The Hack Your PSP Mega-Thread

[Scorpus]

This guide is contained within the one thread and has all you need for hacking your PSP via the various methods available

--To start--

You will be thinking now, well I've got a PSP, and I want to use its full potential by hacking it. That's fair enough, as there are a lot of things you can do with a hacked PSP over a not-hacked PSP:
- Play full PSP game backups, known as ISOs
- Run homebrew (user made applications)
- Play old PS1 games
- Run emulators for old systems such as the NES, SNES, GBA, N64 and more
- Change your PSP's theme

The first thing you need to ask yourself is what type of PSP to do you have?

--The PSPs--

- A PSP 1000 (aka PSP Fat)
- A PSP 2000 (aka PSP Slim)
- A PSP 3000 (aka PSP Brite)
- A PSP Go

- All PSP 1000s are currently hackable.
- Most Slims (PSP 2000s) are fully hackable, except the newest ones with firmware 4.01 loaded or above. To see if you have a Slim with the "unhackable" TA-088v3 motherboard inside, check this thread. If you do have an "unhackable" PSP, you can load a temporary application called CFW Enabler and run your homebrew and ISOs from there (see below)
- PSP Brites (PSP 3000s) aren't fully hackable, but CFW Enabler can be loaded on those with 5.03 firmware and below to run your homebrew and ISOs (see below)
- PSP Gos currently aren't hackable at all

--The Basics--

Next, you need to understand the basics of hacking a PSP. When people say they have "hacked" their PSPs it means that they have modified the firmware (the operating system the PSPs use) on it to a certain firmware called "Custom Firmware" or CFW for short.

CFW is modified Sony-made firmware so that you can run homebrew (user made programs) and copies of UMD games stored on your Memory Stick as ISOs, as well as old games via emulators.

The current Official Firmware is 6.20
The current Custom Firmware is 5.50 GEN-D2

Custom firmware retains all the features of Sony firmware and adds more (such as the capabilities I have already stated). There are two types of Custom Firmware floating around at the moment: one is called M33 by Dark_Alex of Team M33, and one is called GEN by the GEN team. This guide shows you how to load M33 firmware, but later you can upgrade to GEN if you like, as both firmware has roughly the same features

There are loads of ways to get Custom firmware. Check what PSP and firmware you have on your PSP, then choose one of the options below:

PSP 1000

Firmware: 1.00, 1.50
Upgrade straight to Custom Firmware

Firmware: 1.51, 1.52, 2.00, 2.01, 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.71, 2.80
Downgrading 2.80 and Below

Firmware: 2.81, 2.82, 3.00, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03
Downgrading 3.03 and Below

Firmware: 3.10, 3.11, 3.30, 3.40, 3.50
Downgrading 3.50 and Below

Firmware: 5.03 and below
Installing CFW using ChickHEN + Recovery Flasher - Recommended

Firmware: All - Requires another, already hacked, PSP
Making a Pandora's Battery: The Softmod Method
-- Using your Pandora's Battery

Firmware: All
Making a Pandora's Battery: The Hardmod Method
-- Making the Battery
-- Making the Magic Memory Stick
-- Using your Pandora's Battery


PSP 2000 Hackable (not TA-088v3)

Firmware: 5.03 and below
Installing CFW using ChickHEN + Recovery Flasher - Recommended

Firmware: All - Requires another, already hacked, PSP
Making a Pandora's Battery: The Softmod Method
-- Using your Pandora's Battery

Firmware: All
Making a Pandora's Battery: The Hardmod Method
-- Making the Battery
-- Making the Magic Memory Stick
-- Using your Pandora's Battery


PSP 2000 "Unhackable" (TA-088v3 and above)

Firmware: 5.03 and below
Using Custom Firmware Enabler on your "Unhackable" PSP


PSP 3000

Firmware: 5.03 and below
Using Custom Firmware Enabler on your "Unhackable" PSP




Notes:
- For the Pandora's Battery: A Fat battery will work in a Slim, but the Slim battery will not work in a Fat

For Further Reading:
- M33 Firmwares for Noobs
- Quick Guide For New Users
- Pandora Battery FAQ
- How to hardmod a battery
- How to Post for Help

Thanks to: BCman, Demonchild, richluk, Stallone, RainMotorsports, kazebt, Calo