Just when we all thought there is no more hope for the PSP-3000, Fanjita comes back, and armed with a fully workable exploit for the unyielding PSP Brite. He's been quiet for some time now, but little did we know he's been up and about tweaking away on the Phantasy Star Portable exploit, which was only "potentially-an-exploit" by yyoossk just last week. Go, go go!!!

So you have a PSP and you want to try out this thing called "homebrew" you've been hearing so much about. Problem is, you're still on official Sony firmware. What to do? Well, read this guide for starters. Today we'll be tackling how to install custom firmware on PSPs running anything from OFW 1.50 to OFW 3.50.

What are you waiting for? Click on the Read more link and get started on your way to homebrew!

What have we (re)learned so far in the QJ Homebrew series? First we had the definition of terms, then the identification of specs for each model. And then we gave you the Firmware Database. See where the flow is going? Right. The next step then is to line up the things you'll need to get your PSP to run sweet, sweet homebrew. And that's exactly what we have here for you in this second issue of QJ's How-To series: What you need to get homebrew running on your PSP.

Homebrew developer DJB recently released a new version of the PlayStation Portable Pandora installer - PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.4. The new build fixed a couple of registry files for some of the downgrading utilities, and shuffled some of the supported homebrew tools available for the application.

Download: PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.4

Being a homebrew application that preps your PSP memstick for Pandora installation, PSP Pandora Deluxe remains as one of the top downloads for the PSP as of late. Today, Pandora Deluxe v1.2 from DJB comes with a whackload of changes: Despartar Cementerio compatibility issues have been fixed, and the 1.50 Kernel add-ons for 3.71, 3.80, and 3.90 M33 have been included.

Download: PSP Pandora Deluxe v1.2

The Sony PlayStation Portable homebrew scene has always evolved through leaps and bounds, and Roomain's newly-released Pandora Creator for 3.72 HX-1 is no exception. Giving PSP owners the ability to make a Pandora Battery on the 3.72 HX-1 firmware, this is yet another step towards unlocking the Sony PlayStation Portable's potential to its fullest. Awesome as awesome can be, yes?

Check out the full article for more details and the download link.

A few days back, we found out that Fanjita and the rest of Noobz don't forget their promises when they released the HEN/Downgrader for firmware 3.11. Today, Noobz released another promised homebrew application, eLoader version 1.000.

Before you go "but we already have Pandora to downgrade", this version of the eLoader is actually aimed at running those "tricky EBOOTs" on PSPs that already can and the PSP Slim & Lite. Chris Swindle explains:

As a lot of people are finding out the PSP Lite is unable to run 1.50 kernel, this means that old homebrew games are not able to run on the PSP Lite custom firmware, however eLoader makes it possible to run some of these older games without needing to recompile them. So I hope all you new PSP Lite owners enjoy getting to see some of the old homebrew games running on the new device.

Groundwork for this project was laid out by Saotome, through the first EBOOT loader. This is basically for the homebrew that HEN and CFWs can't load (read: old homebrew). The major feature for this release of the eLoader would be "support for launching via HEN and custom firmwares, including the PSP Lite" (from the readme). Another plus in this eLoader is that homebrew devs who don't own a PSP Lite can use this to check out if their creations are compatible with the PSP Lite.

Though amidst the pros come the limitations. Here are the known limitations as listed on the readme:

• Can't run most kernel-mode applications.
• That means anything that emulates ISOs/UMDs.
• Some minor system calls are still unsupported.

Anyway, we'd advise you guys to go through the readme file as it details important stuff about the application like the installation instructions, troubleshooting, and navigation controls, among others. You know the drill, download's below. Enjoy!

Thanks much to magick2401 for the tip!

Download: eLoader v1.000

With Fanjita's promise fulfilled, PSP owners who don't want to walk the FW 3.50 path to salvation can take the direct approach now. Owners with messed up IDStorages will also have the opportunity to patch theirs up. But of course, with all things great comes certain issues: Not everyone is blessed with the ability to master delicate procedures from the get-go. So enter Adiuvo and his comprehensive guide to downgrading your FW 3.11 PSP.

All you will need are the essentials: a PlayStation Portable stuck on firmware 3.11 (no matter what board it's packing), a standard issue USB cable for connectivity, a memory stick with a minimum capacity of 128 MB, plus a U.S. or European version of Lumines. Files are already provided via the download links below, with inclusion of the 3.11 firmware for those who have yet to update to FW 3.11.

Get ready for a self-satisfying downgrade session at the full article!

Download: PSP Firmware 3.11
Download: PSP Firmware 1.50 File (EBOOT) North America
Download: HEN/Downgrader for FW 3.11
Visit: [GUIDE] 3.11 Downgrader

Fanjita (yes, Fanjita; we'll explain in a bit) and Noobz have just released a Homebrew Enabler (HEN) and downgrader for PSP FW 3.11. This will allow you to run homebrew and downgraders on FW 3.11 by using the US or European version of Lumines. Of course, this is if you're still trapped by FW v3.11.

Anyways, the team thanks Dark AleX because this certain release is based off of the source code for his HEN 2.71. Instructions and other relevant notes about running homebrew are found in the README. Additional notes:

This release consists of HEN for v3.11, plus a v3.11 downgrader, and an idstorage key fixer for v3.11. This allows you the choice of either:

1. staying on v3.11 to run homebrew
2. downgrading to v1.50 to run homebrew or install custom firmwares, or
3. upgrading to official Sony firmwares v3.30 or beyond.

Now, what's probably in all your minds right now is: "Isn't Fanjita supposed to be 'retired'?" Well, we were personally able to ask him that exact same question. Here was his reply:

Yeah. [I'm just] tidying up loose ends. This was promised ages ago.

So there you have it. Fanjita is retired, ok? He's just being kind to fulfill promises that he's made before. Glad to know! Never make a promise you can't keep, right? We're not sure though if this is the last of his "tidying up loose ends" releases. Maybe it's the first of a couple more "last minutes" before he finally assumes his fatherly role. If anything, this release might not be anything major, however, this is a friendly sign of Fanjita's continued commitment right down to the very end.

Download: HEN/Downgrader for FW 3.11

*Article originally posted on September 09, 2007 at 3:32 PM.

Homebrew developer Downgrader">Bob Joe has rolled out a new build for PSP Upgrader/Downgrader v1.11. Note that this software makes it easier for people to install firmware on their PlayStation Portable units.

This latest version adds support for Team Wildcard">Team Wildcard's recently release, 3.40 LE PSP Custom Firmware. In addition to that, the program now has an automatic update check in the options menu. The new additions are very convenient and perhaps a good reason to upgrade your older version.

So far, Bob Joe has only come out with a lite version of his update, so its a pretty small download and well worth the time if you're upgrading or downgrading your PSP.

Whether this is the first time you're using this program or not, remember to go over all the documentation and Readme.txt file before doing anything to avoid any unwanted mishaps with your PSP.

Download: PSP Upgrader/Downgrader v1.11 Lite