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PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:07 am
by zenblitz
Original PSP mods began with a hardware mod, the pandora battery.
ps3, 360, wii, etc all had many a modchip that bypassed any need for software hacking.
edit - Recently informed that the psp DID have a mod chip before the advent of CFWs.

My question is, is there anyone looking into a hardware mod for Vita??
Even if it's bulky and crude, it's a more permanent solution than skirting around firmware fixes every couple months.
I have 2 vita's, and I'd consider taking one apart and trying some macro-soldering if some info on a working hardware bypass is crafted.
I'm sure there is a way, and I'm sure sony made it near impossible - but that has never stopped us before.

My thought is, if the software hacking is to remain so tiptoe-frail a tightrope to walk....I'd rather brick a vita the old fashioned way.
(knock on screen protector for luck)

Really just craving for a permanent solution, no matter it beastly.

What say you, informed ones?

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:29 am
by onnz423
zenblitz wrote:Original PSP mods began with a hardware mod, the pandora battery.
ps3, 360, wii, etc all had many a modchip that bypassed any need for software hacking.
I know the psp never had a mod chip (maybe it never needed one)

My question is, is there anyone looking into a hardware mod for Vita??
Even if it's bulky and crude, it's a more permanent solution than skirting around firmware fixes every couple months.
I have 2 vita's, and I'd consider taking one apart and trying some macro-soldering if some info on a working hardware bypass is crafted.
I'm sure there is a way, and I'm sure sony made it near impossible - but that has never stopped us before.

My thought is, if the software hacking is to remain so tiptoe-frail a tightrope to walk....I'd rather brick a vita the old fashioned way.
(knock on screen protector for luck)

Really just craving for a permanent solution, no matter it beastly.

What say you, informed ones?
DO not tear you'r vita apart. $ony doesn't make same mistake again i think :lol:. BUt im not sure you can do it if you want to

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:33 am
by zenblitz
I'm sure there is a physical way to bypass the encryption check on the cartridge.

This is the source or many hardware mods.
If it worked, you could play a game without authentication checks.
Problem is, nobody sells a vita cartridge burner.

So, one option would be something like a usb to vita cartridge adapter.
Then play games off an external drive, or pc, etc.

Another option could parallel the wii adapter called the gecko.
It let you plug a common memory stick into the proprietary wii slot, thus playing any game from said stick.
So an adapter from mem stick to vita cartridge would/could work, once encryptions were bypassed.

We are going to eventually need a way to roll back firmwares, clearly.
with no pandora 'service' battery to ease our path, might there be a service FW reset on the mainboard itself, just a jumper away?
Sony wouldn't fall for this type workaround again, instead making FW retraction technically unnecessary from there POV.
To work on legit software bricked vita's under warranty, they would have to have an option to wipe the internal drive and re-instal native updated OS - Unless they figure it's easier to just replace the whole vita at that point than to allow crafty hackers any edge.
Regardless, service reset mod is barking up a dead tree, methinks.

I would appreciate any info on how many physical encryption checks and where, if anyone is that far along.
Or if anyone has schema for the cartridge.
Has anyone done any mods further than power points to leds?

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:57 am
by plagu
I did open psvita, to check if there is any jtag/etc style stuff on it, but no luck there are just few test points, and i don't think those can be used in any way.

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:02 pm
by Nylightz
U sir are mistaken there was a mod chip for the psp in the beginning but it was really hard to install and it made the psp bigger(i think it added a hd on to it). Just wait in time there will be a exploit turns the vita upside down.

Found a link:
http://www.mod-chip.com/psp/modchips/ps ... -p-65.html

$30 wow cfw really killed the price of that one lol. :lol:

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:49 pm
by DMTea
who's gunna be the first ps vita to have a blue leds flashing on their shoulder buttons to the rythmn of music?

Datel made a battery + harddrive thing for the psp. You can just use a cr5400 with two 32gb minisd cards, I removed my umd drive along time ago.

I remember reading about a psp modchip though, an extra flash0?

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:01 am
by greekchampion04
here is a cool teardown for anybody that wants to see the innards of a vita without butchering your own:

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/PlayStat ... singlePage

Image

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:50 am
by zenblitz
Image
Image

It starts with these JTAG ports

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 6:06 pm
by xlovenuggetx
I was about to make a topic about this! I don't know a whole lot about programming, but it seems like we should be able to make a vita card reader by just removing the reader in the vita and reverse-engineering one to dump the data into an ISO. so which is the more difficult obstacle to overcome? the hardware or the software? i would contribute if i knew how.

Re: PS Vita Hardware Mods

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:00 am
by DarkenLX
zenblitz wrote:Image
Image

It starts with these JTAG ports
that samsung chip in the orange box might be a nor chip sony used samsung alot in later ps3 slims it quite possible that contains the various info about the vita firmware and whatnot just a guess though but im betting it is sony is smart but not smarter than the scene :P