Sony PSP 1.50 Swap Trick
Negroiso writes "It appears that the folks over at PSP-DEV have created a swap trick for your PSP 1.50 to play your homebrew applications.
It requires two memory sticks to use. Please read the included tutorial on how to use the exploit properly." Here is the PSP 1.50 Exploit as well as
website mirrors.
There has been a lot of chatter this morning about the hack and how to use it effectively. Check out #psp-dev on efnet.
None of us are as dumb as all of us.
Update: Many people seem disappointed that it's a swap hack. Personally I don't have any problem with it as it works great. We at PSP Hacks give our thanks to the PSP-Dev team for discovering and providing this exploit. For those who are having difficulty getting it to work, follow these simple steps:
1. Download any homebrew app/game
2. Load up the MSwap Tool
3. Select the EBOOT.PBP you wish to use
4. Select an Output directory
5. Click "Generate files"
6. You're now left with two directories - MS1 and MS2
7. Copy the EBOOT.PBP from the MS1 directory to your first memory stick (MS) - X:\PSP\GAME\
8. Remove the first MS and insert the second
9. Copy the EBOOT.PBP from the MS2 directory into X:\PSP\GAME\"
10. Remove MS2 and insert MS1
11. Go to the Game menu on your PSP and select Memory Stick
12. Select the PSP-Dev Launcher
13. The moment PSP logo screen comes on, swap memory sticks
14. Vola! You're playing homebrew on your 1.50 PSP!
Just a note, this hack only works on the firmware version 1.50, which shipped with the PSPs. Sony has since released two updates, 1.51 and 1.52, and the hack does not work on either.
I'm guessing Sony is going to repeat what they're doing in Japan with the version 1 firmware homebrew hack: make new legit games check and force the firmware updates.
If I learned anything from the Xbox, it is that once there is even the slightest soft-mod, no matter how hacky and contrived it is and even if it just supports one or two versions of the console, as time goes on, it will become less hacky, more user-friendly, and support more versions. There is currently a soft-mod for the Xbox that is in every way as good as a modchip. It supports all versions of the Xbox, it is easy to install, it is easy to uninstall, and it even has a toggle for putting the Xbox into and out of a modded state, so you can go on Xbox Live.
What I am trying to say is that if there is even a tiny little crack that allows for soft-modding a PSP, people will push and push until the mod is so easy to install and so full featured, that your PSP will effectively be able to run any binaries you wish, with no hassle.
It will take allot of time though. A word of wisdom: if the Xbox drops in price to $99 or cheaper, buy at least one. It will be worth it even if there isn't a single official Xbox game you care to play. The homebrew software makes the Xbox a must own, IMO. The media players and emulators alone make it worth $99.