PS3 "Flash" NTSC OFW on PAL CECHA00?

[atomsforlunch]

Hey guys, I'm new here. I just bought a beautiful new Japanese backwards compatible PS3. I really like the purity of having official firmware, I know I might be in the minority here lol. I like having physical games as well. Is it possible to somehow flash NTSC firmware onto the PAL unit? Obviously some jailbreaking would be needed, but I'd like to end up with official firmware that functions the same as an NTSC unit. Is this possible?

 

[atomsforlunch]

Hey, just realized Japanese PS3s are also NTSC! My bad. So I can play ps3 games fine, but what about PS2 and PS1? I will need the North American region to play them, can putting North American Firmware on it fix this?

 

[kadorna2]

If you are staying on OFW only japanese ps2 and ps2 can be used. On CFW you can games from any region on consoles from any region. The firmware is the same for all consoles, there is no specific firmware for each region

 

[Fin9ersMcGee]

I might be wrong.... But I'm sure i read that there is no region locking on the ps3. So, apart from a tiny handful of games that were region locked, any games should work on any ps3

 

[kadorna2]

I might be wrong.... But I'm sure i read that there is no region locking on the ps3. So, apart from a tiny handful of games that were region locked, any games should work on any ps3

yes and no. there is no region lock for ps3 games except a handful, but ps1 and ps2 on physical media is still region locked. all this talking about OFW of course, CFW with cobra is entirely region free

 

[Fin9ersMcGee]

yes and no. there is no region lock for ps3 games except a handful, but ps1 and ps2 on physical media is still region locked. all this talking about OFW of course, CFW with cobra is entirely region free

Yes, my bad for not being specific. This is true for only Ps3 games, like your said, Ps1/Ps2 are region locked.
I guess a copy of Swap Magic would work in this use case. But that too would also be region locked and I guess swapping the disk would be troublesome (was there even a USB Loader within Swap Magic?? Otherwise, pushing the eject button would make it fail??)
And also, it kinda goes without saying, Swap Magic is around 17 years old!!! So, a legit copy of that might prove too difficult to track down...

 

[kadorna2]

Yes, my bad for not being specific. This is true for only Ps3 games, like your said, Ps1/Ps2 are region locked.
I guess a copy of Swap Magic would work in this use case. But that too would also be region locked and I guess swapping the disk would be troublesome (was there even a USB Loader within Swap Magic?? Otherwise, pushing the eject button would make it fail??)
And also, it kinda goes without saying, Swap Magic is around 17 years old!!! So, a legit copy of that might prove too difficult to track down...

Swap magic CODER had the ability to launch ELFs from USB, but it might be hard tracking down a working copy nowadays. It's best to just install CFW and be done with it

 

[atomsforlunch]

yes and no. there is no region lock for ps3 games except a handful, but ps1 and ps2 on physical media is still region locked. all this talking about OFW of course, CFW with cobra is entirely region free

Dang! So its just not possible to do a firmware change that will make it able to play north america ps1/ps2 games? As previously said, there is no firmware difference. Is there anything I can do to make it play region NA games and not permanently install CFW? Or unlock it with hardware is some way?

 

[atomsforlunch]

If you are staying on OFW only japanese ps2 and ps2 can be used. On CFW you can games from any region on consoles from any region. The firmware is the same for all consoles, there is no specific firmware for each region

Just got the console and it's awesome. One thing though, O is confirm and X is cancel, like in MGS3. I definitely believe there is a North American and Japanese version of the firmware. What if I were to uninstall the current "system" and restore it with the North American version? I don't think many people have had to do this so I don't know if anyone will really have an answer. I know the ps3 does have a system restore menu though

 

[Coro]

Just got the console and it's awesome. One thing though, O is confirm and X is cancel, like in MGS3. I definitely believe there is a North American and Japanese version of the firmware. What if I were to uninstall the current "system" and restore it with the North American version? I don't think many people have had to do this so I don't know if anyone will really have an answer. I know the ps3 does have a system restore menu though

there is only one firmware (there are regional servers to download from, but they all serve the same file).

you can swap x and o buttons (for enter/cancel) in debug settings (if you jailbreak).

 

[atomsforlunch]

there is only one firmware (there are regional servers to download from, but they all serve the same file).

you can swap x and o buttons (for enter/cancel) in debug settings (if you jailbreak).

Damn! Do you think my dreams of such a console are dashed against the rocks? I mean, it's just software and it resides somewhere. Is there no way to somehow jailbreak it, and load my desired firmware on it?

 

[sandungas]

The hardware and the firmware is identical for all the motherboards of the same model
What is different is an area inside flash chip named EID, and another area inside syscon chip named "platform config" (or something like that)

 

[atomsforlunch]

The hardware and the firmware is identical for all the motherboards of the same model
What is different is an area inside flash chip named EID, and another area inside syscon chip named "platform config" (or something like that)

I see, I assume you can't modify them without a permanent jailbreak?

 

[sandungas]

I see, I assume you can't modify them without a permanent jailbreak?

Right, there are several hacks availables to be used in as PS3, but to modify the data stored in the areas i mentioned is required to have a CFW installed
Other hacks, like HAN or HEN doesnt allows to modify them

But thats just part of the story, right now i dont know how to do what you want to achieve... but yeah you are right, is just a matter of changing some software identifyers related with regions
The firmware installer doesnt modifyes the data in that areas ever, is data written at factory (and protected by keys that are unique for your PS3) so it doesnt matters which firmware you install
When the PS3 firmware boots it reads that config and based on it the firmware behaves different

 

[kadorna2]

I see, I assume you can't modify them without a permanent jailbreak?

You can't. Having a launch model and not having custom firmware installed (the jailbreak) is a sin though. With the jailbreak you can monitor temperatures (which is ever so important in these models, they run toasty), swap the buttons like you want to do, play ps1 and ps2 games from any region in both disc and ISO formats, and much more.

 

[atomsforlunch]

You can't. Having a launch model and not having custom firmware installed (the jailbreak) is a sin though. With the jailbreak you can monitor temperatures (which is ever so important in these models, they run toasty), swap the buttons like you want to do, play ps1 and ps2 games from any region in both disc and ISO formats, and much more.

I think I'll take the advice and jailbreak it. I just love having the bone stock experience I had when I was a kid. I'm only 25 now so this gen was my childhood.
Yes I was going to delid both the CPU and GPU and install some good thermal paste. I was considering going with liquid metal but information on it in in a ps3 seems scarce. Not sure if the IHS is even compatible with it.

 

[atomsforlunch]

Right, there are several hacks availables to be used in as PS3, but to modify the data stored in the areas i mentioned is required to have a CFW installed
Other hacks, like HAN or HEN doesnt allows to modify them

But thats just part of the story, right now i dont know how to do what you want to achieve... but yeah you are right, is just a matter of changing some software identifyers related with regions
The firmware installer doesnt modifyes the data in that areas ever, is data written at factory (and protected by keys that are unique for your PS3) so it doesnt matters which firmware you install
When the PS3 firmware boots it reads that config and based on it the firmware behaves different

Ah I see, thanks for imparting your wisdom on me. I will probably install CFW on it sometime soon. I want to take care of the thermal paste first though, 14 years in a box hasn't been kind to the thermal paste. Fans kick in pretty quick even at the XMB.

 

[sandungas]

Yes I was going to delid both the CPU and GPU and install some good thermal paste. I was considering going with liquid metal but information on it in in a ps3 seems scarce. Not sure if the IHS is even compatible with it.

There is a lot of people that uses MX-4 because is good quality, easy to find locally, and is not electrical conductive
If you want a better one use the thermal grizzly kryonaut, the difference of temperatures with the MX-4 is not going to be much though
The biggest temperature reductions are achieved by either delidding CELL/RSX (this is a dangerous process), or by using custom fan settings (there are several means to achieve it)

Ah I see, thanks for imparting your wisdom on me. I will probably install CFW on it sometime soon. I want to take care of the thermal paste first though, 14 years in a box hasn't been kind to the thermal paste. Fans kick in pretty quick even at the XMB.

With CFW you can use some apps to patch stuff related with regions in RAM, im not sure but i guess this is what some backup managers does
The other way is what i was mentioning... at the roots of the PS3 are stored that identifyers for regions (secured in encrypted areas and together with a lot more tenths of settings, because sony doesnt wants us to change them), i dont remember to read any mod to modify that, but well... this is still a work in progress, ther are many stuff labeled as "unkown" that we dont know how it works yet, so eventually you could be able to achieve what you was asking for: modify the settings, then install OFW (and the settings should remain modifyed forever)
Most probably you are not going to return to OFW though... the PS3 homebrew scene is addictive

 

[kadorna2]

I think I'll take the advice and jailbreak it. I just love having the bone stock experience I had when I was a kid. I'm only 25 now so this gen was my childhood.
Yes I was going to delid both the CPU and GPU and install some good thermal paste. I was considering going with liquid metal but information on it in in a ps3 seems scarce. Not sure if the IHS is even compatible with it.

liquid metal is not needed. mx4 or silver 5 are already pretty good and they both cost a fraction of what liquid metal does and they are not a pain in the dick to apply

 

[atomsforlunch]

There is a lot of people that uses MX-4 because is good quality, easy to find locally, and is not electrical conductive
If you want a better one use the thermal grizzly kryonaut, the difference of temperatures with the MX-4 is not going to be much though
The biggest temperature reductions are achieved by either delidding CELL/RSX (this is a dangerous process), or by using custom fan settings (there are several means to achieve it)

With CFW you can use some apps to patch stuff related with regions in RAM, im not sure but i guess this is what some backup managers does
The other way is what i was mentioning... at the roots of the PS3 are stored that identifyers for regions (secured in encrypted areas and together with a lot more tenths of settings, because sony doesnt wants us to change them), i dont remember to read any mod to modify that, but well... this is still a work in progress, ther are many stuff labeled as "unkown" that we dont know how it works yet, so eventually you could be able to achieve what you was asking for: modify the settings, then install OFW (and the settings should remain modifyed forever)
Most probably you are not going to return to OFW though... the PS3 homebrew scene is addictive

Sadly this PS3 CECHA01 is dead. I am so beyond disappointed. Was my first attempt at deliding and looks like I killed it. Feeling pretty crappy now. The unit goes to the yellow light after maybe 1/2 of a second after green light comes on and beeps 3 times. Might take it in for repairs. Just sad that this unit was lightly used. I still have my new in box unit though, will absolutely be taking it to the professionals.