PSP super-hack hits the internet

Well you knew it was coming. That PSP hack we told you about a few weeks ago has hit the interblogs, and we predict all hell will be breaking loose any moment. Un-retired homebrew mastermind Dark_AleX has come up with a little number called Timemachine, which is capable of spinning your PSP back to all sorts of crazy firmwares at the touch of a button. We know you can hardly stand finishing this post due to excitement, so... get out of here and grab it!

[Thanks, Craig]

[Tristan @ Feb 16th 2008 6:24AM]

WOW@@@#@#@

[E71 @ Feb 17th 2008 1:33PM]

Anyone else tired of waiting for a down-grader that does not require a Pandora's battery? Grrr..

[Raheem @ Feb 16th 2008 6:41AM]

I got it! Awesome! Now I just need a PSP.

[MikeG @ Feb 16th 2008 2:32PM]

lol

[Alex @ Feb 16th 2008 7:00AM]

what a waste of bandwidth ,,, moron

[Raheem @ Feb 16th 2008 7:27AM]

Uh, it was a joke. You clearly need humour lessons.

[Abuzar @ Feb 16th 2008 9:31AM]

Hey Alex, you're supposed to use ellipses... not commas, dumbass.

[DjSnafu @ Feb 16th 2008 7:04AM]

Cool I wanted to reset mine back to the original firmware and sell it. Don't even use my PSP anymore.

[Kurian @ Feb 16th 2008 9:26AM]

YOu obviously have no clue what you're talking about.
Its very probable that you dont even own a PSP.

[DjSnafu @ Feb 16th 2008 11:31AM]

I was thinking that if I reset the firmware back to 1.50 and considering its an original 'phat' version not the 'slim' people might want to auction for it. Isn't harder to do homebrew on the 'slim' isn't? I really don't care about running homebrew on my PSP and all the new features on the 'slim' like Skype, GPS, TV out, and not to mention that its lighter to carry are all the things I'd like to have that the 'phat' version doesn't have or can't do. I figure maybe I can get a few bucks for it and purchase the 'slim'.

[wakka_wakka @ Feb 16th 2008 5:35PM]

~DjSnafu:
that's what time machine is. it allows you to put 2.xx and the 1.50 firmwares on your psp _slim_.

if you've got a fat, then just use pandora, or a firmware hack. besides, all people want now is a custom firmware with 1.50 homebrew capabilities. they don't want a plain 1.50.

the only advantages of the fat is its (relatively) easy 1.50 support capabilities and infrared port.


where have you BEEN?

[DjSnafu @ Feb 16th 2008 8:57PM]

So your saying I shouldn't even bother. If someone wants to they can downgrade it. Just figured maybe it was more valuable for people who wanted homebrew/backups. I personally don't do either of those and just want the newer PSP and features. On ebay I see a lot of 1.5 firmware psp's and figured thats what the people want. Haven't turned my psp on in atleast 8 months.

[poulan @ Feb 16th 2008 7:08AM]

if you get this you guys are gonna lose skype and internet radio etc (not likely something psp 2000 will want to do)

[Alexander @ Feb 16th 2008 9:29AM]

Wrong. You can use Skype and all the other features of a official firmware. I use skype on it all the time.

[Jay @ Feb 16th 2008 8:23AM]

I reckon Dark_Alex works for Sony really.........

[cDub @ Feb 16th 2008 8:25AM]

Many items DA and the homebrew community have created, Sony has implemented themselves. Take switching themes for example.

[JAmerican @ Feb 16th 2008 9:17AM]

I think they actually did hire him because they couldn't beat him.

JAmerican

[kingdan4 @ Feb 16th 2008 9:09AM]

What's so awesome about this again?

[James @ Feb 16th 2008 9:17AM]

Yeah, I'm not exactly clear -- is there something that the latest OE/m-33 doesn't do? If so, I was never aware of it. I feel like now he's just showing off =-)

[NOT that there's anything wrong with that -- DaX, you rule!]

[Alexander @ Feb 16th 2008 9:31AM]

You can run 1.5 homebrew on your Slim--something that was only possible with a ebootloader up until now.

Most of the good homebrew has already converted to 3.xx compatability, so it is of limited use.

[Shadowfox952 @ Feb 16th 2008 10:57AM]

You still need a pandora's battery...

[mmendoza27 @ Feb 16th 2008 11:26AM]

Now if only I could unbrick my PSP and get this hack.... I already bricked it once.

I don't have 2 PSP's, so I guess I'm going to buy a service battery over the nets and I can put all the appropriate files on one of my memory sticks... anyone have any suggestions on how to unbrick my PSP? Its really an awesome machine.

[rodney @ Feb 16th 2008 12:35PM]

GOOGLE

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 16th 2008 1:54PM]

Gotta love that tight-knit PSP/Sony community!

PSP Owner: "Can anyone help me out?" (low rating!!!)
PSP Community: "Whatever dude. Go find out yourself." (high rating!!!)

Nice attitude. The guy even said the PSP was "awesome" and you blew him off. You didn't even give him a search string or a hint. Just "GOOGLE", which was apparently a shorter, slightly more socially-acceptable way of saying "f*ck off, poser." or "LOL! Yuo brickd yo psp dude!"

Yep. The Sony kids make it a real pleasure to be part of the PSP community. Can you feel the love?

[Seoultrain @ Feb 16th 2008 3:05PM]

lol, so true, zero. 12 year olds tend to be overly proud and protective of the little knowledge that they have.

[Ed @ Feb 16th 2008 8:08PM]

"GOOGLE" What an ass.

Go to psp-hacks or someplace and download the pandora battery kit. Here are the instructions, which I have annotated with some rather important, left out information for the less advanced:

/\ _`\ /\ \ /\ _`\
\ \ \/\_\ \_\ \___\ \ \/\ \
\ \ \/_/_/\___ __\\ \ \ \ \
\ \ \L\ \/__/\ \_/ \ \ \_\ \
\ \____/ \ \_\ \ \____/
\/___/ \/_/ \/___/

PANDORA'S BATTERY
=================

A universal PSP unbricker/downgrader by the Prometheus project, also
known as Team C+D.

REQUIREMENTS
- A spare PSP Battery. Any make will do. Using a spare is best, as it
will not be possible to boot the PSP in its normal state with the
modified battery.
- A spare Memory Stick Pro Duo of less than 4Gb. (256Mb should be
enough for all applications).
- A PSP with a Custom Firmware such as OE, M33 or WC, or a PSP with
the 1.5 original kernel.

INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
- Connect the PSP to the PC with the Memory Stick inside via the USB
Connection.
- Format the Memory Stick using any utility.
- Use mspformat to format the Memory Stick logically.
- Remove the Memory Stick and disable the USB connection.
- Connect the Memory Stick again via the USB connection of the PSP.
- Manually create the PSP/GAME (optionally PSP/GAME150) folders on the
Memory Stick.
- Copy the "battery" and "installer" programs to the PSP/GAME
(optionally PSP/GAME150) folder.
**************************************************************************
**** Ed's Additions ****
**************************************************************************
****
**** You must add the folders under the battery and installer ****
**** to the root of the PSP/GAME folder otherwise it will show as ****
**** corrupt data in the PSP ****
**** ****
**************************************************************************
- Copy the 1.50 official updater as UPDATE.PBP to the root of the
Memory Stick.
- Remove the Memory Stick and disable the USB connection.
- Run "installer" through the firmware on the PSP. This application
will create the firmware files on the root of the Memory Stick, as
well as msipl.bin.
- Connect the Memory Stick again via the USB connection of the PSP.
- Execute "msipl" application on the PC with the msipl.bin to write
the IPL to memory stick.
**************************************************************************
**** Ed's Additions ****
**************************************************************************
****
**** You need to copy the executable from the msinst directory to ****
**** to the root of the memory stick and run it via a shell. ****
**** ****
**************************************************************************
- Remove the Memory Stick and disable the USB connection.
- Execute "battery" application on the PSP to modify the battery.
- Congratulation, you are now in posession of a "Magic Memory Stick"
and a "JigKick Battery".

USAGE
- Insert Memory Stick into the PSP
- Remove power cord and insert the JigKick Battery into the PSP.
- A menu appears when the PSP boots. Follow the onscreen information
and instructions.

*******************************************************************************************

Now once you have done that, you can now start the procedure to upgrade to any firmware that you want. Here are my specific instructions to start from a 1.50 firmware to a 3.71 M33-4 firmware:

********************************************************************************************

The following assumes you have succesfully created the Pandora Battery Kit and possess the following:

a) Sony Original Firmwares 1.5, 3.52, and 3.71 renamed to 150.PBP, 352.PBP and 371.PPB respectively.
b) Custom Firmware files for:
1) 3.04OE_Update
2) 3.52-M33
3) 3.52-M33-2
4) 3.52-M33-3
5) 3.52-M33-4
6) 3.71-M33
7) 3.71-M33-4

All Steps refer to files and folder that are inside each of the custom firmwares that are extracted from their respective zip files.

*****************************************************************************************************
1) Use Pandora Kit to flash 1.5 firmware -
a) Install Jig Kick Battery and Jig Kick Memory Stick.
b) Turn on PSP and follow instructions to flash 1.5 firmware to the unit.
c) Put Pandora Battery Kit AWAY. Install Original Battery.
d) Turn on the PSP and run through the initial setup. Then verify firmware is 1.5.
e) Format a SEPARATE Memory Stick.
******************************************************************************************************
2) Run 3.04OEA Update to install files on PSP -
a) Connect the PSP to the PC via USB.
b) Run 3.04OEA Update executable FROM PC.
******************************************************************************************************
3) Run 3.04OEA upgrade utility on PSP via Memory Stick.
a) MUST have PSP connected to power AND have 75% battery.
b) Run 3.04OEA update utility from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu. FOLLOW the instructions.
c) VERIFY firmware version from System Information in the PSP Menu.
******************************************************************************************************
4) Enter Recovery Menu -
a) Hold down Power Switch to turn PSP off completely.
b) Hold down Right Button while turning power on.
******************************************************************************************************
5) Use Recovery Menu to specify 1.5 firmware for Home Brew -
a) Select Configuration by using arrow buttons and pressing X
b) Toggle between 3.x firmware and 1.5 firmware by pressing X
c) Using arrow keys and the X button go back to the main Recovery Menu and select Exit
******************************************************************************************************
6) Flash 3.52-M33 Firmware to PSP -
a) Copy the 3.52-M33 files to the PSP\GAME folder
b) Copy the renamed Sony original firmware files to the 1.50only AND M33Creator folders
underneath the PSP\GAME folder.
c) Run 3.52 M33CREATOR from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu. FOLLOW the instructions.
This will take a LONG time.
d) Run 3.52 M33Updater from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu. FOLLOW the instructions.
e) VERIFY firmware version from the System Information in the PSP Menu.
******************************************************************************************************
7) Update to 3.52-M33-2 Firmware -
a) Delete all folders underneath the PSP\Game folder.
b) Delete the PSP\GAME150 folder.
c) Copy the M33Update folder to PSP\Game folder.
d) Using instructions from step 4 & 5, VERIFY PSP is using 1.5 firmware for Home Brew
e) Copy the M33Update folder to PSP\Game folder.
f) Run 3.52-M33 update program which is called 3:33:33 from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu.
FOLLOW the instructions.
e) VERIFY firmware version from the System Information in the PSP Menu.
******************************************************************************************************
8) Update to 3.52-M33-3 Firmware -
a) Delete all folders underneath the PSP\Game folder.
b) Copy the M33Update3 folder to the PSP\Game folder.
c) Using instructions from step 4 & 5, VERIFY PSP is using 1.5 firmware for Home Brew
d) Run 3.52-M33 update program which is called 3:33:33 from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu.
FOLLOW the instructions.
e) VERIFY firmware version from the System Information in the PSP Menu.
******************************************************************************************************
9) Flash the 3.71 M33 Firmware -
a) Delete all folders underneath the PSP\Game folder.
b) Copy the UPDATE folder to PSP\Game folder.
c) Copy Original Sony Firmware file 371.PBP to PSP\Game\Update folder.
d) Using instructions from step 4 & 5, VERIFY PSP is using 3.52 firmware for Home Brew
e) Run 3.71 M33 Update program from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu. FOLLOW the instructions.
This can be confusing, since it uses the Original Sony firmware installation interface. DO NOT
CANCEL this. Follow it to its conclusion.
f) VERIFY firmware version from the System Information in the PSP Menu
******************************************************************************************************
10) Update to 3.71 M33-4 Firmware -
a) Delete all folders underneath the PSP\Game folder.
b) Copy the UPDATE folder to PSP\Game folder.
c) Using instructions from step 4 & 5, VERIFY PSP is using 3.52 firmware for Home Brew
d) Run 3.71 M33-4 Update program from the Memory Stick on the PSP Menu. FOLLOW the instructions.
e) Verify firmware version from the System Information in the PSP Menu.
******************************************************************************************************


Hope that helps a little bit

[mmendoza27 @ Feb 16th 2008 10:12PM]

Damn, appreciate the help guys! I mean, I know how to use google, how do you think I found a service battery in the first place and downloaded the Pandora file? I was just wondering of any suggestions or things other people have done to unbrick their PSP.

Thanks for the suggestions, appreciate it. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, it'll be unbricked.

[Chris_3D @ Feb 16th 2008 12:53PM]

Isn't this story a little late? Dax's Time Machine has been out for a while now....

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 16th 2008 1:47PM]

1. So now even the PSP hackers are ripping off Apple's naming conventions?

2. We all know that despite a few original applications being made in the past few years, "Homebrew" really means "play pirated ROMs." -- Again, my stance is that I don't care if people play pirated ROMs (goodness knows the games made for PSP aren't all that good to begin with) but I do appreciate when pirates and hackers can be honest and just admit they're doing it for the emulation, and not to play someone's original rinky-dink original version of Pong for the PSP.

3. I never owned the slim model (I've had three fat PSPs though) and Sony never uses the slim as a display model in stores. Can anyone attest to it being more comfortable to use for people with larger hands? I swear, they designed the button layout for people with tiny hands-- I always got a cramp playing games on mine.

4. When is Sony going to make the PSP 2 already?!?! Come ON Sony! NO more UMD, slimmer design, and TWO analog sticks!!!

[JD @ Feb 16th 2008 2:11PM]

While the custom firmware does allow me to play pirated games, I personally use it most for bookr, the best way to read electronic books I've yet discovered. The custom firmware was also, for a long time, the only way to play full-resolution movies on the PSP. So yes, there are quite a few of us using it for purposes other than game piracy.

[Jon @ Feb 16th 2008 7:14PM]

Like pod, time machine isn't an Apple created term.

[Jamesology @ Feb 17th 2008 1:15AM]

@ Zerocorpse

1)kinda like how Nintendo ripped off touch screens from PDAs and copied games that Flash enthusiast created; eg: Addictinggames.com

2)"(goodness knows the games made for PSP aren't all that good to begin with)" And obviously Hannah Montana is a great game. (sarcasm) Not all PSP games are good but neither are all DS games. Just b/c you don't like action games, does not mean that other have the same taste as you. I prefer not to play Hannah Montana or Twinx. I rather play GoW or MHP2.

3)Tiny hands? Did you ever wonder why majority of touch screen phones and PDAs do not make use of the touch screen; eg: IPhone, well a lot of people cannot hold the stylus b/c of the micro size causing hand cramps.

4)When is the Nintendo gonna learn that the DS cannot handle complex programs like Web browsing.

5)What does you post have to do with this Timemachine hack? It's obvious you do not even own a PSP. You're the typical 9 year old that read other Nintendo fanboy flaming and hoping that you would be heard. Well you are heard and it's funny b/c most Nintendo fanboys spend more time complaining about Sony products than actually playing with their systems. I own both the DS and PSP maybe that's why I do not waste my time trying to prove which system is better, just most people, we have our own opinions and preferences.

[Nick @ Feb 19th 2008 11:46AM]

@Jamesology

Lay off the caffeine it's starting to go to your brain. The guy didn't say anything about Nintendo in comparison to Sony. As a Sony fanboy you should be basking in the glory of a victorious Sony format; it might be a while ‘till it happens again.

[DOCTHEMAC @ Feb 16th 2008 5:00PM]

@mmendoza27

Have a look @ this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora's_Battery#Pandora.27s_Battery

Hope this helps? I'm just getting into the whole PSP "hack" world myself, good luck and thanks for the story and all the hard work engadget! The very best gadget/tech site out

[DOCTHEMAC @ Feb 17th 2008 2:40AM]

Also @ JD

Thanks for the heads up on bookr :) New one to me, going to give it a go.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/bookr/

I also agree with the "full-resolution movies on the PSP" deal. Going to love my "unlocked/hacked" PSP!

Just wish we could run skype on the old style PSP :(


[Harrison66 @ Feb 17th 2008 1:18AM]

OK OK OK now I'll buy a PSP :)

[Darkmith @ Feb 17th 2008 2:08AM]

Actually, you CAN unse VoIP in a psp-1000 =)

There's an applicatio called "Furikup" that let's you do such thing =)

I think i saw it over at noobz's site =)

[dawg32502 @ Feb 18th 2008 4:43PM]

I have a slim with 3.90 already on it How do i get it to play torrent games. YES i am a noob to this I just got mine 2 weeks ago

[Nick @ Feb 19th 2008 11:45AM]

@Jamesology

Lay off the caffeine it's starting to go to your brain. The guy didn't say anything about Nintendo in comparison to Sony. As a Sony fanboy you should be basking in the glory of a victorious Sony format; it might be a while ‘till it happens again.

[subtrick @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:26AM]

Well, all I want is

1-Linux OS
2-UMD burner
3-Wireless keyboard/mouse, headset/mic