Firmware 3.00 is LIVE – Adds PS4 compatibility and more !
My friend Jd8531 just wrote an article, that the new Firmware 3.00 will be released very soon, and there it is.
The PS Vita Firmware 3.00 is now LIVE (In the USA and Europe atleast), and adds a bunch of new functions and stuff. Let’s take a look at it.
First things first. The Firmware was released to prepare the PS Vita for the PS4 launch, which means that our Vitas will now be able to get and use the new and fancy PS4 Link App. From within the PS4 Link App you can choose to Remote Play or Second Screen the PS Vita for the PS4. Those settings both require the PS Vita to be registered with your PS4. Since most people do not own a PS4 yet, we can’t dig any further in this App, for shame.
The next new App bubble you should see at your PS Vita is the Parental Control App. When you open the App, you have to enter a 4-digit passcode, which prevents using the App without authority. Inside the App itself, you can block the PS Vitas Browser and Location Data to be used, which seems to be a bit hard. Otherwise you can set the Parental Control Level for games, which will be (un-)playable at the PS Vita.
Since my PS Vita uses a german account, I was greeted with those horrible USK (Unterhaltungssoftwarekontrolle) pictures. Every german hates the USK, since they cut games and still release them as 18-only. I kinda envy those PEGI users, but thats not important.
Like at the good old PSP, you are now able to set the level from 1 to 11, where 1 means that just games for Everyone are playable, and 11 means that everything will be playable. Turning the option off has the same effect as level 11. Another function in the Parental Control App is for changing the password, nothing special.
The last function is pretty interesting and well made. You can restrict the Play Duration. But not only X hours a day, no, it is even possible to say, that you just can play 1 hour at mondays, 2 hours at tuesdays, 0 hours at wednesdays and 9 hours at friday. You can restrict how much you play at which day, and how much in total. The first thing that popped into my head was, that when you get 2 hours to play, why waste 30 minutes to update the firmware? But Sony did add a little footnote, which states that updating the system software does not count as playtime. Good guy Sony.
The following 2 features are well known from the PS3 Firmware 4.50, which added, well should have added, the data transfer via Wifi, from PS Vita to PS3, and the other way around. It is now also possible to hide specific trophies from the eyes of other users, just like at the PS3 firmware. Nice features.
Otherwise there were a few small changes, like the PlayStationNetwork got renamed into PSN (SM), the Voice and Messages App got a new Icon, the Messages App itself was updated to work with the iOS/Android Playstation App and the Remote Play App got renamed into PS3 Remote Play. Nothing interesting here.
Those were the most changes in the new Firmware, feel free to watch this YouTube video, if you want to see every change, or if you just want to know my impresion of the new Firmware.
Now let us talk about things you really would like to know, hacking related things.
First things first. Simple hacks like a Hello World or even the Half Byte Loader should just work fine. Ive tested a little hello world of my own, and it is still working, phew.
With this new Firmware 3.00 around, we should see the release of the eCFW TN-V4 pretty soon. We now have the PS4 ready firmware, and TN said he will release it somewhere between November and January, so it might drop sooner or later.
Another thing is, that now with the new Firmware 3.00, we might need a new OpenCMA, since it seems that the Firmware 3.00 CMA does not work anymore with the OpenCMA r5, but more about this later.
Wololo wrote an article about “exploits, that devs wont talk about”, and he stated that the Package Installer can be accessed on the PS Vita Firmware, if you have a way to call it.
Some people were enraged about this, that Sony might remove this, because this is such a cool feature, but it was stated, that Sony cant remove it, without completely changing the whole Firmware structure, and well, it seems that this is correct.
Calling the Package Installer is still working at Firmware 3.00 😉
This last part is about the Vita Half Byte Loader itself. I posess some VHBLs, but after trying to launch one of these VHBL, I was kinda shocked. Either did Sony remove files from the memory card, fixed the usermode exploit or did something else, because calling my VHBL does not work anymore. It would be a shame if this one would be fixed 🙁
I will investigate, if they fixed the usermode exploit, or if it something else, something worse. But up to now, thats it.
Hmm… I’m still at UNO.. to upgrade, or to not?
Actually I still need to read the article but just wanted to spoil the fun for the cursed word poster kids 😀
Don’t update. Uno will have large memory support in TNV-4 (2.02) which will allow for the entire library of PSP homebrew to work with little or no issues. Just get a new Vita.
I just hope this update won’t block TN-V4 because I’ve been waiting for it since its announcement but well…. Also the panoramic photo function looks somewhat cool..
Trust me it isn’t that cool. I’d rather use my smartphone fo that.
Smartphone kinda sucks for emulators.
The PS Vita has physical buttons, that is a straight win.
True it sucks with the touchscreen. But smart phones have awesome multitasking abilities. With that said is there anyway I can remote play my android device to the vita? I would love to play my android emulators with the vita
I think he means the panoramic photo function, not gaming. Sony could have made us a better camera, my quality is really bad. My Iphone wins that battle I guess.
Benefit or usefullness of package installer?
what is this? Package Installer
using Package Installer u can install PKG files homebrew and games(i am not sure of it) its like a setup to install apps etc on ps vita
Thank you Z for the info, keep up the good work guys!
We are counting on you XD!
When do we get the new OpenCMA ?
OpenCMA is still working.
You mean the new OPENCMA that can work with 2.12? cool!:)
OpenCMA r5 works with every firmware from 2.00 up to 3.00
my OpenCMA 5 isn’t working witn my firmware 3.00..
is there any way to fix it?
For those people with previous exploits (Uno, Monster Hunter, etc), will we be able to use TN-V4 when it is released through our exploit, or be required to have whatever new exploit is available in order to install it/use it? Another question is whether upgrading firmware will block exploits in game software (eg; Uno), thus rendering them useless?
TN-V4 will indeed be ported to almost all previous exploit releases. You will not need a newer exploit unless you want it. Upgrading WILL block all previous exploit releases rendering them useless.
I really really hope that the TN-V4 puts me just that much closer to being capable of entirely scrapping the worthless… operating system? of the Vita and place android or anything whatsoever other than sony proprietary garbage. I don’t want free vita games, developers deserve to be paid for their hard work no doubt, I just….want…weather in motion on my vita like my generation 1 ipod can do. CURSE YOU ADOBE I DESPISE YOUR GUTS!!!
i love the panoramic as it somehow increases the vita’s low camera resolution.. specially the omnidirectional panorama one.. wow….
cant wait for the exploit game announcement. hopefully it isnt costly.
hi please i have ps vita firmware 2.6.1 it save to update to 3.0.0 for next tnv4 or i must wait thank and sorry long time i dont check the evolution ps vita
and i have no game exploit for 2.61
yeah!!! first piece to the puzzle arrives…
*** guys, this is awesome, cant wait for the release and the good things coming for the Vita, i cant stress enough how awesome you guys are for keeping us informed, Thanks.
Will the real Wululu please stand up?
Who’s Wululu??
Either he meant Walala or Wilili. Don’t stress to much over this like me xP
will they announce a date for the 2.61 or 3.00 exploit game name befor releasing it like will they give a date for the exploit release befor releasing the exploit it self like say for example (nov25 we announce the exploit game name so get wallet funds ready)
really no one have a answer
who can i find the package installer`?
> Some people were enraged about this, that Sony might remove this, because this is such a cool feature, but it was stated, that Sony cant remove it, without completely changing the whole Firmware structure, and well, it seems that this is correct.
Wrong. It’s actually as simple as removing the app eboot from the os filesystem. Or they can just patch the way we’re accessing it. They just didn’t have time to respond yet. I’ll bet that 3.01 will patch this (along with tn-4).
hi i have new vita on 2.61 and have no game exploit it safe to update to 3.00 if im waitng for tnv4 sorry im noob in psvita thank
u should wait…
thinking of gettting anader vita since ps4 like sold out…..
3.01 is guaranteed since the messaging app, I’m being told, is no longer working.
3.01 or 3.1 or whatever will be sure to be coming soon..
tn-v should be after that
if the ps4 having anader update then its probly got vita stuff think what sony jus update the vita with the last year trying to make the vita and ps4 more compatable..
The panoramic camera sucks a bit, because it doesn’t let me take a picture manually after pressing capture button; the camera automatically takes a picture when it’s aligned, resulting weird stitches of panoramic image.
Finaly , now we all just have to be patient and wait for the ninja release of a game (hopfully mini) and the tn-v4 🙂 the only regret I will have is not to be able to play Injustice Ultimate edition with my vita online for a wile(wen it came out later this mont)
The Z ,thanks for the fast info 🙂
well I hope its a game that supports my right stick that’s what I hope it is so I can use both analogs during kh bbs
The Package Installer is a bit useless, u can only install Packages from Sony.
Also no Debug and Pseudo Packages….
i dont know if this is new,but I didnt knowit befoure- inthe brouser of the ps vita if you tipe(press) the square botton apere “mouse” like the psp and with the leftstick you move it. may be is some thing I simpli didnt know- wen im browsing I normaly never toch the bottons.
im sorry my mistake ive lookd and it was becouse of the option of use of the bottons on the vita menu was on.
My question is now that 3.00 is out and ps4 is out in 2 weeks I want to update so the two can work together however I am currently running 2.02 uno exploit and I don’t wish to lose this. So when TN-4 is released will there be another game named that we can buy and install on 3.00? Thanks for any help given.
Try reading the article. It says there’s a problem with exploits running on this firmware. They’re looking into it, but I wouldn’t update yet if you’re worried about not having an exploit anymore
is there a way to call the pkg installer?
there is, but no one is going to tell us..
so here we have the trick behind ps vita’s fleas… Here in Italy we have a proverb: “this is the secret of Pulcinella’s fleas”
No matter what update comes out, I’m gonna stay at 2.12 using VHBL on Gamocracy so just give me TN-V4 now. 😀
The *Package Installer is enabled from the PSVita menu or PUP file it’s self?
“Every german hates the USK, since they cut games…”
Actually it’s the publishers that cut the games. They want to avoid, getting the game indexed. Indexed games cannot be advertised, which is every publishers nightmare.