Shortly after the Wii U launched, the famed Homebrew Channel was teased for folks who enjoy tinkering with their hardware. While there’s still no Wii U Homebrew option for these individuals to take advantage of, HackMii has reported that the Homebrew Channel for the original Wii is now fully functional on the Wii U.

If you plan on running the Homebrew Channel, you’ll be able to do so on your Wii menu. In other words, there’s technically still no Wii U option. Either way, this news may get some folks stoked as a lot of individuals use this “feature” to play games that weren’t localized in North America as well as pirated versions of classic titles.

I think it’s safe to say that it’s only a matter of time until someone cooks up a Wii U Homebrew Channel. If you’re into that stuff, use it at your own discretion and be wary of anything that may go wrong. Ya never know!

Thus far, they’ve released proof in the form of a video, keenly noting that it’s a demonstration at this point — there’s not a release date planned yet. Right now, this hack appears to be running under the sandboxed Wii environment, not native Wii U mode. However, judging from comments by marcan of fail0verflow, accessing Wii U mode is well within their reach.

We’re calling the Wii U security processor the Starbuck (vs. Starlet on Wii). And it seems to be about equally vulnerable, too.

Sorry, I’d rather not talk about how I got that yet. It doesn’t involve leaks, it involves Wii U hacks ;)

The second comment is in reference to the CPU details outed earlier today. According to marcan, the Wii U boasts a 1.24 GHz CPU with 3 PowerPC 750 type cores, akin to Wii’s Broadway chip. The GPU is clocked at GPU core at 549MHz. The processor spec can’t be directly compared to PS3 and Xbox 360, however, since the Wii U has a higher IPC — meaning it can do more work per clock cycle.

At any rate, check out the video below for an early glimpse at homebrew on Wii U. For those that’d like to take advantage of this, well, chances are avoiding any future updates will be wise until more details surface.

The hacker, who wishes to remain anonymous, has also shared video proof above of the feat (via PSPKing.de). We couldn’t make out any performance issues, so games appear to be running smooth. However, there’s at least one show-stopping bug made obvious by the lack of sound. The hacker is attempting to fix this and if he succeeds, plans to release the source code.

It’s worth noting however that users of the publicly released Vita exploit (otherwise known as VHBL) will not be able to take advantage of this, as patching the emulator requires kernel-level access. Earlier this month, a complete dump of the PSP emulator flash0 memory surfaced, though the kernel exploit used to obtain those files remains under wraps. So far, Sony has been extremely diligent when it comes to patching up known exploits on the Vita, and with discoveries like this it’s not hard to understand why.

It’s a proof of concept at this stage, with some timely visuals added for good measure. Take a gander at the video above to see it in action. Firmware 1.510 was used for testing, the latest available at the moment.

Unless there’s a way to break the sandbox, this will not led to native access on the Vita — at least, not by itself. There’s no telling what further research might lead to.

For obvious reasons the finer details of the exploit are being kept under wraps and will likely stay that way for research purposes. It’d take only a swift patch from Sony to render this useless so there’s not much point in a public release, as you can imagine.

Specifically highlighted is the disconnect between both firms when it comes to rights and ownership of the PS3 brand, bringing into question the ability to stake jurisdiction on the case:

“When one purchases a Playstation Computer and looks at its outer box, it has plastered on numerous places that it is a product of Sony Japan and all rights belong to Sony Japan. It only references Sony Japan– not SCEA. When one takes the Playstation Computer out of its box and inspects it, it states it is a product of Sony Japan and all rights belong to Sony Japan. It does not reference California,” reads the filing.

Also referenced is Sony’s recent allegation that Hotz created a PSN account last year — “blickmaniac.” Hotz’s lawyers point out that a recent forum post on PS3Hax purports an individual that claims to be the owner of said account.

Regardless, Hotz’s lawyers feel that any citing PSN data as evidence is dubious at best, given that users can easily signup under different aliases not tied to a verified billing address.

In essence, the subpoena gives Sony access to comb through transactions posted on Hotz’s personal PayPal account — geohot@gmail.com — January 1, 2009, from February 1, 2011. Donations made prior to or after that timeframe will not be implicated in the search, nor will transactions made outside of CA.

This comes amid Sony’s most recent data mining attempt which included collecting a record of all IP addresses that visited Hotz’s website — geohot.com — over the past couple months.

CHANGES 1.2b -> 1.3
* Added support for the 6.3X kernels.

Download Game Categories Light v1.3

Release Thread

That unfortunately puts this tool out of reach for many — but as we said, it’s a step forward. A translated changelog is past the break.

* Check and analyze firmware dumps, correcting any flaws, thus repairing the internal firmware of our PS3.
* Extract core PS3 files (read lv2_kernel.self, eurusfw.bin, etc …).
* Allows viewing of both full NAND Dumps and packages such as CORE_OS_PACKAGE.pkg.
* Finds and extracts the User Profile (EID, bootloaders, etc) and dumps interlaced with the flow rebuilder.

Download CVOS v3.1 Beta

CVOS, Tool to recover data from Bricks PS3 [Demonhades]

Not one to squander, Acekard says it plans to release a patch file that brings 3DS compatibility to all AK2i units “after a full test.” It’s pertinent to note, however, that the cart is restricted to DS mode. 3DS mode remains out of reach, at least for the time being. Still, with partial access to the system, hackers (and unfortunately, pirates) already have a leg up on Nintendo.

* Support for multiple simultaneously connected devices.
* Hot swapping of devices.
* Support for multiple partitions (with different FS).
* NTFS support
* Alternate data streams
* Sparse files
* File compression
* B+ trees directory
* FAT support
* FAT12, FAT16, FAT32
Long file names (VFAT)

Bear in mind, while the libpfsm library by itself isn’t of much use to end-users at the moment, it means we should soon see more homebrew popping up with the ability to read NTFS volumes.

PlayStation File System Libraries – Add NTFS Support to your Homebrew! [PS3-Hacks]

While it’s main draw is to allows users to load custom firmware plugins on a per-game basis, it also includes a host of other nifty features, which are detailed in the changelog below.

* Loading plugins only for specified games.
* To describe games u can use id, name (great for noobs) and path (even incomplete! but only one per line).
* Macrofire is supported (no 0×8003021 errors).
* Boot screen displaying status (if no plugins were loaded – it won’t appear).
* Automatically changing ISO driver.
* Automatically changing CPU speed.
* You are able to define custom macros (u can use acronyms for games, ie. u can write “GTA:CW” instead of “Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars”.
* Last played game (backup or homebrew) is automatically moved at the first place in the XMB.
* You can disable bootscreen, logging to file and autosort feautures.
* You can place Sepulka on internal memory of PSPgo (ef0:).

While the plugin is already in a workable state, do note that the feature set has yet to be finalized.

Download Sepulka

Sepulka – Selective Plugin Loader [Wololo]

For the full lowdown on contest rules and prize details, hit up wololo’s site. Scene vets Wololo and Lampworker, along with prominent developers Davee and Hellcat, will be responsible for judging entires.

Good luck to all entrants and shout-outs to all sponsors involved! Let’s make 2011 a year to remember in homebrew.

This comes as part of an effort to expand the ongoing case it is building against the PS3 hacking scene. Additionally, Sony is actively searching for information on a number of homebrew developers involved in the creation of custom firmware and related hacks, including Waninkoko, Graf_Chokolo, and KaKaRoTo. It seems just about every hacker that’s made waves in the scene is now in Sony’s legal crosshairs.

More  as it breaks. You can download the latest batch of filings here.

Specifically, Keller points out that SCEA is not responsible for creating the PS3, as Sony is a Japanese company. He further attacks Sony’s claims of extortion, explaining that Hotz’s request for employment was taken out of context, and not directed at SCEA in particular. The full quote, from the latest filing, reads “If you want your next console to be secure, get in touch with me. Any of you.”

Furthermore, the filing calls for the court to consider the financial burden Hotz is enduring with the case stationed in California. As Keller notes, “Mr. Hotz is a 21 year old New Jersey resident with limited means to defend a suit on the other side of the country.”

You can view the entire filing here.

In essence, it’s an all-in-one customizable tool that allows users to build their own modified firmware. It includes an API-driven framework that “facilitates the modification process.” Additionally, it’s completely open-source, which means qualified contributions are welcomed. The interface, as pictured above, is fairly straightforward and comes with a wide range of options. This includes the ability to remove unwanted icons from the XMB and install various homebrew-enabling patches.

Project PS3MFW Announced [PS3MFW]

In order to establish personal justification in the state of California, the latest round of court documents once again attempt to pin Hotz’s hacking efforts under the terms of the PSN user agreement. It also includes evidence to support such a claim, notably that Hotz has a registered PSN user account under the alias of ‘Geo1Hotz’

Here’s the kicker: even Sony admits it has no actual proof that Hotz himself registered the account, noting that “Even if Hotz is not the user registered as Geo1Hotz, he could be registered to use the network under another alias.” Pure conjecture.

Weak evidence there, we’d say. Hard to see the Court not dismissing this. At the very least, it looks like this case will move to New Jersey, Geohot’s home state. It was already somewhat evident from Judge Susan Illston’s say on the matter last week.

Chalk up a win for Geohot, as US District Judge Susan Illston blocked said TRO today, noting that Hotz’s use of Twitter, PayPal, and YouTube does not establish personal jurisdiction, according to a Wired report.

But if using Twitter or Facebook is enough to bring a case to San Francisco, “the entire universe would be subject to my jurisdiction,” the judge told the Sony attorney about his argument.

Granted, Geohot isn’t in the clear yet — the judge refrained from issuing a formal ruling, noting her concerns over whether the case should be heard in California over Hotz’s home state of New Jersey. “Serious questions have been raised here,” she said, referring to Sony’s choice of jurisdiction.

Currently in the legal crosshairs of SCEA, famed hacker George “Geohot” Hotz will appear on G4TV’s ‘Attack of the Show’ later tonight at 7 p.m. EST, as revealed on his official site. We’ll update this with a link to the video once it’s live.

In related courtroom drama, today’s filings indicate that the hearing date for Sony’s motion to place a temporary restraining order on Hotz has been pushed back by a day. It’s now scheduled for Friday, January 14 at 9:00 a.m.

The suit contests that said defendants are in violation of DMCA under U.S. law, pointing to the recent publication of the PS3′s encryption routines and subsequent release of Hotz’s firmware 3.55 jailbreak.

It seems Sony isn’t letting this slide, not without a fight. More as it breaks. For those unable to access Geohot’s site, we’ve mirrored the relevant court orders in PDF format below.

Download Motion For TRO.pdf
Download Proposed Order.pdf

Update: As promised, Geohot has released his homebrew signing tools for 3.55. It can be used to convert ELFs to valid NPDRM SELFs.

Following the emergence of the first proof of concept custom firmware, esteemed hacker George “Geohot” Hotz releases a full-blown jailbreak for firmware 3.55. What’s more, is that it comes in the form of a PUP patch file. Those already on 3.55 can run it to enjoy homebrew goodness, with one small caveat: Geohot notes that any PKGs written for 3.41 will not run on 3.55.

Don’t sweat it, though. New signing tools are on the way, according to Geohot, which will restore compatibility. Until those are released, those still on 3.41 may want to hold off on updating to 3.55. We also recommend you install the patch file on a vanilla, non-modified 3.55.

Per Geohot’s wishes in regards to mirroring, you can grab the patch PUP over at his official site. The firmware 3.55 update can be found over in our download section.

Sony would not spare details on the upcoming firmware, declining to provide further information due to the sensitive nature of security issues.

It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out, but we reckon the odds won’t be in favor of Sony this time. With the root key out in the open, the only remedy is a hardware change.

In fact, well-known hackers are already downplaying Sony’s claims. In a BBC interview, fail0verflow member pytey noted that “The complete console is compromised – there is no way back. The only way to fix this is to issue new hardware. Sony will have to accept this.”

Update: Now, that was quick — Bubbletune has issued a bugfix that fixes an issue with category detection. The supplied readme has also been given an overhaul. Grab the updated download below.

With the advent of 6.20 TN comes a new version of Bubbletune’s handy Game Categories plugin, which allows users to categorize games and homebrew.

This release introduces a ‘By Category’ folder sort mode, adding to the existing ‘By Expiration Date’ option. Additionally, details for each XMB item, such as the game type and firmware info, are displayed underneath the corresponding icon. For an example, check out the screen grab above.

For more details head on over to the release thread.

Download Game Categories Light v1.2b

Making due on his promise, developer Total_Noob comes through for the homebrew crowd this holiday season, releasing the long-awaited 6.20 TN-A. It opens the gateway to homebrew on 6.20 units through a savedata exploit in the Patapon 2 demo.

Much like ChickHEN before it, once the exploit is activated, 6.20 TN-A remains in resident memory as long as your PSP is turned on. Rebooting or shutting down will return your PSP to its unmodified state.

Hit the break for downloads, along with more deets and a primer on the installation process.

Requirements
* A PSP with firmware 6.20 installed. Any model will do.

6.20 TN-A Installation Instructions
* Install Patapon Demo & HBL on your PSP.
* Extract EBOOT.PBP to /PSP/GAME/HEN/EBOOT.PBP, or to /HBL/GAME/EBOOT.PBP if you want to launch it directly.
* Launch Patapon Demo and load exploited savedata (Continue).
* Now, it jumps into HEN mode.
* Enjoy homebrews and plugins (you’ll lose HEN mode, if you reset/shutdown the device or if your PSP crashes).

Download 6.20 TN-A Homebrew Enabler
Download HBL R109 for Patapon 2 Demo
Download PSP Firmware 6.20
Download PSPgo Firmware 6.20

6.20 TN-A (HEN) de Total_Noob est disponible [PSPGen]

To install, perform the usual routines: simply copy over PS3Tetris.pkg to your jailbroken PS3′s storage device and run the associated PKG file. A live gameplay video and download can be found past the break.

Download PS3Tetris

The plugin allows users to bypass required firmware updates, running titles that may require 6.20 on a 5.00 M33 or 5.50 GEN unit, for instance.

The author has also asked the administrator of Chinese forum A9VG, on which he released the statement, to delete his user account and associated posts.

Furthermore, the author notes that an open-source PSL1GHT compile is incoming with added features like savestates and cheat capabilities. More details from the included readme:

PS3SX PCSX port on PS3 using PS3 SDK and psl1ght it’s a hybrid for the pre-release. Source code will be available once I will completely port the emulator to PSL1GHT. Before xmas I will update it with a new GUI save state and cheat code.

Note that a dumped copy of the PS1 bios — not included — is required.

PS3SX Download

Exclusive – PS3SX PSX Emulator Released [PSGroove.com]

Given the incremental version bump, this firmware is likely a non-event. It may contain fixes specifically for MHP or, as we’ve come to expect, under-the-hood ‘security’ patches aimed at locking out homebrew users and nefarious pirates.

The author plans to implement several enhancements for later builds, including support for a USB keyboard and mouse combo as well as proper aspect ratio scaling by leveraging the PS3′s RSX GPU.

A variety of WAD-format content files are supported, including those packaged as shareware. Look past the break for release notes and a download.

Controls:

D-PAD: Navigate menus and move/turn your character.
START: Bring up or exit the menu.
SELECT: Bring up or exit the auto-map. (while in game)
L1/R1: Strafe left/right.
L2: Use button. (open doors, activate lifts, exit the intermission screen, etc.)
R2: Attack button.
CROSS: Select an option from the menus.
CIRCLE: Go back to the previous menu.
SQUARE: Use for YES in menus and cycle to previous weapon in game.
TRIANGLE: Use for NO in menus and cycle to next weapon in game.

Supported IWADs:

doom2.wad (DOOM 2: Hell on Earth)
doom.wad (The Ultimate DOOM or regular registered DOOM)
plutonia.wad (Final DOOM: Plutonia Experiment)
tnt.wad (Final DOOM: TNT – Evilution)
doom1.wad (shareware DOOM)

Note that any WAD files must be placed under “/dev_hdd0/game/DOOM00666/USRDIR/” or “/ps3doom/” if running from an external HDD.

Download Doom PS3 0.2

via PSX-Scene

The crew remains confident in its approach — claiming the firmware revert works on “3.42, 3.50 and beyond.”

What’s more, is that according to a statement on their website, they are seeking to hire homebrew developers and software engineers. Here’s a snip:

Homebrew developers and software engineers we want to hear from you. If your looking for part time or full time work please contact us sales@psjailbreak.com. Only serious inquiries from people with experience.

Again we revolutionize the world and show the disbelievers that we are the original source. We understand what we are doing and will continue to be at the forefront of support. Officially launched today is our sister site www.psdowngrade.com the worlds only downgrader. Allowing you to downgrade your new console to any previous firmware version. With a PS Jailbreak and PS Downgrade now all all 44 Million users and counting can enjoy Homebrew. We don’t like new comers beeing singled out , so we ventured into the unknown once again and now brought you an out of the box USB solution.

Above is a video clip that gives a walkthrough of the downgrading process, courtesy of “authorized dealer” HolidayCarts.

While security routines prevent anyone with an earlier firmware than the current required from logging on PSN, this circumvents that through a custom payload.

As of writing, compatibility is limited to PS3Yes! dongles, but there’s little doubt that ports will soon emerge for the wide range of USB devices that support PS3Jailbreak and its derivatives.

It remains to be seen how Sony will respond. Assuming your firmware and other system internals can be detected, we wouldn’t be surprised if they pull out the banhammer. Take caution!

地球首发，破解后上PSN，我冒着被BAN机器的危险上去了（相关代码已经公布，大伙移植吧） [A9VG]

The visuals are primitive, but that’s besides the point. This has been compiled with the freely available, open-source PSL1GHT SDK, thus legal to distribute. Here’s the scoop, straight from the included readme:

Pongus is a simple pong clone, demonstrating the basic features of the PSL1GHT SDK.

- Right now, it’s in a playable state, with enemy AI, collision detection, Speed advancement and simple controls.
+ Right now, it’s in a playable state, with enemy AI, collision detection, Speed advancement and simple controls.

I am aware that there is already a much better pong clone available for the ps3, but that package contains leaked sony code, and is illegal to distribute.

This package is the opposite, written completely with the Open PSL1GHT SDK. No Sony code was used to write this game, and thus, is able to be freely distributed, source and all.

Download Pongus Initial Release

Thanks, PSGroove.com.

Featured are five levels in all and a difficulty toggle. For aspiring programmers or those interested in helping out, Lachrymose also notes that source code is included.

Download BreakOutX 0.2

What’s more, is that he’s working on a 6.20-compatible homebrew-enabler (HEN for short). It’s dubbed 6.20 TN and much like Team Typhoon’s ChickHEN before it, applies RAM-level patches that remain in resident memory, granting unrestricted access to homebrew in the process.

There’s no word on when this might see a public release as of yet. Check out the clip above for footage of it in action.

[WIP] 6:20 TN (HEN), founded kernel exploit, reverse engineered Rebootex [PSPKing.de]

Previously, the payload patches targeted only 3.41. Those interested can head on over to the PL3 github to compile a build that fits your fancy. KaKaRoTo also notes that several development-oriented utilities are featured in this release, such as the ability to dump LV2 kernel space. Additionally, a 3.10 compatible take is due out soon.

For those on 3.41 longing for Linux support, hang tight. As we reported last week, Marcan of Team Twiizers fame is working on a custom bootloader dubbed AsbestOS. It’s also nearing completion judging from recent updates on his Twitter.

PSFreedom now supports firmware 3.01 and 3.15 [KaKaRoTo]

Readme details can be found past the break.

* Supports up to 512 items from two USB devices, internal hdd and blu-ray.
* Ability to copy games from bdvd to hdd0 or USB’s, from hdd0 to USB’s or from USB’s to hdd0. It is done asking to you the destination device. It use uses asynchronous reading and writing for fast copy.
* Special support for big files in FAT: it splits files >= 4GB using .666xx fragments (if the file is name.ext, the file splits as name.ext.66600, name.ext.66601,…). This file is not bootable and it is marked using ‘_’ as folder prefix. The file is joining when you copy it to hdd0 device.
* Automatically finds the path of the games and asks to you about it. In other case, if the Open Manager is installed in the hdd0 creates one. You can change it pressing L2+START later.
* Including checking game option (pressing L1). It displays information about the files, size, splits or big files, if it have one.
* Support for Homebrew: you can creates “homebrew” folder in root USB FAT device and put here others folders with an EBOOT.BIN (.self format) and one ICON0.PNG. Also you can use the internal hdd0. Homebrew is launched directly and receive the path in argv[0].
* FTP support to upload homebrew: open_manager uses “OMAN46756″ as user, by default. I recommend flashfxp to use it, because FTP support is not very good…

Due to the questionable legality of homebrew compiled with Sony’s official SDK, we’d ask that you please refrain from posting links to any associated files.

Caution: To avoid any risk of bricking of your unit, it comes recommended to load firmware files through a sandbox-like environment using JaiCraB’s firmware loader.

* Download a TTF format font of your choose, rename the file to SCE-PS3-SR-R-LATIN. Make a copy and rename the resulting file to SCE-PS3-SR-R-LATIN2.

* Locate the aformentioned files in /dev_flash/data/font/ either on your PS3′s flash or external drive if using the USB firmware loader and replace them both, using a file manager application such as PS3 FTP.

* From within the XMB, navigate to the “Theme Settings” subsection and select either “rounded” or “pop” to load your custom font.

As far as emulation goes, don’t expect miracles in the speed or compatibility department: it’s still very early in development and should be considered a work-in-progress.

While a readme file is absent, do note that you will need a copy of the Saturn BIOS to run this one, which we are unable to provide for legal reasons.

EXCLU Homebrew – Yabause : un premier émulateur SEGA Saturn [PS3Gen]

Unlike CJPC’s (admittedly) buggy equivalent, it is crash-free and does not lock up or sporadically drop connection between network transfers, a plus in our book! Installation and usage instructions are below, which assume you have run PSGroove or any of its variants on a 3.41 unit:

Install the PKG to your ps3 (you should know how to do
this by now) then run blackb0x FTP. You can now connect
to your PS3 via the PC FTP client of your choice. Just
fill in your PS3′s IP, port 21, and leave username, and
password blank. To quit the app either press X, or quit
via ingame XMB.

blackb0x Releases FTP Server 1.0b [PSGroove.com]

Apart from the ToC, scans of said magazine have yet to hit the scene, so details are scare. Regardless, Cave Story + DS oozes win. After seeing the excellent homebrew port on PSP, we’re only surprised it’s taken this long. That said, a homebrew demo did hit DS awhile back — but unfortunately never materialized in full.

Nintendo Power Table of Contents list Cave Story for DSiWare [GoNintendo]

“I suck at names. Help me name a usb-exploit PS3 Linux bootloader? All I came up with so far is lv2ate (“levitate”) and AnotherOS,” tweeted Marcan.

As you may well be aware, recent developments in the PS3 scene have given homebrew developers access to LV2 address space, meaning a third-party implementation of “OtherOS” is technically fesible on all exploitable firmware releases including 3.21 and beyond, even though Sony “removed” such functionality.