Category Archives: News
Memorial Day 2021
Hi everyone,
If you are in the USA today, then it is Memorial Day. For many of us (including myself) it is a day off of work, but more importantly, it is a time to remember and honor for all those who had sacrificed and fought for this country. I know a few people who have fought in past wars and/or served their time and I can’t thank them enough. Others, however, are not so lucky.
So if you have a break today, please take some time out and remember and honor those who have fought and/or fallen.
Thank you (and will see you in a future posting).
Playing PS2 Games Over SMB with Raspberry Pi 4 is Awesome
Hey everyone,
So I am a big fan of the raspberry pi since the first model, and right now I am an owner of both the raspberry pi zero w and now the raspberry pi 4 (4GB) model.
Did you know that if you are a modded ps2 user using OPL, there is a cool way of loading games over SMB without using a laptop, PC, or a router? Yes, its called using the rasberry pi 4 (which I’ll call RPI4).
Granted, the RPI4 is a bit overkill for just hosting a smb server, but I like to use it for other things such as a media center or on the fly retro gaming machine.
Whatever the case maybe, I made a quick tutorial today and have hosted it on my youtube channel. I’ve also posted the video below.
If you are interested in learning more, check out toolboc’s github at: https://github.com/toolboc/psx-pi-smbshare
PS2 Fortuna Project – Alternative for FMCB for PS2 9K models!
Revisions:
4/22/20: Initial release.
Hey everyone,
With the covid-19 going on and a lot of people staying at home, I thought it was about time to write a quick post related to one of my favorite game consoles of all time, the PS2.
If you have been following me on my youtube channel (Project Phoenix Media), we know that the ps2 homebrew scene is very active.
One project that has gotten some light over the last few months is the Fortuna Project. In short, it is a way to load homebrew programs on your ps2, and the best thing is it is compatible with all PS2 models, even the SCPH-9K series. If you didn’t know, FMCB is not compatible with all SCPH-9K PS2 systems, but the Fortuna Project gets around that.
I speak about it in more detail via my video below.
Also, for those who are looking to purchase a modded memory card either with FMCB and/or Fortuna Project installed, send me a quick email at vstpower at gmail dot com and let’s discuss options.
The difficult part of getting started is you need the tools to begin with to even softmod your memory card. In some cases, it may be cheaper to just get a modded memory card rather than invest in the tools itself.
Anyway, see the video below for an overview of Fortuna Project, and if you got questions, ask them on youtube or come join me on the discord.
Stay safe!
Quick Refresher – Discjuggler 6.0 to Burn CDI Images for Dreamcast
Revisions:
9/1/19: Initial release.
Recently, I have dug out my dreamcast from the closet and have been playing a lot of old schools games.
However, one of my games that was scratched was Mortal Kombat Gold. So I found a .CDI image online and burnt it to CD-R using default settings in IMGBurn and when I put it into the dreamcast, it didn’t work. After troubleshooting, I got the same image to work using DiscJuggler 6.0 so here is a quick tutorial on what advanced settings you need to setup.
In Discjuggler, go ahead start new program, and then on left hand side select your .CDI image and your destination (blank CD-R).
Under the advanced tab, select the same settings as shown below:
So basically under Mode, change it to Mode 2
Select the “RAW write” checkbox.
Everything else leave the same.
Then go ahead and burn the image. This worked fine for my game, and hopefully it works for you too!
Emulating the Playstation Classic Games (USA) on Modded PS3
Revisions:
11-28-18: Initial release.
If you haven’t heard already, Sony is releasing the Playstation Classic very soon (December 3rd) and it comes with a list of 20 games for both the USA and Europe versions. If you go on youtube or even google, the reviews are coming in, and the reviews of the Playstation Classic are not very good which is a shame because it could have been great.
With that said, I thought it would be fun to emulate the same 20 games on a modded PS3, and that is exactly what I did. The games boot fine, and I haven’t played every game to the fullest so I can’t tell you if there are any graphical or audio glitches. However, with a modded PS3, you can easily as many PS1 games as you want onto the console and it is emulated very well and you get a wireless controller to boot.
Adding and deleting games is very easy (I used FTP) and only time will tell if the Playstation Classic can be modded like the NES Classic or SNES Classic.
Check out my proof of concept video below, and if you are interested in modding a PS3, let me know!
How To Fix webMAN MOD for 4.82.2 Rebug DEX CFW For PS3
Revisions:
11-7-18: Initial release
A few weeks ago I had made a video showing how to update from 4.81.2 Rebug DEX, and at the time when I was doing the video, I noticed that webMAN MOD did not work. So it was a hassle to go online because you had to use rebug toolbox to change to CEX and then use PSNPATCH to go online for PSN. Also, you had to use Multiman to select your games.
Now fast forward into the future and I figured out that you need the latest version of webMAN MOD installed and then you can actually get the program working so you can get to the IDPS and PSID to unban your PS3, in addition to mounting your games virtually and playing them.
All you need to do is download the .pkg file on your computer, put it onto the root of a FAT32 formatted usb drive, insert into right usb port, and install on the PS3 thru the package manager.
Afterwards, run the webMAN MOD and hold down L1 (until PS3 reboots). This gets you the full edition, and then when you go into webMAN MOD setup, you can see everything and do whatever you want, just as you would when using webMAN MOD on older versions of the program.
For further information, see the youtube video below.
Here is the link to get the latest webMAN MOD files: https://github.com/aldostools/webMAN-MOD/releases
How To Backup PS4 Games On 5.05 Firmware Tutorial
Revisions:
6-16-18: Initial release.
Hey guys,
So if you have been following my youtube channel recently, I’ve been having tons of fun with my PS4 system and the latest tutorial (linked below) shows you how to rip your PS4 games from disc and ultimately convert it into a fpkg file.
The rough outline is as follows:
- Run game once so it installs data to the internal hard drive.
- Run your favorite web exploit method, then run HEN and then run the Dumper payload.
- Run your game, and when it gets to the main menu, go back to XMB screen and let it sit there.
- Once the files are transferred over to the USB device, plug it into the computer.
- Using the Window programs listed in the tutorial, we make a .gp4 file and then from there build the .pkg file.
- Transfer or save the .pkg file to the usb drive and now plug it into the left usb port nearest the blu ray disc drive.
- Run the web exploit method again and run HEN.
- Now follow through and install the game through the package installer and profit!
See the video tutorial below for more details, and go to the youtube page for specific download links and additional tips and tricks:
How To Jailbreak PS4 5.05 Using ESP8266 Method
Revisions:
6-5-18: Initial release.
Hey guys,
So awhile back I had purchased a PS4 with the Uncharted 4 bundle and it was 3.51 firmware. Since then, I upgraded straight to 4.55, and then most recently, upgraded to 5.05. In a previous video tutorial on my youtube channel, I showed how to host the exploit on the PC using the Al-Azif method.
This time around we are going to go one step simpler by using the ESP8266 method instead, which is basically a little microcontroller that can run wifi and code. Various devs have created their own custom firmware so within seconds of powering on, this is broadcasting its on adhoc network and the PS4 connects to it and is able to run the web exploit.
This is awesome because you never have to ever worry about the PS4 connecting to the internet by accident and getting banned because, well, it never connects to the internet in the first place anyway!
See my video tutorial below and go to the youtube page to see all the up to date links. Thanks for watching!
How To Run PS3Xploit for Fat and Slim (most models) – Install CFW from OFW 4.82!
Revisions:
11-28-17: Initial release
If you haven’t heard, last week the PS3Xploit was released which is a new softmod that allows you to install CFW custom firmware from 4.82 OFW. What this means is if you have a PS3 that is a jailbreakable model, you can now softmod it and now run homebrew content, mod menus, backup your games, play emulators, and more without having to invest in expensive hardware downgraders and the like.
It really is an awesome feat for the PS3 community. If you wish to learn more on how this works, check out my youtube tutorial below, and make sure to check out the youtube page for more details. Enjoy!
Starcraft 2 Is Now Free To Play!
Revisions:
11-14-17: Initial Release
Hey guys,
Just wanted to let you know that as a big RTS fan and a gamer of the Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void game, Blizzard now has base game of Starcraft 2 Free to Play!
Get more details at the link below, and if you want to add me to play online sometime, my battletag is Krogoth. Enjoy and have fun gaming!
Welcome to the Underground. 