Everything you need to know about using Dark-Alex's POPSLoader plugin to gain access to most earlier versions of POPS (the Sony-developed PSOne emulator) from your 5.00 M33-2 (or higher)-equipped PSP! ~ 10-24-2008
One of the most significant benefits to installing M33 custom firmware on your Playstation Portable is the ability to play homemade PSP conversions of your classic Playstation One games.
An earlier tutorial of mine deals with the PSOne to PSP conversion process. This tutorial will increase your PSOne playback compatibility many, many times over again. You see, normally you'd be stuck with whatever version of the PSOne emulator is included in your current firmware. With this plugin properly configured and resident on your memory stick, you'll have access to just about all of them. Read on!
Definitions:
CFW - Custom firmware, not to be confused with OFW (Sony's official firmware). A more robust definition of custom firmware can be found
elsewhere, but for the purposes of playing PSOne games on your PSP, know that you'll need CFW to play
your own PSOne conversions. CFW can also play the official PSN releases of PSOne games, just like OFW can.
If you're unwilling to break free from the shackles of Sony's official firmwares, then you'll be limited to the paltry selection offered for download on the Playstation Network (PSN). The upside to this, however, is that the PSN conversions of PSOne classics will also work on your PS3. Your conversions will not.
See the tutorials elsewhere in this thread for details on flashing CFW on your PSP. The better tutorials (created by our very own navanman) are
mirrored in my OP, for easy reference.
POPS - The Sony-developed PSOne emulator for the PSP. It's what we all use to play our PSOne games on Sony's handheld, whether we download official conversions from PSN or play our own conversions. By default, the version of POPS that you're currently using is equivalent to the version of your current firmware. For example, if you're running CFW 5.00 M33-3 or OFW 5.00, then your PSP has POPS 5.00.
NOT ALL VERIONS OF POPS WERE CREATED EQUAL. Most games do NOT work equally well across the board on all versions of POPS. So many small changes are made to POPS from version to version (which is customized to specifically work ONLY with the currently available official PSN conversions) that inevitably, you'll encounter performance issues with your non-official PSOne conversions. See the POPSLoader plugin entry for more information.
POPSLoader - An M33 CFW plugin (optional extension) created by Dark-Alex to overcome the firmware limitation of only being able to retain one version of POPS (the one built into your OFW or CFW) on your PSP. POPSLoader, when properly configured, allows you to set up just about every major revision of POPS side-by-side on your PSP. Basically, it allows you to select the version of POPS you'd like to run with the specific PSOne EBOOT you're trying to load.
Additionally, POPSLoader recalls your preference, per game, and auto-loads it when next you try to run the PSOne EBOOT. You may override this selection by holding the R shoulder trigger as you next load your PSOne EBOOT. This will take you back to the POPS version prompt and allow you to select another POPS version.
Fully setting up POPSLoader isn't difficult (just tedious), please continue reading below for more information.
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Resources and Downloads:
Dark-Alex's website - From here you'll be able to download the POPSLoader plugin (current version at the time of this tutorial revision is
5.00 M33 POPSLoader, which requires CFW 5.00 M33-2 or higher.) Here you'll also be able to find mirrors of
Sony's OFWs (official firmwares), which you'll be needing shortly.
RSPSARDumper 3.5 - A PSARDumper is a PSP homebrew application that can decrypt and extract all of the files that together form a Sony official firmware installer. There are a variety of different PSARDumper "builds" out there. This is not the newest one, but it does feature the easiest and most user-friendly interface. Additionally, it supports up to OFW 4.05, which more than suits the needs of this tutorial.
New PSARDumper for 5.00 Decryption - It's been a while since Dark-Alex released his own version of a PSARDumper. This one adds support for OFW 5.00 and 5.01. For the purposes of setting up POPSLoader, it is not needed. But I've included it here anyway.
5.00 M33 POPSLoader is compatible with the versions of POPS contained in the following OFWs:
3.00 [Initial versions of POPS]
3.01
3.02
3.03
3.10
3.11
3.30
3.40
3.51
3.52
3.71
3.72
3.80
3.90
4.01
5.00 ('Original from flash' option)
In general, the POPS versions included in the OFWs excluded from this list were not significantly different from those versions of POPS included in the above listing.
Primary PSOne on PSP Compatibility List - Contains links to software manuals, if available.
Secondary PSOne on PSP Compatibility List - No longer updated, seemingly. Good resource for older POPS versions, however.
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Basic Theory Behind the POPSLoader Plugin:
The POPSLoader plugin you (should have) downloaded earlier is rather useless by itself. Due to copyright concerns, Dark-Alex does NOT provide the POPS files that POPSLoader requires to function. It is up to us to procure the official Sony firmware installers and extract the necessary POPS files.
As I touched upon above, the version of POPS that comes built-in with your CFW/OFW is stored in your PSP's flash. The purpose of this tutorial is to aid you in:
a) Extracting the POPS files from OFWs
other than what you're currently running (typically older, obsolete OFWs);
b) Placing these POPS files in a pre-determined folder on your memory stick that the POPSLoader plugin accesses; and
c) Enabling the plugin via the M33 Recovery Console, and using it.
Once you've accomplished those three goals, you will be able to use the plugin to (practically) seamlessly select between the POPS stored on your PSP's flash memory (5.00 in this tutorial) and any of the POPS versions stored on your memory stick.
For the purposes of this tutorial, I am assuming that you want to setup your plugin to work with all of the POPS versions listed above. If there are versions that you do not need, simply skip those steps and move on.
Additionally, if you are upgrading to 5.00 M33 POPSLoader from an older version of POPSLoader, you do NOT need to extract the older files anew. Simply copy over the new plugin files and extract just those POPS files that you're missing.
The basic premise behind the extraction of the required POPS files from its corresponding OFW installer is identical across the board. However, depending on which "generation" of POPS you're looking to extract and configure, certain details vary. In a general sense, the variances can be grouped into three "generations," as follows:
Generation 1 = 3.00 to 3.03
Generation 2 = 3.10 to 3.30
Generation 3 = 3.40 to 4.01
The
specific POPS files that you need to extract are what vary from generation to generation. Keep this in mind as you proceed with the tutorial below. Before we begin, please verify that you have sufficient space free on your memory stick. I would recommend 80 MBs. A fully configured POPSLoader takes up around half that, and we'll be needing some working space beyond that figure.
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PART I - Initial Configuration:
Note 1: Your operating system needs to be set up to show hidden files and folders. In Windows XP, open up Windows Explorer and click on Tools\Folder Options. Under Advanced Settings, and Hidden Files and Folders, make sure that the radio button near 'Show hidden files and folders' is filled. Click Apply to All Folders (above), then OK (below).
Note 2: When I specify a folder location or path on your memory stick, I will represent it in the following fashion:
x:\PSP\GAME
x:\SEPLUGINS
'x:\' is a placeholder. On your computer, your memory stick probably has a different drive letter assigned. Swap the 'x' in 'x:\' with whatever drive letter your operating system assigned to your memory stick. Additionally, the 'root' of your memory stick pertains to the top-most folder level. Specifically, the root is:
x:\
I.1) Download and extract the contents of the
RSPSARDumper 3.5 archive.
I.2) Access your PSP's
memory stick pro duo via USB.
I.3)
Copy the PSP and RS folders from the archive to the
root of your PSP. Your memory stick should now include the following folders and files (among many others):
x:\PSP\GAME\RSPSARDUMPER\EBOOT.PBP (core RSPSARDumper executable)
x:\RS\ (containing 4 .PRX files that RSPSARDumper utilizes:
english.prx, lib.prx, pspdecrypt.prx, and usbhostfs.prx)
I.4) Download and extract the contents of the
5.00 M33 POPSLoader plugin archive.
I.5) Access your PSP's
memory stick pro duo via USB.
I.6) Create a
folder called
SEPLUGINS in the root of your memory stick if one doesn't already exist (
x:\SEPLUGINS).
I.7)
Copy the contents of the extracted folder (not the folder itself) to
x:\SEPLUGINS, such that you should have:
x:\SEPLUGINS\pops.txt
x:\SEPLUGINS\popsloader.prx
x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\daxheaparea.prx
x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\idcanager_old.prx
Note: If you already have other plugins installed (
SEPLUGINS already exists),
do not overwrite pops.txt. Instead, open the pops.txt included with the POPSLoader plugin archive with your favorite text editor (typically Notepad) and copy the line contained therein to your pops.txt file. Don't forget to save it before closing out.
I.8) Proceed to
PART II of the tutorial.
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PART II - Decrypting and Dumping the Necessary POPS Files:
II.1)
Engage USB mode and copy the
OFW installer that you'd like to decrypt and dump to the
root of your memory stick, and
rename it to EBOOT.PBP. Example: Copy the 3.00 Official Sony Installer (300.PBP) to the root of your memory stick and rename it as follows:
x:\300.PBP ->
x:\EBOOT.PBP
II.2) Once memory stick access ceases,
disengage USB mode, browse the XMB to
Game/Memory Stick and hit Cross (or Circle on Japanese PSPs).
II.3) Find the
RSPSARDumper program and launch it with Cross/Circle.
II.4) At the RSPSARDumper menu, hit
Square to dump and decrypt all. Do not use the other dumping options.
II.5) RSPSARDumper will take a few seconds to analyze and identify the OFW Installer, and then begin to dump and decrypt all of its files. You will see streams of text fly across the screen, and this process could take a number of minutes.
II.6) When RSPSARDumper finishes, it will exit back to the XMB. That's your cue to...
II.7)
Engage USB mode. You should see a new folder on your memory stick (
x:\DUMP). Access it and proceed to
PART III-a, PART III-b, or PART III-c of the tutorial.
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PART III - Isolating the Necessary Dumped POPS Files:
Now we must
find the dumped POPS files we need, copy them to the
location on your memory stick where POPSLoader expects to find them, and
rename them according to the OFW they were extracted from.
III-a Generation 1 POPS (3.00 to 3.03):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.00, 3.01, 3.02, or 3.03 firmwares.
Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\meaudio.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\meaudioXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx
'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the
pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 3.00 firmware would be renamed to
pops300.prx. Similarly,
pafmini.prx would become
pafmini300.prx... etc.
Proceed to
PART III-d of the tutorial.
III-b Generation 2 POPS (3.10 to 3.30):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.10, 3.11, or 3.30 firmwares.
Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx
'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the
pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 3.10 firmware would be renamed to
pops310.prx. Similarly,
pafmini.prx would become
pafmini310.prx... etc.
These instructions are basically identical to those of Generation 1 POPS files, save for the removal of the meaudio.prx files, which are no longer needed.
Proceed to
PART III-d of the tutorial.
III-c Generation 3 POPS (3.40 to 4.01):
The following set of instructions pertains only to files extracted from Sony's official 3.40, 3.51, 3.52, 3.71, 3.72, 3.80, 3.90, or 4.01 firmwares.
Locate these files, and rename/move them, as follows:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\pops.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\popsman.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\popsmanXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\pafmini.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\pafminiXYZ.prx
x:\DUMP\F0\VSH\MODULE\libpspvmc.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\libpspvmcXYZ.prx
'XYZ' is a suffix that's based off the firmware these files were ripped from.
For example, the
pops.prx extracted from Sony's official 4.01 firmware would be renamed to
pops401.prx. Similarly,
pafmini.prx would become
pafmini401.prx... etc.
Note: Whether or not you intend to incorporate the 4.01 POPS files into your POPSLoader setup, you
must decrypt and dump 4.01. Locate and copy the following file:
x:\DUMP\F0\KD\impose.prx -> x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER\impose.prx
This file is absolutely required for POPSLoader to run. You'll note that you're not supposed to rename it by adding the 401 suffix.
These instructions are basically identical to those of Generation 2 POPS files, save for the addition of the libpspvmc.prx files.
Proceed to
PART III-d of the tutorial.
III-d Cleanup of Dumped Files and Next Steps:
III-1)
Delete x:\DUMP and all of its contents and subfolders.
III-2) If you'd like to dump another set of POPS files, proceed to
PART II of the tutorial.
III-A) Otherwise proceed to
PART IV of the tutorial.
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PART IV - Enabling and Using the POPSLoader Plugin:
You didn't forget to extract and copy over impose.prx from 4.01, did you? If so, please go back to PART III-c of the tutorial. If you dumped all of the necessary POPS files from all of the applicable Sony OFWs, then you should have about 60 files in the x:\SEPLUGINS\POPSLOADER folder.
For the purposes of this tutorial, I've assumed that you already have a working PSOne game on your memory stick.
IV-1)
Fully shut down your PSP.
IV-2) Reboot the PSP while holding the R shoulder trigger in order to access the
M33 Recovery Console.
IV-3) Navigate to
Plugins, locate the
popsloader.prx [POPS] entry and verify that it is
enabled. If it isn't, select it and hit Cross/Circle.
IV-4) Hit
Back and
Exit to resume booting up your PSP.
IV-5) Access your PSOne game (Game\Memory Stick), and launch it by hitting Cross/Circle.
IV-6) If this is your
first time launching this particular game with the
POPSLoader plugin enabled, you will be
prompted to select a POPS version number. If you've properly setup the POPS files per this tutorial, then all of the POPS versions that you previously extracted from Sony's OFWs should show up here.
IV-7) Select '
Original from Flash' to launch the PSOne game using the POPS built into your current firmware (5.00 in this guide). Otherwise, select the POPS version number that
best runs your game. See the compatibility lists linked to in the Resources and Downloads section of this tutorial for extra guidance along these lines.
Enjoy!
IV-A) For your convenience, POPSLoader will
remember the version of POPS you selected for each individual game. If, however, you need to load up a game with another version of POPS, merely launch it with Cross/Circle while
holding down the R shoulder trigger. You will once again be prompted to select your version of POPS.
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Closing:
Thanks for stopping by. I hope that this tutorial was of use to you; that you found it helpful. If you have any questions or concerns about the tutorial or recommendations as to how it could be improved, please reply here or send me a PM. I will try to address them as quickly as possible. DO NOT PM me for ISOs or EBOOTs of commercial games. Those will be deleted without a response.
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Disclaimer:
Neither NeoGAF nor I condone the illegal downloading or sharing of commercial video games, programs, or applications. We have a zero-tolerance policy as to piracy in general, and I am providing these tutorials and references as a resource to help you, the community, facilitate the playback of your favorite Playstation One console classics on your Playstation Portable, in light of the fact that Sony's own PSN releases are extremely sparse and limited.
The tools, applications, resources, and processes discussed in this post are provided as-is, with no guarantees. Though it bears mentioning that no tool, application, resource, or process listed in this post should cause damage to your PC, PSP, or PSOne discs, neither NeoGAF nor I are responsible should anything go wrong. You are responsible for your own actions, and if you feel in any way uncomfortable utilizing the tools, applications, resources, and processes in this post, then simply refrain from doing so. If the game you are trying to play is currently available for purchase and download on PSN, then you are encouraged to procure the game from that source.
