Is My PSP Hackable?

Not every PSP is hackable! This means not every PSP can run custom firmware. To find out if your PSP model is hackable we need to collect some information:

• the type of the PSP
• The firmware of your PSP
• the motherboard of the PSP

PSP Type

This one isn't that difficult. But if you are having doubts about this, check 
How To Determine the Type of Your PSP
If you own a PSP GO then your PSP is not hackable. A PSP fat is always hackable. And a PSP lite or a PSP brite is (partially) hackable depending on the motherboard and the firmware.

PSP Firmware

To know the current firmware of your PSP, check
How To Find Out Your Current Firmware Version

PSP Motherboard

If you have a PSP 3000 or a 2000 PSP with a TA088v3 motherboard, your PSP is not completely hackable. This means  the type 2000-models are the tricky ones.

To find out for sure what motherboard you have in your 2000 PSP, I recommend you to upgrade to official firmware 5.03 an the run PSPident in combination with ChikckHEN R2. If your firmware is above 5.03, then no custom firmware for you, I'm afraid. To see how to install ChickHEN R2, take a look at

How To Install ChickHEN R2

Once ChickHEN R2 is installed, download and unzip PSPident and put the PSPident folder in X:/GAME/GAME3XX . Now disconnect from USB And navigate to Game >> Memory Stick >> PSPident on your PSP. You should see something like this.

If your have a 2000 PSP model with a TA088v3 motherboard your PSP is partially hackable IF your firmware is 5.03 or lower. Firmware 5.50 and higher made your PSP 2000 TA088v3 unhackable.

Go to How to install 5.03 GEN-C on a PSP 3000 / PSP 2000 TA088v3 to install custom firmware.

The table below gives you an idea what the possibilities are.

HOW TO find out if your psp is hackable.

Not every psp is hackable! If your psp is not hackable it can not be modded and it can NOT run custom firmware. It's the motherboard that determines whether your psp can be modded or not.

UPDATE : From 06/06/2009 EVERY psp can be modded! Yihaa! Check here how to hack a psp 3000 or a psp 2000 v3.

If you're about to buy a new psp and you want to play ISOs or homebrew, be aware of what psp model you buy!

The table below gives you an idea :

This means that all fat psp's can be hacked. No matter what firmware you are using, you can go to Custom Firmware.

This also means that the newest models, the PSP 3000 (bright / brite), can NOT be modded.

For the 2000 series it's a different story. Some can be modded, others can not. If your slim psp came with firmware 4.01 or higher, 99% you have a TA-088v3 motherboard. So that sucks! No CFW for you.

How to recognize the TA-088v3 in a gameshop?

The slim models have a letter code on the box. The letters NP,NPA,A,B,C,D,E,F can be hacked. Letter G is a TA-088 motherboard (CAN be a TA-088v3).

thanks to PSP ITA http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&id=19404

The newest boxes however don't have the letter code. They use a serial number code. The first for digits are important.

AB01 = hackable
AB02 = NOT hackable

What about the limited editions?

Daxter Limited Edition Pack (TA-85v2/3.80 OFW)
God of War Limited Edition Pack (TA-88v2/3.95 OFW)
Madden 09 Limited Edition Pack (TA-88v2/3.95 OFW & TA-88v3/4.01 OFW)
Star Wars Limited Edition Pack (TA-88v2/3.95 OFW)
PSP slim 2000 Orange box (TA-88v3 / 4.05 OFW)

How to create a Pandora if the table says my psp can't create one?

Then you'll have to "hardmod" your battery (click HERE)