Incoming PS3 Mod Chip Claims to Allow Game Backups

[Rob Williams]

Earlier this year, a hacker was successful in breaking through the necessary walls that Sony had put in place on the PS3, and stated that it would be possible to play backups of your games, and do other fun things. While many were impressed with this feat, Sony clearly wasn't. Merely two months later, the company decided to completely rid out the "Install Other OS" feature - one that allowed Linux to be installed.

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

hahahahaha i knew it would come

 

[DarkStarr]

too bad it wont last lol, Sony loves to take away things

EDIT: hmm supposed to be update proof but I am sure that wont stop Sony, now if only there was something for the 360 I hate having to switch disks

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

too bad it wont last lol, Sony loves to take away things

EDIT: hmm supposed to be update proof but I am sure that wont stop Sony, now if only there was something for the 360 I hate having to switch disks

That's why I have Bioshock and Sonic The Hedgehog downloaded from Xbox Live Marketplace on mine

 

[DarkStarr]

Yea I have a few DL games but I wish I didn't need to swap disks when the game is already on the drive, maybe make it so it only checks for the disk once every 30 days? (if that's even possible but that wont happen so)

 

[TheCrimsonStar]

Yea I have a few DL games but I wish I didn't need to swap disks when the game is already on the drive, maybe make it so it only checks for the disk once every 30 days? (if that's even possible but that wont happen so)

No I mean I bought and downloaded the games from Xbox Live. I don't own a disc. No disc checks, ever

 

[Tharic-Nar]

Reading comments on Ars, many think it's a Dev Kit with debug software... the USB stick is there just for show, it might not actually do anything, in which case it's a complete hoax. The other comments say that it might be debug firmware on the USB stick...

In either case, the video proves nothing, you never saw the install process, all you saw was him turn it on and go to a normally hidden menu... he didn't show the system BEFORE the USB stick was inserted, so it could easily be either a dev kit or debug firmware.... yes i'm sceptical, and rightly so, $150 for a mod chip sets alarms off for me.


Edit - digging a bit further, I can understand the speculation about this being a simple USB drive with extra firmware, since the PS3 was turned on in a very specific manner - power on + eject.... the TV was not shown during this power on.

Scroll down to near the bottom of this page....

The PS3 can enter a special "Service Mode". When it does the bottom right hand corner of the screen has a red translucent rectangle with the words "Playstation 3. Factory/Service Mode" inside of the rectangle. It is rumored that by plugging a special JIG in the USB port (and then pressing both Eject and Power button at the same time), the PS3 shuts down and is triggered into Service Mode the next time it boots up. This special mode then accepts firmware code loaded in from the USB port, and allows reflashing the firmware chip.

Near the top of the page about Dev Kits, you can see....

Developers get a PS3 Test unit (Debugging Station) that allows it to run unsigned code. The machine is normally labelled Test below the PlayStation 3 logo, and it comes with a testkit. The PS3 model numbers for these Test machines are similar to the the ones for consumers, but instead of the CECH prefix, the model numbers have the DECH prefix. Unlike consumer units, a PS3 Test unit has an extra "Settings"->"Debug Settings" menu in the XMB (XrossMediaBar), which allows many options like downgrading to previous PS3 Test firmwares (available in PS3 Test firmware 2.00 and higher), changing the PS3 region, and treating a USB drive as a Blu-ray drive,. The PS3 Test unit is identical to the consumer PS3 unit hardware-wise, but the different software settings is tailored for allowing easy debugging of programs. By default it is missing Blu-ray movie decryption keys found in the retail PS3, but has decryption keys for running debug encrypted software. The PS3 Test, therefore, cannot decrypt and play retail Blu-ray movie discs, but can run retail PS3 games. In the DECHA models, PS2 games (any region, debug and retail) loading were disabled, but later firmwares allow it.