PS Vita release: VitaDB Downloader 2.0

Developer Rinnegatamante has released a significant update for VitaDB Downloader. VitaDB Downloader is a homebrew “appstore” app for the PS Vita, which can be considered the official client for popular homebrew repository VitaDB. Version 2.0 adds a bunch of Quality of Life changes for end users, and migrates the application to VitaDB’s new backend webhost. Because of the backend change, you will need to update to this new version.

What is VitaDB Downloader for PS Vita

VitaDB is the most used Vita app repository for owners of homebrew-enabled PS Vita consoles. The database hosts thousands of utility software and games, with a website where people can manually download the homebrew themselves for manual installation on their console. It also provides an API, allowing developers to access the database programmatically. This means in particular that there are several Vita app “homebrew stores” that let you install games directly from your Vita, leveraging this repository.

Multiple “homebrew installers” exist that leverage VitaDB, such as Vita Homebrew Browser (VHBB), Easy VPK, Better homebrew Browser, and more. But at this point it is safe to say VitaDB Downloader is the best one out there.

VitaDB Downloader – Features

Rinne warns that his focus is on robustness, not eye candy (with that being said, with successive releases, VitaDB Downloader has received additional features for theme customization). Some installer apps try really hard to look nice, so at the end of the day, once again, it will depend on personal preferences.

Features

• Searching by author/homebrew name.
• Filtering apps by category.
• Viewing of all available screenshots for apps.
• Sorting apps by different criteria (Most Recent, Oldest, Most Downloaded, Least Downloaded, Alphabetical, etc…)
• Showing of several metadata for apps.
• Download and installation of vpk+data files or vpk only at user discretion. (No more need to redownload data files everytime you want to update an homebrew for which data files are unchanged)
• GUI based on dear ImGui, providing a very robust user experience without sacrificing on fancyness and with high customizability.
• Fast boot time (Only the very first boot will take a bit more due to app icons download. Successive boots will be basically instant)
• Low storage usage (Screenshots are served on demand, the only data that are kept on storage are app icons with a complessive storage usage lower than 10 MBs).
• Tracking of installed apps and of their state (outdated/updated) even when not installed through VitaDB Downloader.
• Background music (You can customize it by changing ux0:data/VitaDB/bg.ogg with your own preferred track).
• Background image/video (You can customize it by changing ux0:data/VitaDB/bg.mp4 or ux0:data/VitaDB/bg.png).
• Support for themes (Customization of GUI elements via ux0:data/VitaDB/themes.ini) with built-in downloader and manager.
• Support for PSP homebrews.
• Daemon support for homebrews update check in background during normal console usage.

Controls

• Left Analog or Up/Down Arrows = Move selection
• Circle = Cancel selection
• Left Arrow (When selection canceled) = Return to Search textbox (Top of the list)
• Start = Show/Hide screenshots for selected homebrew
• L/R = Change homebrews sorting
• X = Install homebrew

VitaDB Downloader – What’s new in 2.0

• Updated to latest vitaGL commit.
• Now the application UI will respect OS confirm/cancel button settings (O/X).
• Added TitleID info shown for PSVita homebrews.
• Added safety checks for when single themes installations occurred.
• Made progressbar during SharkF00D installation smoother.
• Made possible to cancel applications downloads/installations by pressing the cancel button (O/X).
• Made so that when an application installation fails, eventual downloaded data files are deleted as well.
• Migrated to new backend webhost.

Download VitaDB Downloader 2.0

You can Download VitaDB Downloader here.

Note
In order to run VitaDB Downloader you need libshacccg.suprx. If you don’t have it installed already, the tool should download it automatically for you. If that doesn’t work for some reason, you can install it by following this older guide: https://samilops2.gitbook.io/vita-troubleshooting-guide/shader-compiler/extract-libshacccg.suprx

Install like any other VPK (reminder, you need a hacked PS Vita!). Once installed, you should be able to install any other homebrew (that is, those present on VitaDB) from the VitaDB Downloader interface!

Source: VitaDB

Personal note: a lot of you have shared concerns due to the lack of updates on the site in the past few months. I’ve just been a bit under the weather lately but I believe I’m now back 🙂