If you’re on FW 3.60, should you update your PSVita/PSTV to FW 3.65 or 3.68 and use h-encore?
h-encore has been out for over 48 hours (2 days) so by now, impulse-updaters would’ve already headed to FW 3.65 or 3.68. However, if you’re the more cautious type, should you update to a higher firmware or should you just stay put?
Advantages of updating to firmware 3.65-3.68
Let’s start off with the positive aspect of updating your system software by discussing the benefits. If you decide to leave the glorious FW 3.60 for firmware 3.65 or 3.68, you’ll get the following benefits:
- The ability to play games that require a higher firmware.
As it stands right now, you can’t run game titles that require firmware 3.61 or higher on firmware 3.60 out of the box anyway.
- However, there is a solution to this. Currently, games that require FW 3.65 dumped with MaiDump can be made to work on FW 3.60 since the EBOOT is decrypted. Furthermore, CelesteBlue has apparently stated that he’s working on running games that need firmware 3.68 on 3.65 (which may also extend to firmware 3.60).
- Obviously, you don’t need to be a pirate to dump games for a console running a lower FW. All you need is two PSVita/PSTV (one of each is fine too) with one running a higher firmware so that you could dump games through it.
- TLSv1.2 support in firmware 3.67+. This is quite important if you use the Browser on your PSVita and it might be required for some future homebrew that fetches data from the internet.
- PSN will work out of the box if you’re using firmware 3.68
- PSN does work to varying degrees on lower firmwares however.
- You could activate your system since systems running FW 3.63 or lower can’t activate due to some activation server changes
Disadvantages of updating your PSVita/PSTV from 3.60
Now, for the bad news. If you update to firmware 3.65 or 3.68, you’ll have to do some sacrifices which may be deal breakers for some.
First of all, if you go to firmware 3.67 or 3.68, you can forget about HENkaku Enso as the exploit used was patched by Sony. This means that you’ll have to reapply HENkaku every time reboot like we did in the old days. While this might sound like a chore, h-encore is very easy and quick to reapply and it doesn’t even require an internet connection.
Secondly, some homebrew and plugins may not work as intended. Reddit users have reported that Adrenaline, the SD2Vita driver, oclockvita, Moonlight and some other popular software is working however it’s not all roses. Some plugins such as VitaBright, ShellSecBat and ShellBat aren’t working at all while ds3vita/ds4vita are buggy on FW 3.67/3.68.
Furthermore, some homebrew like Vita Save Manager requires an INI modification and themes aren’t persisting after rebooting without Enso unlike what they did on FW 3.60. Remember, some developers have left the scene or may not be up to the task of updating their software for FW 3.67/3.68 so if you use something that’s broken, think twice about updating.
While it’s not a disadvantage in itself, you must keep in mind that once you update there’s no going back!
Conclusion
Before updating, make sure you think twice about it however if really need to update, you can use auto-h-encore to automate most of the installation process. My personal opinion on the matter is to stay on firmware 3.60 as I don’t believe you’re losing much by not updating but the decision is ultimately yours.
Reddit thread discussing application compatibility: https://www.reddit.com/r/vitahacks/comments/8vh6fr/psa_not_all_the_apps_that_work_on_360_and_365_are/
If its not broke, don’t fix it. I’m on 3.60 and it has been amazing so far. Although when Catherine Full Body comes out, I most likely re-consider.
Catherine: Full Body is coming at end of the year in japan, and by then if not in this very month, Sony will have released another firmware update for sure. Unlike Ps3 there are still vita games on the pipeline so i don’t think they will leave it as is. 3.69-3.70 is on its way. I would rather Flow released the hack end of the year like originally planned so we had persona dancing games in English released and Catherine at least jpn release.
Same here, staying with the Magic 3.60 FW and working ENSO, don’t need to play other games, yet if at all higher than 3.60
Sound for me like: stay on 3.60 and wait what’s happen in the next weeks/months.
The pros are nice, but the cons are also not so nice. And right now I didn’t need a higher FW, Vita activation or PSN access.
Usually I jump on the upgrade bandwagon. “Exploit has been updated? Okay, update the system for better game compatibility”. Well, in this case, I waited (since I barely use my Vita anyway). I have SD2Vita with a few games on it, didn’t want to lose that. Also like the coldboot.
the Vita has very few games actually worth playing. ( subjective, i know ) but then the experience is ruined by a handheld with a poor design.
the only thing to understand is that Sony is a terrible company. they release poorly designed devices. then they create misconceptions around their products.
Sony used to be great… once upon a time.
eventually Sony will have to rethink what it wants for PlayStation. if they are smart they will start behaving just a little more like Nintendo. (that is, considering their blatant disregard for backwards compatibility as already stated by Sony themselves.) that is, in the sense of placing more priority on first party titles. first party titles really is the only thing Sony has got going for the PlayStation. i will admit that they have some fantastic first party titles. but unless they can play a similar field as Microsoft and/or Nintendo, first party titles is all they are going to have. which will either mean the PlayStation getting buried or becoming a niche console that is overpriced.
P.S. not mad -_^
On 3.65 Enso now, is this worth it? If so, how do I do it?
No advantage whatsoever for you, unless you want to update to 3.68 to play games that required 3.68, and lose enso.
Wait for people to release all 3.67/3.68 dumps on Mai decrypted. You will be able to play all 3.68 games eventually on 3.65 Enso. No need to upgrade.
Thank you. Been asking myself this since the time H-encore was released. With what CelestBlue mentioned I will wait for a while.
If im running 3.65 enzo. Can I remove enzo and update somehow or am I stuck on 3.65?
Will stick on 3.65 Enso with my PSVSD as ux0, and SD2Vita as uma0 . Have no use for any newer Games.
I’m fine on 3. 65 enso most of the games that require a higher firmware aren’t even that good in my opinion pretty much I’ve got all the games I may have any interest in on my Vita already
I’ll stay at 3.60 as long as there’s no permanent hack in the higher firmwares.
There’s enso in 3.65.
Some of us prefer 3.60 for the most compatibility 🙂
Is it really the compatibility better though ?
In the most used homebrews, they all mention compatibility for the newer firmwares in the changelog. I imagine that some problems may occur on 3.60.
can’t reinstall on 3.65. Some of us just prefer 3.60 as a safety net. For me there’s nothing useful for me on higher firmwares, the list of 3.61 games for example has no interest to me either.
What do you mean you can’t reinstall on 3.65, h-encore lets you install enso on 3.65.
After all, we are talking about a portable console. What’s the point of having one if you can’t access your bought games.
Sorry but you’ve got all wrong about some plugins and homebrew that didn’t work correctly on FW 3.67 /3.68, I have a vita on FW 3.68 and the custom themes keep working after reboot , and also the plugin that show the batterie percentage actually work in my 3.68 vita
I went ahead and installed h-encore 3.65 (with Enso just to see if it works) and planning to go 3.68, as long as adrenaline and nonpdrm works then i’m gold, i don’t use too many homebrews, and themes are just pretty cosmetics anyways, and re-installing henkaku from h-encore is really really easy, it’s literally just a few clicks and seconds away unlike before which was a chore, from my experience, i don’t really see the need for enso now much like the 3.60 days since h-encore basically replaces it and i prefer my games untouched or as original as possible, i don’t like edited games from Mai cause some of them may have issues (i’m just assuming) when played on lower firmware, i for one am glad to update to 3.65 and i’m having a blast, thanks to TheFlow, and i’ll go to 3.68 once i get the new Persona Dancing and Fate/Extella games 🙂
After the safety net of h-encore got in the wild, i have updated from 3.60 to 3.65. I can download my bought and PS+ games again which for me is a major thing.
I’m not going to update unless vitacheat is stable.. and i dont see any major reason to update cuz game that required 3.61+ is not that great..
Here’s a list of all the games that require 3.61+ to work: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CFJ8SxN-2hyCUYapOvfxfkeLtYI9Eyy8foZMgYSKplw/edit#gid=1994011714
Really? None of those games are good? Ys VIII is great, and Salt & Sanctuary is good. Darkest Dungeon on the go doesn’t sound bad either.
Nope, literally none of those games interest me at all, which is why i’m staying on 3.60 🙂
Are you serious? Danganronpa V3 is a total dealbreaker for me. I actually had a second beater Vita (it wasn’t in good condition when I bought it) that was used purely for homebrew. It’s a 3G model on 3.60 so I could technically replace 3G with more storage but I also do happen to have a 3G ATT Sim that I had been paying for in a tablet that I could use as well. I’m considering giving my friend my beater 1000 since I got him into Persona 5 and he wants to play the earlier games (and imo the best place to play them is PSP).
I think you should have touched on 3.65 a bit more. There are TONS of games that require 3.61+, while very few currently required 3.67/3.68. That is the main appeal of updating, and 3.65 gets you compatibility with most games as well as keeping Enso.
As far as plugins go, I’m not exactly sure how 3.65 fares because I haven’t tried many. Out of the ones I have used, however, everything has been working perfectly. (I updated to 3.65 as soon as TheFlow released his updater.)
I think there is still a significant argument to be made for 3.65, even if 3.68 is unnecessary.
Not a chance in heck am I updating from 3.60 lol
for all the saints, if you risk maybe you brick the board
Yeah. But you need MC on pstv
Will upgrading to 3.65 enso allow me to activate my Vita on PSN? Do I still need an activated Vita to use Remote Play (or a 3rd party version of it)? What else do I get out of activation?
So here’s a complete noob question…
I have an unhacked 3.60 that I want to hack. All of the documentation and apps I can find only support 3.65+. I see several people on here stating that they will just stay on 3.60 until things shake out. How can I do a new hack on only 3.60 when all of the hacking apps seem to have been updated to 3.65+? Am I missing something?
i prefer on 3.60 , we able to play game version 3.61 or higher by tool name repatch