Q: I just updated my system or Sony firmware to 3.95 and a friend told me about a custom firmware that I could install onto my PSP made by a company called m33. But I have to wait for the 3.95 version of custom firmware. He said with this firmware I can download things called homebrews which are the games for PSP that instead of buying them I download them. I just need more information about this because I find it a little confusing. Also when is the 3.95 version of custom firmware coming out and how would I install it? Could downloading custom firmware or homebrews damage my PSP? How do I use custom firmware and homebrews?
A: You can actually install ANY custom firmware, you don't have to wait for 3.95. The most current version is 3.93 M-33, which I recently installed. This will indeed allow you to play downloaded games and will not harm your system in any manner. In order to install custom firmware, you need a special battery called Pandora's battery which can be purchased on the internet, created by someone else who already has custom firmware installed, or by opening the battery and tinkering with the connections. You also need a memory stick that holds the files to install custom firmware, which can be found anywhere on the internet. The Pandora's battery allows the system to boot to the memory stick, instead of the system itself, so you can install the files. Go to the PSP forums at www.afterdawn.com for step by step instructions. It is cheap, very simple, and very much worth it.