, here's a step by step (with pictures!) guide to using the eLoader:

1. Get your hands on a PSP running firmware 2.0-2.6 and a copy of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

2. Download and decompress the eLoader [via PSP Updates].

3. Connect your PSP to your computer or mount your Memory Stick on your computer via a card reader.

4. When you open up your Memory Stick on your computer you will see a variety of folders including MP_ROOT and PSP. PSP is the one we will be using.

5. Drag your PSP folder on your Memory Stick to a local hard drive as a backup (it's always good to backup).

6. Open the PSP folder on the Memory Stick.

7. Open up the PSP folder contained in the eLoader folder. You will see two folders: GAME and SAVEDATA. If you look inside the PSP folder on your Memory Stick, you will see the same two folders. We don't want to replace those folders, but rather add the contents of the two together.

8. Open up the GAME folder of the eLoader and drag the contents of that folder into the GAME folder on your Memory Stick.

9. Open the SAVEDATA folder of the eLoader and drag the contents of that folder over to the SAVEDATA folder on your Memory Stick. If one of the files pops up with a "Replace existing file" or some such error, then this means that you already had a GTA save file in slot 5. Click replace (as you backed up the file in step 5).

10. Unmount the Memory Stick / your PSP.

11. Start up Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. After it loads, select Load Game and choose the eLoader savegame.

12. The eLoader will launch. Use the directional pad to select a homebrew app and hit the X button to attempt launching it. As noted before, not all homebrew apps currently work, so some will crash your PSP and you will have to restart it. Enjoy your homebrew!

Unfortunately, none of the homebrew apps that are my favorites currently run via this exploit (fortunately, I have another PSP rocking firmware version 1.5), so make sure you grab one of the compatible ones before you start this exploit. As always, this exploit *shouldn't* risk harming your PSP, as it doesn't mess with your firmware at all, however, use at your own risk.

Once you are done homebrewing, if you want to play GTA and it keeps autoloading the eLoader, simply delete the eLoader from your Memory Stick. You can do this from your PSP by hitting the Start button in the eLoader, which Quits the game and returns you to the PSP's game menu. Navigate to the Saved Data Utility, select each of the eLoader GTA beta files (there should be three of them), hit the Triangle button, select Delete from the side menu that pops up, and hit the X button to delete. Do this for each of the files. Have fun!

Filed under: playstation hacks

Thanks go to sometimes hacker, C.K. Sample, III, author of PSP Hacks for contributing this how-to.

So you've heard about this homebrew thing that all the cool kids have been doing, but you have already upgraded to version 2.6 of the firmware so that you could play all the latest and greatest games on the PSP. Fortunately for you, some very diligent hackers have been working round the clock to discover ways to get around the limitations put in place by the latest firmware.

The solution isn't in the form of a downgrader, but rather in the form of an eLoader (EBOOT loader) that lets you use Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories to run homebrew on a PSP with version 2.0, 2.01, 2.5, and 2.6 of the firmware. Not all homebrew will run via this method, but there is a rather easy to read compatibility chart and I'm sure more things will begin working in future releases of the eLoader.

To help you along in your quest to homebrew, here's a step by step (with pictures!) guide to using the eLoader:

1. Get your hands on a PSP running firmware 2.0-2.6 and a copy of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

2. Download and decompress the eLoader [via PSP Updates].

3. Connect your PSP to your computer or mount your Memory Stick on your computer via a card reader.

4. When you open up your Memory Stick on your computer you will see a variety of folders including MP_ROOT and PSP. PSP is the one we will be using.

5. Drag your PSP folder on your Memory Stick to a local hard drive as a backup (it's always good to backup).

6. Open the PSP folder on the Memory Stick.

7. Open up the PSP folder contained in the eLoader folder. You will see two folders: GAME and SAVEDATA. If you look inside the PSP folder on your Memory Stick, you will see the same two folders. We don't want to replace those folders, but rather add the contents of the two together.

8. Open up the GAME folder of the eLoader and drag the contents of that folder into the GAME folder on your Memory Stick.

9. Open the SAVEDATA folder of the eLoader and drag the contents of that folder over to the SAVEDATA folder on your Memory Stick. If one of the files pops up with a "Replace existing file" or some such error, then this means that you already had a GTA save file in slot 5. Click replace (as you backed up the file in step 5).

10. Unmount the Memory Stick / your PSP.

11. Start up Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. After it loads, select Load Game and choose the eLoader savegame.

12. The eLoader will launch. Use the directional pad to select a homebrew app and hit the X button to attempt launching it. As noted before, not all homebrew apps currently work, so some will crash your PSP and you will have to restart it. Enjoy your homebrew!

Unfortunately, none of the homebrew apps that are my favorites currently run via this exploit (fortunately, I have another PSP rocking firmware version 1.5), so make sure you grab one of the compatible ones before you start this exploit. As always, this exploit *shouldn't* risk harming your PSP, as it doesn't mess with your firmware at all, however, use at your own risk.

Once you are done homebrewing, if you want to play GTA and it keeps autoloading the eLoader, simply delete the eLoader from your Memory Stick. You can do this from your PSP by hitting the Start button in the eLoader, which Quits the game and returns you to the PSP's game menu. Navigate to the Saved Data Utility, select each of the eLoader GTA beta files (there should be three of them), hit the Triangle button, select Delete from the side menu that pops up, and hit the X button to delete. Do this for each of the files. Have fun!

Filed under: playstation hacks

As odd as it might sound, I never paid attention to the Playstation 2 homebrew scene because I own a Playstation 2 Linux kit. The Linux kit hides the hardware behind a software layer while the PS2Dev project was an attempt to run code natively on the hardware. So the two projects didn't really have a lot in common. Of course ignoring that part of the scene means I missed out on this serial port mod. The Playstation's Emotion Engine core has a serial debugging interface and by wiring up a MAX3323EEPE you can watch the processor as it is running. That's an interesting hidden feature and I hope Sony is a little more supportive of the developer community when the Playstation 3 comes out than they have been lately with the PSP scene.

[thanks fbz via Pixel]

Filed under: playstation hacks

As odd as it might sound, I never paid attention to the Playstation 2 homebrew scene because I own a Playstation 2 Linux kit. The Linux kit hides the hardware behind a software layer while the PS2Dev project was an attempt to run code natively on the hardware. So the two projects didn't really have a lot in common. Of course ignoring that part of the scene means I missed out on this serial port mod. The Playstation's Emotion Engine core has a serial debugging interface and by wiring up a MAX3323EEPE you can watch the processor as it is running. That's an interesting hidden feature and I hope Sony is a little more supportive of the developer community when the Playstation 3 comes out than they have been lately with the PSP scene.

[thanks fbz via Pixel]