ARK-4 e/CFW for the PSP and PS Vita.

New, updated, improved and modern Custom Firmware for the PSP and PS Vita's ePSP. Simple to use and full of unique features, ARK CFW aims at keeping the PSP experience fresh. Being a successor to PRO and ME, ARK is now the most feature-complete CFW for the PSP, having all features from classic CFW as well as unique and exclusive new features not found anywhere else.

Table of Contents (Quick Links)

→ ARK-4 WIKI (Recommended for more in-depth Instructions) ←

Join the PSP Homebrew Community Discord
We are located in the #ark-cfw channel

FEATURES:
INSTALLATION
UPDATING ARK
RECOVERY
CUSTOMIZATION
Other
- History
- Changelog
- Credits
- Warnings

FEATURES:

Core system heavily updated from traditional CFW with new exclusive features.
Inferno 2 Driver compatible with all formats (ISO, CSO, ZSO, JSO, CSOv2 and DAX).
Popcorn controller for custom PS1 games. Compatible with PopsLoader V3 and V4i.
Built-in No-DRM engine Stargate, fixes many anti-CFW games. Compatible with npdrm_free and nploader.
Plugin support for PSP games, PS1 games and VSH (XMB), including the ability to enable and disable plugins per-game.
Region Free playback of UMD Video on all PSP models. Change the region of your UMD drive on-the-fly.
Compatible with all PSP models on firmwares 6.60 and 6.61.
Compatible with all PS Vita models on firmware 2.10 up to 3.74, either official firmware or via Adrenaline.
Compatible with 6.60 Testing Tool Firmware and Testkit Units.
Compatible with 6.60 Development Tool Firmware and Devkit Units.
Can be fully installed and booted on memory stick in compatible models via Time Machine.
Can be used to unbrick compatible PSP models using Despertar del Cementerio in combination with a Pandora or Baryon Sweeper.
Minimalistic: only 6 files installed on PSP flash, CFW extensions are installed on memory stick.
Resistant to soft-bricks, easy to recover from bad configurations with a new and improved Recovery app.
Custom game launcher with built-in game categories, file browser, FTP server and client, modernized look and more.
Fully configurable via the XMB.
Compatible with PRO Online and Xlink Kai.
Compatible with Legacy Homebrew via eLoader and Leda. Compatible with the KXploit format.
Compatible with cIPL and Infinity 2 bootloaders for permanent CFW.
OTA updates. Fully updateable via the internet.

INSTALLATION

Download the precompiled binaries from: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/latest
You can follow this video with instructions to install ARK on PSP via Infinity and/or on PS Vita via Adrenaline: https://youtu.be/bE8mw7RRqGo

Compiling ARK ( For Developers )

Build script will allow you to use the correct SDK that ARK was built with.

Docker container: docker pull docker.io/krazynez/ark-4:latest

These are utlized either with cloning the repo or using the Docker container

Release: ./build.sh
Debug: ./build.sh --debug
Manually: install the oldest possible SDK (ideally the one used to compile M33), then run make

Use -h or --help to show all available flags

On PSP

Online PSP Installer

For an easy deployment of ARK on a PSP connected to the internet, you can follow this video

Initial installation

The instructions are as follows:

Move or copy ARK_01234 folder into /PSP/SAVEDATA/ folder.
Move or copy ARK_Loader folder into /PSP/GAME/ folder.
Launch ARK Loader. It will install ARK modules on PSP Flash and boot the CFW.
At this point ARK will work as a Live CFW, meaning that ARK Loader will need to be run every time the console is turned off or rebooted.
To convert ARK into a Permanent CFW you can use either cIPL or Infinity, along with the Full Installer for a complete permanent experience.

Permanent CFW via cIPL

New cIPL: works on 1g, 2g and 3g models on 6.61.
Classic cIPL: works on Pandora compatbile models (1g and early 2g) on 6.60, 6.61 or 6.60 Testing Tool.
DevTool cIPL: works on DTP-T1000 devkit units on 6.60 Development Tool firmware.
cIPL will not install if not compatible, so no risk if running it even if you're unsure what specific model you're using - if not compatible, use Infinity 2 instead.
Move or copy either ARK_newIPL, ARK_classicIPL or ARK_Devtool_cIPL folder to /PSP/GAME/ and run the program.
Press the corresponding button in the installation page to install or remove the cIPL patch.
Warning: unlike classic cIPL, the new cIPL method can't be easily uninstalled. To revert to offical IPL, use ChronoSwitch to reinstall 6.61 OFW.

Permanent CFW via Infinity

*RECOMMNEDED* If already using another CFW with Infinity < 2.0.5, use chronoswitch to reinstall 6.60/6.61 OFW (Offical Firmware). If you do not when launching Infinity it can just lock your PSP up causing Infinity to not work properly (not harmful, just not properly). Then proceed with intructions. You can still bi/tri boot your CFW afterwards.

Works on all PSP models on 6.60 or 6.61 firmwares.
Copy or move the EBOOT.PBP (or EBOOT_GO.PBP renamed to EBOOT.PBP if using a PSP Go) from the Infinity folder found in the ARK download into /PSP/GAME/UPDATE.
Run theInfinity app using Official Firmware to run the initial installation. If you previously had and older Infinity installed when prompted to update please do, as our Infinity version includes the ARK patches to autoboot.
Run Infinity a second time to configure autoboot by selecting ARK within the Infinity app. Run the ARK CFW again to activate. ARK will now be automatically activated on boot up.

Full Flash Installation

This allows you to install and use all of ARK's features on the console's internal flash memory, allowing you to entirely remove the ARK_01234 savedata folder or memory stick.
Copy ARK_Full_Installer to /PSP/GAME/ and run it from ARK. It will install some extra files into the console's flash.
This installation will make use of Classic Recovery Menu when the regular one is not available. The minimalistic PRO Shell is used in place of the Custom Launcher.
When no savedata folder is available the default ARK path used to store settings and other Custom Firmware files will be ms0:/SEPLUGINS/.

Time Machine and Despertar del Cementerio

Time Machine allows to boot the 6.61 firmware and ARK entirely from the Memory Stick.
Despertar del Cementerio allows to revive a bricked PSP when used in combination with a Pandora or Baryon Sweeper.
To install DC-ARK you must first format the memory stick leaving enough space for the boot sector. You can use PSP Tool to do this.
You also need to be running a CFW to install DC-ARK (ARK itself or any other).
Copy the ARK_DC folder to the /PSP/GAME/ folder and run the installer from the XMB.
Follow the instructions to install DC-ARK and create a magic memory stick.
On compatible models, use Advanced VSH Menu to create a Pandora battery.
Use a Pandora or Baryon Sweeper in combination with your newly created Magic Memory Stick to boot up Despertar del Cementerio.
From here you can either boot ARK from memory stick, install 6.61 Firmware with ARK on the Nand or install 6.61 Official Firmware.
Note that installing 6.61 firmware with ARK requires a cIPL-compatible PSP (1K and early 2K).

On PS Vita

Standalone

Works on Firmware 3.60 up to 3.74, requires Henkaku/h-encore or any native hack.
Download and install NoPspEmuDrm by SilicaAndPina (you can use AutoPlugin II).
Copy FasterARK.vpk from Vita/Standalone/ folder anywhere on your vita and install using VitaShell.
Open FasterARK and wait for the install process to finish. An ARK bubble will appear in Live Area.
Once ARK is installed, you can delete FasterARK.
To use right analog stick (i.e. gta_remastered plugin): https://github.com/rereprep/ArkRightAnalog
To exit from a game or homebrew back to the custom launcher, press L+R+Down+Start. Works on PSP too.
NOTE: Some features are not available in standalone installations, mainly the official Sony XMB and Force Extra RAM setting.
NOTE: There are limitations in the playback of PS1 games, mostly related to audio.
If you want to have an ARK bubble that works on Official Firmware you must use ChovySign.

Adrenaline

Works on Firmware 3.60 up to 3.74, requires Henkaku/h-encore and Adrenaline (https://github.com/TheOfficialFloW/Adrenaline).
Install ARK_01234 folder into /PSP/SAVEDATA/ folder.
Install ARK_Loader folder into /PSP/GAME/ folder.
Delete K.BIN from ARK_Loader folder. You can optionally copy K.BIN from PSVita/Adrenaline folder into ARK_Loader game folder for a bit faster loading.
Use Adrenaline Bubbles Manager to create an autoboot bubble for ARK Loader: https://github.com/ONElua/AdrenalineBubbleManager/releases
Note: this does not permanently modify Adrenaline in any way.

Legacy Game Exploits (PSP & Vita)

This is mainly for developers.
Considering the savedata exploit loads H.BIN from the savedata path.
Copy every file from ARK_01234 except PARAM.SFO, SAVEDATA.BIN and K.BIN (ICON0.PNG can also be ignored), into the hacked savedata folder.
You need to have a K.BIN if you are running on an ancient Vita firmware (there's plenty of kernel exploit sources in ARK-2 and ARK-3 for reference).
Run the game and trigger the exploit as normal, it should load ARK.
If you have issues with stability, it might be necessary to run freemem() algorithm in the kernel exploit file (K.BIN).

Update ARK

There are three ways to update ARK:

Option 1: Use the System Update feature in the XMB or the Network tab in Custom Launcher to perform an OTA update. Requires your PSP/Vita to be connected to the internet.
Option 2: Copy the UPDATE folder to /PSP/GAME/ and run it.
Option 3: Copy ARK_01234 folder and (on PSP) run ARK Loader again to install new flash0 files. If running a Full Installation you will need to run the Full Installer again to flash the extra modules.

The OTA updater has the server URL stored in a file named UPDATER.TXT inside ARK_01234. This allows the user to change their update server if they wish to use a custom one. For example, by adding /test at the end of the URL will make it point to the pre-release server, allowing you to install the latest build of ARK synchronized with the last commit on the main branch (these release may be unstable so act with care).

RECOVERY

There are various ways to recover from a bad installation, usually result of bad configuration or misbehaving plugins, which may lead to crashes and even bricks.

Recovery Menu

This option allows you to boot up a Recovery App with settings and plugins completely disabled to prevent issues. You can use this app to change settings, plugins and use a file browser for various recovery operations.

The Recovery App is installed on Memory Stick located at /PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/RECOVERY.PBP and can be changed to just about any homebrew in PBP format.

To load into the Recovery App you must hold the R trigger while turning on the PSP console or running ARK Loader. You can also do the same when running any of the Bubbles on PS Vita, either Adrenaline or Standalone (except for ARK-X).

When using a Full Installation on PSP and no Recovery App is available, ARK will load the Classic Recovery Menu from flash0, which includes PRO Shell, a minimalistic File Manager and Launcher.

Classic Recovery

Pro Shell

Vanilla Mode

If the Recovery App is unavailable, or for a better/easier diagnostics, you can run ARK in Vanilla Mode, which temporarily disables settings and plugins when running ARK or booting any game.

This will load the XMB as original as possible but you can still use features such as the VSH Menu or XMB Control (which will let you reconfigure all your settings and plugins), it also works for games.

To enable Vanilla Mode simply hold select and/or start during bootup or gameboot to disable settings and plugins respectively.

The effect of Vanilla Mode is temporary and goes away on the next game boot or reboot unless you enable it again.

Official Firmware (for PSP Permanent Installations)

For any PSP user that has a Permanent installation (i.e. Infinity or cIPL), you always have the option to boot the console in Official Firmware mode, which completely disables all Custom Firmware functionality until the next full reboot.

Pandora or Baryon Sweeper (for PSP)

If the console is Bricked and none of the above helps recovering the system, the last resort is to use a Pandora Battery or Baryon Sweeper in combination with a Magic Memory Stick.

You can find steps to install Despertar del Cementerio for Pandora models in this document.

For Baryon Sweeper users, you can use this tutorial: https://www.psx-place.com/threads/update-baryon-sweeper-unbrick-psp-1000-2000-3000-psp-slim-04g-07g-09g-psp-street-11g-model.32503/

CUSTOMIZATION

Advanced VSH Menu Options

The default VSH menu packaged in ARK_01234 is a simplified, easier to use version of classic VSH menus. To have a more classic VSH menu with more advanced features you can select the Advanced VSH Menu from within the simplified VSH menu.

Some of the features available in Advanced VSH Menu include:

Change USB Device mount (Memory Stick, Flash, UMD).
Protect Flash in USB Device mount.
View available ISO drivers.
Mount UMD Video ISO.
Change Foreground/Background VSH Menu colors.
Convert battery from normal to pandora and viceversa.
Activate flash and WMA playback.
Swap X/O buttons.
Delete hibernation (PSP Go paused game).
Convert classic plugins to the new ARK format.
Boot Random ISO.

And more.

Installing on PSP Flash:

WARNING: for advanced users only, do not attempt this if you're not familiar with the PSP flash.

By default, ARK's VSH Menu is installed on the Memory Stick (in /PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/VSHMENU.PRX). This has the limitation that you won't be able to access VSH menu without a memory stick. If you want to permanently install VSH Menu you need to copy VSHMENU.PRX to somewhere on your computer and rename it to ark_satelite.prx, which you can then copy to PSP's flash0:/vsh/module/, you can use the VSH Menu itself to enable flash0 via USB. The final path should be flash0:/vsh/module/ark_satelite.prx. You can also achieve the same result by using the Full Installer.

NOTE: even if you install VSH Menu on flash0, the one installed on Memory Stick takes precedence in loading.

Installing Plugins

The easiest method to install a plugin is to simply copy its .prx (and other files/folders the plugin needs) to its default installation folder (typically /SEPLUGINS/ folder) and navigate to it using the File Browser (built into Recovery Menu and Custom Launcher). Upon opening the .prx file, you will be given the options to select the runlevel, or type the game ID, where the plugin loads.

From there you can use the XMB or Recovery Menu to configure or remove your installed plugins.

Alternately, you can manually install plugins by creating a file called PLUGINS.TXT in the /SEPLUGINS/ folder and/or ARK's savedata folder.

If coming from PRO/ME you can Import them from the Advanced VSH Menu section.

To install plugins use the comma-separated format (CSV). Where the header is: runlevel, path, switch. A few samples:

game, ms0:/seplugins/cwcheat/cwcheat.prx, enabled
pops, ms0:/seplugins/cdda_enabler.prx, 1
vsh, ms0:/seplugins/cxmb.prx, true
ULUS10041, ms0:/seplugins/lcscheatdevice.prx, on

You can enable plugins on more than one game:

ULUS10041 ULES00502, ms0:/seplugins/cheatdevice_remastered.prx, on

You can use the following keywords to enable a plugin:

1
on
true
enabled
Anything else disables the plugin

You can use the following keywords to tell ARK when the plugin loads:

all/always: if either of these keywords are used, the plugin will always load.
psp/umd: plugin should only load on retail games (UMD/ISO/PSN).
homebrew: plugin should only load on homebrews.
game: plugin can load on both retail games and homebrews.
psx/ps1/pops: plugin only loads in PSX games.
xmb/vsh: plugin only loads in the XMB.
launcher: use this if the plugin should only load in the custom launcher.
game ID: if you specify a game ID (i.e. SLUS000000), then the plugin will only load on that game.

You can also disable a plugin on certain games where they might be problematic. To do so, just add a disable line for the specific game ID after the enable line. For example, enable cwcheat on all retail games except for GTA LCS (US) and GTA VCS (EU).

psp, ms0:/seplugins/cwcheat/cwcheat.prx, on
ULUS10041 ULES00502, ms0:/seplugins/cwcheat/cwcheat.prx, off

Some noteworthy plugins that are compatible with ARK include (but not limited to):

CXMB.
Leda.
PopsLoader V3 and V4i.
Custom Firmware Extender.
PSPLink.
GTA LCS and VCS cheadevice (including the remastered version).
CWCheat.
pspstates kai.
XMB Item Hider v1.3-r3
DayViewer.
Categories Lite.
CDDA Enabler.
PRO Online.
PSP 3D.
ZeroVSH Patcher.

Configuration and Settings

You can use the XMB and/or the Recovery Menu to easily handle CFW settings. However if you prefer you can also manually handle the settings yourself.

You can create a SETTINGS.TXT file using the same format as PLUGINS.TXT to enable/disable some CFW functionality on different parts of the system. Configuration settings you can use in ARK include:

overclock: use this for better performance at the expense of battery time. Sets CPU/BUS speed to 333/166.
powersave: use this for better battery life at the expense of performance. Sets CPU/BUS speed to 133/66.
usbcharge: enables USB charging wherever you want.
launcher: replaces the XMB with a custom menu launcher.
disablepause: disables the pause game feature on PSP Go.
highmem: enables high memory on models above 1K. You should only use this on homebrew runlevel as retail games were not meant to use the extra memory, and this can cause issues with cheat devices or other plugins that expect games to have their data at specific memory addresses.
infernocache: enables cache for Inferno driver, improving performance of some games.
oldplugin: enables old plugins support on PSP Go (redirects ms0 to ef0).
skiplogos: skips the coldboot and gameboot logos.

You can use the same runlevels as used in plugins to tell ARK when the settings take effect (all/always, umd, homebrew, game, pops, vsh).

For example, you can overclock to highest CPU speed like this:

always, overclock, on

Another example, overclock only on games, use powersaving on VSH:

game, overclock, on
vsh, powersave, on

This also allows you to enable settings on specific games:

ULUS01234, overclock, on
ULES01234, powersave, on

Custom Launcher

ARK comes prepacked with a very powerful launcher with a built-in file browser and highly customizable.

Some of its features include:

Playback of ISO and all CSO formats with PMF video preview.
Playback of UMD game discs.
Categorized and organized game menu by PSP Games, PSP Homebrew and PS1 Games.
Ability to scan savedata folders for games.
Compatibility with old VHBL, ARK-2 and TN-CEF file names and folder paths.
Ability to copy, move or delete entire folders.
File browser has built-in FTP client, allowing you to browse and copy files from another PSP.
FTP server and client can run simultaneously.
Ability to mount UMD Video ISOs using the file browser.
Ability to extract .zip files (up to highest compression) and .rar files (standard compression).
Ability to edit text files (.txt, .cfg or .ini).
Ability to install Plugins via the file browser.
Different background animation effects.
And more.

You can however change it to whatever you please. You can change the theme used by both the custom launcher and recovery menu by replacing THEME.ARK with your own.

Custom Themes

You can install themes within Custom Launcher (and Recovery Menu). Just place the themes folder anywhere on your PSP and use the file browser in the Custom Launcher to select which theme (THEME.ARK) you would like to install. By selecting it a submenu will pop up asking to install it or to preview the theme without installing.

Orbs are animations and not part of the actual Themes

Theme: ARK_Revamped

Theme: Red

Theme: Ubuntu

Theme: Peace Walker

Theme: Matrix

Theme: Material Dark

Theme: GX Classic

Theme: Jurassic Park

Theme: Classic

Theme: Blue 2

Theme: Blue

Theme: Black

Theme: BadgerOS_Sprunk

Theme: BadgerOS

Theme: CyanogenPSP

Theme: Windows 7

Theme: Windows XP

Theme: Yokai

Other Launchers

Aside from the default launcher provided, there have been many other custom launchers created by scene members, some better looking, some with more features, some more simpler, but all of them with personality, dedication and love from the community.

Here is a list of all popular menus for ARK:

ONEMenu by gdljjrod: https://github.com/ONElua/ONEmenu/releases
vMenu by neur0n: http://www.mediafire.com/file/7acb5mhawx4gr9t/vMenu_ARK.7z/file
yMenu by wth/yosh: https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B0kWUCdtGmJwLUhRUlNJSWhMWVE
gMenu by gbot: http://www.mediafire.com/file/oou5490qc99vr7d/gmenuARK.rar/file
138Menu by gbot: https://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=33511
pyMenu by Acid_Snake: https://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=21942

You can find a collection here: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-Launchers

Note: some of these menus have not been updated or supported by their developers in a while, they may not work well with modern ARK or real PSP hardware.

Other

History

Despite being a relatively new Custom Firmware for the PSP, ARK has quite a history that goes back to the early days of the PS Vita scene.

ARK is a CFW that started as a port (more like rewrite) of PRO CFW to the PS Vita (named PROVITA) created by the original Team PRO members (Coldbird, Liquid Snake and Neur0n). After the original team left, the source code of PROVITA was handed over to me (Acid_Snake) and my long time scene friend qwikrazor87.

We quickly began a huge process of rewriting and restructuring code, more specifically a much more robust dynamic patching algorithms that would work on any 6.6X based firmware (including all Vita's ePSP firmwares). Thus ARK-2 was born.

Soon after, qwik, thefl0w and I began working on PSX exploits, which resulted in TN-X and ARK-3 (never publicly released).

Because the original PRO CFW hasn't been updated or maintained in a while, and it has become a little bloated and hard to work with, I decided to start working on porting ARK to the PSP since the core elements of the CFW are compatible with PSP 6.60 and 6.61 with minor changes.

After lots of work getting the same ARK binaries to properly work on both PSP and Vita, I am proud to announce that the release of ARK-4 is finally here!

Changelog

ARK-1: original port/rewrite of PRO CFW for the PS Vita. Codenamed PROVITA. Source code can be found here: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-1-PROVita-
ARK-2: dynamic patching allows it to work with most of PS Vita firmwares. Source code can be found here: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-2
ARK-3: device-specific runtime allows ARK to run in multiple scenarios (ePSP and ePSX). Source code can be found here: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-3
ARK-4: ported to the original PSP. Huge amounts of improvements and fixes over previous versions.

Note: this is a simplified changelog, for a full version you can visit here: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Credits

Team PRO (the original developers of ARK): Coldbird, hrimfaxi (aka. Liquid Snake) and Neur0n.
The Ancient Gods of the PSP Scene: mathieulth, davee, Proxima, zecoxao, among other tinkerers.
qwikrazor87 for being such a genius and all his hard work with kernel exploits and ARK-2.
TheFl0w (aka. Total_Noob) for his advancements and research in CFW development and overall contributions to the scene.
meetpatty for his excellent work in fixing bugs and adding important features like cIPL and DevKit support as well as porting Time Machine and Despertar del Cementerio.
SilicaAndPina for unlocking the full potential of the PS Vita's Official PSP emulator with such great tools like ChovySign, NoPspEmuDrm and ps1cfw_enabler.
Codestation for his incredible work improving CSO speeds and creating the ZSO format.
Krazynez for his amazing work on Advanced VSH Menu and other bugfixes and features.
pyroesp for his excellent work improving VSH Menu and refactoring code.
TheSubPlayer for all the wonderful themes made for the custom launcher.
UnkownBrackets (maxcso) for his help understanding the DAX format and Inferno speed hacks as well as creating the CSOv2 format.
Zer01ne, noname120, astart and other devs that have blessed me with their knowledge and wisdom.
Zecoxao for his great work creating dumpers that would allow us to archive rare firmwares.
balika for his research in porting M33 to modern firmware that has helped improve compatiblity in ARK.
hrydgard for the PMF player as well as being an inspiration for the custom launcher.
Every other giant shoulder I am standing on.

Warnings

ARK comes with no warranty whatsoever. It was designed to be noob-proof, however it is possible for the universe to create an even greater noob capable of using ARK to destroy the Earth (or his PSP). I cannot be held responsible for this.
ARK may cause ejectile malfunction if your hard drive is not hard enough.
If this software malfunctions, you can turn it off and on again.

Kitki30 / ARK-4