News: [Switch] Sys-con 0.3.0 released with remapping support, DualShock 4 support coming in 5-6 days + reports of working handheld mode & Xerpi doing further progress with Linux on the PSVita managing to get screen output!
With the work of many dedicated developers, hacked consoles gain numerous extra abilities but continued support is required to make them work as best as possible. In this article, we’ll be looking at an update to the immediately popular Sys-con sysmodule for the Switch and recent developments relating to Linux on the PSVita by Xerpi.
Switch Release: Sys-con 0.3.0 with remapping support, no more blinking LEDs on PS3 and X360 controllers and user reports of the sysmodule functioning in handheld mode
2 days ago, Cathery released Sys-con for the Switch which is a sysmodule (plugin in Sony jargon) which lets you use wired DualShock 3, XBOX 360 and XBOX One controllers with your console for a better gaming experience.
Until yesterday, it was thought that Sys-con only works in docked mode but then user reports came in showing that it worked in handheld mode as well which prompted Cathery to update the project’s roadmap to officially include handheld support.
Other than the good news about handheld mode, Cathery has released Sys-con 0.3.0 which is a noteworthy update that brings:
- A configuration folder (sdmc:/config/sys-con/) from which you can modify stick/trigger deadzones and remap inputs thus giving you more control over your experience
- Xbox 360 and Dualshock 3 LEDs no longer blink when using this sysmodule
- An issue in which some Microsoft controllers weren’t connecting properly has been fixed
- Support for other CFWs like ReiNX and SX OS is now officially acknowledged
Furthermore, some more good news dropped hours ago and that is a promise of DualShock 4 support in 5-6 days published on Ko-fi.
To grab Sys-con 0.3.0, follow this link and check out the README before installing it. You may donate to Cathery on Ko-fi for her work.
PSVita News: Xerpi makes noteworthy progress with Linux on PSVita and manages to get screen output!
Heading over to the PSVita scene, Xerpi never seems to get tired of pushing the boundaries of what can be done on the PSVita and he appears to have picked up work on porting Linux to the console again.
According to the commit history and some information from Xerpi himself, the following progress seems to have been done in relation to Linux and low-level hardware support:
- The Baremetal loader, which is a kernel plugin letting you run payloads without the PSVita OS underneath, has evolved into a library with a sample rather than just PoC (proof of concept) sample code
- This makes writing software using baremetal functionality, such as the PlayStation Vita Bare-Metal Linux Loader, much easier
- The Baremetal library supports a certain degree of hardware initialisation including controller input, screen initilisation and the setting up of a framebuffer meaning that Linux can now output an image on screen!
- As a result, UART is no longer needed for output
- FatFs, which is a low-level module for reading/writing FAT/exFAT devices, has been ported to the Vita and it’s currently being used by Xerpi to read the Linux image and Device Tree prior to loading Linux itself.
- Write support hasn’t been tested yet
To find out more about Xerpi’s work, check out the vita-baremetal and vita-baremetal-linux-loader GitHub repositories and head over to the #general channel of the HENKaku Discord channel where Xerpi discussed a bit what he’s been up to.
Conclusion
Other than great news for the PSVita and Switch, there’s exciting news on the iOS jailbreaking front as well since checkra1n (iOS 13 jailbreak using an unpatchable BootROM exploit compatibile with A5-A11 devices) is expected to drop tomorrow. However, there have been some rumours that the jailbreak tool will initially be macOS, which is somewhat credible considering previous trends, so you might need to borrow a Mac this weekend if you want to jailbreak iOS 13 ASAP!
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Shut up.
Shut up both.
I’m tired of shut up now every time you write
BADASS! I’m most excited for the efforts to bring Linux to the PS Vita. I’ll be keeping a close watch on that progress!