Need help getting into PSP firmwares

Hey guys, my brother just bought a PSP phat, he's wanting to run emulators, games, and such on it. I haven't touched anything PSP-related since a buddy wanted Doom on his FW 2.0 PSP in feb '06. I'd been a heavy DS homebrew fan until I sold my gear this previous fall. So needless to say, I'm out of the loop.

I'd like to know what needs to be done to get homebrew running on his PSP, it's got FW 3.51 on it.(I can't find a definitive answer about that version) He only has one battery, and my two 1GB memory sticks(to borrow). He doesn't plan to play any new games soon, he just wants metal slug, some SNES, N64 and such.(he'd like to keep the web browser, if possible)

How useful are the custom firmwares over the standard Sony ones?

Also, what are the chances he could use USB thumbdrives, or his 8GB MP3 player as storage?

I know this is all noob talk, but I have searched, and got no answers.

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How useful are the custom firmwares over the standard Sony ones?

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You need the custom firmwares for homebrew stuff, you can't run homebrew on the official firmwares. Also you can use the same features on the custom firmwares like in the official ones.

awesome, thanks! that's one question down.

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Originally Posted by JKKDARK

You need the custom firmwares for homebrew stuff, you can't run homebrew on the official firmwares. Also you can use the same features on the custom firmwares like in the official ones.

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Lies, Damn lies! :D

1.0 and 1.5 official play homebrew just fine, I've never left 1.5 personally.

The main additional features of the custom firmwares are hacked official features rather than homebrew. PS1 emulator, ISO support etc. The only homebrew that need custom are those that need custom PRXs (very very few).
I haven't been unable to run anything I want (Notaz patched his brilliant picodrive for 1.5 support) so I'm still on 1.5.

Of course I'm the odd one out and just rambling, JKKDARK gave you the right advice as almost everyone seems to run the custom FW these days. :)

no other stuff as storage, better get a memory stick (there's other way using the computer as storage, but it is a portable device isn't it?)

To play all the stuff you want to use, the emus etc. you'll need a pandora's battery and memory stick.

for a little more info, check the wiki link on my sig and you'll see why you need that

3.51? If you had 3.50, you could've downgraded with Lumines, but you're going to need a Pandora Battery. Just read about it online and ask a friend with an already modded PSP to make one for you.

Thanks for the replies guys, really helping me back onto the firmware train.

So, he doesn't need Lumines. I'd ask a friend with a modded PSP to make me a battery, but I don't have any friends...(with a modded PSP) ;D

Can I buy one of these "Service Tool" batteries from Divineo? I think they're pandora batteries, but I'm not sure.

Can the Pandora battery be used for regular PSP usage(Gaming, homebrew and such)?

EDIT: I saw in the wikipedia link that I can unsolder a IC leg to make the "JigKick" battery. If my brother will let me, I'll try to get that working tomorrow, with a small on/off switch tied between the leg and it's solder pad. Yes, I can do that, I fixed my 360's RRoD. lol

Thanks for that link, Mike!

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Originally Posted by Mr_Biggs

Can I buy one of these "Service Tool" batteries from Divineo? I think they're pandora batteries, but I'm not sure.

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Yes, you can, but unfortunately, you will still need some special files on a specially formatted memory stick, which can only be (legally) obtained by using an already hacked PSP to get exactly those files.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Biggs

Can the Pandora battery be used for regular PSP usage(Gaming, homebrew and such)?

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If you change a standard battery to a Pandora one through software - the original way - you can easily change it back to a standard one, and vice versa. There are also boot programs that will let you use a Pandora battery in both modes without having to switch.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Biggs

EDIT: I saw in the wikipedia link that I can unsolder a IC leg to make the "JigKick" battery. If my brother will let me, I'll try to get that working tomorrow, with a small on/off switch tied between the leg and it's solder pad. Yes, I can do that, I fixed my 360's RRoD. lol

Thanks for that link, Mike!

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That is a possibility, but, as far as I know, you won't be able to switch it back to a standard, usable battery again. That might not matter if you still can use the "multiloader", letting you use both modes. But still, the special files on the special memory stick?

I'm not really sure what to advise you to do. You could always go for the soldering technique and try to get ahold of the magic files, and hope that the battery can be used normally afterwards.

sorry to jump in but I am new at this PSP stuff and I bought a pandora and memory card and unbricked my psp slim to 3.71 M33-2 and now I have started putting emulators in the games folder of my memory card and I did extract then ect can't get anything to work so far even a PSP slim specific SNES emulator am I missing some thing any help would be grate thanks

sorry to jump in but I am new at this PSP stuff and I bought a pandora and memory card and unbricked my psp slim to 3.71 M33-2 and now I have started putting emulators in the games folder of my memory card and I did extract then ect can't get anything to work so far even a PSP slim specific SNES emulator am I missing some thing any help would be grate thanks