For a few days, the PS3 Dev Wiki was down due to hosting problems and a lot of information seemed to be lost, but thanks to the hard work of the Wiki’s admin defyboy and a backup from a member called TMAnd, only a couple of days work was lost, you can read about it on this thread.

So thank you defyboy and TMAnd for rescuing all those precious edits

I would like to point out, that the PS3 Dev Wiki is a community effort, without the work and dedication of a lot of developers and PS3 enthusiasts, the wiki would be quite empty, so if you are doing work on the PS3, keep it documented on the Wiki

You can visit the Wiki here:
PS3 Dev Wiki

I would like to give thanks to euss, deroad, defyboy, Lady Anne Blunt, sandungas and the many other editors who keep the Wiki alive.

Many people have varied opinions on how the “scene” should support TB2, and generally there has been 2 groups: those that love the dongle for their work, and those that despise it for plaguing the scene. However, new news over from the TB2 website giving basically a threat to all TB2 cloners:

A warning to those considering or having already purchased a True Blue clone: we have previously implemented special anti-clone technology in the True Blue firmware which accurately detects clones and when such a clone is detected, will activate one of several effects at random intervals, such as erasing the internal PS3 HDD. The recent JBKing 2.5 software update is especially affected by these measures; anyone using this clone will be subject to data loss as a result of random HDD erasure as well as other effects. Other anti-clone measures are now being developed and will be deployed shortly.

Clones of True Blue will be blocked and future EBOOT’s will not function with such devices. It is therefore important that users, in the interests of enjoyment and to avoid wasting money on trivially detectable clones, should purchase only original True Blue devices

Clearly quite an “asshole” move by them. Is this a sign that TB2 is about to get cracked and are moving to panic mode? Or is this threat just a bluff? Let us know via comments below.

Please refrain from flaming…we all know everyones stance on the DRM dongles here. 

Im sure most of you already know about the Cobra USB device, that enables backing up and playing of PS1/PS2/PS3 games/ISO’s, we posted information about the dongle here.

So with all the awesome details, you are probably wondering how good the device is, that’s where these two great reviews come in, the first is by PS3HaX member gliitch, the creator of GAXMB(gliitch’s Awesome XMB), it is both a review and a tutorial on how to get started using the device, the other great review is by PS3HaX member Persian McLovin

gliitchs Review/Tutorial(Click to view)

Persian McLovin’s Review(Click to view)

We are in no way affiliated with the Cobra team, this article is created, merely to help our members make up their minds and with two awesome reviews, this should help a lot

Ps3 Dev jaicrab has released dumps of the CobraUSB Dongle. However, these dumps are not confirmed to be working on any dongle, but it is a step forward to playing your PSX ISO as well as watching region free BLU-RAY on all PS3 models including SLIMS. And PS2 ISO compatibility on BC PS3(launch PS3s).

Here is a quote from the source:

This was translated by jean945

The original can be found at the source

Source

http://jaicrab.blogspot.com/2011/06/ps3-dump-cobra.html

http://psgroove.com/content.php?1160…sed-by-Jaicrab

Also thanks to manster for being the original source, by posting them here , and IRC.

It seems that the Cobra usb dongle has now been upgraded to add PS2 ISO support for backwards compatible models. Earlier it was reported that PS1 games were fully supported by the dongle on all models of the PS3. Here is a quote regarding from the website

The necessary download files can be found at the source.

Source:

http://www.cobra-usb.com/index.html

E3diy, the creator’s of the E3 Jailbreaking Dongle/Card Reader have released a free cheating method to owners of their dongle, it gives you the usual, unlimited health and ammo and it works on any console on firmware 3.50 and below, here is a quote from their site:

Hi Buddy

We are E3diy. Do you forget your E3card Reader?
Today we will bring you a new surprise, a complete FREE gift, the E3 Golden Finger.
Three months ago, there was a war that engulf the world. It’s not only the war between SONY and hackers but also among the jailbreakers. You know, there were three kinds of jailbreaks:
those could not be upgraded, those the clone of the clone of the clone and those big-ones which could downgrade the PS3 firmware from 3.50 to any lower version. Those of the three. That was three months ago. And now, how many of them can still be named?

I don’t want to mention that we were the one who had fistly cheated the PSN with a 3.5proof then made the SONY change its strategy;
I don’t want to mention that we were the first one who had released the world’s first unlimited downgrader for completely free meanwhile some smart guys tried to sell their promise but made everyone upset.
I just want to say, hi guys we are still here, we still work for your joy, and other than these, nothing is important.

Currently, E3 GoldenFinger support genuine games , and the supporting for ROM is coming soon.

Armed with the E3 Golden Finger means that you could have:
- unlimited ammo
- unlimited HP and MP
- An undead body in the game.
- Teach those big-guys who truly is the right BOSS.

The only thing you need is to:
- Download the free upgrade file
- Plug your E3card Reader in your PC
- Copy the upgrade file(GoldenFinger.bin) to the E3Upgrader driver
- Copy the CFD folder into the 4M memory stick(E3_4M_STICK).
- Please refer to the user guide for the useage.

Then everything is done.

For your joy, we will
- bring more new features to you,
- add support for new games ASAP
- try to make the next surprise for you quietly. ^_^

Have a good time.

E3 – make Everything Easy and Efficient

Best Regards
E3diy

Not a lot of games are available yet, here are a list of ones that are.

TOP SPIN4 US BLUS30427
RESIDENT EVIL5 GOLD EDITION BLUS30491
BLADESTORM US BLUS30070
BLADESTORM EU BLES00113
BLADESTORM JP BLJM60009
Resistance1 US BCUS98107
BAYONETTA US BLUS30367
BAYONETTA EU BLES00599
DEVIL MAY CRY4 US BLUS30092
DEVIL MAY CRY4 US Collection Box BLUS30124
DEVIL MAY CRY4 EU BLES00186
GOD OF WAR3 ASIA BCAS25003
GOD OF WAR3 US BCUS98111
GOD OF WAR3 US Collection BCUS98231
GOD OF WAR3 EU BCES00510
Uncharted2 Among Thieves ASIA BCAS20097
Uncharted2 Among Thieves US BCUS98213
Uncharted2 Among Thieves EU BCES00509
SOUL CALIBUR4 US BLUS30160
SOUL CALIBUR4 EU BLES00296
TEKKEN6 US BLUS30359
TEKKEN6 EU BLES00635
DEAD RISING 2 US BLUS30439
DEAD RISING 2 EU BLES00948
NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA US BLUS30036
NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA EU BLES00072
NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA2 US BLUS30380
NINJA GAIDEN SIGMA2 EU BLES00736
RESIDENT EVIL5 GOLD EDITION BLUS30491
Ratchet and Clank Future US BCUS98127
Ratchet and Clank Future2 US BCUS98124
YAKUZA3 US BLUS30494
Resistance2 US BCUS98120
ARMORED CORE4£ÛDISC ver1.05
ARMORED CORE4 THE BEST COLLECTION£ÛDISC ver1.00£
ARMORED CORE for Answer£ÛDISC ver1.02
NieR Replicant£ÛDISC ver1.00
NINJA GAIDEN ¦²£ÛDISC ver1.02
NINJA GAIDEN ¦²2£ÛDISC ver1.03
FINAL FANTASY XIII£ÛDISC ver1.04£Ý
BLAZBLUE£ÛDISC ver1.02£Ý
BLAZBLUE CONTINUUM SHIFT£ÛDISC ver1.02£Ý
FRONT MISSION EVOLVED£ÛDISC ver1.01£Ý
BAYONETTA£ÛDISC ver1.00£Ý
BAYONETTA PlayStation the Best£ÛDISC ver2.00£Ý
The full list can be found here.

You can find the user guide here.

Download

Source PSX-Scene

A new USB dongle is stirring up fire known as “Cobra-USB” this new dongle brings many new features to FW 3.41 users that FW 3.55 jailbreakers do not have.

To quote full set of features (** is the “world first” features):

Cobra USB – The Ultimate PS3 USB solution!.
• ** Blu Ray Movie region free functionality
• ** Allows you to play Blu Ray movie ISO’s from HDD
• ** Allows you to play DVD movie ISO’s from HDD
• ** Integrated support to play PS1 game ISO’s from HDD
• ** Integrated support to play PSP mini games from HDD
• ** Enjoy PS3 games with files >4GB on external USB HDD
• Supports FAT and SLIM PS3 consoles any region
• Supports versions up to 3.50 (console must be running 3.41)
• Play PS3 games from internal HDD
• MCU firmware and flash firmware updatable using easy to use free PC updater
• First class customer support and free regular firmware upgrades
• No need to open your console, just plug and play
• High quality components and materials used throughout
• Unique and built from scratch Cobra USB manager featuring slick U.I. and customized options with easy navigation
• Actel based encryption engine onboard to prevent device cloning
• Fast onboard 2 Mbyte SPI flash for firmware storage
• High quality onboard MCU
• Easy mode selection via switch (PC update, PS3 downgrader, regular PS3 device mode)
• Downgrader functionality included free of charge, allowing users to upgrade firmware to and from 3.41 at will
• Multi lingual user interface (English, Spanish and French as standard with more languages to be supported later)

** = World’s first implementation

It does sound “too good to be true”, however PSX-Scene reports the legitimacy of this products with the distributors. We will find out soon enough if this USB stick holds true to its word

[Product Page]

I have read quite a few histories on game consoles, they all have been greatly written by great authors, but they all seemed incomplete, they didn’t portray the full history, the full essence of the machine, so as i am involved in the PS3 scene and know quite a bit about it, i thought i would write a complete history, containing the good, the bad and the ugly and believe me the PS3 has quite an exciting history and future, i wanted to write a history that will be enjoyed by everyone, one where people like myself wouldn’t finish the story, thinking there is something missing, i would also like to mention, that this work is my creation, i have written it in my own words, most of it from memory, sourced from various places over the internet, but mostly from ps3hax.net, so without any more interruption, here is the history of the PS3:

2005

16th of May 2005
The world was awoken, to the news of a brand new console, this wouldn’t be a console, but a super computer, it would have everything that you needed for your gaming/media/computing needs, for ten years at least, the original console which was showcased, was silver in colour and had what appeared to be a brand new control pad design, it resembled a boomerang, it had three 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, two HDMI ports and six USB ports, though unfortunately that wouldn’t be the final design, here are the specs revealed at Sony’s E3 presentation 2005:

Product Name: PlayStation 3

Logo: PLAYSTATION(R)3

CPU: Cell Processor

PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
Total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU: RSX @550MHz

1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines

Sound:

Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing)

Memory:

256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth:

Main RAM — 25.6GB/s
VRAM — 22.4GB/s
RSX — 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SB — 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)

System Floating Point Performance:

2 TFLOPS

Storage:

Detachable 2.5″ HDD slot x 1

I/O

USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1

Communication:

Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller:

Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB 2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP)
Network (over IP)

AV Output

Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI: HDMI out x 2
Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

Disc Media:

CD PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)
DVD: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc: PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Below, is 2005′s E3 PS3 Presentation, it is split into 14 minute segments for easier viewing:

8th Of June 2005
Gotou Shigehiro of Japan’s PC Watch, interviews Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi regarding the PS3, i screen capped the below images from the Beyond3D forums, clicking on the images, will enlarge them, making them more readable:

Original Interview.
Beyond3D Forum – Translated Version Of Interview.

2006

(more…)

Hi,

X3Max have updated their “news” page today.
The .gif now includes a third image that reads:

2A 41 C2 93 F8 15 D8 91 65 6D C3 74 6D 0E 33 EC 7B 39 5B 92

source: http://www.x3max.com/news.html

X3Max has released their PS Downgrader today (3.50 Downgrade). They claim that the downgrade does not break BluRay player functionality, but reports claim otherwise. (more…)

The E3 Card Reader downgrade has fixed the issue of Bluray playback in a latest firmware update for their device. This is only a beta version and ONLY for the E3 Card Reader.

[Download Files (mirror) via Official Site]

Source: psx-scene.

PS3Yes have just released a method to spoof firmware 3.55 for their devices. To quote: (more…)

Remember that video and claim by X3Max we reported to you about earlier for the 3.50 jailbreak? Well it seems that it is indeed a fake. It was nothing more than hype and a sad attempt to boost their sales. The 3.5 jailbreak was supposed to be released today, instead we were greeted with the most expected method.

X3Max 3.5X Update

[2010/12/12]

Last week the 3.5 proof of concept video was released prematurely. There has been a lot of rumors circulating and criticism from the scene regarding our 3.5 solution. Our intention was never to get the communities hopes up in order to increase sales. The X3Max 3.5 solution is real and compatible with all existing and future models. We understand the community isn’t looking for an apology but an explanation as to why we’ve yet to release the 3.5 solution. We all witnessed how quickly the PSdowngrade was cloned – it’s crucial the same isn’t done to our 3.5 solution. We are now taking necessary precautions before releasing it to the public so it doesn’t suffer the same fate. Our group consists of experienced developers who’ve been involved in the console scene from the beginning and have worked on many different projects. The X3Max from the jump has never been about marketing hype but about pushing the envelope. Without a doubt we’re going to continue to do this as the scene evolves. While many will label us as greedy pigs we’ve invested thousands into hardware. Truthfully as a business, one of our goals is to earn a profit while bringing the community the best development dongle that isn’t priced outrageously.

…Mathieulh, you don’t have to believe it, the video was made with a retail PS3 console. Expect the unexpected ; ).

It’s a no brainier that the X3Max has just blew their little reputation out of the roof. We recommend all of our members to never buy a crappy clone, but to make your OWN (its really not that hard), and remember that whatever the various PSJB clones are selling is actually the free work of PS3 hackers available to everyone

[VIA PSXScene]

Since many of you guys own PS3Break, I figured I might as well post this. The latest downgrade for PS3Break is out bringing downgrade to FW 3.5, and works for any version of PS3Break dongle.

To quote:

Hot news: All series of PS3BREAK dongles support downgrade 3.5 perfectly [12/9/2010]
PS3BREAK team release the latest downgrade mode firmware. Referring to reasons unexpected, delay to release these for this time. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

How to downgrade firmware 3.42/3.50 or above to firmware 3.41 with PS3break dongle:

1. Insert PS3break dongle device into computer and flash in downgrade mode firmware as downgrader.
2. Insert PS3break dongle device that has been reprogrammed as downgrader into your console.
3. Turn on the console using the same boot method as all other jailbreaks: Press power then immediately press eject. Your console will turn on and PS3break dongle will light up green LED.
4. After few minutes,the ps3 console power off automatic and red LED light up.
5. Remove PS3break dongle and turn on console to make sure you are in Factory Service Mode. You will see a huge red box on the screen saying Factory Service Mode.
6. Load any blank FAT32 USB flash drive device with 2 files in the root directory:
-1. Modified 3.41 PUP
-2. Lv2Diag.self (File 1)
7. These must be the only files on the USB key and must be placed in the main (root) directory.
8. Insert flash drive into the last USB port to the right — the first USB port in from the right side if you’re facing the console. Turn the PS3 on and you will see black screen but the PS3 HDD light will flash.
9. The process takes 3-4 minutes for the system to install the old firmware. Towards the end, the power button on the console will start flashing green and then your console will power off.
10. Remove the flash drive and turn on the console, you will still be in Factory Service Mode. Please verify you have downgraded successfully to version 3.41 by going to “System Information”.
11. (Optional) – If you wish to downgrade to any older firmware you can follow step 4, 5, 6 using any regular firmware PUP. (You do not need to use modified custom firmware now that you are on 3.41).
12. Insert USB flash drive back into your PC and delete the PUP and Lv2Diag.self file (File 1) and copy the other Lv2Diag.self (File 2) to the root of the flash drive.
13. Insert USB flash drive back into the same USB port on the PS3 and power on your PS3. After 10 seconds it will power off.
14. Remove USB flash drive and turn on your console again. You will be out of factory service mode and back in retail mode with your chosen firmware version installed. You will need to go through setting up settings configuration.
To go back to PS3break dongle device, just drag back the normal .hex files.

Regarding Blu-Ray support after downgrade:

Blu-ray works normally as we have tested.

regards
George, ps3break team [12/08/2010]

[Grab all the PS3Break Downgrade files HERE]

[VIA PSX-Scene]

tried to find some info about the X3Max 3.50 jailbreak (loosing my faith a little now the 72 hours have past for a while) and found the following email from today on the net:

Too bad there is no info about the 3.50 jailbreak but they say they are developing a new dongle. So that is some interesting info

Thanks ldh888 @ PSX Scene for the update! =]

File name: downgrade 20101208.rar File size: 300.37 KB

Happy Hacking!

PS3Key released the FW3.50 Downgrade JIG much sooner than their announced time!

I have created a download link for the Atmel and Silabs versions HERE.

Happy hacking!!

Remember: This is only for FW3.50 or lower. The new FW3.55 is not downgradable at the moment!

News Source: PS3Key Downgrader firmware online![/QUOTE]

Revised/updated version can be found here. The follow information is excellent for firmware 3.41 jailbreakers.

It has been about three and a half months, since PS Jailbreak was first announced, you can find the first post here, since then there has been a lot of progress in the scene, from an Open Source version(PSGroove/PSFreedom) of PS Jailbreak being created, to Sony blocking any jailbreak methods with firmware 3.42 and much more, here i will attempt to create a very detailed F.A.Q.

Q.) What firmwares can i jailbreak my PS3 on.
A.) 2.76, 3.01, 3.15, 3.21, 3.40 and 3.41

Q.) Can Firmwares higher than 3.41 be Jailbroken
A.) No, Sony blocked the method when they released Firmware 3.42 and at this present time, there is no way to Jailbreak beyond 3.41.

Q.) I accidentally upgraded to 3.42/3.50, can i downgrade to a Jailbreakable Firmware.
A.) Yes, the scene is full of open source downgraders, the following list of devices are able to do downgrading:

ATTENTION: A word of warning before downgrading, downgrading disables Blu Ray Movie playback.

Commtivia z71
Commtivia Z71
Dream/Sapphire 32A
Dream/Sapphire 32B
HTC Aria
HTC Desire (CDMA)
HTC Desire (GSM)
HTC Desire HD
HTC Droid Eris
HTC Droid Incredible
HTC Evo 4G
HTC G2
HTC Hero (CDMA)
HTC Hero (GSM)
HTC Wildfire
Motorola Droid
Nexus One
T-Mobile myTouch 4G

Payloads via klutsh.com

AmazeBreak
Arduino Duemilanove
Arduino Mega
AT90Usbkey
ATAVR USB
AVR Key
Benito
Blackcat USB
Dingoo
Eclips3
iPhone 2G/3G
JMDBU2
Maximus AVR
Minimus AVR
Minimus32
Olimex AVR
OpenKubus
P3Go
PIC18FXXXX
PS2Chipper
PS3Break 1.0,1.1 & 1.2
PS3Key
PS3USBJailbreak
PS3Yes
Teensy 2.0
Teensy++ 1.0
Teensy++ 2.0
TI-84 Plus
TI-89 Titanium
Udip16
Udip8
UsbTinyMKII
Xplain
Following Via RockBox
iPod 1G Mini
iPod 1G Nano
iPod 2G Mini
iPod 4G Greyscale
iPod 4G Phot
iPod Video
iRiver H10
iRiver H10 5G
Olympus M:Robe100
Packard Bell Vibe 500
Philips GoGear HDD 1630-1830
Philips GoGear HDD 6330
Philips GoGear HDD 9200
Sandisk Sansa c200v1
Sandisk Sansa e200
Toshiba – GigabeatS
Payloads via PSGrade.org

[Tutorial] Downgrade, Using PS Jailbreak

Q.) When jailbreak came out, i upgraded to 3.41, loosing Linux, can i have Linux again.
A.1) As i stated above, there is a downgrade method, so using that, it will be possible to downgrade again to 3.15.
A.2) If you aren’t interested in downgrading or you have a Slim PS3, marcan, is working on a boot loader, that will enable Linux once again on PS3′s past 3.15, check out AsbestOS

Q.) I cant afford nor am i willing to pay $99 for the Official Jailbreak, is there any other methods.
A.) Yes you can, you can buy a clone dongle of PS jailbreak, a Dev Board or mobile devices, such as iPhone or HTC Desire.
PSGroove Devices:
X3max
Arduino Duemilanove
Arduino Mega
AVR Key
Benito
Blackcat USB
JMDBU2
Maximus AVR
Minimus AVR
Minimus32
Olimex AVR
OpenKubus
PIC18Fxxxx
PIC18Fxxxx
PS2Chipper
PS3Yes
PS3Break 1.1 & 1.2
Teensy 1.0
Teensy 2.0
Teensy++ 1.0
Teensy++ 2.0
TI 84+
TI-84 Plus Silver
TI-89 Titanium
UsbTinyMKII
Xplain
Bumble Bee
ecliPS3
NEO Jailbreak
PS3Key
PS3Stinger
PS3Zpack
PSFree
P3Go
TI-84 Plus
TI-84 Plus Silver
TI-89 Titanium
E3 Card Reader
PS3USBJailbreak
Following Via RockBox
iPod Mini 1G
iPod Mini 2G
iPod Nano 1G
iPod Photo 4G
iPod Video 5G
SanDisk Sansa e200
See below For Payloads

PSFreedom Devices:
Nokia N900
Nokia N800/Nokia N810
Palm Pre
Motorola Droid
Archos 5 IMT
HTC Desire(HTC Bravo)
HTC Desire HD
Google Nexus One
HTC Dream (G1)
HTC Sapphire(HTC Magic 32A)
HTC Sapphire (HTC Magic 32B)
HTC Droid Incredible
HTC Raphael (HTC Touch Pro/HTC Diamond) (Android)
HTC Rhodium (HTC Touch Pro 2/HTC Diamond 2) (Android)
HTC HD Blackstone (Android)
HTC Kovsky (Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1) (Android)
HTC EVO
HTC HD2 (Android)
HTC Hero
HTC Droid Eris
HTC Wildfire
iPod Touch 1G, iPhone 2G/3G
Dingoo
See below For Payloads

Q.) So i have been hearing about payload’s
A.) KaKaRoTo and Hemes are the two most famous payload creators, these payloads add various functions, for example, the payload that allowed 3.41 users to access PSN, original created by Xoeo, make sure you have the most up to date payload.
For a vast amount of payloads for your device, check this site:
Hermes V4
KaKaRoTo Pl3
Rockbox
Phones
Payloads via PSGrade.org

Q.) So how do i actually Jailbreak the PS3
A.) Well each jailbreak device is different, for instance, on the HTC Desire, you put the phone into recovery mode and select the payload, you then plug the phone into the USB cable, which should be plugged into the first USB port on the left of your console, then(this applies to all jailbreak devices) Power of the PS3, with switch at back for Fat and pull the plug out for Slim’s, re-switch/plug on/in, then press power followed by eject, if done correctly, you should be greeted with two new folders in the games list on the XMB

Q.) Is my console permanently Jailbroken
A.) No, you need to Jailbreak each time you power on your device.

Q.) So how do i Backup games
A.) You need to install a Backup manager, there are quite a few available

multiMAN
Open Manager
Gaia Manager
Rogero Manager
Th@nkYou Manager
Flex Manager
Sexy Manager

Q.) What are my options for backing up games.
A.) You can install games on the PS3′s internal HDD or use an External USB HDD, which needs to be formatted to FAT32, you can also use a FAT32 USB Thumb Drive, note that with FAT32 you are limited to games with single files under 4GB, if you prefer all your games to be on the internal HDD, you can get up to 1TB 2.5″ HDD, or you can use the Xecuter PS3 HDXT method and have your internal HDD on the outside of the machine, the benefit of this, is that you can use 3.5″ Sata and IDE HDD’s as internal storage.
Some more PS3 HDD Information submitted by ieder-zijn-meis(Thanks again)
- maximum height is 9,5mm (many 2.5″ drives above 640GB are too high too fit inside)
- maximum PS3 filesystem is 1TB (512KB block size)
- maximum FAT32 theoretical size is 8TB, practical limit on the PS3 is 2TB
- 7200rpm can be used, as well as Flashdrives (although the 1/5th lower loadingtime of GTA5 can be considered too low to justify the higher pricetag of SATA Flashdrives.
- SATAII-300 can be used, although it will work on SATA1-150 speed interface.
- If using external 3.5″ drives hooked up to the internal SATA, you’ll need an external powersupply (some drivebays include them).
- If on low budget or you like DIY: use a normal extension (male to female) SATA cable (and make sure it doesn’t get loose) and recycle the case + powersupply of an external USB harddisk (without using the USB connection/conversion).
- Don’t use RAID or SAN drives with (e)SATA interface, just a plain single drive with a bare SATA connector (many controllers don’t work without drivers/software).
- Games can be hardcoded for BluRay speeds (9MB/s) so sticking a 85~220MB/s harddrive inside will not speedup everything/allways (but most do).
- If you plan on exchanging the drive, download the full PUP of your FW you are using and put it on an USB Mass Storage Device formatted with FAT32 in PS3UPDATEPS3UPDAT.PUP and disconnect the LAN before repowering the PS3 (or you’ll bound to end up with the latest (3.55 now) unjailbreakable/undowngradable version).
- Use a good fitting X screwdriver, the screws fitted to the HD<>tray are made of very soft aluminium.
View here

An image of the Xecuter PS3 HDXT.

Q.) Ok, i have downloaded a Backup Manager, that i want to use, how do i install it.
A.) You need to put the PKG on the root of a thumb drive and install, by selecting “Install Package Files” on the XMB, in the games section.

Q.) Ok im fed up with using my thumb drive, is there a way to download apps directly to the PS3.
A.) Yes, though you will have to install this one last app via thumb drive, it mounts a virtual Thumb Drive on the PS3 MHUFreeStore, here is a video:

Q.) So i have heard some games will not work, how do i find out, which game does or doesn’t work.
A.) Well i could list each one here, but i wont, instead visit PSJCL(PS Jailbreak Compatibility List), created by Bash, OnePlayer, Chris, Neowarex, Meeplo and xnt14, it is without a doubt, it is the definitive site for PS3 game Backup compatibility information.

Q.) Ok so i have backed up a game, i want to save that game to my computer as an extra backup, or i want to mod the game, how do i transfer it from my PS3.
A.) There are two methods, FTP, there are three of those at the moment:
PS3 FTP Server by CJCP
blackb0x FTP Server by blackb0x
PS3FTP by stoneMcClane
Alternativley you can use
Comgenies Awesome Filemanager
or
Simple Filemanager
if you cant use FTP, or have an External HDD, Comgenies Filemanager is the best choice.

Q.) So is PS Jailbreak all about Backup’s, or can i run Homebrew too.
A.) In the past three months, quite a lot of Homebrew has been released, from the very first app, which was the FTP Server created
by CJCP, to most recently a PS1 Emulator.
App’s
Comgenies Awesome Filemanager
PS3 FTP Server by CJCP
blackb0x FTP Server by blackb0x
PS3FTP by stoneMcClane
NZHawk’s Awesome MountPoint Manager
NZHawk’s Awesome Peek Poker
NZHawk’s QuickDumpR
MHUFreeStore
Jochen Hippel Tribute Music Disk
PS3Load
TXT Reader

Emulator’s
Mednafen PS3
FBAnext
SNES9x
FCEU
PS3SX
ScummVM
VBA-PS3

Game’s
Cubicle Shooter
Dont Get Crushed
Maze Generator
The World Drowns
Cascade Beneath
Neo Tanks
Neo Race
PS3 DOOM
Heretic And Hexen
BOMBERMAN HD
PONGUS
PS3noid

Q.) I want to be able to create my own Homebrew, is it possible.
A.) Yes, using the Open Source PS3 SDK, named PSL1GHT, you can create Homebrew, PSL1GHT was created by AerialX

Q16.) So can i play online or view the PSN store, when my PS3 is Jailbroken
A.) No, it isn’t possible, Sony has blocked all attempts to access PSN, we had it back for a while thanks to Xoeo, but that was also blocked, who knows, perhaps in the future.

Q.) So there is no way i can play multiplayer games with my friends(Thanks Spok)
A.) Yes you can, but not via PSN, you need to use XkaiLink and XBSlink and this will have you playing via LAN.
[Tutorial] 1
[Tutorial] 2
[Tutorial] 3

Q.) To what lowest firmware can I downgrade?(Thanks ieder-zijn-meis)
A.) The only safe downgrade with full support of your HW specific variation is to the lowest version available for your SKU when it was released, e.g.:

PS3 Fat (FW 1.00 or 1.50):
model, releasedate, FW@releasedate
CECHA 8/2006-8/2007, FW 1.00/1.90
CECHB 8/2006-4/2007, FW 1.00/1.70
CECHC 8/2006-8/2007, FW 1.50/1.90
CECHE 8/2007, FW 1.90
CECHG 10/2007, FW 1.94
CECHH 10/2007, FW 1.94
CECHJ 8/2008, FW 2.42
CECHK 8/2008, FW 2.42
CECHL 8/2008, FW 2.42
CECHM 8/2008, FW 2.42
CECHP 10/2008, FW 2.50
CECHQ 4/2009, FW 2.70

PS3 Slim (FW 2.7x, 2.85 or 2.90):
model, releasedate, FW@releasedate
CECH-20 9/2009, FW 3.0
CECH-21 3/2010, FW 3.21
CECH-25 7/2010, FW 3.41

Check here for more information.

Q.) People are saying that i can get banned from PSN, if i Jailbreak my PS3, is this true
A.) At the moment no, there is no actual cases of bans happening because of Jailbreak

Q.) I decided to downgrade my console using a debug firmware, i got five beeps then it shut down, is it bricked, can i fix it
A.) When you start messing with different firmwares, you run the risk of bricking your console, forum member gliitch did exactly that
though he was able to fix it and wrote quite an informative tutorial on how to fix it here

Q.) Ok so i have gone through the process of jailbreaking and successfully unbricking etc, i want to be braver and attempt more exiting exploits, like writing to the flash, is this possible.
A.) JaiCraB & ps3mrenigma released an app called Mount Alejandro which enables you to write to flash, you can read more about it here

Q.) I would like to modify the XMB, make it more custom, is this possible
A.) TeaM-ACiD1C brought out a modified XMB, you need to use Mount Alejandro if you want to write to the flash, you can find more about it here, it also has the download link

Q.) I have always hated that annoying boot sound the PS3 makes, when it is turned on, can i change it
A.) You certainly can, gliitch has written a great tutorial here it will show you how to change the sound and make yourown, or you can simply download the sounds made by gliitch and other members

People who deserve thanks and respect, for making this great PS3 Scene what it is, without them, it wouldn’t really exist Mathieulh, RichDevX, GeoHot, The PS Jailbreak Team, KaKaRoTo, Hermes, klutsh, Amon-Ra, marcan, ThatOtherPerson, AerialX, Comgenie , NZHawk, CJCP, blackb0x, MohammadAG, The PSJCL Team, gliitch and any other person, who has also created a payload, made homebrew, or contributed to the scene.

The other guys that deserve a big thank you, are the site admins, that work to keep you up to date with news and bring you those all important exclusives, the most important being:
garyopa @ PSX Scene
grandy @ PSGroove
And of course
Pirate , here @ PS3HaX

Also i would like to thank you, the readers, without you this F.A.Q would be pointless, thanks to those that have given me tips, to make this F.A.Q better, like Gonesuper, Spok, ieder-zijn-meis and the guys on IRC.

This F.A.Q is a work in progress, it will be updated and renewed from time to time, if anything is missing, or anything you feel needs added, don’t hesitate to post and let me know, i really hope this helps those of you, just starting out in the PS3 Jailbreaking scene, thanks for reading, your faithful Moderator/News Editor GregoryRasputin