Posted by 
March 29, 2009 •
I’ve been receiving tons of questions on how to check if their PSP can have custom firmware installed. Here’s a complete and concise guide to get you going. Make sure to read through the guide fully since it will answer all your psp motherboard related questions. First of, you need to understand that there are three types of PSPs:
- 1000 Series (Also known as PSP Phat/Fat)
- 2000 Series (Also known as PSP Slim or Lite & Slim)
- 3000 Series (Also known as PSP Brite)
So why install Custom Firmware on a PSP?
People install Custom Firmware so they can run Homebrew, programs developed by people that don’t have a contract with Sony. A PSP with Custom Firmware could also back up your games from the UMD to your computer; it also allows you to play those backups from your Memory Stick (MS). You could also do some serious customizations to your theme. Basically, you free your PSP from the hands of Sony.
Can I install Custom Firmware?
Before anything, you should know that there three ways to classify Sony’s PSP. Hardware, motherboard and Hackability.
Hardware:
To date, these are the hardware models of the PSP
- PSP 1000 or the PSP Phat
- PSP 2000 or the PSP Slim
- PSP 3000 or the PSP Brite
- And last but not the least, the PSP Go
Motherboards:
Each hardware model of the PSP change motherboards over time. However, this classification is only important for the PSP-2000 Slims. Why? I’ll tell you that in a bit. The PSP Slim has 6 motherboard versions but we’ll focus on what’s important so I’ve split them into just 3.
- 1st generation PSP Slims: pre-TA-085XX motherboards
- 2nd generation PSP Slims: TA-088v3 motherboards
- 3rd generation PSP Slims: TA-090v1 motherboards
Hackability
The hackability of your PSP [in simple terms, can you put CFW on your PSP] depends on several factors. I’ve made a list so you can easily classify things:
- PSP-1000s are completely hackable.
- 1st and 3rd generation PSP-2000s are completely hackable.
- 2nd generation PSP-2000s and PSP-3000s are partially hackable
What does completely hackable and partially hackable mean?
A completely hackable PSP means that you can have custom firmware PERMANENTLY installed on it. This means that the custom firmware stay on your PSP until you decide to remove it.
A partially hackable PSP means that it’s custom firmware is only temporarily loaded via a special exploit called the Chickhen hack. If you shut down your system or had it turned off, you need to load the custom firmware again.
What will prevent me from hacking my PSP?
There’s several factors that will stop you from installing custom firmware. Here’s a run down:
- A 2nd generation PSP-2000 with firmware ABOVE 5.03
- A PSP-3000 with firmware ABOVE 5.03
Why version 5.03? Because 5.03 is the only firmware version that supports the Chickhen hack. Firmware versions succeeding it (5.50, 5.51 and 6.00) have this exploit patched.
Is my PSP Hackable?
This is the simplest method out there. You can check things manually but this is the recommended method:
Requirements:
- ChickHEN R2 enabled PSP
- Download PSP Ident | PSP Ident
Before you proceed, you need to install and successfully run the chickHen hack. Read the guide and come back here to finish the installation.
Instructions:
- Connect your PSP to the computer in USB Mode when you have loaded ChickHEN R2.
- Extract the file to your computer
- Copy the PSPident folder to your X:GAME/GAME3XX folder
- Disconnect your PSP
- Run PSPident
- If you did it right, you should have this screen pop out
With that information, you can compare it to the table below to see if your PSP is hackable.
Hit for the Full version
Manually Checking your PSPs hackability
If you want to do things manually. Follow this guide:
-
What is the Firmware the PSP came with?
- Official Firmware 3.60: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 3.71: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 3.72: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 3.80: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 3.90: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 3.95: Supported by Custom Firmware
- Official Firmware 4.01: Very high chance of no Custom Firmware support
-
What is the PSP’s Serial Number?
-
What’s is the PSP’s Identification Letter
-
What’s the Box’s Serial Number?
The original firmware that came with the PSP right out of the box is an indication of its Motherboard, & here’s the list: If you’ve bought a PSP with Official Firmware higher than 4.01, chances are it doesn’t support Custom Firmware, any attempt to install it will be met with a Game could not be started error. Note: If you updated the PSP or the PSP you’ve bought has been upgraded before you got your hands on it then you need to find out what was the first firmware installed on it as the list above only applies to said version.
The Serial Number is found on a label where the battery is supposed to go. Refer to the picture below for a better illustration: 
Note that this applies to Piano Piano Black PSPs (for now). If the serial starts with HU2, then the PSP most likely has a TA-088v3 Motherboard. Any other serial (Say starting with HC or HB or HJ) can have CFW installed.
It’s the letter on a label on the box that indicates the version of the unit. A picture is shown below: Note that this label is only present on the normal PSP box and not those large “Limited Edition” ones. 
Anyways, See the G there?
PSP-2000 CW 100v G
That G is the letter in question. Here’s a list of all the letters that the 2000 series ship with:
(No Letter) = 3.60
A = 3.71
B = Doesn’t exist
C = 3.72
D = Doesn’t exist
E = 3.80
F = 3.90
G = 3.95 (TA-088v1) / 4.01 (TA-088v2) / 4.01 (TA-088v3)
If your box doesn’t have a label with a letter in it, like the G in the third method, then it should have a label with another serial that’s not related to the PSP unit. 
Note that American 2000 series (2001 PSPs) & Japanese PSPs (Both 1000 series & 2000 series) Don’t have those date codes on them, just like the 2001 Piano Black PSP pictured above. The 2000 Series Date Codes go as follows:
7C: Supported by cfw
7D: Supported by cfw
7(Any later Letter): Supported by cfw
8A: Supported by cfw
8B: Supported by cfw
8C: very high chance it's not supported by cfw
8D: Not supported by cfw
How can I install custom firmware on my PSP?
If you have a completely hackable PSP (please read the guide again if you don’t know what a completely hackable PSP is) then you just need to follow the basic installation guide:
- Convert your PSP to custom firmware
- Convert your PSP to custom firmware without a Pandora Battery (Highly Recommended)
If you do have a PSP-3000s and PSP-2000 with TA-088v3 or any PSP above 5.50 OFW then you’re in luck. You can still enjoy games and homebrew on your PSP by installing any of the following Hen + ISO loader combo:
- 5.03 GEN-C (signed version)
- 6.20 TN-D + Prometheus ISO loader
- 6.35 PRO-B5
These are compatible with ALL PSP models so you can install 5.03 GEN-C, 6.20 TN-E or 6.35 PRO-B5 regardless of your PSP unit. At the moment, all available firmwares for the PSP are hackable except 6.37 and 6.38 so please don’t update to that. Read this for further information about 6.37 OFW, 6.38.
Now, if you’re still not sure how to proceed, ask a friend who’s familiar with Custom Firmwares to check for you. If you have a suggestion or a question, just post a comment.
I have 2 Questions, I’m going to buy a psp soon i wanted to know, do i need to check the serial and the letter on the box/ Date code
or one of them would be enough to check..
and the second question is, does all new PSP come with the listed firmware up there i.e. 4.01 or less or there are new ones that come with ofw greater than 5.03
Thanks for this Great blog/thread/post it told me what i needed to know
I have a psp go and i will like to know if i can have custom firmware installed on it.Anyone with a knowledge about it should please reply me.
HI I own a psp 2006(blue) It was already Pandora modded(I paid extra for that) when I bought the PSP with 5.50 Gen B .Now I want to upgrade it to Gen D3.Since it already has Gen B on it do I really need to care about V1V2,V3 mobo or anything else for that reason?Or should I directly upgrade it to B2 and D,D2 and D3 without giving it a second thought.Thanks
If your PSP has already been modified via Pandora then you don’t have to worry about your motherboard’s version.
If you want to install 5.50 GEN-D3 however, you need to install 5.50 GEN-B2 first otherwise you’ll have loads of trouble later on. Here’s the full guide:
http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2009/12/install-psp-custom-firmware-5-50-gen-d3/
Every time I turn my system off it goes back to 5.03. Is this normal?
Yep. You’re not supposed to turn it off.
Hi,
This is an excellent guide, but after reading through it, I am still unsure if I can successfully load cfw on my PSP.
The box that my PSP shipped in has the letter G on the side, which according to your guide means that I cannot install cfw, however all the other checks indicate that I can.
OFW – 3.95
Serial starts with HA
Date Code – 8B
The last thing I want is to brick my PSP, so what can I do to clear up the confusion?
Just upgrade to 5.03, run chickhen and run PSP Ident. That’s the surest way of knowing if your PSP is hackable.
i have a psp 1001 how can i hack it.i.m usein ver 6.20. i’m new to this so i need help.i’m tire of buying my kids games and they keep braking so i want to put it in a memory card.can someone help me.please.
You need to acquire a Pandora Battery to downgrade the PSP. Unfortunately, most of the CFW hacks won’t work without it.
So, my psp can be hacked using those things?
Can my psp be hack? its PSP 2001 v6.10 and 5.50.. please answer me.
Hey my PSP is 5.00 M33-4……And it is permanent…..does this mean my PSP is NOT TA-088v3 ?
I got a PSP from ebay for my lad, it came with fifa09 on the memory stick so presuming it has been hacked. Looks like system has been upgraded from new games / updates and is now on 5.55 and will not run iso games..
It is an old fat black 1003, serial no starts with FB. How do I get it back to running the doenloaded games
You need a Pandora Battery to downgrade the PSP and install custom firmware
hello sylv3rblade. I have a PSP-3000 and is already hacked with Chickhen Mod 2 and has a System Software of 5.03 GEN-C(Full). I can play almost every PSP games with it too. However someone warned me about having an update in Wii and then talks about upgrading the firmware version (which I am afraid will happen since I won’t be able to play ISO games anymore). So can I ask what things to avoid so that my PSP’s CFW will not be upgraded?
Just don’t use the network update feature on your PSP’s XMB nor allow anyone else w/o proper warnings about not upgrading to use your PSP. If you’re just using the PSP to play games, listen to music, do a bit of homebrew, you’re in no danger of upgrading your PSP’s firmware
ah when we bought the PSP, the store owner told us about not letting the battery run out or else it becomes “default” is what he said and that the files like GEN-C and Chickhen might be deleted. What does this “default” mean?
That simply means that your PSP will revert to the official firmware and you’ll need to reinstall chickhen and 5.03 GEN-C.
If I make a pandora battery… Can I still use it to play games after downgrading and installing the CFW or would I need a new battery?
Yep. Or you can simply revert it to a regular battery
hi. Thanks for answering my previous questions but unfortunately i’m still having doubts if I will purchase PSP 3000 that is partially hackable or the PSP 3000 that has a higher system version of 5.5 and settle for original games. just a question about the partially hackable PSP 3000, i was informed that if this unit has drained batteries or it’s battery is removed , it will go back to it’s original version? so can i still turn off the unit but just keep the battery in even without using the unit for sometime? What will happen if i don’t use the unit for a few days? thanks in advance.
Yep, it will revert back to it’s original firmware once it turns off for any reason. If you simply leave it on standby, it won’t affect the cfw
Hello Mr. silv3rblade. Meron lang akong gustong i-confirm. Ang 3.90 M33-3 custom firmware na ba ‘yon? Kasi kung oo di puwede na akong mag-update ng CFW ng walang limit di ba, at hindi ko na rin kailangang alamin pa kung completely hackable na ang PSP ko o hindi? Sensya na medyo bago sa ‘kin tong firmware e.
Kapag 3.90 M33 ung firmware mo, no need to confirm if it’s hackable or not. It IS hackable (kasi naka 3.90 M33). Ang non-hackable PSP usually starts with 4.01 ofw.
HOOO!!!! Nakahinga na ako ng maluwag! Salamat sa confirmation bro!
Hi…it’s me again…I’m just wondering if now my PSP is still unhackable or not…
I have a PSP3000 with 5.6.
any solution yet?
Thanks for the information, nice blog!
will this work if i have 5.50 ofw ??
If you have a non-hackable PSP. NO.
and1 more thing- my date code is 8c and it came with 4.01 but the serial number is HC3440581.
can it be hacked?
thank u in advance
and1 more thing- my date code is 8c and it came with 4.01 but the serial number is HC3440581.
can it be hacked?
thank u in advance!
i have my cfw already installed i got it today its :5.50 gen D3 but when i try to save a game on my MS it freezes up then turns off why does this happen???Nd how can i fix it???What should i do???i need help plzz
Sounds like bad flash.. Just reinstall your CFW (5.50 GEN-D3)
and1 more thing- my date code is 8c and it came with 4.01 but the serial number is HC3440581.
can it be hacked?
thank u in advance!!
and1 more thing- my date code is 8c and it came with 4.01 but the serial number is HC3440581
can it be hacked
Hi, I used to have a hackable PSP 200x, but i have accidentally upgraded it to version 6.2 which makes my iso files unplayable. Is there anything i can do to downgrade the psp so that i could play my iso files? pls help. thanks.
Just wanted to say fantastic post. There is a lot of confusing information on firmware. I’ve spent the last 4 hours reading up on it.
Im still not really clear on how to go about getting my hands on a hackable psp. I would like to get a 3000 series as seen here at ebay: http://tinyurl.com/27dv96c but from what I understand the firmware has a good chance it would already be above 5.03. I have asked the ebay seller a question on the firmware hopefully I will get a positive reply.
If possible can people that already have this model (3000 – 3006series) psp indicate if they have had any luck in hacking it?
The other alternative I’m looking at is buying a second hand 2000 series from amazon.com.
Your comments and thoughts would be appreciated.
PSP-3000s are really a tough buy especially if you’re looking into installing CFW on them AND you don’t have a brick and mortar store to buy from.
The best bet for getting your hands on a hackable PSP is to buy secondhand (which can be daunting yes but I can tell you first hand that it’s usually worth it, I got my hands on a secondhand PSP-1000 unit 
).
As for hacking PSP-3000s, no word on when a “new” firmware is coming to help people above 5.03 firmware.
I am tired of loading the ChickHEN and CFW everytime PSP does not load. Is there a way to make it hackable. I have 5.03 and PSP 3000,brite.
Nope, there isn’t a way to turn your PSP to a hackable one.
can we not convert a PSP 3000 which is partially hackable to hackable. I mean from 5.03 firmware to upgrade it without having the chickhen.
I have 5.03 PSP has a version 6.20 if I update to this version what will happen.
do you have a download for chickHEN R3 I heard it’s available.
It’s just a rumor. Everyone’s been waiting for R3 since last year.
My psp has 5.03 GEN B Full. It works from the start but when i enable the ChickHen yesterday, my psp restarts and i can’t enable the CFW. Please help and thank you.
Dude can u please post a guide on the newely released HBL revs……..
cause im really confused which homebrew will work on my PSP 3004 6.10
should i upgrade to 6.20 and then check HBL
which is the best HBL to install at present for the 3000 series?
thanks alot
CHeers
Well since you’re on 6.10 on a PSP-3000, you can’t install any cfw or hbl. There currently is no way to downgrade your PSP either.
it says in the box, PSP-2001 cw no letter A-G and then numbers.. is it hackable? :/
for my psp:
1. my system software is 5.50 GEN-D (Full)
2. my serial number has YB0 in the start
3. there’s no letter
4. 7D
what do i do? it’s my first time hearing cfw and i seriously want to play this game sooooo bad! please help…
errm.. your System already has CFW installed.. note the word GEN-D at the end.
hey problem here. chickHEN worked out fine for me but when i started using PSPident it reads “corrupt” after transfering it to game3xx folder. what seems to be the problem here? is anyone having the same problem? help
Check the folder structure. You might have an extra folder thrown in there.
sorri if i’m stubborn, i’m desperate… can i upgrade a 5.50 GEN-D (Full) to a 5.50 GEN-D3??
Yes. It’s actually recommended so you can play the latest games.
thank you very much for your help!!!!
Hi sylv3rblade if you remember me I had asked for your help regarding upgrading pandora modded psp from gen b to gen d3.
Ok this question might be out of place but ive heard to play MGS peace walker you need to be on Gen D2 so is there a way using which I can downgrade my PSP from CFW 5.50 Gen D3 to 5.50 Gen D2.I tried searching for videos on youtube.com but didn’t come across any.
You’ll be needing a Pandora Battery to downgrade from 5.50 GEN-D3 to 5.50 GEN-D2.
Ok is there any other way using which I can play MGS peace walker on my 5.50 gen d3
Currently looking for a patched version butttt.. are you playing the Jap version or the leaked US version?
Hi I mean the American version.(i dont understand japanese)
I tried the one on torrent(i think 1350+ mb size) but it gave me “couldn’t start the game errror.”some 18002048 error i think”.
So i tweaked around few recovery mode settings changed the drivers from M33 to other ones and tried changing kernel from 5.xx to 1.5 too and also enabled/disabled plugins,installed KHBBS plugin(and enabled it) too but it made no difference
So what i did was i patched it using tools like WOSG UMD,promotheus and prxdechack. I patched it alright I mean i did everything perfectly accrding to the tutorial and the final outcome showed up like the one provided on tutorials final screenshot but when i start Peace Walker it shows the white psp screen with usual sound and then after a while screen goes black and after a while the PSP turns off by itself.(maybe you can figure out whats going on here).
So what I am trying to do right now is trying to download the European version of the game.and Ill let you know in few hours time if it works but from what ive heard European version freezes randomly too on gen d3.
I’ll look into a patched version this week.
You dont use a torrent driver, you have to use a file extractor like win RAR. (I found that one out a while ago myself. I had to contact Utorrent)
is version 5.70 hackable?
PSP 2001 HC1 with FW 6.00 is it Hackable.
okay, thanks a lot man. i figured out the problem. i would also like to ask if there is no way i could have a permanent cfw for a ta088v3? because the battery i have is fake, it might drain easily. so i would have to update every so often?
There’s simply no way to install a permanent cfw on your PSP so you really have to deal with either keep tabs on the battery or running the installation all over again
what does reload and reflash mean? because i think i remember somebody say, when your battery is drained, you have to reload it, not reflash it. i dont get these things.
i would like to also ask. given the state of my PSP-TA088v3. how do i change the control configuration “o to x” without completely turning off the power. actually, i tried using the select button to enter the recovery mode. but once i change the keys, it only works with the recovery mode. but when im out of the recovery mode, its back to o as enter. help please. thanks man.
So i have a slim psp wif this
-motherboard : Ta-o86
-software :3.90 m33-2
-1st gen..
i can install a cfw with this psp rite???
If can,what kind of cfw is good???? :> please help
i have a PSP2001 with 5.03 serial number HU2308265 there is a GEN-C converter installed. Can it be permanently hacked? tnx
Why not run PSP ident?
i have a psp 1001 ver2.80 i cant figuere out what to do
Follow this guide: http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2009/07/convert-your-psp-to-custom-firmware-without-pandora-battery/
hi,i have a psp 3003 with the ofw 5.03
can it be partially hacked,i read the post bt unsure about the motherboard model?
thanks
A PSP-3000 is partially hackable
I have a psp 3004 ver 6.10 ..Can i hack it???
is 6.30 hakeiable
Depends on your PSP. Please use the guide on this post.
blessed day sir i just want to ask how can i down grade my psp 3004 6.30 date code is OC serial started with the letter HC. i bought this new and which firmware would you advice to me thnx i waiting for your responds….
PSP-3000s aren’t downgradable :/
good day sir so can i ask which is easyway to run a download games to my psp 3004 6.30 and how can i changes my OFW? thnx…
plz tell me if a hack is out for the 3004 6.10……other than HBL is there any ways to run CFW….???
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
im fed up…..dude cmon is more than like 1 and a half year and still nothings out…..whyy???!!!!
plz help….!
ur guides by far the best and easiest one to follow thanks
Ah, then you should’ve said that you have a PSP-3000.
Nope, there still is currently no way to install custom firmware on a 6.10 ofw psp-3000.
is the crack for 6.10 out….?? thats all im asking…..
may i ask if a psp slim 3002 is hackable?
my psp doesnt have a date code its a black psp 2000. is it hackable?
can a psp 3001 with ofw 5.5 be hack now?
psp 3000 5.50 firmware…can this be hacked to play iso games….got 1 as a gift,dnt knw wat to do.plzzz helllpppppp.
my psp is psp2004 show in the example 8C how can i unable it in cfw to play iso/cso
i asked it is hacksble
what can i do my psp is G what should i do to make it iso/cso enable
i have psp 2003 piano black with of 6.00
its serial No is HB0754152 and date code is 8c can anyone tell me what motherboard it have. please tell me if it can have cfe. thanks in advance
ok.. so what you’re saying in the above instructions is, as long as its not HU2 its completely hackable? or what? mines HU0 like the pic, so it isn’ counted in the “partially hackable only” bit, right?
i ask because chickhen doesn’t like me right now and won’t hack for the past 2 days so..
Chickhen won’t run unless you’re specifically on 5.03 ofw, is that your current firmware version?
Yo sylv, I just want to ask if I can play UMD ISO games on a PSP Go?
As of now yes,
If you have OFW 6.20 installed: http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2010/12/install-6-20-tn-a-hen-and-prometheus-iso-loader-on-your-psp/
if you have OFW 6.31 installed: http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2011/01/install-6-31-hen-prometheus-iso-loader-on-your-psp/
if you have OFW 6.35 installed: http://www.atmaxplorer.com/2011/01/install-6-35-hen-prometheus-iso-loader-on-your-psp/
WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY OFW 6.35??
whats OFW??
Official Firmware
Is there ANYWAY I could play an iso on my psp go?
1.PSP GO
2.The letter is C.
There currently is no way for you to downgrade your PSP Go (and allow you to play ISOs) as your current firmware is 6.37. There is however a Hen available for your firmware which will allow you to run homebrew. Again no ISOs.
I’m sorry, I forgot to mention, I’m on 6.37, if it is not released yet, can you tell me approximately when?
And can you downgrade a psp go WITHOUT a Pandora Battery?
what do u think about psp 3004
plzzz reply fast
updated the guide just for you. You can install 5.03 GEN-C, 6.20 TN-D or 6.35 Pro-B3
hmmm!! SilverBlade, you are too good to be said better work done. I love everything in here and Please, isn’t there any way to know your motherboard apart from loading a chickHen and PSident and from the Box? Thank you. PSP hacking all the way.
Please help me! I once contacted help in a gaming store and they told me that my PSP only supported 5.03 GEN-C because my PSP can’t create a Pandora battery, but my PSP is currently TA-088v1/v2 and my PSP version is Slim v.20/2.1. So is my PSP hackable or not? Please, anyone help me ASAP!
um sylv3rblade i just want to ask if it is possible to change 5.50 gen b full to 5.50 gen d3.
Yep. Just make sure you’re upgrading from 5.50 GEN-B and not 5.03 GEN-B
but when i try to install the 5.50 GEN-D3 it just goes black, do u have any other gen d3 cfw that i can use?
Hello? Can anybody have an answer on my situation? And my PSP also had 3.80 M33 installed back then but I wasn’t sure if it was M33-5 or 6, and my box’s identification letter is probably F.
If your PSP had 3.80 M33 then your unit is completely hackable.
Ok, thank you sylv3rblade! I wondered for how many months if my PSP is hackable or not.
will a new version or anything like checkHEN be created to support 6.38 in teh futures?
Unless a new exploit will be discovered that’ll give kernel access, I highly doubt it. HBL is available for 6.37 but there’s no ISO support since that’s been patched too.
hey i bought a psp-1001 and the serial # is FU7258553 and the date code 6c
can it be modded with the cutstom fireware
You have a PSP-1000, it’s fully hackable.