PS Vita release: ARK eCFW for the UNO exploit
The PRO team (the people behind the PRO Custom Firmware, probably the most popular piece of software of the PSP scene these days) are back with a huge release: a PSP CFW for the Vita, running on the recently revealed UNO exploit. Codename: ARK
If you’ve been using the UNO exploit, ARK is basically an alternative to Total_Noob’s CEF. At the core, ARK is a port of Pro CFW to the PS Vita, and seems to bring features that might be lacking in CEF. In particular, the Readme emphasizes the following:
Features
- PSX game support (soundless so far, our sound plugin is too glitchy for public use at the moment)
- ISO/CSO game support
- NoDRM Engine for decrypted dlc playback
- MS-SpeedBoost (most noticable on games like soul calibur)
- Stargate Game Patches (fixes several anti-cfw games)
- Customizable Main Menu
- Plugin support
- Recovery support
- ISO-cache support (speed up ISO gaming)
Some of you might remember a leak of some of Coldbird’s work a few months ago, which led him to leave the scene. ARK is the project that was leaked back then (although the leak was encrypted, and therefore not usable), and that the Pro team decided to release today. I assume the decision was taken a while ago, but porting the existing work to the new firmware 2.02 might have taken some time.
Although I haven’t tried this specific build, I was lucky enough to try early builds of the ARK project a few months ago, and overall I was impressed. Coldbird left the scene while he was in the middle of bringing sound support to PS1 games, so it is unclear if the sound plugin for PS1 will ever see the light of day, but independently of that, I am pretty sure ARK brings a nice new option to those of you looking for alternatives to CEF.
Credits for the ARK project are the following (from the readme):
- Dark_Alex for the initial M33 CFW who guided us mentally through several CFW generations by giving good examples on how to patch Sony OFW.
- VirtuousFlame: For the ISO Loading Code, Custom PSX EBOOT Support, PSPCipher and most of the CFW related code.
- Coldbird: For Proshell, and all his CFW related code & Vita redesign of PROCFW.
- Yosh: For the initial sceWlanGetEtherAddr leaked kxploit, yMenu, other kxploit related things and various pieces of code.
- thecobra & frostegater: For precisions about this kxploit.
- neur0n for his syscall execution in kernel mode, several bug fixes and other CFW related code.
- ardi for his umd4homebrew to enable UMD in homebrews.
- Zer01ne for the initial Uno exploit discovery.
- All our testers.
- And last but not least – Sony for making wonderful, however very locked down, portable gaming handhelds.
Download, install & use
You can download the files here. You’ll notice that one of the download links is “ad sponsored” (linkbucks). We offer alternate links, but the revenue from these ads go to the Pro team and help fund things such as the server for Prometheus online. Alternatively, the pro team has a donation link for those who want to show their support.
In order to install, just unzip the savedata matching your region to your CMA folder, and install the savedata using CMA, like you would install any other PSP savedata to your vita (more details in the readme). If you’re on Windows, we recommend to use OpenCMA when you copy files to and from your vita.
To run ARK, once you’ve installed the Savedata to your Vita, just run UNO, and press “X” when asked to do so by the game, this should load the eCFW menu.
Coldbird’s FTP for Vita is also a recommended tool to install once you’re all set, to make copying backups and homebrews easier.
As I said, I haven’t tested this build yet, so give the files a try, and post your comments here. In particular, I’m sure we’d all like to know how it compares to CEF 🙂
Important note: This release requires that you are running on a PS Vita with firmware 2.02 or lower. It also requires you to have a legit copy of the PSP game UNO installed on your Vita. UNO has been removed from the PSN by Sony a few days ago, so if you missed the exploit announcement and don’t have the game on your Vita, you’re out of luck, this release will not help you in that case.
I was getting “Reached loader” and then Error C1-2858-3 popup after a minute or so after switching to ARK. I switched back to TN-C and deleted all the ISOs in /ISO with VITA FTP, and now ARK is able to load.
Any idea what the trigger is for this error? Could be really annoying to upload a random ISO that causes the eCFW to fail loading later.
I noticed the ARK recovery menu can remove files or run the VITA FTP directly. If anybody has this problem, try using th recovery menu to delete one ISO at a time to find which one causes the problem.
I have no problem in using the old save UNO then continue with it … xD
Does anybody know how to view/change settings for ARK?
hi i want to know how to install ftp vita on this new exploit?
so is it possible to download psx games from the psx store like you can on a modded ps3 just like the “eboots” where if we have the direct link you can download the stuff… so what i am trying to say is.. say i wanted spyro from ps1 and its on the psx store for ps3 but not for vita can i download it somehow and install in on the vita since its hacked?? like you can on a modded ps3?
anyone tried the “Prometheus online” ? so we can play online with psp game.
Hey so I have a question, I was previously running CEF and had installed a PSP ISO and two emulators. I just upgraded to ARK and im confused on how I would delete my old iso that I had extracted.
Nevermind, figured it out
so with this new cfw can i play psvita iso or just psp iso?
only psp iso and psx
Where can i transfer iso psp game?
it doesn t work with iso folder
How to open configuration menu on Ark? does it exist a configuration menu? sorry for my eng
With ARK, the screen blink when I run PSP Filer 🙁
Anyone get a SNES emulator working? If so, which version? My version of snes9xTYL loads but freezes when starting a game.
if u hold the right trigger while loading save file for uno it goes to recovery mode?
can any one post plugins.txt with cwcheat and where should i put file
i need help i had cwcheat working but after installing ark it doesnt work anymore holding down select dont bring up the menu i made sure i moved my game and pop txt to the ark save data before overwriting the saves pls help
Awesome work, thanks to the Pro team for releasing this to everyone. I was using TN CEF and had no complaints, but Quake Arena homebrew wouldn’t run on it. ARK runs it just fine so ARK definitely has better compatibility. ISO’s and homebrews seem to load faster also. Kudos…keep up the great work!
So can we apply patches to ISOs with this? I’m thinking of the slowdown fix to Final Fantasy Tactics WOTL
HELP!!!! the Ark exploit worked for a few days or something and now i keep getting this “C1-2858-3” error i dont know what to do!!!1
HELP!
can any1 help me ive tried getting an iso on my vita but cant seem to find it i put it in a savedata file and it doesnt show i tried ftp but after getting 25% it fails… any ideas?
Help please!
I have ISO s psp game it shows normal but i cant launch
them. There is only iso files without images of psp games
like on ecfw tnc menu.
thanks anyone.
Here are some PSP and PSV Backgrounds with different colors for ARK_2.0x_eCFW !
http://www.file-upload.net/download-7056681/PSP_PSV_Colors_ARK_2.0x_eCFW.rar.html
Well i got cwcheats running but i have a huge problem the value of the game i’m running seems to be confused
E.x running tekken 6 the cwcheats thinks it’s patapon 2?
Is there a way to play PSPmini ISOs with the ark-release?
ARK is da BOMB!!! mad tnx, peace, hope sound workz soon.
Useless now that UNO is gone from the Stores, guess have to wait forever for the next exploit.
This is useful for the thousands of people who got the UNO game in time 🙂
can someone give me a tut on using cwcheats like with the text files and stuff cuz i had it on my psp go but i sold it awhile back and dont remember how to do it.
Can I take my vita to a game store and do you think they can use my vita and do this for me as I haven’t got a clue how to do this, and I have tried my but off, yes I have the UNO game.
Does this mean we can run Vita ISOs?
May i ask how do you guys transfer PSP DLC to the vita??? D: reply is deeply appreciated
a couple of questions i need to ask
1. i missed the uno exploit, is there any other way to mod my ps vita to play backup games?
2. if i mod my vita, can i still use psn/dlc or even connect to internet?
3. can you also play ps vita game back ups with the current mods?
thanks in advance:)!!
no to all
i get a c error after psplink i trying to run
and where can i find nethost src for linux ?
thkx
what i’m willing to ask/bet
is that a nethost variant is needed
one that works for vita 🙂
were are these co called customize option?
i downloaded uno today im running 2.01 i put the exploit in savedata folder i transfed to my vita i start up uno press x nothing happen i go to the create a profile screen ***
2.02 uhm please READ.
hello wololo i have a question: does this work on latin america? (i am from argentina and i dont knnow if there is an explot for that zone/region)