Kodewerx

PSP Firmware 6.30 Released

By Greg

It’s been awhile since Sony pushed a PSP update. That is until now… Fresh off Network Update: PSP Firmware 6.30. Quite frankly 6.30 is nothing to get excited about. Read on…

Main Features Revised in Version 6.30

* Games can now be grouped and displayed in folders based on format under [Game].

And don’t let this go unmentioned: Patapon 2 Demo Save Data Exploit Patched! That means no more Half Byte Loader.

If you really, really want to upgrade, then go nuts. But we suggest you don’t.

Update: Whoa… Hold up! Maybe 6.30 is something worthwhile. I was thinking to myself, big deal, sort by game format; how many game formats does the PSP support? PSP, PSOne, and minis. But maybe not — maybe I’m wrong… Check this out; folders for NeoGeo and TurboGrafx-16 (or PC Engine) have turned up! Then again — it’s nothing we can’t already achieve by way of homebrew and emulators.

Update: More 6.30-related news! Remember Datel and their Action Replay software? Homebrew that somehow functioned on all PSP models, up to firmware 6.20, without the Patapon 2 loader. Yeah, well that’s been patched too. It no longer works.

_________________
The Hackmaster
Hacking 101

Here comes Sony, not one to disappoint, continuing their streak of removing features! (Those exploits aren't bugs; they're features!)

_________________
I have to return some video tapes.

Feed me a stray cat.

Here's Datel's response:

IMPORTANT!

PSP Action Replay works 100% with all firmware versions up to and including 6.20 However version 6.30 of PSP firmware is now available but currently Action Replay is not compatible with this version. In order to maintain full compatibility with Action Replay it is important that user does not upgrade to this new version until further notice.

http://us.codejunkies.com/Products/Acti ... 0835v.aspx

_________________
The Hackmaster
Hacking 101

Well at least they're adding some new features (minor as they may be) in the updates as well, unlike a certain other console manufacturer... (and, for that matter, themselves killing Linux on PS3, derp)

Funny that even with this update plugging the hole (which means someone can examine the changes to find it), still nobody seems interested in how AR was managing to work.

_________________
143
HyperNova Software is now live (but may take a few tries to load) currently down; check out my PSP/DS/Game Boy/Windows/Linux homebrew, ROM hacks, and Gameshark codes!

There are many people interested in the PSPAR but it has been concluded that they have most likely signed their own EBOOTs in a similar manner to Sony. There is a fairly long topic on lan.st as well as mformature regarding the new PSPAR. Just a warning though, there is source code for a keygen in the mformature thread and if it is used your console ID is blacklisted which will prevent you from being able to use PSPAR if you ever decide to purchase it.

The problem is the new PSPAR doesn't accept input from any external files so there is not much that can be done with it. However the format of the code file used by the new PSPAR is the same as the battery PSPAR but instead of being a file on the memory stick it is stored in the DATA.PSP of the EBOOT. This is a problem because if the EBOOT is edited it won't work on OFW. By design it also doesn't work on CFW (no in-game menu) so there is no point decrypting the EBOOT and patching in the code file to have custom PSPAR codes in CFW.

From the time I've spent looking at the battery PSPAR code file the most notable details are:

• The code types for the PSPAR are the same as the DS Action Replay, was probably already known but whatever.
• Codes are not encrypted in the code file, was probably already known but whatever.
• The PSPAR code file has a checksum in the header and the checksum is checked against a value computed from the entire code file (excluding the header data) so if anything is altered and the checksum isn't corrected it will throw a hissy fit (I think the battery PSPAR crashes but can't remember for certain).

In regards to PSPAR related tools and stuff there is...

• A custom PSPAR code file - only works with battery PSPAR for reasons stated above.
• PSPAR to CWCheat converter - converts a pspar_codes1.bin to CWCheat format (public version supports constant write and single pointer codes only).
• I also made a web script for private use which converts CWCheat codes to PSPAR format and can create a pspar_codes1.bin file from user input however it is only of use to battery PSPAR users so I have no intention of releasing it until it can be used with the new PSPAR (if that were to ever happen).

Anyway the reason Datel chose to do this however is fairly obvious... If the new PSPAR could use an external code file then people would use it to exploit the PSP and Sony would try harder to stop it from working. Seeing as Datel are running a business and a lot of effort went into making the PSPAR they want to keep it working as long as possible so they can continue to make sales. And it is fairly obvious Sony don't really care too much about the PSPAR since it took them 6 months to release an update to block it and the only reason they probably even done that was because of the Patapon 2 exploit.

Saying that though I agree that it's disappointing that the PSPAR doesn't work on CFW or use external code files. In my opinion the best thing about a cheat engine is making your own codes which has been taken away in the new PSPAR.

EDIT: Damn if only I posted this 2 weeks ago I could have made my first post exactly 1 year after I joined.