PS3 Debug / Test Firmware 3.74 and 4.00 Updates Surface

For those who own PS3 Debug / Test consoles or are simply into collecting PlayStation 3 file leaks, recently PS3 Debug / Test Firmware 3.74 surfaced alongside version 4.00 from Sony's North American Press Web site.

Download: PS3 Debug / Test Firmware 3.74 / PS3 Debug / Test Firmware 4.00

If you didn't know, the address to their Press site is http://PressCenter.PlayStation.com/ and Sony offers free access to all members of the press there using SCEA / SC3APR to login and obtain the latest press releases and related files.

Finally, keep in mind these PUP updates will currently NOT install on a retail PS3, and so they are intended for examination and comparison purposes only.

We have 100% confirmed that running this updater on a retail PS3 will not damage it, however, it will give the following error before the installation completes: The data type is not supported. (8002F029)

Special Thanks to ConsoleDev for the heads-up on the news tip!

Half byte loader for EU / US models Vita completed

The known PSP developer "Wololo", which among other things Half of its byte loader is known on the PSP, it has been possible by the "teck4" PSVita exploit found on US / EU to port models and thus make the HBL is functional on this.

Using an exploit in a not-called PSP game, the developers have succeeded, the PSP emulator in the PSVita, to execute unsigned code. The bottom line is, so that you can most of your PSP homebrew running on your PSVita, such as Various emulators or homebrew games.

Release of the whole should take place sometime after the EU / US launch to provide the most PSVitas with the HBL may be because Sony can close the gap with a simple security update without any problems.

I managed to port HBL to the US version of Teck4′s exploit in exactly 45 minutes (including writing the savedata exploit and the binary loader), which is a new personal record, thanks to the scripts included in HBL’s repository...

I also updated the EU/US versions of this HBL port to get the tweaks I worked on for the past weeks in order to get a fair amount of homebrews to work.

Reports have come in that Wololo has managed to port the HBL exploit to the US and EU PS Vita. Also added are some tweaks needed to get the various homebrew applications and emulators running within half-byte loader. This is great news for all who expect to run the above on their PS Vita when launched worldwide.

PS Vita’s Augmented Reality Transforms Your Table Into an Arena in CES 2012

A couple of months ago, a video surfaced that showed off some cool-looking augmented reality apps running on PS Vita. Since then, it’s been confirmed that Vita will come with six AR Play Cards and a voucher to download a handful of free augmented reality mini games via the PSN. Today at CES, we were able to see one of these games in action: Table Football (it will be called Table Soccer in the US, because we already have football).

Backstage, Sony Santa Monica Sr. Manager Dave Thach dealt the AR Play Cards on a table, and a soccer pitch sprung to life through the window of the PS Vita’s luscious OLED display. The actual game is kind of like a turn-based soccer match – it reminded me of a 2012 version of paper football. But enough talk, let’s see it in action:



Bonus points if you spotted the Men in Black 3 alien who walked through the frame. Vegas is weird.

Table Soccer is just one of the augmented-reality games you’ll be able to play for free if you pick up a new PS Vita on February 22nd. We’ll highlight more closer to launch right here on the PlayStation.Blog.