Opening up the PSP, and not just the packaging

Inside the PSP-3000


Japanese site PC Watch has provided a whole lot of pics of thee PSP-3000.
The site shows us the inside hardware of the PSP as well as the close-ups of the system.

PC Watch has gone all the way and has literally stripped the PSP, taking out the screen and motherboard.

Check it out here.

PspStates Experiment v2 for PSP Slim 5.00

Now to add a little icing to the cake; Dark_AleX has released PspStates for custom firmware 5.00 M33. Save everything — your exact whereabouts, your high score, the clothes on your back, the money and guns — save it all exactly as-is and return to it later. PspStates is experimental but should work with any game.

Dark_AleX notes –

This is same version as the one for 4.01 M33 but updated to do patches in 5.00 M33, that’s why version hasn’t changed yet.

Remember to discard old savestates from 4.01 before using the plugin. If you attempt to load a savestate made in 4.01 your ram would be in 4.01 M33 but the flash in 5.00 M33, and soon or later it will crash or give problems.

I strongly encourage you cast an eye over the included readme.txt before using this plug-in. Also, Demonchild’s PspStates Tutorial can be helpful.

Download:
PspStates Experiment v2 (for CFW 5.00 M33)
PspStates Experiment v2 (for CFW 4.01 M33)

- source: dark-alex

Custom Firmware 5.00 M33 Released

To Sony’s face with the belt… Dark_AleX, world-renowned PSP heavyweight, has released custom firmware 5.00 M33 into the wild. Get it while it’s hot folks…

5.00 M33 changes:

* 4.01 to 5.00
* Bug fix: when changing speed in xmb, and the psp turned the brightness to 0 automatically the speed was reset to 222 again.

Note to pspstates plugin users: this plugin won’t work in this firmware due to it being made specifically for 4.01. Running it in 5.00 M33 can cause problems, wait until an update of plugin.

Download:
Custom Firmware 5.00 M33
PSP Firmware 5.00 Update EBOOT (rename to 500.PBP)

- source: dark-alex

PSP Firmware 5.0 now out

As planned Sony have released PSP Firmware 5.0 via the network update feature or download below. Release changes:

* The [PlayStation Network] category has been added, and [PlayStation Store] is now available under this category.
* The sleep timer feature can now be used under [Music]
* The system will automatically change to USB mode when a USB cable is connected.
* The [Original] theme has been redesigned

If your really keen to have it you can download it below, otherwise wait for 5.00 M33.

Download

TA-088v3 Identifier — Can you hack that PSP?

Dark_AleX has released a simple tool to determine whether or not you’re a sucker with a [new] non-hackable hand-held. Copy each firmware EBOOT, both 3.90 and 4.05, to the root of your memory stick. Launch the TA-088v3 Identifier (GETIPL) from a homebrew-enabled PSP and it will extract and create the IPLs; if you’re good to go, the app should auto-exit in 10 seconds. This leaves you with an “ipl390.bin” and “ipl405.bin” file in the memory stick’s root.

Next, do this –

* Connect the PSP via USB and format a memory stick with the included “mspformat” tool.
* Use the included “msinst” to install the 3.90 IPL onto the freshly formatted memory stick.
* Insert the memory stick with the 3.90 IPL into the PSP to be TA-088v3 tested; turn it on with a Pandora Battery. Two (2) possible results:
1. PSP immediately turns off — your PSP is NOT equipped with a TA-088v3 motherboard.
2. PSP stays on with the green light — your PSP is a TA-088v3, or perhaps you’ve done something wrong. Continue…
* Connect the PSP via USB again, and repeat the above steps with the 4.05 IPL. Again, two (2) possible results:
1. If the PSP turns off immediately with this IPL and it previously remained on with the green light — this indicates a TA-088v3 board.
2. PSP and the green light remain on — you’ve likely done something wrong. Try again.

Whatever the indicator — the TA-088v3 ain’t hacked yet.

Download:
TA-088v3 Identifier
PSP 3.90 FW EBOOT (rename to 390.PBP)
PSP 4.05 FW EBOOT (rename to 405.PBP)

- source: dark-alex.org

PSP Firmware 5.00 Coming Soon

To coincide with the soon to be released PS3 firmware update; Sony is also readying PSP firmware version 5.00. According to Eric Lempel, this update will permit direct access to the PlayStation Network –

In this version, you’ll notice the addition of the PlayStation Network icon on the XMB. You can now sign up for PlayStation Network, manage your account and access PlayStation Store directly from your PSP — meaning you can download games directly to your PSP while connected via Wi-Fi.

And then some, I hope…

- source: blog.us.playstation.com


Dark-Alex has had a look at a pre-release PSP-3000 in Spain and has confirmed what most of us thought, that the PSP-3000 system is Pandora proof at this stage. Universal unbricker / Despertar del Cementerio v7 doesn’t work. Dax comments that this is no doubt due to the fact that the PSP-3000 series must be using the same CPU as the TA-088v3. (Currently unhackable)

- DC7 does NOT work. (Probably already assumed by most of you)
- 3000 version probably has the same CPU as 88v3, or with the same hashes checks made on this second.

No word on when a work around for the new PSP-3000 might be released, only that we just have to be pacient and hope Dark-Alex can work some more magic like he has done so in the past.