Hack enables homebrew on PlayStation Vita

A developer has managed to bypass the security of the PlayStation Vita, making it possible to run unofficial versions of games and software. The hack can be activated via a special internet page.

The software modification was developed by Yifan Lu and is called HENkaku. The url henkaku.xyz gives owners of a PlayStation Vita with software version 3.60 the option to activate homebrew features; by surfing to the web page with the built-in web browser and pressing the install button, HENkaku is automatically activated. After that, it is possible to use unofficial software.

Incidentally, HENkaku must be reactivated after a reboot, so that the security is not permanently circumvented. Users do therefore have to make relatively little effort to make the hack active, since only a button has to be pressed. According to Lu, users should make sure that they keep software version 3.60 on their handheld, otherwise the hack will no longer work.

According to the developer, the hack cannot be used to play cracked Vita games; Lu states that the DRM functionality that Sony has built in will remain functional. It is, for example, possible to install emulators in order to play games from other platforms. A version of the very first Doom game for the Vita is also circulating.