[Empyrean]

[As taken from Spong]

Sony Computer Entertainment has moved aggressively against PSP hackers, launching a new firmware upgrade for its portable wonder-screen aimed at stamping out the use and deployment of homebrew software.

PSPV2.00 is the latest upgrade to the PSP’s digital heart and, as well as prepping the machine for the future deployment of an official web browser and an on-demand television service, securing the platform against non-official software seems to have been made a priority.

With an official explanation expected in the coming weeks, it would appear that Sony has significantly uprated the PSP’s security file. According to reports surfacing from the legal hacking community, any future applications will need to decode this security file in full before a machine will accept non-SCE code. The DNAS system, as seen in PlayStation 2 units, is also buried deep inside the heart of the PSP, and reports suggest that, although it has not yet been used, its 'invisible' presence has been confirmed.

Although Sony’s move is undoubtedly aimed at undoing current attempts to pirate PSP software (with full-game dumps already widely available) it is certain that less dangerous software such as emulators and general homebrew code will be impacted.

However, there is hope for homebrew coders. Rumour seemingly stemming from The PlayStation Meeting held in Tokyo last week offers murmurs of an official homebrew kit being developed, allowing legitimate coders access to portable digital fiddling.