New PSP Firmware with Built-In Web Browser

Volksport writes "Sony has released a new major firmware update for the PSP, bringing it to v2.00 (This link points to the install file). This new version offers updates such as a built-in web browser (User agent says it is Mozilla/4.0) and Korean language support. Although it was only released in Japan so far, it installs normally on US PSP systems." This version apparently breaks all hacks so far too.

Comments

Browser?

[coop0030]

Has anyone tried out the browser yet?

I want to know how it performs, and how easy it is to use before I go ahead and cripple the modability of my system.

Thank you.

Re:Browser?

[Anonymous Coward]

Has anyone tried out the browser yet?

I want to know how it performs, and how easy it is to use before I go ahead and cripple the modability of my system.

Thank you.

yes i have trie
is very good an
dont know if ar
positive step f
everything that
futue of techno
problem of reso
is only 320x240
so pages are al
cut off....

-Sj53

Re:Browser?

[mackman]

I've been using it for a couple hours now and I have to say I'm extrmely impressed. It's not the fastest nor can it handle large images (only has 24MB RAM to work with), but it looks wonderful, renders most pages well, and provides a few special page layout options to better fit the screen. Also, the text input is quick -- it uses a modified cell-phone keypad interface with shortcuts for typing common computer terms "php", ".com", etc. It also handles HTTP authentication and SSL correctly making it fully capable on most web sites. I don't think it does flash though.

Hardest Decision Ever...

[TJ_Phazerhacki]

To update, and lose the SNES9x and e-reader features I love, or to just go out and buy another one to play games on....

decisions... decisions...

Breaking hacks...

[ZakuSage]

It's not so much that this version breaks hacks... hacks haven't worked on 1.51 or 1.52. Sony probably did put new measures of security on this, though.

Hopefully this firmware gets hacked soon, as I'm sure there's a lot of people who'd like to get back to playing Chrono Trigger on their PSPs.

Re:Breaking hacks...

[coop0030]

Well, I wouldn't care if I could play Chrono Trigger if Sony would release some more games for the PSP.

Seriously, where is this plethora of games that were promised?

The hype of the PSP is over, and it is all Sony's fault. Originally, there was a steady release of games, and some great games at that. Since the release of Hot Shots Golf on April 4th, there hasn't been ONE worthwhile title to get released for the PSP. Alright, I am a patient man, and I can wait for a good game. This is another problem I have with the PSP. The next noteworthy game to come out for the PSP is Gran Turismo 4 Mobile. To me, this game isn't even noteworthy because I have Gran Turismo for PS2 and I can't imagine playing it twice. Aside from GT4mobile, the next game I have to look forward to is Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. GTA:LCS isn't due out until Fall of 2005. Now lets assume Fall '05 means that it will come out in October. That means there will be a span of 7 months between blockbuster PSP titles (if you call Hot Shots Golf a blockbuster title). In the meen time Sony thinks its going to fill our desire for a new release as long as there are tons of UMD movies that come out. There are something like 100 movie titles coming to the PSP, which is cool, but if I wanted a handheld to play movies, I would have bought a portable DVD player.

The bottom line is...I am bored with my PSP. My opinion is that Sony did a poor job of ensuring a steady release of decent titles after its launch. All we can do now is hope the software update gets to the states soon. I wouldn't mind putting the built in WiFi to good use. If the software update is good enough, it could hold me over until the next major game release, but I am not getting my hopes up. Honestly, the only reason I am hanging on to my PSP is because I can't wait until GTA comes out. I have a feeling it is going to be a title that will be worth paying 300 dollars just to buy the PSP so you can play it. I know there isn't anything Sony can do now to keep interest in their product (except release PSPs of different colors, i.e. white). All we can do now is sit patiently and await the release of GTA. Rockstar, please don't let us down.

Be nice

[Karem Lore]

If we could actually buy the unit here in Europe...Have to wait until September, but hey, the firmware is at V2...

Re:Be nice

[jimicus]

AFAIK, the basis of the legal action was trademark infringement; thus:

"Fred's Imports has no license to use the names Sony, PSP or the logos. They're all trademarks owned by us. We've asked them to stop using these names, they refuse. Please order them to stop, your honour."

Judgement for the plaintiff, now Fred has to sell his Sony PSPs without telling people what they are. And to really hammer it home, Sony consider "Fred's imports" shipping a box with Sony PSP on it a trademark infringement - and the court agreed.

Does this sound like an abuse of the system to you?

summary is correct: no homebrew yet!

[The Other White Boy]

if you're still sitting on your 1.5 bios psp and enjoying emulators and source ports of old games, you may want to hang on for a while before the upgrade. sure you'll get a browser, but until someone comes up with a work around for 2.0 (no hints so far) you may be stuck for a while.

but hey i'm sure somebody will figure it out eventually. hopefully before new games start forcing you to upgrade to 2.0 to play.

A bold move on Sony's part

[Frangible]

I have to wonder how much of the new features in this release are to "compete" with the old firmwares people are keeping to run ripped games and homebrew? If so, it's certainly an interesting and bold move on Sony's part -- keep offering more and more compelling features in the "secure" firmware and eventually enough people will opt for it over their older firmware.

Knowing hackers...

[Mad_Rain]

This version apparently breaks all hacks so far too

Hmmm... knowing the rapid pace of hackers versus the Slashdot editors, which will come first: the hack to get the latest firmware to work, or the dupe of this story? ;)

user agent string

[Anonymous Coward]

(User agent says it is Mozilla/4.0)

Of course it does, virtually every browser's user agent says it's Mozilla/4.0. All that means is that it's not Mozilla Suite/Firefox, which report Mozilla/5.0.

Tempting - but no

[Dark Paladin]

Sadly, I've enjoyed too much of the homebrew software to stop now (such as playing my Game Boy games - yes, I own copies of them on my PSP, or Chess, or watching the progress of the movie player that supports AVI and OGG), so while the web browser is nifty, and better playback of MPEG-4 video is nice, I'm keeping my PSP at 1.5 for as long as I can (which means I can't buy any new games, which is all right since there aren't any PSP games right now that interest me, and looking ahead none that will until early 2006, while the DS has some good ones coming out late next month).

Odds are, though, a Sony rep/fanpeople probably read the above as:

"Blah, blah, blah, I pirate software, blah, blah, blah, I'm a thief, blah, blah, blah, I have a tiny pee-pee because I like the DS".

But I'll give points to Sony for at least trying to meet people's needs. Good start - just needs better follow through.

Of course, this is just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Re:Tempting - but no

[Dark Paladin]

I wrote a thing on this some time ago, but here's my humble thoughts. They are probably flawed, but it's a good launching point.

What I would do as Sony is release a $100 "amateur developers kit", with the license that all programs created can only be offered free of charge unless published by Sony, and Sony has no liability on programs. With the program as compiled is a big warning "Sony takes no responsibility if you break your PSP running this program!"

This way, Sony gets both money and developers creating content. They can cherry pick what they really like and publish it if they want (since the author is not allowed to charge money under the license). Regular publishers know that they have more competition, but as the PSP's list of apps grow this sells more PSP's, so "big name" developers get to step up and market to a larger base. (And let's face it - shareware/freeware games hasn't killed off big PC publishing games - mainly console competition.)

This is kind of my "launching point" on this thought. Yes, it severely restricts development - but it's still a hell of a lot more open than the Nintendo systems, but not as open as the GP32, so Sony stands to win either way.

Like I said, just an idea. I could be wrong.

Re:Tempting - but no

[cduffy]

So how can we help Sony design a way to authenticate that homebrew apps aren't in fact pirated games?

Provide a mechanism by which folks can either:

- Send a homebrew game in for automated signing (after basic automated validation using some straightforward heuristics that the game doesn't look pirated -- say, validate that there are no consecutive 1K blocks that match those from any commercially published game after some basic normalization like removing NOPs) for use on ONE PSP, for free, with minimal turnaround time, with a limit on how many requests an individual can make per day (so crackers can't repeatedly attempt to break the automated system or, once they've broken it, churn out copies signed for tons of PSPs).

- Send a homebrew game for manual validation that it isn't a ripoff of a commercial game. If it passes manual validation (which would of course require automated validation as a prerequisite), it gets signed for use on *all* PSPs. The individual who sends it in is charged some token amount ($5-$10) to discourage folks from generating excessive workload for Sony's staff.

As a first attempt, how's that sound?

Re:Tempting - but no

[Zigg]

Yes, it severely restricts development - but it's still a hell of a lot more open than the Nintendo systems...

This apparently random comment confuses me. Are not the Sony and Nintendo development models, right now, equally "open"? I'm just trying to figure out why Nintendo was inserted into this statement.

Anyway, the problem with your plan is that it enables piracy. Now that Sony's given their blessing to homebrew, it becomes completely legitimate to release i.e. a game image loader that runs on fully unmodified units.

You could mitigate that somewhat by saying your $100 bought you a signature on your code-signing key that let your code run -- then we'd always know the source of said loaders. The problem there is that there will no doubt be someone's code, intentionally or no, that contains an exploitable backdoor that runs game images. And unlike the licensee's game with the overflow that can be discontinued or pulled from shelves entirely, that code will pretty much continue to be available forever.

Game consoles are closed for two reasons. Number 1 is piracy. Number 2 is the revenue stream to the console maker. Barring some incredibly cool new method of building homebrew, sanctioned methods will never those two.

It's about time.

[donleyp]

The guys at psphacks.net have some information too.

I, for one, plan to get it ASAP. I think the browser is a great addition.

I am dissapointed in Sony for working so hard to disable the hacks people have come up with. What's it to them how we use the HW we bought?

I really think Sony should consider removing the barriers to homebrew software! Does anyone have any insight into why they're so uptight about it?

Re:It's about time.

[Tx]

I really think Sony should consider removing the barriers to homebrew software! Does anyone have any insight into why they're so uptight about it?

You really have to ask?

1. Having hobbyists be able to manipulate the device will lead to people being able to play pirated games and movies as far as they are concerned, and they probably have a point.

2. They might in the future want to sell you some of the features that you want to obtain via hacks. Why allow people to have for free what you might be able to make them pay for?

Desperately wanting a better way to enter text

[jockm]

I installed it this morning. Most sites I looked at came though ok. I had trouble loading all the images from /. Overall it is very cool.

What I do want is a better way to enter text. It was never much of an issue with the PSP until now. The phone like text entry system is a little wacky. I would like a true virtual keyboard with some kind of a9 like predictive text

Region encoding

[Generic Guy]

This update also apparently helps enforce region encoding (e.g. DVD players), which of course is incredibly stupid on a handheld portable device.

Upcoming games reportedly use region locks.

Re:Region encoding

[radish]

The PSP has always enforced region coding on movie discs, never on game discs (and they have publically stated in the past they will never enforce it on games). I've not seen anything to suggest such a change in 2.0 - do you have any links?

Early adoption

[GoRK]

As no one seems to have pointed out yet, it's likely that someone will release a modified 2.0 that will give you all the new features AND let you run homebrew apps.. But if you upgrade to 2.0 now, you'll lock yourself out of the ability to run the upgrader for any hacked version. This is pretty typical of 'softmod' style hacks; being an early adpoter is not the wisest course of action.

Unless of course there is a vulnerability in 2.0 that will let you run homebrew... If you want to bank on that, be my guest.

Re:Early adoption

[GoRK]

Perhaps you did not already know this, but at least someone understands how to decrypt the PSAR files containing the firmware as it's possible to disassemble the update application. (Also the decrypted firmware images of 1.51 and 1.52 firmwares have been floating around, so it has been done.) It's also known how to write to all of the flash memory in the PSP.

While it would not be possible to reencrypt the PSAR and re-sign the updater PBP so that it would run like the original, it would be possible to modify the decyrpted firmware then write an application that flases said modified firmware to a PSP in order to create a PSP with 2.0 firmware features that can still load unsigned code.

However, as I said before, the ability to do this to your own PSP means that you will have to begin with a PSP capable of executing unsigned code in the first place (currently 1.0 or 1.5) in order to run the hacked flashing utility and write the unencrypted and unsigned hacked-up firmware image to flash. Thus, if you update to 2.0 now you will perhaps not be able to install a hacked 2.0 that can run homebrew code IF such a thing is created and IF no exploit is found in 2.0.

A Worthy Effort

[taskforce]

In some ways Sony are obliged to break our hacks... their Legal team probably told them they have to do it. (I'm sure the engineers are all sitting on 1.0 versions themselves) Nintendo would probably love to sue Sony (IANAL but I do know that there have been been lawsuits brought about for stupider things.)

I think this is a great solution, because it actually benefits the majority of people who don't hack their PSP, and people who already have a different browsers won't use it if they don't need to.

If only Sony would take this approach with their music bussiness and try and create better customer experiences than illegal download methods, rather than fighting them with lawyers. Hopefully this upgrade will be a good way to show Sony that superior features are a much better way of fighting the underworld than sueing them or DRMing them into hell.

Unfortunately I think that Sony's different divisions are too diserate and isolated from eachother to heed this advice from eachother.

Not only that

[Dark Paladin]

But all of the PSP releases are - movies.

Yay. I can spend $20 on the DVD version of the movie, and another $20 on the PSP version (unless I simply encode the movie myself with Yade/FFMPEG on OS X and copy it up to the memory stick).

Seems that Sony's more excited about the portable movie player stuff. Maybe they fear a video iPod so they're trying to flood the market with PSP releases to make the studios think that the PSP is the "format of choice" or some such. Either way, as a gamer the PSP is getting more use reading killyourfm.com than it is as a game device.

sweet

[bonk]

It's about time.

I think the psp has some serious potential to be an all purpose multimedia device. You can already play music, movies and watch your pictures on this thing.

I think it would be interesting to set up a web page and some utilities to control your home stereo/digital music player, DVR, lights and anything else you would like, intended to be controled from your psp. The wireless router would have to be configured to only accept your psp's MAC, and some other authentication would have to take place on the web page/server end (having to enter a username/password would be a real drag to seamless integration)

I'm definately interested in getting a PSP now that they have included a built in web browser (that doesn't need some goofy hack to get around). Though, like many others, I also want to wait until someone figures out how to crack/bypass the security so homebrew apps can run again. Or for some company to release a signed emulator for the psp, I'd be willing to pay for a NES or SNES or whatever emulator if it wasn't complete garbage.

Does anyone know if the digital signed executables for the PSP is intended to stop piracy of UMD games, or if it is designed to stop any homebrew development? Both?

List of Features and New Ceramic White

[Xeo 024]

Network Features:

        * Internet Browser - Probably the biggest thing yet to come to the PSP, a web browser. The browser supports standard 4.01 HTML, but will not support Flash streaming. Although some minor bugs, you will be able to connect to any website through your wireless hotspot.
        * New Network Menu - This is the new icon that will be installed on your PSP, it will act as the shortcut to the web browser.

Video Features:

        * Jump Function - Jump function added (UMD Video & UMD Music)
        * A-B Function - This allows you to repeat one portion of the clip.
        * 4x3 size - A new size to watch videos in
        * Mute - Mute function added for videos, even though a general mute function came with the original system.
        * MP4 (AVC) playback - New playback format.

Music Features:

        * ATRAC3plus playback - Now you can put ATRAC3plus files on your PSP.
        * MP4 AAC & WAVE Support - This version will allow you to play MP4 audio (MP4's AAC format) as well as Linear PCM WAVE files.

Photo Features:

        * Wallpaper Feature - Another big feature for the PSP, can you guess it? You got it, a personalized wallpaper feature.
        * Photo Sharing - You can now share images with a friend using the wireless ad-hoc connection (local)
        * New Formats - The PSP can now read TIFF, GIF and BMP files.

Setting Features:

        * New Character SetTheme Setting
        * Internet Browser Restriction Setting - Set security settings for your web browser.
        * WPA Support - Don't like WEP? isn't secure enough for you? you can now access the net with WPA-PSK (TKIP.)Web Support on Keypad

Source

Sony also released a ceramic white version of the PSP.

I was thinking of getting a PSP

[acb]

but then I decided against it. Without hacks it'd be useless except as a means of consuming expensive commercial content, and Sony are doing their worst, technically and legally, to keep it locked down. As far as hackable, portable devices, the Nokia 770 looks far more useful.

OTOH, I'd be tempted to buy a PSP if Katamari Damacy was out for it (I don't live in the US or Japan and thus can't get the PS2 version), but apparently they're porting the next version to the Nintendo DS as well.

Finally..

[kronchev]

Finally, we can stop those goddamn hackers from stealing Sony's money by running a Nintendo emulator on their $250 unit combined with the $60 memory stick they bought! Stupid kids want everything for free, god bless Sony for taking back what was theirs!

Re:It ain't just the PSP...

[2008]

Killer 7?

Recent, fairly big release (would be bigger if people were willing to buy non-sequels), very original. Answers all your complaints.

Real time firmware update war

[British]

Wow, PSP hasn't been out on the market long, and firmware updates are coming out as fast as hacks can be made for them.

To me, that is funny. The endless waltz of people releasing useful software for them(emulators), and then Sony does an upate soon after, with an incentive like a browser, etc.

Maybe I'll get a PSP when the dust settles.

Re:fxpsp

[thatguywhoiam]

If the browser is really the only new feature, why doesn't someone just port a decent browser [getfirefox.com] to the PSP?

Well first off the slashdot write-up is incomplete.

This update includes other features, such as ability to swap backgrounds and change themes, and some other sundry items, but there are THREE major features:

Web browser
AVC video support on MemoryStick
AAC audio support on MemoryStick Photo sharing via wireless

The web browser was never going to be Firefox, thats just not how Sony operates. Besides it would probably be very inappropriate (although using the rendering engine is a different story). From what I hear, it is pretty much HTML 4.01 compliant, has CSS support (not sure what level), HTTPS, and Javascript. That's pretty good. It also has some sort of pseudo-tabbed thing where you can keep 3 pages in saved state at once. You can pan around the page with the analog stick, and the bookmarks are kept in a regular HTML file (which I would suggest loading up on your comp in TextEdit or whatever to save your thumbs).

The AVC support is HUGE. This codec (H.264) is the basis for nearly everything coming out and the quality jump from the previous H.263 'simple profile' MP4 has to be seen to be believed. I would conservatively say a threefold increase in resolution - its that good. Also should result in smaller files. One hitch is that the format is still 320x240, so for widescreen content you are best to make an anamorphic clip. The PSP provides an anamorphic mode for unsquishing the picture and it interpolates very well. A shame to not use the 480x272 but I suspect many people would find out pretty quickly that at that rez, you're going to max even a 1GB stick really quick (doubt it could hold a 90min DVD at that; UMDs are 1.8 gigs I believe). Also note that AVC will take a lot longer to actually compress clips unless you have a fairly modern computer.

AAC audio support is huge as well for those of us with half their iTunes collection in AAC. No I have never bought anything from iTMS, I just like AAC. I had to set up a smart playlist that picked from my (much smaller) MP3 collection previously.

The photo sharing thing is just cool.

There are some other odds and ends, like GIF/TIFF/BMP/WAV support, some additional wireless security, etc. On the whole I'd say the upgrade is worth it unless you are *really* into your homebrew (which some are).

Hacks stopped working...

[kiwioddBall]

I'd say it would be pretty difficult for Sony not to break all the hacks.. Usually hacks rely on bytecode being in a certain location in memory, so for a release that is such a big upgrade, I'd say Sony didn't deliberately break the hacks... they just don't work any more.