Just in time for PSone downloads, it appears that Sony has been completely outwitted by the homebrew community yet again. Less than a week after its previous update, DevHook now emulates the 3.01 firmware for users with homebrew-capable 1.50 PSPs. Until the next major firmware upgrade, it appears as though Sony's anti-homebrew efforts have been completely defeated.

After an extended absence, it appears that the programmer Booster is back. There was a scare back in August, when Sony approached the coder with some legal action. Now, nearly three months after firmware 2.80 was decrypted, a new version of DevHook is available for the homebrewing crowd out there. The latest version allows you to run homebrew directly from emulated 2.82 firmware, so there's less need to messily switch between firmwares. The latest version also includes an enticing folder called "3.0," but that doesn't seem to be in effect... yet. With DevHook, you can run most modern legal games and whatever homebrew applications you already have. Once again, it seems like the emulated firmware is better than the real deal.

The excellent CheatDevice is back. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories became a wonderous playground with the device, letting you do some truly crazy stuff. Mere days after its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has a CheatDevice of its own. Edison Carter has crafted a tool that will let you get Infinite Health & Armor (helpful) and the Video Recorder (more helpful), which lets you capture footage directly from the game.

You'll need to be running DevHook on a homebrew-enabled PSP. If you're homebrew-ready, head over to Edison's website to download the device. Remember: we don't support piracy here at PSP Fanboy. Please buy all your games!

[Via PSP Hacks]

DevHook has just become even more amazing. ADePSP from PSP-Hacks has modified the GTA Cheat Device's ability to record in-game footage and has appended it to DevHook. With this new homebrew application, you'll be able to record footage from the games you play as animated GIFs. It'll even record footage from the XMB! This awesome application will require quite a hefty Memory Stick, as the files recorded are uncompressed.

Sony's not doing well in this battle against homebrewers. Although they just released 2.81 (to very little fanfare), the hacking community never seems more than a step or two behind. Firmware emulation has been an option for many people with 1.5 PSPs, as it gives them the flexibility of running all homebrew, while accessing the latest games and features of Sony's official firmware upgrades. Dark_AleX has decrypted firmware 2.80, which will theoretically allow those with DevHook to emulate firmware 2.80. DevHook hasn't been updated to support the firmware, and with Sony keeping a close eye on the program, who knows how long it will take?
I'm assuming the talented homebrew community won't take long. Already, it appears that 2.81 can also be successfully decrypted using the same methods.

[Via PSP Hacks]

You like that headline? Love how it plays with the word "hook" and "reel"? Of course you do. What you won't like is news that the incredibly popular DevHook firmware emulator may be gone for good. According to PSP Hacks, the web host of DevHook has received a cease and desist order (translated by 0okm):

"Reboot_1.50.bin is the copyrighted material by SONY, that is mixed with DevHook0.43fix. Warning from SCE to those who up-load DevHook0.43fix comes. Moreover, please annul it at once when downloaded 0.43fix is preserved at hand, and it uses it. Not seeing this knows and there is a possibility to use, too. Please inform me of this when there is an owner in surroundings. Moreover, the main body of DevHook and the relation file of all versions were deleted from this site. As a result, opening DevHook on this site to the public is completely stopped."

This doesn't bode well for the future of DevHook, or homebrew in general, as it appears that Sony is finally starting to enter the legal ring against the hacking community. Stay tuned, as things will get quite interesting: you know the homebrew community isn't going to back down any time soon.

Steve reports that a new version of Devhook is available for you homebrewing folk out there. The latest version allows you to run homebrew directly from emulated 2.71 firmware, so there's less need to messily switch between firmwares. Now that you can run legal games and your illegal games original fanboy productions, it seems like the emulated 2.71 is better than the real deal.

Score yet another win for the impressive homebrew community that "continues to thwart Sony". Sony imposes firmware requirements for all of its newest games, such as the adorable LocoRoco demo. However, using a newly updated program called "Devhook," anyone with a 1.50 PSP can emulate the 2.71 firmware, making even the newest games completely playable. With the recent releases of downgraders, even those of you with fairly new firmwares can make the dive into the world of PSP homebrew.

What will Sony do in order to counteract this latest revelation? Hopefully, it'll mean a version 3.0 firmware that plays downloadable PS1 video games... soon. One can dream, right?

[Thanks PSPFan!]