Tag Archives: psp
Will PSP Hacks Work on the PS Vita?
Mamosuke, who has some fame from the Japanese PSP scene, claims to have run a simple Hello World program through the embedded PSP emulated on a Playstation Vita. This is rather impressive, since it means that PSP hacks might very well work turn into PS Vita hacks. Naturally, this isn’t a true Playstation Vita hack, and it has some very strict limitations. It does not allow one to actually hack a PS Vita and gain direct access to the hardware. Moreover, it leaves the door open for Sony to issue patches that would prevent fans from doing anything else with the hack.
One of the most serious issues when trying to hack a PS Vita is the fact that the PSP saved data being copied to the Vita from a PC has to go through a specific tool. This tool, called the Contents Management Assistant, could easily block any saved data that it would wish to. Copying any files to the Playstation Vita’s PSP emulator requires the use of this tool. Therefore, they will probably have to follow an extremely specific format.
Many homebrew games run from the PSP/GAME folder. Half byte loader software expects to be located in the root folder. People are now limited to the savedata folder for their storage, and this could break many hacks apart. Individual fans will probably develop tools to overcome these limitations in short order, but Sony could patch the system so that such tools become obsolete quite quickly. This might spark an endless game of cat and mouse as both sides try to develop tools that can counter the other’s ingenuity. There might be ways around the loading software after all.
The most promising thing, though, is that this Playstation Vita hack was announced only shortly after the unit actually came out. If people are already discovering that the system can be exploited, then it might mean that underground developers already have a jumpstart on everything. Some fans have said that Sony might not be able to work around this hack too much. Messing with the emulation software too much might simply render the PSP emulation mode ineffective. Of course, that isn’t to say that Sony might not simply deem the backwards compatibility officially unnecessary. That sort of thing could dampen sales though, so there is nothing to suggest that they would do it. At the moment, anything of the sort should be considered pure speculation.
PSV Will Eventually Run Homebrew Apps: What is the Dolphin Debug Mode?
Newly launched gaming hardware is often prone to showing glitches, but one suggests that there are PS Vita Homebrew games on the horizon. A particular video has surfaced that shows a new Vita owner using a device in what looks like a debug mode. Naturally, a debug mode is promising for those that are into developing psvita hack software. The screen shows what looks like a floating oyster, a pearl and three swimming dolphins. Since Sony is known for relatively cute things anyways, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Everyone should remember that the company’s mascot is Toro, after all.
Unfortunately, it seems that the Vita in question is far from having a working psvita hack installed on it. Instead, it appears to be completely locked into the so-called dolphin mode. While this might be a glitch, it could be a development version that made it into the wild. If that were true, Sony would probably replace it very quickly. Moreover, there would probably be some sort of legal doctrine thrown about in regards to disseminating trade secrets about development versions of the hardware. This would be very bad news for fans that would be into PS Vita homebrew software.
Of course, there are also those who would stop at nothing and shell out a large amount of money to get their hands on a glitch or development version. Sony has usually been quite secretive about their software, and there is a chance that this sort of thing is a hoax. If it is one, though, it seems that the individual in question went the length to develop it. The idea of psv homebrew still wouldn’t be too foreign, however. People should remember that the PSP had its own homebrew movement, and many other platforms have had similar movements.
That being said, the PSP’s homebrew community also created malware. The Trojan.PSPBrick, as Symantec called it, is considered to be the first trojan for the PSP. These sorts of problems might not have an influence on the psv homebrew community. However, it should be noted that because homebrew games aren’t supported, one should be very careful. There are jerks in every crowd, but this shouldn’t be used to judge gamers as a whole.
People that are into psvita hack news, at least in Japan, are actually part of a relatively sophisticated hobby. The world of dojin soft or dojin games produce countless homemade games for a variety of platform. One of the more notable platforms that this community exploited was the Sega Dreamcast, which had notoriously weak copy protection. While the copy protection for more recent Sony systems are far more advanced than that of the old Dreamcast platform, there is still a very dedicated group of fans that work at development in this sort of an underground capacity. While laws and attitudes are starting to change, Japanese fans are usually not as likely to experience the cease and desist orders that plague western fans.
That might mean that some of this sort of energy could bleed over into the western fan base, and jumpstart psv homebrew outside of the Vita’s home country. If the dolphin debug mode does indeed turn out to be true, it would serve to fuel the fire even more. If people who have developed games for other platforms start to take their craft to the Vita hardware, the result would truly be incredible. People should also remember that a few homebrew games have eventually made it to store shelves. For now, though, aspirations are probably slightly lower because of the uncertainty surrounding these sorts of rumors.
PSV Will Be Tougher to Hack than PSP
A lot of gamers are excited about the release of the new Sony handheld system, the PlayStation Vita (PSV). The PSV is the most advanced handheld video game system in the world. When a piece of gaming technology this advanced is released, many gamers wonder whether it will be possible for it to be hacked. Will it be possible for a PSV hack? The answer is: maybe.
Many gamers are saying that a PSV hack will be impossible. For evidence they point to the latest firmware in use with the PlayStation 3 (PS3). The last PS3 firmware to be hacked was version 3.55. Every version since then has completely frustrated hackers attempts to jailbreak it.
This is a problem for those that have already hacked their PS3s. All the games released after version 3.55 run on the newer firmware, and they will not run with the older firmware. This means that owners who hacked their PS3s are unable to play any of the newer games.
That is a major headache, and it is one reason that many gamers are saying that nobody will hack the PSV. If they do manage a hack, then it may render the PSV unit obsolete. If a later version of PSV firmware becomes unhackable, then owners with hacked PSVs will not be able to play newer games.
Even if it is possible to hack the PSV, many gamers are hoping that no one will find a way to do it. This is due to what happened with the PSV’s predecessor, the PSP. The PSP was hacked from the moment of its release, and the developers were never able to release a version of firmware that could not be hacked.
Since every version of PSP firmware was hacked right away, this meant that anyone could download free games with their jailbroken PSP. This kept money out of the game developers’ pockets, as they sold many less copies of their games than they expected. This soon led to game developers not wasting their time developing PSP games, as there was no profit in it.
However, it seems unlikely that nobody will develop a PSV hack. If there is one thing that has been proven in the computer world over and over again, it is that hackers will always find a way to hack. No matter how unhackable developers claim their software is, hackers will find a way to jailbreak it.

