Dumping games from PS Vita Cartridges is now possible! – The beginning of piracy?
After Yifan Lu’s great hardware reports about the PS Vita, its motherboard and its nand, our user Katsu found a way for dual booting the PS Vita, which can kind of be seen as a downgrade solution.
But that is not everything that he was able to do. Katsu is on fire and also looked at the Vita cartridges… see below for some more electronics joy!
PS Vita Cartridge dumps now Possible – Does this enable piracy?
Katsu seems to be able to dump a PS Vita cartridge – you know, those tiny physical modules that contain PS Vita games, a cartridge, like we know them from the Nintendo DS and 3DS – and is therefore able to retrieve the games in the format how they are at the cartridge itself, instead of as a .PKG, like you get them via PSN, or encrypted for the CMA backup, like you get them via the PS3 or PC backup method.
This does not imply that the files from the cartridge are decrypted, that would be a pretty big security flaw for Sony, but we might be able to do more with these files, than we could do with the files as a .PKG or in the backup format.
Keep in mind that this will require hardware modification, and that there is currently no software solution for this. Do not try it yourself, except if you are experienced in hardware modding!
But do those cartridge dumped files enable piracy at our beloved PS Vita? Well, currently there is no way to install PS Vita games without the help of a PC (backup), a PS3 (backup/PSN) or the PSN, so we can say that this does not enable piracy at a PS Vita, … yet.
There might be a possibility to use these cartridge dumps for piracy in the future, but before that happens, more knowledge of the PS Vitas file system would be needed, instead of just the current ePSPs file system. There also would need a way to fake these dumps as cartridges, since (digital/) PSN versions of games are account bound and need a valid license file.
Piracy is currently, thank god, not possible on the PS Vita, and we, at least I, hope that this will stay like that for a long time.
Disclaimer:
We at wololo.net do not support piracy in any way. We do not allow questions about how to pirate software, but we do inform about software and hardware hacks of devices. Wololo.net is not responsible for your actions!
Source and more pictures: Katsu via /talk
Cool for some people! but Good Job!
Bit by bit, they’re gonna get there someday soon…
and so it begins the time to backup vita games! >:D
am the 3rd person…..coooool
Well done guys.
This is great work, I see this more as a “i want to do it, because i can”, rather than attempt to start piracy.
It just shows for someone with a inquisitive mind to try it, they never know what they may discover. Great Work!!! I would like to see a dual boot vita someday.
This is it. A progress!!
today is the day i sell my vita with tn-v 7 on craigslist, why you may ask, if there were bearly any games for it, imagine when they read the news about it…
“There is not enough game that you want”
That what you mean
Too low AAA titles
Yeah, we’re talking about AAA titles, not those indie games and ports. Don’t get me wrong, the ports add to the experience. But for me, the experience starts with the consoles’ games, not the console itself.
whats the value of a ps vita with tn-v7?
Pinassig of the GAME CARD?
is there anything on the game dumps that could help cracking the kernel?
Can’t wait until they come up with a complete PS Vita hack :D. I’m looking forward to all these hacks that have been coming out. 😀
I wonder if there’s a possibility of a flash card like gateway…
Well this was how the supercards and things like that for the DS and 3DS were created by pirating the cartridge themselves to make a flashcard with SD card inside and a little “OS” that can load roms.
So was thinking wow or final fantasy online…
Think Sony will stream final fantasy online that be cool..
I get that you guys don’t like piracy. But if you don’t want the discussion to be about piracy anyhow, perhaps it would be best not to start the discussion with the title “The beginning of piracy?”
More than piracy just being a bad thing, it takes away from the glory of Katsu’s achievement.
Just want to state that I personally totally agree with your statement, but I also try to give as much possible freedom to the guest bloggers when it comes to their choice of words. so even though I thought TheZ’s dramatic title was kind of inappropriate given the technical achievement, I let it there.
I think they should’ve just wrote do not endorse or refer to any websites that promote piracy ect or something like that
That’s exactly what I mean. It is like Stating that Katsu’s work is for “enabling piracy” even i know it is not the Z intention.
But the impression we get from title is that …
It has more to do with the personal freedom you can have with your own devices than it does with piracy.
Dont forget that these choice of words will get the most coverage across many gaming blogs/websites. Getting the hacker’s work more known. I however must side with anti-piracy. Many of my colleges are game designers :\
Actually, if this is just modding your Ps vita so you can get more.. not Piracy Yet bros…. Wheppy… unless if Corpse Party Blood drive is released….IM TAKIN MY VITA TO MY LOCAL GAMING STUDIO TO HAVE IT MODDED SO I CAN PUT CORPSE PARTY IN IT… or just borrow from a friend once he’s done with it thats easier..
and here i was just about to throw out my PS Vita.
Katsu sen Türk müsün?
Türk heralde 🙂
you guys got *** of Adamantium, good work and kudos
Wolverine is helping them because he’s ethernal with his centuries knowledge !
Can you imagine wolverine standing right behind these guys drinking a beer or two saying “lets go bub” and they start sweating trying to hack the vita lol
loll.
but why dammit! if it were to get out the hack for life in the short term could lead to the ultimate death of the console! Already developers are reluctant to develop on it we miss just coming out of the hack and we’re sc***! not supported these projects if you care about the future of the psvita
If you haven’t noticed it yet, the vita is already dying or maybe already even dead and decaying.
Sony needs the ps4 to support this device because it can’t stand on its own feet even though it had its start two years ago.
Also some of those psvita only games are already jumping ship like ubisoft with its assasins creed liberation, they saw the sales of this vita title and were like: “***, only 600 ~ 700 thousand sales, that is not nearly enough! Re release it!”
That is why they release it now, even on pc.
Also sega all star racing transformed, which already at launch was a multiplatform title.
Ever asked why killzone mercenary was sold during winter holyday in EU @ 9,99€ and is now on sale in US for $9.00 and also soul sacrifice.
Because the situation is so dire that they even accept little to no gain margin just to sell their products. Another example dokuro $14.99 now $2.99… you can find signs of this all around the various sony network stores. Even the hard copies are beginning to get cheaper.
If you see it coming, then sell your vita during it is still something worth, you can always get one much later if the price is adequat, or they finally release a model with µ sd card support.
You wo’t loose any digital purchased content and you don’t have to sell your hard copies.
I sold both of mine, I’m not sad, not a single tear running down my cheek, I’m already forgetting about the vita it didn’t leave so many good memories.
Sorry, but file sharing, which so many keep calling “piracy” is not going to kill the Vita. Poor marketing and bad business decisions on SONY’s part will do that.
Nc 1 Guys u finally did it… its a long since ps vita not hack now it’s possible that’s why sale of ps vita past year soOOooOO low now the beggining of piracy it’s boots in market many consumer buy ps vita just like psp me supported these projects just like ps3 and xbox 360 many consumer buy console right keep it up guys more power… voila
I actually have a ps vita emulator with P4G
fantastic that this was found, but still, we need to be able to LOAD them.
once we get a vita exploit, we will be very happy 🙂
It will be wonderfull someday for using the console functions for homebrews that uses the touchscreens.
great job! keep up the good work!! 😀
Oh please God no. To all the hackers out there: please don’t createaanything that would allow piracy on the Vita. I like the Vita and I don’t want developers to shy away from it.
Developers have no interest in the Vita already.
http://www.ign.com/games/upcoming/vita
wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=31448
There are tons of developers interested in the Vita (this list don’t even show upcoming PSM games) and as the PS4 becomes more popular, so will the Vita. I’ve pirated games before, but the success of a console, a console the more would like to see succeed than not, hangs in the balance here. Everyone will do what they want anyway, but I’m saying, you know?
If the Ps4 is as over priced as Its Older Brother, Forget it bro.. the only ones who are able to save your Precious Vita is The Hackers…
well saying that the PS4 is overpriced..
Pretty impressive, but given Sony’s history they never really care for people dumping their games, they care for people being able to play dumped games and I doubt we will see that in the near future, so everyone who is worried that this might bring piracy, we’re not even 10% there, so chill out and enjoy the news.
So Dump the Games for what
For an Hand Full *** Games?
Ps Vita is Produced and Supported for the Dash
Ps Vita is an Nice Gadged yes
But all the games are *** i thik Max 5 Games are Good.
Kick the Vita in the Dash Container
let the piracy begin!
Just get Playsttion Plus and you’ll get free Vita games, do you people really have nothing better to do than hope for piracy on the Vita so you can steal games? Hopefully these files will never be decrypted.
Wouldn’t you like to be able to dump the games you’ve purchased onto a memory card instead of carrying all those tiny easy-to-lose games around with you? Or how about being able to manage your own backups instead of depending on SONY’s backup process.
Memory Cards are even easier to loose than games, jus’ sayin’
no not really since their Plugged into the Vita
Then pay for your games. People don’t even care if you legibly acquired them or not.
It Has Begun! >:() Muwahahaha!
im fanatic gamer many console decrypted now many emulators can play pc… for me nothing is impossible just like others hacker said… jst give it a try let’s find out soon 4 vita it’s time boots sale in market…
well..its progression, as my wow guild would say. 🙂
How about we stop assuming it has anything to do with piracy. And let’s stop calling it piracy and start calling it file sharing.
You can feel free to try and justify it any way you want but its piracy no matter how you look at it
Yes! This is a sign of progress! The only reason im excited is for a ds emulator.
I’m from Brazil, that country ***. But I’m here to thank all of you who have knowledge about programming and hardware to change the world. Thank you because through you I can play a cool game. I have no money to buy original and I’m paying my psvita today. Luckily I got it unlocked. So it’s because of you that now I get to play, thank you very much.
Por isso que o Brazil não vai para frente…
Povo de merda que não compra as coisas com o proprio suor que tudo no mole!
Tem que se fuder mesmo povo alienado!
se vc pode, deve ser pq e filho de politico e faz parte dos que deixam o brasil como esta. eu nao posso e sou trabalhador honesto, nem paguei meu vita ainda.
já são 3 brasileiros no site Wololo.net 🙂
you are all hypocrites for tinkering consoles and not supporting piracy.
Programmers/Hackers out there hack consoles to sell their work/beg donations to people who profit from piracy.
Homebrew my @$$… end of line is always piracy. Dumping games and being able to play your “backed-up” games on an external storage will always mean that you can just illegally download dumped games and play it on your modded consoles.
You’re either *** *** or being sarcastic as all heck. Hopefully sarcastic.
The vita is already dead. Perhaps it can revive if homebrew would be possible? Sony should have allowed homebrew at the very beginning. But it is easy to know the best afterwise…
What kinda homebrew games or apps do you think would have increased the Vita sales?
The ability for the users to write their own programs, in that case there would be a n64 emulator and of course a ps1 emulator. Perhaps a dreamcast in fullspeed as well.. i think Sony would sell many many more vitas if that were the case.. And the ps1 classics would of course dont sell that much, but thats inferior to the vitas overall sales imo..
Your argument doesn’t even make sense. How old are you? Allowing Homebrew from the start would mean leaving a gaping hole in the vitas security and would eventually lead to piracy a lot quicker than a tightly controlled vita. That work model wouldn’t even last a year before the console dies. Secondly, Actively allowing emulators, especially for another companies consoles would mean huge legal issues for Sony, not to mention the excess of free games brought to the market, their own games wouldn’t sell as much and they’d probably end up loosing money. Don’t forget that a consoles main revenue stream is usually from their games and accessories, not the console sales themselves.
Daggdroppen: Fair enough. Personally, i dont think that emulators would boost the hardware and software sales of the Vita a lot. I think its a relatively small group of people who would buy a Vita just because it had a Nintendo 64 emulator and such.
By extracting backups from the Games and Putting them into a Mem Card will most likely boost it by what 30 percent?
My GOD. Where does all these smart people come from? =/
Piracy will either kill the Vita once and for all or help it.
Hmmmmmmm…
Well, the Vita is already pretty dead hehe 😛 Unfortunately. I dont think that piracy will help though. Maybe the hardware sales will increase some, but that doesnt help much in the big picture. It is the software sales that also need to increase, otherwise its not very profitable for Sony.
The problem is, the Vita never died. It never got started, you could say it was dead from the start. There still is a chance it could pull itself up, piracy would ruin that chance.
I think Sony’s safe here, there aren’t any PS Vita games worth pirating. lol. Just kidding, there’s a few.
I really want to see a CFW/ hack for the VITA, not just the PSP V.emu. The homebrews and game emulators on that hand held would be sweet.
With its power we could see classic arcade games running at full speed. Killer Instinct 1 and 2 “Arcade ver.” was always a dream of mine on a handheld.
Anyway, maybe this is a step in the wrong direction, and is more of a distraction from better things.
Still its pretty sweet. 😉
how about these games:
Marvel vs capcom 3 is Pretty sweet ..
NOT RELEASED YET: Corpse Party Blood Drive if your in to those Japanese Girls Shouting Cute Screams When seeing Ghost that arent even that creepy
I heared Vita is getting WWE 2014… like to beat The COO HHH with Daniel..
Sword Art Online is GOOD too
God Eater 2 if you can read Jap…
Ragnarok Odessy Ace Too
well i doubt we’ll see vita backups anytime soon, and I hope it stays that way so that the vita can churn out more great games.
Regardless this as an amazing step in the right(or wrong) direction, after all if we can start booting games from cartridges won’t that mean homebrew would be possible too?
4 brasileiros.wololo q .. Any time I watch the site in 2010 or 2011. Eye the progress of vita scene where q see the nomes.yifan lu, skfu, acid_snake, the total noob and now katsu.Vejo sign of hope (emulators, homebrew, plugins). Fluir.A They make the scene question of piracy or not is at the discretion of each um.Eles make us options to have new things in sistema.Com they have choices and we can not only find ourselves trapped in the world of business that often are pushing what they want and do not do at least some research to see p what players would like to have on their consoles of choice} {Optional possibilities they bring it to gente.obrigado Wololo for keeping us informados.e if you contact them tell q a nation awaits them and recognizes the effort of each . sorry for bad english.
Point I guess custume xmb for the psp did help sales a bit well I bought two more slime after. But dident buy much games unless it couldent fit on the memory card. Cool was umd game sharing like the ds download play.