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Sony Hardware Hacking Portables (Games)

Sony PSP 1.50 Swap Trick 176

Posted by CmdrTaco from the hardware-hacking-at-its-most-amusing dept.
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.
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Sony PSP 1.50 Swap Trick More

Sony PSP 1.50 Swap Trick

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  • First post, and the site is already down. I wonder how long it will take benchmarks to show up that show how well the PSP runs various emulators?

  • knock knock! (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:11AM (#12823604)
    Who's there?

    Sony and the DMCA.. HAHA HA HAHAHAHA... *blank stare*

    -Sj53

  • #psp-dev on efnet for discussion on hack (Score:4, Informative)

    by traid ( 679779 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:15AM (#12823632)
    There has been a lot of chatter this morning about the hack and how to use it effectively. Check out #psp-dev on efnet.
  • This is nice and all but I'm waiting for the development of blank, writeable UMD disks. Anyone with me?

  • I got it to play Doom III (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:16AM (#12823650)
    I stuck a paperclip down the slot and shorted the damn thing out. The levels are particularly dark, but the load times are now instantaneous. I just can't seem to get the PSP to do anything else which is a bit of a downside.

  • Article Text (Score:5, Informative)

    by everphilski ( 877346 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:16AM (#12823655) Journal
    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!

    • Re:Article Text (Score:5, Informative)

      by sjf ( 3790 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:22AM (#12823705)
      To make things a bit easier, I've found that you only need to create the MS1 stick once. That is, once you have the special EBOOT.PBP on the first memory stick, you don't need to recreate it every time you change the EBOOT.PBP on MS2. Obviously, the file on MS1 will report the wrong name, but whatever is on MS2 still boots. Tested with the PCEngine, GB emulator and the SNES emulator.

  • Original Site (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Original site - http://www.ps2nfo.com/ [ps2nfo.com]

    No click on purpose. And AC as I have enough karma.

  • I wonder if... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I wonder if we will see some kind of TSR to avoid the hassle of having to swap memory sticks every time you want to run a program.
    • Yes we will. Programs can already be written to load in kernel mode, so a kernel patcher is possible, and writing to the flash works as well. Just a matter of time till the swap trick is a one time deal.

  • Good news!... Kinda. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ChibiLZ ( 697816 ) * <john@eTWAINasygoldguide.com minus author> on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:17AM (#12823669) Homepage Journal
    I was really excited about this, until I read that it's a swaploit... some people are having it work no problem, but some people are having troubles getting it to load, having corrupted data on their mem sticks, etc.

    However I have to take my hat off for the guys that worked this out. Let's hope everyone in the PSP hacking scene keeps up the good work, because I'd love to play some old classics on my PSP.

    Also cheers to the poster for putting mirrors in the post. :)
    • I was really excited about this, until I read that it's a swaploit

      So you got excited over the "Sony PSP 1.50" part of the title, took a short rest then got all down after you'd chugged through the last couple of words?

      It's kind of worrying though that it's considered normal to have to resort to some sort of hack to run the code you choose on a programmable device that you own.
      Anyone ever wonder what the world would be like if we'd all grown up with BBC Micros, ZX Spectrums, Amigas etc that only ran
      • Well, there's been news for the last few days that an exploit for the 1.5 firmware was coming out today... no details on how. Now we know the how, so I'm not as excited.

        I understand that a lot of hacks require a trick, a dab of solder, or some other hackaround. I just really hate swaptricks ever since the PS1 days. Timing it was a pain back then, and I hear it's even trickier now. I have fat fingers and MS Pro Duos are tiny.

        I agree, though, about devices that only run approved code. That's why I pre
    • Make sure you don't use the tool supplied but rather use the manual method described in the PDFs. The tool is known to corrupt the data.

  • It appears that the folks over at PSP-DEV have created a swap trick for your PSP 1.50 to play your homebrew applications.

    You misspelled "pirated".
    • i know you're kidding, but for thsoe who take things literally...

      There are no pirateda pplications.

      Just applications tha tlet you play pirated games for other consoles 3

    • Re:Homebrew? (Score:3, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      TROLL! Commercial games taken from UMDs --> WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS! --

      Programs like pspChess, and SNES emulator, etc. will work.

      (Edit:
      Slashdot requires you to wait 2 minutes between each successful posting of a comment to allow everyone a fair chance at posting a comment.

      It's been 6 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment

      Eh????)

    • Re:Homebrew? (Score:3, Informative)

      by Formula420 ( 836234 )
      Actually, at this point, it is still impossible to play pirated PSP games off the memory stick. This swap trick will only work with homebrew apps and emulators, as they are in .PBP format. All the UMD dumps that have surfaced are in .iso format.

      It is a step in that direction though....
    • In Soviet Russia you play your applications and utilize your games?

    • Re:Homebrew? (Score:1, Redundant)

      by rAiNsT0rm ( 877553 )
      Best Post Ever. ROFL.

  • just make master keys... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    "I don't enable CAR THEFTS, I just make master keys that people with lost car keys can use, and drop them in phone booths on MLK Blvd. If you want to use them for stealing cars, how is that my fault?"

    • Re: just make master keys... (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      As a homebrew developer, I shall ask you to shut up. I hate those "DRM-like" arguments... If I want to play my own games on my console, why wouldn't I have the right to create such a hack ? What do I care about pirates ?
    • If you manufacture cars, and I purchase one, your authority to dictate how it's used ends when I sign on the dotted line. If I see fit to drive immediately to a junkyard and have it crushed into a small-but-expensive cube, that's my prerrogative. You can't say or do diddly-squat (legally,) no matter how much my behavior cheeses you off.

      The console manufacturers are attempting to circumvent property ownership rights by implementing DRM in the name of "anti-piracy." While that is one aspect of what they'
      • It's possible that the control you're talking about is actually an illegal trust. Similar to the way that movie studios were found in violation of the Sherman act for owning the theatres that ran their movies exclusively.

  • 1.50 Only (Score:5, Informative)

    by technoMyst ( 775181 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:27AM (#12823759)
    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.

    • Re:1.50 Only (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Yes BUT if you are not plugged into an outlet a game will not install the firmware update :) Sony does not want to be responsible for bricked PSP's when the battery died.
      • Well, I didn't see one, but most cellular phones can check battery charge level, I don't see why PSP shouldn't - and then install the update if only the batteries can last next 15 minutes :P
      • I know that they do it in Japan for online games. Everyone has a charger, they have to charge at some point.
      • Installing the update is a manual process regardless of what power source you're plugged into.
        • Yes, but Japanese PSP games have started checking for the updated firmware, and refuse to run if it is not installed. So you bascially cannot play any new games unless you upgrade the firmware. That's why some people have bought 2 PSPs, one for homebrew, one for UMDs.

    • Look to the Xbox. (Score:5, Informative)

      by Jagasian ( 129329 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @02:35PM (#12825574)
      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.
      • There is currently a soft-mod for the Xbox that is in every way as good as a modchip

        I haven't been following xbox-hacking. So which one is it you're talking about ?

  • same? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/06/14/088242.sh tml?tid=207 [slashdot.org]

  • Waste of effort (Score:4, Insightful)

    by picz ( 264520 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:36AM (#12823847)
    It is amazing. The programmers at Sony are wasting their time to prevent other programmers to program for PSP and the PSP programmers waste their time trying to hack the PSP.

    This is stupid. All that creativity could be used for some cool apps. /picz
    • Ah...yes...spend your time on those cool apps! Oh, wait, what will I run those cool PSP apps on if I can't run my homebrew? Should I sell my soul to EA to get it "legit"?
    • > the PSP programmers waste their time trying to hack the PSP.

      Yeah, just think, instead of wasting all that time hacking they could be playing games...
    • I'll buy two of them the same day I can compile an application - but not before. (looks around at GBAs that seem to be breeding..)

    • No, nonono. You have got it completely wrong. This is actually an exquisitely brilliant part of Sony's marketing campaign for the PSP. I have outlined the details here:

      1. we get the hackers interested in our system by making it hard to hack (but not TOO hard)
      2. the hackers hack it and feel proud of themselves, and in the process find some flaws in our firmware
      3. we release a new firmware with a different, harder exploit, patching the old one, as well as fixing all flaws that have been found.
      4. if no-one fin

      • Re:Waste of effort (Score:2, Interesting)

        by sjf ( 3790 )
        You might actually be right, but I think the plan is to sell lots of memory sticks, not PSPs per se.

        I'll bet Sony's profit on an MS is more than it is on the UMD games. I wonder what the ratio of profit on a single MS sale to profit (to Sony) on a game is. And, for that matter, I'll bet that the COGS on the PSP is more than $249. The money is in getting MS accepted. (Hell, I've spent more on memory sticks than I have on games...)

    • Given the fact that future games will most likely automatically update the firmware.. ( I wouldn't be in the least surprised if UMD movies do as well )

      I have to choose whether I want to -buy- more software for their system or just keep the flexibility of homebrew... and.. since either direction means not going back to the other.. homebrew pretty much comes out on top.

  • Swap memory sticks? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by meff ( 170550 ) <meff@@@spherevision...org> on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:37AM (#12823852) Homepage
    This seems highly inconvienant.. I'm not going to play the swap-trick on a car trip or on the bus, it just seems impractical.

    Nice work on finding this flaw though, but.. I'll wait until something else comes out that will let me run a homebrew app off of the same memory stick on 1.5*

    Note also that Sony will probably be requiring firmware updates with future games, so unless you want to dedicate your PSP to homebrew, you're kinda outta luck until a non-'swaploit' comes out.

    We got to find a way to control the firmware on the PSP before much is accomplished.. Reflashing to 1.00 on US units would make homebrew a reality, but then there is the game firmware update issue. To solve this, maybe someone could create a 'grub'/'lilo' type system that could boot firmware 1.00 or 1.5+.
    • I was quite surprised when I found out I couldn't run any of the cool homebrew applications I found on the Internet after I updated to 1.5

      This might not be elegant, but it works, which is good enough for the desperate types like me.

  • Ok I went to the website, Maybe I didn't read enough of it.

    What does this hack do for a PSP?

  • Nice, fast mirror of the file.

    http://data.coolnicks.co.uk/swaploit_1.5_psp-dev.r ar [coolnicks.co.uk]

    Nick

  • Freaking *Y&(*& GREAT !@ (Score:3, Funny)

    by MajorDick ( 735308 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @11:44AM (#12823922)
    I bought a PSP, the DAY they hit the store, for no other reason than to hack into a websurfer for the couch, and for Pseudo PDA type handheld web based dev.
    I have waited PATIENTLY for an exploit and began to loose interest, other than using the Wipeout Pure trick to surf the web.
    I got so discouraged I let my kids play with it, 8 and 13 and it promptly got knocked off a table by my wife screen breaking,

    Last night, (YUP Last Night) I took it apart to try and figure out an alternative screen interface for it, and TODAY This exploit is announced, while mine is in about 10k pieces.....GREAT .......day late and a dollar short...
  • I already told you lot this in the other thread!
  • I'd like to get in first with the obligatry bitch that "this isn't hacking! it's cracking!" post.

  • Clarification (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Negroiso ( 892386 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @12:19PM (#12824272)
    A lot of you have complained and complained and complained. Lets not forget that although this is a swap trick, it is however a step in the right direction. To clarify some things that a lot of you are missing

    THIS ONLY WORKS WITH 1.50 PSP'S ONLY!!!
    NO EXCEPTIONS, no 1.51 no 1.52

    Another thing, on your 2nd memory card it will be reported as "corrupted data" for this exploit to work. There is nothing wrong with the file that's on the 2nd Memory Stick. All of this is listed on the developer's site or in the "tutorial" in the archived files.

    Please for the love of bob, give these guys props. I haven't seen any of you guys that are whining give anything to the psp scene besides "we want we want we want". It is being worked on and the hardware will be hacked. As everything else goes this will take a while it's not going to happen over night.

    I personally would like to thank all those involved in this release. It sets the grounds for future exploits 1.5x. . ect.

    Please READ before posting and saying something doesn't work or you think it sucks for whatever reason.

    The point is they worked around it so mission successful.

  • In other news... New Windows Hack!! (Score:4, Funny)

    by dnaboy ( 569188 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @12:41PM (#12824468)
    I was able to hack my WinXP box to run linux by using a second hard drive. It was actually quite easy.

    1. Pull out the hard drive with WinXP (you should probably do this with the power off, but it's more fun with the power on)

    2. Plug in a fresh new hard drive

    3. Put in your Fedora install CDs and follow the prompts

    4. Play homebrew linux apps on your hacked box (Profit!)

    The best part is that if you ever need to use WinXP again, all you need to do is turn it off and swap the hard drives.

    I realize this is merely a swap hack, but it's a start. Someday, I hope to be able to make it so I don't need to be pulling hard drives, but that could take til like 1995. We'll see

  • A perfect use for memory stick select? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bgarcia ( 33222 ) on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @01:07PM (#12824724) Homepage Journal
    Remember those memory stick select [amazon.com] sticks? They basically shove two separate memory sticks into a single package, and add a small switch that lets you choose which one to use.

    This actually sounds like the one case where that might be preferable to having a regular memory stick.

  • seems like sony is always vulnerable to this. the original psx and the ps2 both had swap tricks, but of course they really didn't screw up like sega did with the dreamcast. I mean anyone with a cd burner could burn games and play both online (PSO, NFL2k1, etc) and offline. it is only inevitable though that no matter how great the security is, someone will crack eventually.
  • One concern I have with spreading around hacked firmware and methods for using it is that it may make it a lot easier for people to cheat in multiplayer online games for the PSP. I've heard of it happening on other consoles, and of course it's rampant on the PC.
  • This is awesome, I was considering selling my PSP to get something more versatile, but think I'll keep it for awhile longer.

    If you only have one memory stick would it be possible to load the first file using a card reader, insert, get it set up, remove, load the second file, insert, hit the button?
  • Someone should create a database that reports which games force updates so those of us who want to keep our PSP at 1.50 can do so without guessing which games we can and cannot use.

  • It works! HUZZAH! (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I tested it with the pce emulator and it works fine. THe swap trick gives you plenty of time to switch memory sticks.....I havent messed up a swap once today.

    AH now to load up every TG 16 game onto my 512 ms...

    (oh yah and a quick note, i could put my psp to sleep and take out the ms and load it with more roms than put it back/turn the psp back on and play them wihtout any trouble.)

  • posted a how-to here... (Score:3, Informative)

    by ptorrone ( 638660 ) * <pt@adCOLAafruit.com minus caffeine> on Wednesday June 15, 2005 @07:27PM (#12828328)
    we got a few emails and IMs on how to do this, here's the how-to i wrote with pictures and video. good for folks who don't do stuff like this often... link [makezine.com].

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