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Tutorial HENkaku - Ultimate Vita Hacking Guide

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Added Vitamin dumps.
 
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Added several new builds by Red
Removed VitaShell, since the latest MolecularShell incorporates it.
 
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Removed several Isaac mods by Red, and added two of my newest. From now on only my personal favorite mods will be posted here, you can keep up with Red and my releases here.
 
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HENkaku is the talk of the Vita community lately, and if you don't know what HENkaku is, their website describes the program as "the first ever homebrew enabler for PS Vita and PSTV. It is akin to jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android device." HENkaku is easy to use, but can be difficult to master if you're new to modding. If you have experience with modding a PSP, this will easier for you, as many of the same premises are used. This guide will help you each step of the way as you go about the installation process.

UPDATE: Firmware version 3.61 is out now, and if you update there is no way to use HENkaku and there is currently no way to downgrade your firmware. If you don't want to miss out on HENkaku, don't upgrade.

If you are on a firmware lower than 3.60, follow this guide to get to the correct firmware. Do not choose to let the Vita update itself, it will automatically update to 3.61 and then you cannot use HENkaku. If it tries to update automatically, click cancel.

Requirements
- 4GB memory card or higher, internal memory does not work
- PlayStation Vita on firmware 3.60, no lower, no higher
- wifi
- a FTP client (FileZilla works best, but any will do)
- computer
- a brain

Recommendations
- dump your memory card's files to your PC via Sony's Content Manager or QCMA, do this to prevent accidental loss of your saves/games
- sign out of your PSN account while using homebrews/emulators, if you're signed into your account the homebrew/emulator will show up as your activity and your account may be banned

To start off you will need to go to your Vita's built-in browser and go to https://henkaku.xyz/ and click the large "Install" button. A pop-up will appear saying "Welcome to HENkaku!" Press "OK", and then a terminal should appear. Don't do anything and let the terminal do its thing, and once it's finished the browser should close and a new bubble should appear called "molecular shell". It's that simple, your Vita is now "cracked" and you can get to installing homebrews and emulators. Next we will go over how you will go about doing this. Please note that you will have to re-install HENkaku every time you shutdown the Vita, either by going back to the website or by clicking the "Install" button located on the "molecular shell".

To begin, using your computer, find yourself a homebrew you wish to install. Most homebrews work the same, but some will work a little bit differently. To begin, download a homebrew on your PC, which will be a .vpk file.. Then on your Vita, open up the "molecular shell" bubble, and press "Select", this will begin a FTP connection. A IP will appear on the screen, which you will type into you FTP client under "Host". (Located at the top-left in FileZilla.) Once the connection is established, go to your Vita's "Ux0", the right-click and select "Create Directory" and name it "vpk". This is where you will be placing all of your vpk files so it stays nice and organised. Drag "(homebrew).vpk" into your "vpk" folder. Once done, press circle on your Vita to disconnect and then navigate to Ux0 in the "molecular shell" and locate your "vpk" folder. Once you've found it, open it up and inside should be your vpk file you placed there. Press "X" on it, then press it again to confirm the installation. Once it's done, close the "molecular shell" and your homebrew should be in a shiny new bubble on your main-screen. Certain homebrew require a little more to get them working, but we'll get into that later.

Installing native emulators is similar to installing homebrews, but is slightly different. Download the "vpk", and follow the instructions for installing it seen in the "Installing Native Homebrew" section. Once it's installed, you'll need to put some roms on your Vita so you have something to play on your emulator. Launch the FTP connection again, and navigate to "data", which is located inside "Ux0". Some emulators will automatically create their own section here, but some require you to make it youself. So if you were using a native GameBoy Advance emulator, you would create a folder inside "data" called "GBA" and inside that folder you'd make one called "roms", and this is where you'll put your roms. Once you have your roms placed, open up the bubble for the emulator and it should work fine.

Recommended Homebrew

The first recommeneded homebrew is VitaDoom, a port of DOOM for the Vita. While it doesn't currently have audio, it does support both DOOM and DOOM II .WADs. It currently doesn't support custom WADs, but it's being worked on. To install VitaDoom, go [Click here to view this link] and download the vpk and install it using the method we covered earlier. Once that's done, using your FTP, go to the "data" folder inside "Ux0" and create a new folder called "DOOM", and inside that make another folder called "WADs". Inside this "WADs" folder is where you will put you DOOM and DOOM II WADs, which you will have to find on your own or purchase yourself. Once done, launch the bubble and you should be good to go.

Next we have VitaQuake, a port of Quake which is honestly a ton more fun than Doom. VitaDoom featured excellent sound, touchscreen support, and support for both Vita analog sticks. It also has support for the Quake console. Version 2.0 recently came out, you can download it here. It adds multiplayer support and tons of other things. Unzip it, then connect the FTP. Use the aforementioned method to install the vpk, then open the "data" folder that came alongside the vpk. Once inside, move the "Quake" folder to the "data" folder in "Ux0", similar to how DOOM was done. Notice that inside the "Quake" folder there is a folder called "id1", and inside that there is a file called "pak0.pak". This pak file unlocks only the first level of Quake, and if you want more levels, you will have to find yourself or purchase the file "pak1.pak" and move it next to "pak0.pak" in the "id1" folder.

JellyCar is the greatest physics game ever, you can get the vpk here.

Are you seeing a pattern? VitaWolfen is a Wolfenstein 3D port for the Vita. You can get it here. Once you install the vpk, open up the "data" folder that came with it and move the "Wolfenstein 3D" folder to the "data" folder located inside "Ux0". Once you're finished, launch the bubble and there you go.

Same installation as the rest, you can get it here.

Same as the rest, you can get it here.

This allows you to play Vita games and apps on the PSTV that are usually restricted, like Gravity Rush. You can get it here. I haven't tried this one myself because I don't have a PSTV, but you just install the vpk like the rest and go from there.


Recommended Emulators

Exactly as the title implies, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator. It works great and is able to play every game I've tested so far, and even supports rom hacks. You can download it [Click here to view this link]. Install the vpk, and it should make it's own folder in "Ux0"'s "data" folder. If it doesn't, create your own folder there called "Snes9xVITA", and inside that create one called "roms", and this, obviously, is where your roms will be placed.

mGBA is a GameBoy Advance emulator for the Vita. You can get the vpk here. Install the vpk, then go into "Ux0", then "data", and create a folder called "GBA", and inside that, create a folder called "roms". Put your roms in here, and you should be good to go.

Realboy is a Game Boy / Game Boy Color / Super Game Boy emulator. You can get it here. Install it the same way you did the others, and if a folder isn't automatically inside "Ux0 - data", then create one called "Realboy" and inside that create another called "roms", and put your games there. I'm sure you see the pattern by now.

SMSplusVITA is a Sega Master System / Game Gear emulator. You can get it here. Refer to the "Snes9xVITA" and "mGBA" sections for installation instructions.

NeopopVITA is a Neogeo Pocket Color emulator that you can download here. Refer to the "Snes9xVITA" and "mGBA" sections for installation instructions.

Atari Lynx emulator for the Vita, you can nab it here. Refer to the "Snes9xVITA" and "mGBA" sections for installation instructions.

Sega Genesis emulator for the Vita, get it here. Refer to the "Snes9xVITA" and "mGBA" sections for installation instructions.

Other

Vitamin is a game decrypter/dumper, you can get the vpk here. It's still new and most games either won't dump or won't launch once dumped.

Adventure Time is a drm-free dump from a devkit, and comes in a vpk. Just download it and install it like everything else. Please note that MolecularShell cannot handle files this big and you will have to use VitaShell. I cannot provide a download link due to copyrights but it is only a short search away.

Odin Sphere is the second of two games decrypted by a chinese anon. Simply download the two vpk's, and move them to your vpk folder. Install odin0.vpk first, then install odin.vpk, and it's as simple as that. I cannot provide download link here due to copyright.

To install the english patch, simply download the files [Click here to view this link], and move them to ux0:app/PCSG00524.

Tokyo Xandu is the first of two games decrypted by the chinese anon. Refer to "Odin Sphere" for installation instructions, just substitute odin files for xandu files. Once again, no links here, copyright.

This is supposedly a dump that came from Vitamin, and was released on 4chan. Simply grab the vpk and install. Again, copyright.

This is another game decrypted by the chinese anon. The game is in Japanese, and to install it simply grab the vpk and install. No links here.

Go [Click here to view this link], and download PCSE00527. Extract it, then copy all the folders but sce_module and sce_sys to /ux0:/app/PCSG00348.

This one is a bit complicated, but you can go [Click here to view this link] to download it and learn how to install it.

So Vitamin was leaked awhile ago, and now there's dumps everywhere. Simply put the vpk on your Vita and install, free ****.

Special


You can get it here, refer to v1 for installation instructions.
The mods included in this build are:

The Binding Of Pokemon: http://www.thormaandekok.com/

Download here.
The mods included in this build are:

The Binding Of Isaac Godmode: https://moddingofisaac.com/mod/102/the-binding-of-isaac-godmode

Download here.
The mods included in this build are:

Nuclear Apocalypse Mode: https://moddingofisaac.com/mod/348/nuclear-apocalypse-mode-ver-mg

Hey, this one's by me! You can get it here. The mods included in this build are:
https://moddingofisaac.com/mod/341/the-binding-of-mlg



There's more that can be done with HENkaku, but that's for the future. I'd like to give a big shoutout to Shalour for helping me install HENkaku on my Vita, and helping me test some of the emulators and homebrews seen in this thread. If it wasn't for him this thread wouldn't have happened.

If you have any questions or run into any errors, post below and I will do my best to help. I'll also be doing my best to keep this thread updated with the latest in HENkaku news, homebrews, and emulators.

August 2016 Thread of the Month winner, thanks guys! <3
I seem to be getting this error every time I try to open "Realboy":
image.jpg
 
Zelk

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I seem to be getting this error every time I try to open "Realboy":
image.jpg
Did you use the download link in this thread? It's outdated, that may be the issue. That error usually happens when it doesn't like something that's trying to run, like if there's a bad file in it or something. Google search for a newer version and install the vpk. If that still doesn't work, restart your Vita and reinstall HENkaku. Let me know how it goes.
 
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Did you use the download link in this thread? It's outdated, that may be the issue. That error usually happens when it doesn't like something that's trying to run, like if there's a bad file in it or something. Google search for a newer version and install the vpk. If that still doesn't work, restart your Vita and reinstall HENkaku. Let me know how it goes.
I used the download in the thread, you should probably update it just in case.
 
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Added MaiDumpTool and Mai Dumps. Please remember not to post any backups or copyrighted content here.
 
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Fudge I'm gonna try this i hope my brain is good enough for all this
 
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Great work and thanks for the tuturial. Messed up the 1st vita by updating xD luckily both my kids have one so managed to 'crack' the second.... Now theyre fighting over the 'modded' vita, problem solved... its daddy's now :smile:

thanks again buddy kudos to you.
 
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Great work and thanks for the tuturial. Messed up the 1st vita by updating xD luckily both my kids have one so managed to 'crack' the second.... Now theyre fighting over the 'modded' vita, problem solved... its daddy's now :smile:

thanks again buddy kudos to you.
I'm glad the tutorial helped you! If you need to know anything else regarding HENkaku, let me know!
 
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I'm glad the tutorial helped you! If you need to know anything else regarding HENkaku, let me know!

The snes9x emu just froze while saving my state, now I just have a flashing green light and black screen. Any idea on how I can force a reset on my vita? The battery is low so I'm gonna let it die out overnight and try recharge in the morning, unless there's buttons I can press to reset.


Edit I just realized if I hold the power key for a while it opens up safe mode. I panicked for a moment then.
 
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