6 ms·
Sony's Playstation Portal hacked, can now emulate PSP games
- spiritplumber 3y agoCave Johnson, we're done here
- Larok00 3y agoI still have my original PSP with its discs, and it works like a charm. The build quality is very impressive. I can use it as a plug-in controller for my PC.
- KryptoKnight 3y agoSweet
- pjmlp 3y agoAs usual, it ends up being about emulators instead of creating new stuff.
- makin 3y agoThere isn't much incentive in making new stuff when it can be shut down by Sony or whatever company at any moment. See A2MR.
- pjmlp 3y agoIt was basically porting emulators instead of actually producing new stuff that proved Sony PS2Linux wasn't worthwhile to produce, thus all the stuff it happened afterwards with Linux on PS3 (which contrary to PS2Linux lacked hardware acceleration), and adopting FreeBSD.
- dvdkon 3y agoWhy create new games for a proprietary platform that users would have to hack instead of just writing it for PC? Homebrew like this is about the challenge or about making existing hardware more useful, porting emulators is an effective way to do that.
- pjmlp 3y agoWhy buy this in first place then? Just use a PC and save the money for something that really matters.
- dvdkon 3y agoI presume people bought it for its intended usecase, or just as a novelty. I don't think anyone's buying this for emulation, not when there are friendlier options available for the same price. Once they already have it, though...
- gambiting 3y ago>>Why create new games for a proprietary platform that users would have to hack instead of just writing it for PC? Well, PSP(and DS/3DS) homebrew scenes were(and still are) amazing, with many brand new games created from scratch, even though any potential users have to hack their devices in the first place to even try them.
- no_time 3y agoThe PSP existed in the short timeframe where all the alternative handheld devices were vastly inferior in terms of specs and cost to perf ratio. The choice between an expensive WinCE PDA that barely had hardware 3D vs the beast that is a hacked PSP was obvious. Then came Android/ios and bothering with a hacked PSP was no longer worth it for general computing purposes. Running "backups" and emulators prevailed as the only reason to mod a handheld.
- jacooper 3y agoHopefully they are working on supporting remote play from other devices like PC or Xbox! Because the portal is pretty good, it's just locked down to make it get sony a return on selling at a loss.
- cubefox 3y agoNowadays there are so many great handheld devices specifically optimized for emulation, like the ones from Anbernic, that hacking doesn't seem worth it anymore. There are also hardware button add-ons that convert Android phones or tablets into emulation handhelds, without any hacking. A common problem with those devices seems to actually be that they work too well, which leads to choice paralysis. If you can play anything, any game ever up to Dreamcast or so, it's hard not to lose interest in any one game quickly.
- comfort014 3y ago[dead]
- hnlmorg 3y agoThe moment the hack is public Sony will release an update to block it. And so the game of cat and mouse continues.
- jimmyl02 3y agothis will always be true of jailbreaks as they fundamentally break the security of the device. this means that it can be used for cool things like shown in the article but it could also be used maliciously by an attacker to completely take over the device which the manufacturer should definitely patch.
- hnlmorg 3y agothese exploits are never closed for the security of their users, though the changelogs might often claim that’s the case. It’s always about licensing costs for the manufacturer. Every game or application released for consoles (and phones alike) have to pay a licensing fee to the maintainers of that platform to publish on that platform. If you can jailbreak the device then you can publish software to that device without paying Sony, Apple or whoever else. The security aspect is just a convenient side effect from locking people in. But if it was only security that these manufacturers were concerned about then they’d have found a way to allow people to tinker with their hardware without needing to crack any security mechanisms in the first place. You can see this concern for licensing being a big thing in consoles as early as the Gameboy and MegaDrive (Genesis). And back then security wasn’t even a concern.
- brokenmachine 3y agoAfter the last update to my expensive DSLR broke third-party batteries for no reason beyond pettiness and greed, at this point I trust random hackers more than I trust Sony. *the battery ruining was not mentioned in the changelog for the update.
- extraduder_ire 3y agoIt's a shame that such exploits are needed in the first place, when allowing developer mode to be toggled like a normal android device (ideally easier than on an xbox/quest) would be enough for most of these cool things. It's also a strangely perverse incentive to stay on an exploitable firmware if you want to hack your own hardware.
- zerocrates 3y agoWhy not just sell something like the Portal as open in the first place? There are no Portal games to worry about protecting. What's the percentage in locking it down?
- lozenge 3y agoI mean, it's Sony. How long did it take them to get out of the Memory Stick business. There isn't an open system they haven't tried to compete with with their closed, locked-in alternatives. Are you going to buy a PS6 if you build up a games collection on Steam?
- dangus 3y agoIf you want a game console company to sell a totally open console, that’s just a willing misunderstanding of the game market on your part. Even the Steam Deck as the most open commercial console on the market is pretty clever in that it doesn’t stop you from using competing software stores, but you still need to invest significant effort into getting them to work. Getting my free copy of Control on the Epic Games Store to work on the console was something that took me a significant amount of time. I could imagine a less technical person being completely unable to do it, but if you owned the game on Steam you just click a button and play. In my opinion, if Sony wasn’t being supremely lazy they would have made the Portal with AMD x86 hardware similar to the Steam Deck and designed it to natively play your PS5/PS4 library on the go instead of making it a streaming-only device.
- TheCapeGreek 3y ago>but you still need to invest significant effort into getting them to work This is far more related to their lack of Linux support, and forcing launcher usage via Steam for some games (EA, Ubisoft) than Valve making it difficult on purpose. Nothing stopping you from using Desktop Mode to do whatever you want on the device otherwise.
- xena 3y agoNothing is also stopping you from putting Windows on the Steam Deck, Valve even provides drivers for you to do it!
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 3y agoI like the concept of the playstation portal, but given its cost similar to a steam deck, wouldn't be better to use that for this purpose?
- zerocrates 3y agoThe Deck is twice the price of the Portal, at minimum. Of course it's also vastly more capable. They're really not competitors, except for the Deck's use case as a streaming sink from a PC; this is more a "you've got these nice controls and screen, sure would be nice if you could use them for more" situation.
- cooper_ganglia 3y agoYou can buy a refurbished 256 GB Steam Deck for $319, and there’s an app to easily use Remote Play with your PS5! For not too much more money than the PS Portal, you can also download your entire Steam collection + non-Steam games (Minecraft w/ mods + shaders), and have a fully-functioning Linux machine! Personally, I’m very confused on who exactly the PS Portal is for, but the only important thing is that people are having fun with their games! :)
- MBCook 3y agoPlenty of PS people don’t have a Steam library. So that’s not a benefit.
- jwells89 3y agoThere’s savings to be had over time on Steam sales too, where even AAA titles eventually become dirt cheap. With new games now costing $70, it doesn’t take long for the price difference between a Deck and a Portal (or other similar streaming device) to pay for itself. If all I wanted was a PS Portal-like experience I think I’d get one of those USB-C phone game controller things to put my smartphone in, which would be cheaper (albeit with a smaller screen), be able to stream from more than just a PS5, and would get better every time I upgrade my phone. At $200, without hacks the PS Portal is a bit too much of a one-trick pony.
- PlutoIsAPlanet 3y ago[flagged]
- pfundstein 3y ago[flagged]
- colonwqbang 3y agoWhat's the market for a (non-hacked) device like this, when the Switch and the Deck already exist? Surely the appeal of a handheld is that you can bring it with you on the train, airplane, etc. What am I missing?
- bdw5204 3y agoSupposedly, the market for it is people who want to play their PS5 but can't because somebody else in the household is occupying their TV. But that begs the question of why they wouldn't just go buy a bedroom TV instead and move the PS5 into the bedroom? Other possible markets would be people trying to collect a complete set of PS5 accessories and people impulse buying it without thinking about whether it'd actually be useful. Of course the people buying it right now are mainly the scalpers and Sony likely produced very small quantities to ensure it'd sell out and get them positive press.
- jstarfish 3y ago> But that begs the question of why they wouldn't just go buy a bedroom TV instead and move the PS5 into the bedroom? I like the shows my wife watches but not always enough to want to dedicate my full attention to them. I'll often play the Switch while side-watching Downton Abbey type shows with her. The Switch library has limited interest to me though so something like this provides more options.
- suprjami 3y agoThere isn't one. You have more business sense than the multiple Sony gaming execs who let this stupid thing go to market.
- MBCook 3y agoYou could use it remotely, but I doubt it would feel great due to latency and bandwidth. In home, a great use is to play when the TV the PS5 is hooked up to is in use. You can play and someone else can watch a movie. Also the Switch and Deck don’t play PS5 games you already own. And both are more expensive. It’s 100% a companion device. If you owned a deck you could just run the PS remote app on it too.
- jokoon 3y agoI would pay money to play a silent hill remaster no other choice than to emulate it, it seems
- a_gnostic 3y ago<this version has been altered for new audiences>
- gentleman11 3y agoI’d love to play silent hill 1 remastered. It was more concrete than 2, and felt more real and meaningful because of it. Also, didn’t finish it, since it was a rental Give us rentals back while you’re at it, if the larger industry is reading this
- a_gnostic 3y agoRentals is essentially what modern streaming services are about. You rent the right to view whatever is in their catalog, as long as they have the streaming rights. You will own nothing. Have a happy day.
- ejj28 3y agoIf running a moonlight client on one becomes possible, I might be actually interested in buying one, just for casual gaming at home. The Steam Deck looks great but is pretty expensive and a little overkill when I could just stream from my desktop to a less powerful device.
- radiKal07 3y agoJust get an Odin 2: https://www.ayntec.com/collections/odin/products/odin-2 https://www.ayntec.com/collections/odin/products/odin-2
- solardev 3y agoFYI you can probably just use a Logitech GCloud (https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/cloud-gaming/cloud-handheld-gaming.940-000198.html https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/cloud-gaming/cloud-...), Razer Edge (https://www.razer.com/mobile-handhelds/razer-edge https://www.razer.com/mobile-handhelds/razer-edge), Abxylute (https://abxylute.com/products/abxylute-handheld-console https://abxylute.com/products/abxylute-handheld-console), or any generic Android portable gaming thing to do that. Not sure if you even need Moonlight; wouldn't Steam Link work too? Personally I use a GCloud and stream from GeForce Now, and that works great.
- rcarmo 3y agoThat's what I do too: https://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2024/02/03/2000 https://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2024/02/03/2000
- ejj28 3y agoThe GCloud and the Razer Edge are both significantly more expensive than the PS Portal if I recall correctly though. The Abxylute does seem similar in price, although I'm guessing the PS Portal likely has better controls (being essentially a Dualsense split in half) and maybe a better screen. Also yeah, Steam Link would work too but Moonlight/Sunshine generally seems to work better.
- rcarmo 3y ago
- yieldcrv 3y agothe audacity, of Sony
- a_gnostic 3y agoWhy did it have to be hacked to do this?
- musha68k 3y agoCool that they've at least got something out of that NOLED device.
- bitwize 3y agoFirmware patch to negate this in 3, 2, 1...
- spike021 3y agoNews like this makes me so nostalgic for the PSP homebrew and "hacking" scene of the 00's. It's what got me into software in the first place.
- gambiting 3y agoHa, that's how I got into the games industry and programming in general - I started coding little homebrew games for various competitions online when I was 14-15, then years later actually brought my PSP to a job interview with a games company and showed them what I made when I was a teenager, and I got the job.
- Difwif 3y agoI wonder how many of us learned how to program on the PSP. It's crazy to think how transformative this was for my life in the long run. It's also the same reason why I know Lua but went straight to C++ after that. I wish I could bottle up the magic that was the PSP homebrew scene and give it to kids today. I'm guessing Minecraft mods are the closest modern version.
- victords 3y agoThe homebrew scene still exists today, just moved consoles. I was just playing around with the Xbox Dev Mode this weekend and trying out different emulators.
- spike021 3y agoI wish I could say I actually learned to program on it haha. I mostly just flailed around and acted like I was programming back then. But it definitely started me down the path I'm on now.
- Sverigevader 3y agoSame for me! It was like a brick of programming in the face. If I recall correctly, I owe my gratitude to someone called "DarkAlex" on the "PSP-Hacks" website/forum for getting me interested. My reason for starting with that scene was to play my "backed up" games but I remember screaming with joy when I got a C++ program onto the PSP which displayed some colours and bars. I could change them with the buttons and joystick.
- cultofmetatron 3y agoIts a cool hack but I dont' see why anyone would go through the trouble when you can do the same with a steam deck (no hacking required) there's also the neo which will come out https://neo.manjaro.org/ https://neo.manjaro.org/ all the same benefits and without having to play this cat and mouse game with a company who just wants to turn you into a stream of income.
- anonymousab 3y agoMaybe they just like the specific form factor or Sony controller more than the steam deck's.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]