what is firmware 5.5 (is that right) Do I need it what does it do exactly. How hard is it to install and use. Do I need a PC or can I put it on with my psp using WiFi? thanks for any info you can give me at all !!!
what is firmware 5.5 (is that right) Do I need it what does it do exactly. How hard is it to install and use. Do I need a PC or can I put it on with my psp using WiFi? thanks for any info you can give me at all !!!
the latest ofw is 6.20
sorry if i am pedantic - ofw = official firmware
the latest sequence of ofw is 5.03 to 5.05 to 5.50 to 5.51 to 5.55 to 5.70 to 6.00 to 6.10 to the latest 6.20
plz be aware of sony's carrot-and-stick approach to its latest ofw release.
the carrot is the additional feature set or bug fixes the latest ofw offers, while the stick is that sony plugs any security loopholes previously exploited by homebrew apps.
updates from the beginning have added features such as web brower (early days), video & music codecs, PSN connectivity, etc. and updates patches against exploits, vulnerabilities and execution of homebrew
so, if you have any intentions of running homebrew on your psp then, in most cases, you don't want to upgrade past ofw 5.03 (i think - as with any info given, plz verify its correctness elsewhere)
my general philosophy about upgrades/updates is that if it ain't broke, then don't fix it.
some ofw updates are available only thru a particular UMD game. in that case, you will find the icon to update the ofw on the psp's XMB (menu system) under Games icon. otherwise, the updates are made available elsewhere on XMB - can't think of its location at this moment... anyway, you will get a notification on your psp's xmb about an update. i think its under psp's xmb > Settings > System Update.
the other option is to save the update (i think its typically in eboot.pbp file format) onto your memstick - so you can download the update file from sony (or elsewhere) onto your memstick on your pc, and then insert the memstick into the psp to upgrade. this is a more complicated way of upgrading ofw (or for that matter, cfw = custom firmware to run homebrew) than relying on the psp's wifi or the umd game.
yes - you can get these updates using your pc or using the wifi on your psp directly. you can even download from a ps3 to a psp using usb cable. you don't need a pc. but, you do have a pc, right?
what psp model do you have - phat or slim? i kinda assumed you don't have the latest 3rd generation psp - the brite.
and what ofw do you have already installed - see under psp's xmb > Settings > System Settings > System Info?
what games are you playing? it sounds like you have a umd game with the ofw update 5.50, otherwise you would have been talking about the latest 6.20
and do you have any intentions of running homebrew on your psp? one thing i know ofw 5.50 did address is that it patched the TIFF exploit used by chickHEN which is required to get cfw installed onto the psp.
to find out what each ofw upgrade does - there would be a list of feature sets added and bug fixes done. sony website would offer info on their latest ofw release.
my advise is never to be in so much of a hurry to update, as once you update you may not be able to revert back to be able to run homebrew.