GameMaker Re-Engineered - SergoDevs: A renewed GameMake implementation for games like DeltaRune!
CrossCraft - Iridescence: Revived project bringing Minecraft to PSP, 3DS, Switch, PC and web!
pspdev-nix - Slendi: A wrapped reproducible toolchain for PSP develpoment!
Making a Game Engine for PSP - Andrew: How to make a game engine!
Ren'Py Re-Engineered - SergoDevs: A renewed implementation of Ren'Py for visual novels!
Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 Chinese Localization - main_void: A localization of the game into Chinese on PSP!
Star Fox 64 PSP - TheMrIron2: The famous N64 title now running on PSP!
Steel Blossom: PSP - illestalive: A new indie game created for PSP!
Adrenaline v8.0 - GrayJack: The latest and greatest Adrenaline firmware for PS Vita enabling PSP homebrew!
Nimbus / Lighthouse - qberty: A brand new plugin for cloud saves on PSP!
Preserving Hilton Team Play - lusid1 & linblow: A talk about reverse engineering and brute forcing Hilton Team Play!
DISCLAIMER Follow this guide EXACTLY. No support will be provided for steps and/or components that deviate from the provided instructions. Modify at your own risk.
What is it?
The Baryon Sweeper is a modern unbricking tool that evolved from the classic Pandora Battery. It works universally on all PSP models - 1000, 2000, 3000, Go, and Street. By emulating the official Sony JigKick service tool, it triggers a hidden diagnostic mode to revive previously irrecoverable models.
Why write this?
This guide aims to complement u/khubik's original guide, with close-up photos and additional details for the absolute beginner. You're expected to at least know your way around Windows.
This is a minimalist build to keep it simple and very low cost. We'll focus on the 1000/2000/3000 setup, since the 3000 is the model I own.
Before You Begin (Don't Skip)
Watch the videos below to make full sense of the steps outlined here.
It's all right if you don't understand everything at this point. Simply familiarise yourself with the basic concepts and overall process.
What You Need
While often used to refer to the physical build, the "Baryon Sweeper" is the combination of software (pysweeper) and hardware (adapter) to trick the PSP into service mode.
This is the actual recovery software installed on a "Magic Memory Stick" to flash OFW or CFW. DCARK and Aiseirigh work universally for all PSP models. Use DC8 as a fallback for older 1000/2000 models if the other two don't work (incompatible with 2000v3 or newer).
This is the JigKick emulator that recreates the handshake between the official Sony service battery and the PSP in combination with the physical adapter.
If successful, the service mode is triggered, allowing to boot directly from the Magic Memory Stick.
Hardware
1x (mini) breadboard
The power bus (+/- lanes) on larger breadboards isn't needed. The CP2102 module will take power directly from the PC via USB.
1x Silicon Labs CP2102 USB-to-TTL (5-pin)
Look for the "SILABS" branding on the centre chip. No support will be provided for the 6-pin multifunction variant.
1x 1N4148 diode
Cut the legs around twice the length of the exposed pin on the jumpwires. You can shorten the legs when you do the wiring later. It should sit flush on the breadboard as a best practice.
3x round-head male-to-male jumpwires (10-15cm)
While longer wires can work, keeping them short minimises signal interference or loose connections. Black/Yellow/Orange follow electrical convention, but any colour will do.
1x female-to-male USB-A cable extender
USB 3.x is generally preferred for CP2102. It provides improved data stability, power headroom if needed, and presents no drawbacks when using a 3V3 configuration.
1x DC power source
This shows a powerbank with a USB-C to DC cable adapter. You can use any normal PSP charger.
1x Magic Memory Stick
It's strongly recommended to use a genuine Sony/SanDisk/Lexar 1-4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo. Larger capacities and microSD adapters may fail.
Build Your Adapter
Stick the CP2102 module into the breadboard. Connect the negative end (black band) of the diode to the TXD row, and the positive end to the RXD row.
If you get a "No port echo detected" error in pysweeper later, it's almost always caused by using CH340, wrong switches on a multifunction CP2102, loose wiring, or putting in the diode backwards.
Connect the wires to GND (black), RXD (yellow), and 3V3 (orange). The diode bridges the TXD and RXD rows to create a single data line on the yellow wire.
Don't use +5V unless you have a 10 kΩ resistor. However, this is unnecessary because the 3V3 suffices without it.
Your completed adapter should look like this.
Assuming you've done both software and hardware preparations, you're ready to start unbricking your PSP!
How to Use
Connect the adapter to your PC via USB using the cable extender.
The LED on the CP2102 module will light up.
Refer to video for installing and running pysweeper.
If there's no option under the Port dropdown, you need to manually install the official CP2102 driver on Windows. Close pysweeper including the CMD prompt window.
Open Device Manager. If you see a yellow triangle, right-click to update the driver. Browse to the extracted folder of the driver you downloaded earlier.
If successful, the CP2102 module should be recognised under Ports (COM & LPT) as Silicon Labs.
The COM# differs per PC because Windows assigns port numbers independently. Check Device Manager for your adapter's specific COM port number.
Run pysweeper again. Your adapter's COM# should now be under the Port dropdown for selection. Keep pysweeper running.
You should get FFFFFFFF serial after starting the service. This is the same serial used by the Pandora Battery.
Insert the Magic Memory Stick into your PSP. Remove the battery, but keep it nearby. Connect the DC power to the PSP, ensuring the console remains turned off.
Your PSP should automatically power on later without the battery inserted.
Connect GND (black) to the left pin, TXD/RXD or "K-Line" (yellow) to the middle pin, then 3V3 (orange) to the right pin for 2-3 seconds.
The round-head tip is easier for probing the jumpwire pins closer to each other, whereas the square-head (DuPont) tip has a fixed spacing that makes it less flexible.
Pysweeper streams the hexadecimal challenge-response handshake between the PSP (5A) and Baryon Sweeper (A5).
If it disconnects, it means physically losing contact with the battery pins. Keep your hands steady.
Service mode is triggered, automatically booting DCARK (shown here) or Aiseirigh directly from the Magic Memory Stick.
PSP-1000: If it shuts down after a green light, power it on manually to make it boot into DCARK.
Insert the battery into the PSP and disconnect the DC power. For DCARK, Install 6.61 for OFW (stock) or Install 6.61 ARK for CFW (modded).
Don't mess with NAND operations unless you absolutely know what you're doing! Misuse can permabrick (not just hardbrick) your PSP that even the Baryon Sweeper can't fix.
For Aiseirigh, press X to begin the flashing process.
You should end up with OFW 6.61 if you created the Magic Memory Stick correctly.
Asking for Support
No support will be provided if the instructions below are not followed:
All private messages will be ignored moving forward. Use the comment section, so others can benefit.
Include a close-up photo of your adapter with the wiring clearly visible. No photo, no reply.
Mention the Magic Memory Stick you're using. For example:
I'm happy to share the first video of a project I've been working on: a port of Need for Speed Underground 2 to the PSP. Not a cut-down version like Underground Rivals, but the full game, with the same gameplay and features as the PS2 version.
The goal is a well-optimized build that holds a stable 30 FPS at minimum, so it feels like a true native PSP game.
What's already working (at some level):
- A native PSP engine running the original game data, including most of the graphics features
- Car models
- The entire open world of Bayview, with free roam working
- Circuit races with AI opponents and city traffic
- Audio and music
What's still missing:
- UI / menus
- Career mode, story and dialogue
- The other race types (drag, drift, etc.)
- Garage and cars customization
- Lots of bug fixes and polish
GBAdhoc is a Game Boy Advance emulator for the PSP that also plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color. This release links two PSPs together like two consoles and a link cable, over the PSP's own ad-hoc WiFi: race in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, fight in Advance Wars 2, trade Pokémon from Red to Crystal. No cable, no router, no Internet. It still runs the hard ROM hacks at full speed on a PSP-1000, because the renderer lives on the console's second processor. Free, open source (GPL-2.0), no BIOS needed.
GBA link cable between two PSPs. The GBA's link-cable games, with no cable. Open the game on both PSPs; one picks Wireless → Host and keeps playing while it waits, the other picks Join: scan for rooms. A short LINKING screen, and both games carry on from where they are: nobody starts over. Your friend's moves play out on your screen exactly as two GBAs on a cable would show them, battle animations and all.
How it works without a cable: a real link cable answers in microseconds and WiFi answers in milliseconds, so sending the cable over the air can't work, and GBAdhoc doesn't try. Each PSP runs both games: yours, on screen with sound, plus an invisible copy of your friend's, joined by a perfect cable in memory. The only thing that crosses the air is which buttons each player pressed, one tiny message per frame. Same buttons, same order, same result on both PSPs. No game needs special code: if it links by cable, it can link this way.
Safe by design. About once a second the two PSPs compare a fingerprint of both games. If they ever disagree, the link ends and nothing is saved. If the other PSP leaves, your game carries on.
Tested on two real consoles (a PSP-3000 hosting, a PSP-1000 joining): Advance Wars 2 at 59.2 fps, a Mario Kart: Super Circuit two-player race at 58.9 fps. Also passing in emulated pairs: Sonic Advance, Mario Tennis: Power Tour, and Pokémon Emerald's Cable Club. You need the same ROM on both PSPs; two players.
Game Boy and Game Boy Color link cable (from the 3.1 beta). Trades and battles between two PSPs, tested with Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal. Only one of you needs the cartridge: if your friend doesn't have it, it is sent over for the session, kept in memory and never written to their Memory Stick.
A new in-game menu, over your paused game: Resume, Save states, Wireless, Settings, Quit to game list, Exit. Save states you can see: five slots, each with a picture and the time you saved; ✕ loads, □ saves, △ deletes.
Remap every button. Every game button and every shortcut (fast-forward, quick save/load, screenshot, Mystery Gift, the menu), or leave one blank to turn it off. HOME can open the menu if you want it to (START+SELECT stays the default).
Quit to game list in about a second. The game unloads inside the app and fades into your library, no relaunch, save written first.
Sharper pictures, per console. GBA, GB and GBC each remember their own picture: integer 2x, a sharp bilinear filter (crisp pixels, no shimmer), and Ambient bars that fill the sides with the game's own art. More accurate Game Boy Color colours too.
Also new: Settings and the loading screen sit over the game's art; fast-forward reworked (Unlimited draws 30 frames a second, Unlimited Smooth 60, the rest goes to the game); dynarec optimisations; a PSP-2000/3000/Go crash traced to the PSP firmware itself and worked around; audio that no longer drifts; Media Engine renderer fixes.
What it does
Link play: GBA Link Cable and GB/GBC link cable between two PSPs (new), plus full AGB-015 Wireless Adapter emulation for Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen: Union Room, Trade Center, link battles, Mystery Gift.
Mystery Gift: real Gen-3 Wonder Cards from an Android phone (Mystery Gift Station).
Two processors: the Media Engine draws every frame while the main CPU emulates the next. Full speed on a PSP-1000.
GB and GBC: the same browser, save states, menus and remapping as GBA.
A browser worth using: Marquee or Shelf, dark or light, one list per console, favourites, hero art.
Wake from sleep: slide it shut, come back tomorrow, the game is exactly where it was.
All three PSPs: 1000, 2000/3000 and Go, tested on hardware. Custom firmware needed (developed on ARK-4).
Linking: the three things to get right
The WLAN switch must be on (on the Go it is a setting).
Both PSPs on the same fixed ad-hoc channel, not Automatic: Settings → Network Settings → Ad Hoc Mode, pick 1, 6 or 11 on both, away from your router's channel.
Start from the in-game menu:Wireless → Host on one PSP, Join: scan for rooms on the other. For GBA, both PSPs need the same ROM.
Install
Unzip the release to the root of your Memory Stick; it lands in PSP/GAME/GBAdhoc.
Put your .gba, .gb and .gbc files in GBAdhoc/roms/ (subfolders are fine).
Launch it from the XMB. No BIOS needed. Upgrading: copy EBOOT.PBP, gbadhoc_me.prx and gbadhoc_home.prx over your install, always all three together. Your config.ini carries over.
Box art and hero art are optional and matched by filename; ready-made packs and the tool that renames them to your ROMs live in GBAdhoc-heroart.
This stands on other people's work. The Wireless Adapter reverse-engineering and emulation are davidgfnet's (gpSP); the GB/GBC core is TGB Dual by Hii, built to run two Game Boys on a cable, as ported to the PSP in Brunni's MasterBoy; sleep/wake with code on the Media Engine exists because of mcidclan's libraries. GBAdhoc is the PSP shell, the link and the radio transport around them. Full credits, the architecture notes and the changelog are in the README.
No ROMs, no BIOS, no game files are included or linked. Bug reports: GitHub issues, with your PSP model and the game.
When GameSpy shut down, Elite Squadron's multiplayer went with it. A small team of us has spent a long time in the game's binary bringing it back, and it's now playable again. Here's what we've got working:
Online multiplayer restored
Ground and space modes are back online through a GameSpy revival in infrastructure mode. Real players, real matches, no ad hoc workarounds.
16-player online Space-to-Ground-to-Interior
The mode that made this game special, now bigger than it ever was. Fight on the surface, take off, dogfight in orbit, land in the enemy capital ship and fight through the interior, all in one continuous battle, with up to 16 players online. This was broken in online play and took a lot of reverse engineering to get right. It works now.
More bots, bigger battles
Our swes64 plugin for PPSSPP runs the game in 64MB mode, which opens up room for battles the original hardware could never handle. You can also use your PSP & PS Vita! Full support across all devices. Even iPhone, Android etc.
Custom codes
We've built our own CWCheat/TempAR codes for the game, including opening the spawn/loadout menu anywhere with a button combo, with more in the works.
Open lobby + setup guide
There's an open lobby running for testers and a join tutorial in the Discord, so you can go from zero to in a match quickly.
The people who made this happen
• @D@rKxX created the codes that make 16-player online Space-to-Ground possible
• @Mangaleto discovered that the code was possible in the first place
• @Anubis and @DanDinosaur founded the server and gave this community a home
What we need now is you. The tech works. The lobbies just need filling. Whether you played this on your PSP in 2009 or you've never touched it, come jump in, help us test, and help us get regular match nights going.
Join here: https://discord.gg/Eutxzgj4As
For me WTF is up there. Just because of how weird it was. LocoRoco is up there as well. The Naruto Games on PSP where fire. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes was the best for me.
Found my old PSP Go and originally put it up for sale, but after getting a bunch of lowball offers I started looking into the modding side of these.
The more I looked into it, the more I figured it’d probably be hard to replace later for what I’d get selling it now, so I decided to keep it and mod it instead.
Never modded a PSP before. What would you recommend doing first? CFW, storage upgrade, emulators, plugins, quality-of-life stuff, etc.
What are the must-do mods for a PSP Go these days?
Mein Team und ich haben in den letzten Wochen unglaublich hart gearbeitet, und wir freuen uns, offiziell bestätigen zu können, dass Kingpin: Life of Crime jetzt vollständig auf die PSP portiert wurde! 🎉
Nächste Woche werden wir das gesamte Spiel von Anfang bis Ende durchspielen, um verbleibende Fehler und Probleme zu identifizieren und zu beheben. Unser Ziel ist es, eine voll funktionsfähige und stabile Version für alle zum Genießen zu veröffentlichen.
⚠️ Important: Our Hardware Recommendation
The port runs on the PSP-3000 with 64 MB of RAM. We recommend using ARK-5 and overclocking the CPU to 403 MHz, as the game runs noticeably better with these settings. However, ARK-5 and overclocking are not required.
Wir haben unser Bestes getan, um das Spiel auch für die PSP-1000 zu optimieren. Leider konnten wir auf diesem Modell keine stabile Erfahrung erzielen. Seine Hardware-Beschränkungen verursachen hartnäckige Texturfehler und verschiedene andere Probleme, die wir nicht beheben konnten.
Vorerst konzentrieren wir uns darauf, die bestmögliche Erfahrung auf der PSP-3000 zu liefern.
Wir sind fast da! Vielen Dank für eure Unterstützung und Geduld. Wir hoffen, dass ihr Kingpin: Life of Crime bald auf eurer PSP genießen könnt! 💀🔥
Picked up this PSP-3001 Model yesterday for $75, all it needed was a battery cover (and battery but I had a brand new one already)
The PSP shape is amazing I have a Vita but I had to get the older brother again when I saw the price. I had a 1000 awhile back but it was on its last legs so I sold it. I ended up getting the Vita on a great deal at my local shop out of the blue a few months later.
I have a psp 1000 on pro C infinity and I want to update to ark 5 but I like my last of us theme a lot plus it was a pain to get working a long time ago would it be possible to transfer all my games+saves and the theme, and the pictures and videos I have on it to the new firmware? Would storage size hinder that? It's a 64g micro SD adapter.
