We've just barely recovered from the awesome news about the new 2.80 downgrader from 0okm, now we're stumped with another make-you-type-like-your-granny-cause-you're-trembling-in-excitement kind of update - developer csfreakno1 has just concocted his own version of Easy Downgrader for 2.80.

Alright. Now that we're cleared with that, we're pausing for a little, ok, a huge disclaimer. First, we're putting up this post not to encourage 2.80 PSP owners to immediately use it, but because we want to inform the community that things are moving in the right direction and it should be only a matter of time before we have in our hands a fully stable downdater app. So for those guys who already have their PSP and USB cables on hand, it might be wise to sit and wait for now.

Second, this one came out a little late cause we here at the QJ labs all had to do some rethinking if it's safe to release to the public so soon. As you might have known by now (duh!), we've decided to share this with you guys to show that we trust your own judgment over its safety.

Now we got that cleared, let's get on with the unveiling of the great news. csfreakno1, despite the poor web translation, explains it best in saying:

Hello, has I mean first EASY Downgrader young here about 2.80. I have already enough experience with Downgrader, but this is also new for me. This is all first version and can still errors contain. A detailed README file is contained. IMPORTANTLY This Downgrader writes on the Flash0. Use on own danger! First RELEASE, REQUEST WATCHING OUT! After the installation of the Datein on the PSP, only the PSP start again then the Downgrader a starting!

As mentioned above, this app is in its very early and unstable stage. The results are as unpredictable as Sony's marketing schemes, so again, it's best that you read, reread, and reread the readme file some more that comes along with the download. Right now, the main concerns are: THE PSP MUST NOT HAVE A TA-082 BOARD and the owner must use the recently released xloader instead of the earlier eLoader. Cause if not, you would end up having one useless piece of gaming device.

The full article awaits after the jump!

Train2335 stopped by our forums to inform everyone that he has released a "noob" friendly version of which works on 2.60 and is unconfirmed on other firmwares (does not work on 2.80+). This downdater is a port of Dark_Alex's downdater in eboot form. The previous tiff downdaer was released in .bin form, however with Fanjita's newly released eLoader (0.99), you can run this newly created eboot downgrader from it and downgrade your PSP!

For those who doubted, or were confused by the simple tiff downdaer and just didn't want to take the risk - hopefully you will build up enough courage to downgrade today. Although, tomorrow will be a big day for the scene, so if you don't plan on downgrading yet, feel free to wait until tomorrow is over to make your decision! However, with all downgraders, we urge you that you try this at your own risk. There is a possibility that your PSP may brick if you do not use it correctly. It's been untested on many firmwares and has only been reported as working on 2.60 - so please take that into consideration right now. You can download the file below -

Download: [2.0-2.71 Tiff Downdater - eLoader Version]

Just as he did for the 2.50/2.60 Downdater made by Dark_Alex, Mathieulh and Yoshihiro from the SonyXTeam, Xtrusion is once again lifting the weight off our shoulders by eliminating the need to go through all the steps and instructions needed to make a successful downgrade with Downgrader 2.71 LITE.

It basically functions the same as his previous release. It's an executable with an amazing GUI, with a series of images guiding you through the set up process of the 2.71 Downdater. All you have to do is install the file just as you would any computer program, run it, connect your PSP to your computer and answer the questions with either a yes or a no.

Remember, that this is potentially dangerous to your PSP. You could end up having a bricked PSP. We can't stress that enough and so does Xtrusion. Don't say we didn't warn you.

This software is free, unlicensed and comes with no warranty.

Despite it has been tested and it has worked, a program that rewrites a big part of the flash(flash0) is always dangerous. You are the only responsible of whatever happens to your psp using this unlicensed program.

Many thanks to Nopx86, psp250, Skylark, Joek2100, CSwindle, JimP, Fanjita, hitchhikr jpeg, whackawookie, nopx86, [Having], tyranog, joshrulez, gamefreax.de, pspgen.com and whackawookie.

Download: [Downgrader 2.71 LITE]

---

Update:

• Will this work on 2.80?
  Some commenters keep insisting that this works on the 2.80. Some commenters keep insisting that it will brick your 2.80 if you try it. A word of sanity: until the developer says that it works on 2.80, it's probably a bad idea to try it on a 2.80.
• How do I turn off comments by unregistered users?
  FYI for Registered users: some of you have complained about all the spam (we're dealing with the worst of it but the comments are coming in faster than we can handle right now). You have a temporary solution: above the very first comment you see a drop-down menu next to the words "Unregistered Comments." Select "Hide" to hide all comments by unregistered users.

First thing you do is breathe. You might still be in a state of pure bliss since the news of a 2.71 downdater (downgrader) has reached your ears. Inhale. Exhale.

Second thing is to go over previous coverages of the 2.50/2.60 downgrader. If you've successfully got the first one to work, chances are high that you can achieve the same results with this latest one as well. The installation instructions are nearly identical since it's a port of the previous downdater, so more or less you're already familiar with the ins and outs of the installation process. Still, don't get too complacent, take all necessary precautions and follow given instructions down to the last punctuation mark to avoid getting your PSP bricked.

Last, is to read, understand and read again, the very informative article delving into the specifics of the 2.71 downdater before even thinking of attempting anything. Make a mental note of four PSPs getting bricked for gaming's sake. Think of your PSPs welfare, please.

Now that we've got all bases covered, let's get to the news. The same wonder team (Mathieulh and Dark_Alex) that brought you the 2.71 Downdater, has released a bug fix aimed at a bug that caused premature bricking if the hack to force the unassign/assign of the flash failed. They have also adviced all mirroring sites to have their files updated into this new one.

Thanks a whole bunch to SirByteMaster for the information.

Download: [2.71 Downdater/Downgrader Bug Fix]

---

Update:

• Will this work on 2.80?
  Some commenters keep insisting that this works on the 2.80. Some commenters keep insisting that it will brick your 2.80 if you try it. A word of sanity: until the developer says that it works on 2.80, it's probably a bad idea to try it on a 2.80.
• How do I turn off comments by unregistered users?
  FYI for Registered users: some of you have complained about all the spam (we're dealing with the worst of it but the comments are coming in faster than we can handle right now). You have a temporary solution: above the very first comment you see a drop-down menu next to the words "Unregistered Comments." Select "Hide" to hide all comments by unregistered users.

As some 2.71 PSP’s say hello to the world, others will be saying goodbye at the same time as a downgrader has been released just a few moments ago!!

 

For this one occasion, I grant you permission to jump on your computer’s desk; jumping up and down until you have broken your desk. The reason for such a command is that after you have done it you probably won’t care about the desk, as you have just read that a 2.71 downdater (downgrader) has now been made available! Yes, that’s right – all you 2.71 owners (who do not have a TA-082 motherboard) will be able to downgrade your PSP to firmware 1.50.

Get the full details, install instructions, and the download by clicking on "Full Article" below!

Download: [2.71 Downgrader / Downdater]

Download: [1.50 Downhelper Program]

Read: [Forum Discussion Thread]
Learn: [Homebrew FAQ's and Guides]

It's been awhile since I've written an article, but I couldn't miss out on this one. Dark_AleX, the author of many firmware hacks and mods, such as the PRX Decrypters and some of the latest downgraders we're sure you've heard about, has now released his latest creation - Custom Firmware: The proof of concept.

As you can tell from the name of it, it is a customized firmware, which is still in its early stage. Dark_AleX has added quite some features to this firmware, and will make you actually burn this firmware into your PSP. Although he has already tried this on his own PSP, this doesn't mean he takes any responsibility on unpredicted casualties. So, you are warned, you will take a risk of bricking your PSP if you try this out (but in fact whatever you are doing with homebrew, you take that warning for sure). And don't worry about going back to the official firmware. I will explain later.

Here are the features of this firmware:

• Execution of normal pbp's (1.00 ones, no-kxploited)
  - This means you will no longer need to have 2 similar folders in your PSP/GAME folder to make a homebrew run. Very convenient.
• Possibility of hiding corrupt icons. (Note: by default it's not enabled, look at the file /PSP/SYSTEM/config.txt to see how to enable it).
  - So, even if you stick with 2-folder 1.50 PBPs, you will feel better with this feature.
  
• Possibility of skipping the SCE logo at the startup. (and in this way avoid the annoying auto-execution of the UMD). Like the previous one, this is not enabled by default.
  - What else can we say? This is of course useful: no stupid auto-start when you forget to take your UMD out of the UMD drive. Great.
  
• "Recovery mode:". If you keep R pressed while starting the psp, it will enter in "Recovery mode".
  Recovery mode is not more than a simple application that will let you to use the usb, and execute a program under ms0:/PSP/GAME/UPDATE/EBOOT.PBP, that could be, for example, a sony updater or the 1.50 -> 1.00 downdater.
  This would allow to recover potential bricks caused by the writing of bad fonts/videos/sounds... to the flash.
  (Note that this wouldn't allow to recover critical things like the overwriting of critical prx's)
  - Yes, you read it. With this mod, you may have a chance to unbrick your PSP, if it was caused by the writing of bad fonts/videos/sounds to the flash. (Note that this wouldn't allow to recover critical things like the overwriting of critical prx's)
• Autoexecution of a program at the startup. See the configuration file at /PSP/SYSTEM/config.txt to see how to use it.
  - Very handy, especially for folks who want to boot directly to DevHook nowadays, or any favorite program immediately.
  

How to install it then? Very simple. After downloaded the zip file and opened it, you will see 4 items. Just drag & drop the "PSP" one into the root of your memory stick, and proceed with any overwrite warnings.

You can access the file "config.txt" in PSP/SYSTEM with your notepad program, to modify your experience with this mod later. This file is well commented, you will understand what to do when you see it on your own. After the files are copied, you just browse to the program "Custom Firmware - The proof of concept" and run. Files will be flashed to your PSP. And then, you are done.

We can tell that there can be many possibilities thru this kind of customized firmware. In fact, we cannot tell what the future of custom firmware holds right now, but we are definitely looking forward to see how this unfolds. And let's cheer again for the  inspired developer Dark_AleX and his latest creation! Thanks!

Download: [Custom Firmware - The Proof of Concept]
Discuss: [Forum release thread]
Digg it! (Thank you all for your support, Digg has lifted the ban of QJ.net!)

  

A recent article posted on MSNBC (via the Washington Post) claims that homebrew communities blend hackers and gamers together in an effort to make the most out of their devices, saying that "Independent programmers are working on ways to listen to Internet radio and wirelessly check e-mail through the handheld Nintendo DS game device. Elsewhere, some jokers figured out how to get a playable version of Doom onto the iPod.". The article says that rip-offs of games such as Lumines, which appeared on the GBA as LumineSweeper when it wasn't released for the GBA, are regular occurrences in the homebrew community basically stating that many homebrew games are illegal.

The article goes on to the PSP, claiming that the PSP homebrew scene was "nearly dead" until the 2.5/2.6 downgrader was released. Obviously this writer, Mike Musgrove, hadn't done his research. Before the downdater was released more and more games were being made available on firmwares 2.0-2.5 with Fanjita's eLoader, and still loads of games and applications were being developed for firmware 1.5. I'm afraid the PSP homebrew scene was far from 'nearly dead', it was growing.

One thing the writer did get correct is this "if any recent game title for the Sony device has generated as much excitement online as this underground developer's announcement, I missed it.". That is correct. I bought my PSP to play games on it, and didn't even think about homebrew until a friend told me about this site about a week after getting my PSP on the UK launch date. And since I've been into homebrew, no UMD game release has really tickled my fancy apart for GTA:Liberty City Stories, which lasted a while.

The writer then moves onto the subject of the up and coming Xbox 360 homebrew/hacking scene which is in it's infancy. "Console makers dislike this sort of tinkering because it opens the door to piracy. The same tricks that make an Xbox more functional to power users are the same tricks that override the controls put into place to keep users from playing illegally copied versions of games."

This is also correct, but when you spend your hard-earned cash on a product, you want to get the most out of it, and this is what the writer seems to have missed out on. I have definitely had my money's worth from my PSP, because of homebrew. If I didn't own a PSP I probably wouldn't be writing this now, and this site wouldn't be as big as it is today. Homebrew helps us to use what we own in a way that the makers of it couldn't even think of. Homebrewers don't make money out of what they do, they do it for the programming experience and to get more out of their consoles. There aren't any big corporations trying to take your cash from you in the homebrew scene, and that's the beauty of it.

In other news, the article seems to have gone missing from the MSNBC website. Why this is, we are not sure, but all I can get is the "page not found" error. Either they have server problems (highly unlikely for MSNBC) or they have removed it. Whatever the issue, they cannot escape Google Cache!

Link: [Original MSNBC article] Page not found error
Link: [Google Cache version]
Link: [Original Washington Post article]

Xtrusion from our forums has released another Easy Downgrader for those who want to downgrade a 1.5 PSP to version 1.0, the PSPs original System firmware. Just like Easy Downgrader for 2.5/2.6, this Easy Downgrader uses Dark_Alex Yoshihiro and Mathieulh's original downdater, this time for 1.5 --> 1.0 and adds a nice GUI, sound instructions and complete installation (apart from the dumped firmware files) needed to downgrade your PSP from firmware 1.5 to 1.0.

A voice will explain to you how to do things along with text, and the automatic installer will install all the files required to downgrade for even the biggest PSP homebrew newbies. You will need someone with an original 1.0 PSP in order to get this to work.

Instructions

1. Find someone with a 1.0 PSP and get them to install the downhelper program from the downdater download.
2. Copy the downhelper100 folder to /PSP/GAME/ and start the program.
3. It will dump your flash and your ipl to the memory stick. After finished, the program will exit.
4. Send the folder created at the root of your memory stick called "DOWNDATER" to someone with 1.50 to allow them to downgrade using the Easy downgrader app.

Remember that PSP firmware version 1.00 still hasn't got any special applications or uses, so there isn't any reason to leave 1.50 (unless you're a developer) at the moment. You will receive this warning when you run the Easy Downgrader.

Download: [1.50 to 1.00 Easy Downgrader]

Xtrusion, a Spanish coder from our forums has released an Easy Downgrader for those users on PSP firmware 2.5/2.6 that have not downgraded yet. It's easy to use, safe, and best of all doesn't modify any of the original downgrader files. This Easy Downgrader users the original downdater from Dark_Alex, Mathieulh and Yoshihiro from SonyXTeam and comes in the form of an executable with a great GUI. Every step of the downgrade process is shown in images from finding out whether your PSP has a TA-082 motherboard to using the eLoader.

A voice will explain to you how to do things along with text, and the automatic installer will install all the files required to downgrade for even the biggest PSP homebrew newbies. The only files that are missing from this version are the downdater files which you must obtain from a firmware 1.5 user. Here's what they need to do:

1. Copy the folders downhelper and downhelper% from the folder 1.50 HELPER folder to /PSP/GAME/ in your memstick.
2. Obtain the 1.50 update EBOOT and put it in /PSP/GAME/UPDATE in your memstick. You may find the 1.50 update in our download site here.
3. Init the downhelper program.
4. It will dump your flash and some files from the updater eboot to the memstick. (These files are illegal under US copyright laws, so please do not distribute them in the comments or on our forums)
5. After that, the program will exit. You can now delete the updater from /PSP/GAME/UPDATE
6. You'll notice that you have a new folder in the root of your memstick called "DOWNDATER".
7. That's the folder you'll have to send to a 2.50/2.60 to let them test the downgrade.

Then all you have to do is run the easy downgrader! Remember, there is still a risk of bricking your PSP by using this application. According to our Forum Poll, the success rate stands at 91.5%. Please read our previous article in order to fully assess the risks of downgrading your 2.5.2.6 PSP.

NOTE: Please do not link to sites that may host the 1.5 firmware files in the comments.

Download: [Easy 2.5/2.6 Downgrader Light]