PSP Multiple Firmware Hack

Posted Apr 25, 2006 at 12:51PM by QJ Staff Listed in: Hacks & Exploits, Mods, News Tags:

PSP

Well, it's always been a dream for PSP hackers to somehow have full control over the firmware. It's been possible indirectly using Firmware Loaders like the ones made by MPH or SXT. But it's still emulation. And the available resources for actually trying hacks are pretty slim since most of the memory is used up by the PSP's actual firmware.

Well, not any more. A guy called 0okm has been able to use an external 32MB Samsung NAND chip to boot firmware. Can't figure out what I'm saying? Well, for starters, how about being able to boot your PSP using an external source? Yep, it might just be possible. But, it comes at a big risk. So it's still one of those "Do not try this thing at home" situations for most of us.

0okm has been kind enough to provide a few pics and some technical info, including the schematics for the external NAND interface.

Multi Firmware Mod schematic

Wrapping Nand bus for external Firmware Program it to a Samsung 32MB NAND Flash

Here are his observations of the hack on different firmwares:

1st PSP w/ FW 1.00
2nd PSP w/ FW 1.00 update to 1.50
3rd PSP w/ FW 2.50 Multi Firmware Mod 50% success - External FW 2.50, 2.60
4th PSP w/ FW 1.51 Multi Firmware Mod 100% success - External FW 1.50, 2.50, 2.60
5th PSP w/ FW 2.50 Multi Firmware Mod 50% success - External FW 2.50, 2.60
6th PSP w/ FW 2.01 Multi Firmware Mod 100% success - External FW 1.50, 2.50, 2.60

If you're looking for more technical info, make your way to the ps2dev forums using the link below.

If you're overwhelmed by all this info, don't worry. In simple words, what this means is that the future of PSP hacking is looking bright. There could be hardware hacks resulting from this in the future, but right now, it's all speculative. And folks, do not even think of trying this at home.

56 Jumps Another PSP exploit found, works on firmware 6.20 and all PSP models

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32 Jumps Square Enix profits up almost 50 percent, FFXIII sells 1.8M units in Japan

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27 Jumps PSP homebrew - PMPlayer Advance v3.0.8

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22 Jumps PSPlayerMT For PSP - Direct AVI Player Works On All the PSP

19 Jumps Custom Firmware 5.50GEN-D3 final released

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Comments

# Guest 2006-04-25 07:11

awesome

# me — Guest 2006-04-25 07:12

someawe

second post

# :) — Guest 2006-04-25 07:14

id love to see some psp modchips :)

# unbricker too ? — Guest 2006-04-25 07:18

can this be used to un-brick psp's too ??

# This won't work — Guest 2006-04-25 07:19

Even if this guy gets this to work how many people are going to throw away their warranty just to dual boot? I mean sure we are screwing over our warranty with homebrew but as long as it doesn't brick our psp's then we can do it and Sony will never know, but this is hardware hacking. There is no way to cover this up. Good luck though, but majority of people will not benefit from this.

# - — Pranav T 2006-04-25 07:20

Well, like I said, there could be hardware hacks resulting from this in the future, but right now, it's all speculative.

# yeaaaaa — Guest 2006-04-25 07:22

MODCHIPS COMIN BEYOCHEZ!

# Great — Guest 2006-04-25 07:23

Let's see; a small NAND chip under you batery, a little button to push when you boot to 1.50 firmware, and you release the button too boot in 3.0 and play some PS1 games, let's see...then you have like 70% of consoles/handhelds available ON 14 CENTIMETERS! This is great.

# wow — Rudi 2006-04-25 07:28

Good idea but it would have taken alot of time and alot of money, but i dont think it would have worked but then again im not that good with chips and syscals and that stuff.

Would you spend about £800 on something that you dont even no if it would work or not. Sorry to be annoying.

# @ 6 STFU — Guest 2006-04-25 07:33

nocomment

# i love you nerds — slack04 2006-04-25 07:36

lets get in a heated discussion about this too, okay?

# . — Ragarnok 2006-04-25 07:37

'the hell is a 50% sucess anyway?

# Warranty? I guess latecomers still have 'em — Guest 2006-04-25 07:41

I bought mine the day they were released in N. America and now it is over 13 months old. No warranty anymore so no worries. It is all gravy from here. I hope this Firmware project gets consumable soon. I'd be willing to dual-boot firmwares.

# yea baby! — Guest 2006-04-25 07:46

bring on the mod chip!

# ignore those idiots #5 & #6 — Guest 2006-04-25 07:54

good work man !

I will love to have that mod on my PSP

it's the only way to keep homebrew alive ( cheap too ) so far , since most homebrew users are considering of getting another PSP for the new features and games .

uhm beside there are also retards who cant do anything by themselves ,but crying so f|_|cking loud

ha ha ha , not everybody are the same lol

PS: PSPHACKS are the ones who giving bs stuff that brick your PSP , not here ,you idiots ( they have some superFirmware flying around there , you should try it instead of bs-tting here)

# pooz — Guest 2006-04-25 07:55

@14 When I bought my PSP (two days after the NSTC release) I bought a one year warranty. I get the Sony warranty and an extra one year warranty from Circuit City.

# Ya ya — Guest 2006-04-25 07:56

This is awesome. My PSP might actually be worth the money I have spent if I could switch between 1.0 and 3.0 (or whatever firmware is out)

# ha.. — Guest 2006-04-25 08:00

sure... you can have one...if you can even get them across the border...lmao

# Perfect Step Forward — Guest 2006-04-25 08:04

This modification could provide developers a handy method to hardmodify PSPs firmwary without being afraid of bricking their device, so we all could benefit from this

# damnn — Guest 2006-04-25 08:12

this owns as a mawfckr

# finally — Guest 2006-04-25 08:15

This is the only way psp homebrew is going to survive. Thank you for your efforts and I hope you best of luck! =( i want to get my grubby hands on loco roco and that sweet flash player.

# Yippie!!! — Guest 2006-04-25 08:19

This could open the flood gates. It could also put the final nail in the coffin for sony. Once the process is figured out and everything gets redisgned, shrunk down, cleaned up. this could be the begginings of the psp mod chip era. customs firmware similar to ps2's toxic os. Unlocking all features for all to use. sony couldnt beat the modchip market on the ps2. and I highly doubt they will on the psp. The only thing left now is a hardware mod to add another analog stick to the other side of the psp!!

# yeah — Mosquito 2006-04-25 08:22

Modchip for PSP, I only hope they won't cost as much as PS2 ones tough...

# my thoughts — §åggåR 2006-04-25 08:22

ok, i dont know much about psp hardware/firmware and whatnot, but does it have a BIOS lieka computer? if that is possible then im sure ardware hacks are in the bag, other than that this looks very promising, like #14 my warranty is just as void as his is, *first day :)* , i will try this out if i ever learn any technical skills. but anyways keep up the hard work!!!

~NAte

# Djhg2000 — Guest 2006-04-25 08:35

Isn't it just easier to have a socket for the flash under the battery that you can replace? In that case you'll just need another identical flash that you can replace the one in the socket with... But I can be wrong tho...

# omg omg omg omg omg omg!!! — Guest 2006-04-25 08:35

every JUMP THIS UP!!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!! This could lead to EASILY making cutom firmware, since all we woudl have to do is put the custom FW on that external chip, the PSP doesnt load, try fixing it! =) until we can get a custom firmware that will let you choose from 2 flash cghips and be like "FW 1.5 or Latest FW?" and then find place for the second chip inside the PSP and close it back up and BAM!!

And also, this coudl lead to the unbrickable PSP, if you brick the flash chip, load the other, and reflash ti soemthing, this is BEAUTZIFUL!!

I CANT WAIT TO SEE ADVANCEMENTS IN THSI PROJECT!!

# Hell Yeah! — Guest 2006-04-25 08:36

Womg, This is great!

Good luck with the future work 0okm!

# jn.khl. — Guest 2006-04-25 08:37

ok, this is great, kett it comming tothe 100% success rate

# WOOT!! — RaiderX 2006-04-25 08:46

"every JUMP THIS UP!!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!! This could lead to EASILY making cutom firmware, since all we woudl have to do is put the custom FW on that external chip, the PSP doesnt load, try fixing it! =) until we can get a custom firmware that will let you choose from 2 flash cghips and be like "FW 1.5 or Latest FW?" and then find place for the second chip inside the PSP and close it back up and BAM!!

And also, this coudl lead to the unbrickable PSP, if you brick the flash chip, load the other, and reflash ti soemthing, this is BEAUTZIFUL!!

I CANT WAIT TO SEE ADVANCEMENTS IN THSI PROJECT!!"

That was me, asnt logged in, juyst wanted to point out that Im not a coward =P

# At last — Guest 2006-04-25 08:47

i didnt quite understand the sucess rate...is it 50% of the time the FW will boot upp or is it 50% you will permanently destroy your psp? (assuming you make the mot 100% right)

And say you have FW 2.5, will you be able to boot up 1.5 or just the same or higher version?

# geeks — Guest 2006-04-25 08:50

geeks geeks

# IN UR FACE SONY! — RaiderX 2006-04-25 08:50

We won... (hopefully)

Wait a minute, couldnt this mean a downgrader? Like if you can copy the flash to another chip, then couldnt you copy the 1.5 to a chip and put it on a PSP that is supposed to be 2.7 or w/e and then have it boot normally?

# WOWOWOWOW — mupet0000 2006-04-25 09:05

YES, this is the shnizit!!!!

Multi-firmwares!! That means a 2.7 and a 1.5, on the same PSP hahah yes!!

////Wants a mod-chip....

# Djhg2000 — Guest 2006-04-25 09:11

What are you goeing to need a downgrader for if you already have 1.x on the external card?

It should be able to run what ever firmware you want unless there's traces of the firmware somwhere else than in the flash...

I still think my Idea was great, I mean, isn't there enough space under the battery to cut up a hole and put a socket in there? Custom-made of course. I've got to try this one!

Anyways, risking not to be able of play anything on the PSP is worth it if it works... And yes, I have a 2.5 that I'm starting to hate (the FW, not the PSP itself)

# 50%, i think this is what he means — Guest 2006-04-25 09:57

whats the 50% success all about, i think he means only one of the external fw's worked out of the two tested.

e.g. for psp 3, only 2.5 fw worked on the external nand chip.

here is what he says

1st PSP w/ FW 1.00

2nd PSP w/ FW 1.00 update to 1.50

3rd PSP w/ FW 2.50 Multi Firmware Mod 50% success - External FW 2.50, 2.60

4th PSP w/ FW 1.51 Multi Firmware Mod 100% success - External FW 1.50, 2.50, 2.60

5th PSP w/ FW 2.50 Multi Firmware Mod 50% success - External FW 2.50, 2.60

6th PSP w/ FW 2.01 Multi Firmware Mod 100% success - External FW 1.50, 2.50, 2.60

# f*ck warranty — Guest 2006-04-25 10:16

i got my psp on christmas

my mom spend 700 dlls in this bllsht from a credit store....f*ck that store in tijuana www.elektra.com.mx

and i upgrade my fw in the same day i opened...whit 1.5 FW....:(...i have no idea this block fw i was noob....right know im working in the diablo project (the blizzard game)....see you soon ,)

# interesting... — KilleRxElitE 2006-04-25 10:28

nice work

# Not Mod Chips... — MasterQ 2006-04-25 10:29

You guys arent looking at the big picture here... this guy can look at the contents of every future firmware, giving developers the information to make new exploits and develop homebrew for the newest firmware. Since this is hardware, there is NO WAY $ony can block him from doing this. I dont think this project was intended to help to make mod chips but rather give developers a "nitrous boost" to catch up to $ony's devastating lead. Just make sure to keep the UMD emulators and ISO loaders not working and $ony shouldnt care much...

# the REAL big picture — cory1492 2006-04-25 10:38

Firmware stored in the nand chip is still crypted, we already are able to see the crypted files though.

# Oh, come ON, people. — FreePlay 2006-04-25 11:07

If you can do this, a downgrader/unbricker is without a purpose, since you can just boot from an easily rewriteable memory source.

FYI: The "32MB Samsung NAND flash chip" he used is just a memory stick!! (I may be wrong, but I'm probably not, since it's the exact same size and shape.)

# this could be quite good news — comedy 2006-04-25 11:09

so they're saying this could-be-mod-chip is simply a nand flash blob with some wires?

yeah, just imagine fw1.5 with all it's perks and then a flick of a switch and it's ps1 emulator and fully functional web browser.

# pspfan 2006-04-25 11:25

Awsome stuff. The possibility of dual-booting firmwares is just incredible. I could "upgrade to the newest firmware, use my camera, GPS, flash, streaming audio and video, location free player, web browser, play new games, and then switch to 1.5 and play all my homebrew...Simply amazing!

# Guest 2006-04-25 12:18

@ 43, ITS A FLASH CHIP not a mem stick ..there different, flash is whats inside the psp. and you can have External flashes, such as a NAND chip.

# @#47 and #43 — RaiderX 2006-04-25 13:04

ur right abouyt that 57, but the mem sticks are also FLAHS Chips, they are flash memory, but the difference is that the smsung thing he used is a NAND chip, the mem sticks arent NAND

# LSO loader — Guest 2006-04-25 15:32

is this the LSO loader for 2.7

# oh mer gurd — Oinker 2006-04-25 16:10

oh god i can't wait to have this... so i can play my emulators without have to load up some gay bull*****ty game (GTA) to play my homebrew!

and i can still play katamari and untold legends2!

# Amazing! — Zarifus 2006-04-25 17:04

This is crazy! Can't wait till they make this simpler or near 100% fool proof. They could probably make it like mod chips where everthings premade, you just have to solder in the wires.

As for space restraints, I've come up with a pretty nice idea: The UMD drive. If you place the newest firmware on your actual PSP, and 1.5 on your 'external' NAND chip, you wouldn't need to use the UMD drive when playing homebrew.

Most ppl would ask "But wouldn't it have to stay in the UMD drive then?". Well, UMDs are round near the bottom, but your UMD drive slot is square (or rectangular), you could solder your wires to the MoBo, then the wires to a connector at, say, the bottom left corner of the UMD slot (so it wouldn't get in the way of an actual UMD). Place all the components in a rectangular box the size of the UMD, with the other end of the connector. When you want 1.5, pop in the 1.5 NAND flash "UMD" and off you go!

Lol, if anyone actually makes one using my method, give me a discount OK? lol, or better yet, you could send me one for free hahah XD

# can't wait to see how this turns out — lansingone 2006-04-25 18:37

wow this is great news! but you do have to think whats sony going to try to put in a fimware to stop this? or will this end thare trying to stop it?

# you idiot — Guest 2006-04-25 21:25

if the firmware is running externally, then sony cant do jack *****.

# How Ironic — Guest 2006-04-26 00:50

Once Sony had disabled the possibilities of kernel access thereby preventing ISO's being run from firmware 2.0 they could have stopped there allowing basic homebrew to run while they concentrated on actual UMD games. Since they went all out and released updates even stopping the GTA hack from working they have pretty much given people more motivation to develop a more fool proof method i.e a hardware modchip. Well done Sony, maybe you can release firmware 2.8 with a hardware mod to prevent this lmao. You will never win!!

# SWAP MAGIC TRICK HOMBREW — Guest 2006-04-26 03:17

what about swap magic style trick thats been used for ps2 to play back up games. They can be a future way to play hombrews on psp. There must be a way like that, and the best thing is that sony can't do anything with that, just like on the ps2. It's just a thought, but a good possible way to play hombrews while getting the latest upgrades.

# yes!!! — Guest 2006-04-26 04:47

oh yeah!

# Swap trick my arse — Guest 2006-04-26 04:55

what the hell? what are you gonna swap trick with? a memory stick? shesh...

havent seen any blank UMDs.. or UMD writers..

# UMD Maybe.. — Guest 2006-04-26 05:23

sony are planning to release umd cd writer disc soon in the states, it's arleady out in japan. UMD disc are basically no diffrent than a mini disc which can be written with a dvd-rewriter. You can arleady get the plastic cover that proects the umd, so i think it can be possible that there might be something like a swap magic that will boot hombrew aplications in the near future. 56> Nice thought

# BS — Guest 2006-04-26 10:46

59> Nope, didn't spot any UMD writers in Akiba today, maybe you're out of your goddamn mind.

# samsung 32mb nand chip? — Guest 2006-04-30 07:38

I've looked around but havent found one... keep ending up finding memory sticks...

Does anyone have a link to a site selling these things?

I don't see why 0okm should have all the fun!

All i can say is let's get the soldering irons out and start burning holes in our psp's!

- Mog -

# NAND — Guest 2006-05-10 04:32

the flash chip is a standard flash and can be found at samsung.com

but the 32mb is out of production

I hope that a 64mb will fit in the psp

# How about This....... — Guest 2006-05-16 09:56

to 58 & 60, Swap Magic is along the right lines, but your thanking of the wrong Method,

what you could do, is somebody could develop a Homebrew Loader UMD, made by Sony themselves Maybe!!!!!

Ever thought of that idea.....Let me explain.........

this UMD could Scan your Memory Stick Duo for any Homebrew on there, if it finds any, it would display those on Main Menu, for you to Select it, Press X to Run,( Just like the Eloader from Fanjita )

Simple as that.......

Its name could be SWAP MAGIC UMD.......

hows that sound..........

# Sony.... — Guest 2006-05-24 08:35

Oh yeah.... I'm sure sony wouldn't mind writing a UMD

that would run Homebrew, just like they decided not

to allow on the last updates!!! ---actually I know nothing

about computers =)---

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