psp5 changelog

v2.1.1 · Nov 2, 2026

psp5 2.1.1 fixes the things you reported after 2.1.0: USB mode on the PSP Go, △ for Settings, the Games row and navigation, and TempGBA single-game titles and icons. Your settings, covers, pins and music stay when you update.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> A note on unofficial copies and clones
> There are several copies and re-uploads of psp5 circulating right now. Please be careful with what you download and install on your PSP — the official builds are only published here on github.com/08Weber/psp5.
>
> It is genuinely fun to see that psp5 has inspired others, but it is disappointing to see people pass it off as their own work and their own ideas when psp5 was built from the ground up by me together with this community.

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.1.1-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.1.1-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.1.1-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.1.1-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

What's fixed in 2.1.1

USB mode (#29)

USB mode now starts exactly the way ARK's own menu does. On the PSP Go it could stay on Waiting for the USB cable forever.
If the cable is detected but the computer never connects, psp5 tries again once by itself after 5 seconds.
psp5 writes what happened to PSP5/usb.log when you leave USB mode. If USB still doesn't work on your PSP, please attach that file to an issue.

Controls

△ opens Settings again from Games, Media and the Library, like before 2.1.0 (#34). Search is still on L / R.
No more scrolling past the end by accident (#32). Holding a direction now stops at the first or last game. Press it again to wrap around to the other end. This works in Games, the Library, Music, Pictures, Videos and Search.

Games row

All games on the Games screen (#30). Turn on Settings → psp5 → All games on Games screen to show every game in the row again, not only your pinned and 8 most recently played games. It's off by default.
Move is back (#31). Press □ on a pinned game and choose Move, then use ← → to put your pinned games in your own order. With All games on Games screen turned on, you can move every game.

Games

TempGBA single-game EBOOTs and game updates (#37). Games with a PBOOT.PBP next to their EBOOT.PBP now show the title and icon from it, like the XMB does. TempGBA single-game folders no longer show up as grey cards with no name.
A game with an empty title now shows its folder or file name.

The first start after updating scans your games once more, so it takes a little longer than usual.

Coming in 2.2.0: playing UMD Video ISOs and discs from the Videos tab (#27).

Thank you

A big thank you to @boubounokefalos, @rubuntu247, @lkd8, @mootjedepro and everyone else who shared brilliant ideas, tested on different PSP models and reported issues — psp5 keeps getting better because of you.

Install or update

Unzip the file for your PSP and copy the PSP folder over the old one: to the memory stick on a PSP-1000/2000/3000/E1000, or to the internal storage on a PSP Go. Your settings and covers stay. If you use psp5 as ARK's launcher, also copy ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP into PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/ again. The full guide is in INSTALL.md.

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v2.1.0 · Oct 28, 2026

psp5 2.1.0 is a small redesign with a bunch of new features: a PS5-style top bar with Games, Media, Search and Settings, a Games row with your recently played games, a new Search, Pictures and Videos tabs, albums in Music and a new startup screen and logo. Your settings, covers, pins and music stay when you update.

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.1.0-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.1.0-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.1.0-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.1.0-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

What's new in 2.1.0

A new look

PS5 top bar — Games and Media on the left, Search and Settings as icons on the right. L and R step through all four.
New startup screen — a new psp5 logo, a centred health notice over deep blue light, and "Welcome back" in the spotlight before your games fade in. The loading screen got the logo and a calmer look too.
Sharper icons — the search and settings icons and the logo are now drawn pixel for pixel, so they look clean on the PSP's small screen.

Games and Library

Recently played — the Games row now shows your pinned games and the 8 games you played most recently, with the Game Library tile at the end. Apps are part of Games and the Library now, like on the PS5.
Pin from the Library — press □ on any game in the Library to pin it to the Games row, or to sort the Library by name or recently added.
Quick search — press △ in the Library to jump straight to Search, and ○ takes you back.
The Sort and Move options are gone from the Games row (and from Settings); Pin to front stays.

Search

A new Search tab with an on-screen keyboard on the left and the matching games on the right — move with ← → ↑ ↓, □ deletes a letter, → jumps to the results.

Media

Music: albums — △ opens the album list, ✕ picks an album and ○ goes back.
Pictures — your JPEG and PNG pictures with a preview, ✕ for full screen.
Videos — PMF videos in VIDEO and the preview videos (ICON1.PMF) of your games (#25).

Also new

Screenshots — press ♪, L + R + START or use the Control Center to save a PNG in PICTURE/PSP5.
File Manager — ✕ now also opens MP3s in the music player, starts games and shows text files.
Wraparound navigation in the rows and lists.
USBNet shows up in Settings when it's installed.

Thank you

A big thank you to @boubounokefalos, @rubuntu247, @MarcDimov and everyone else who shared brilliant ideas, tested on different PSP models and reported issues — psp5 keeps getting better because of you.

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v2.0.1 · Oct 27, 2026

This update fixes the issues reported since 2.0.0 — especially on the PSP Go, in the File Manager picture viewer, and with autoboot ("Boot into psp5") — along with quality-of-life improvements in Settings. Your settings, covers and music stay when you update.

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.0.1-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000, 3000 or E1000 Street with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.0.1-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.0.1-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.0.1-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

What's new in 2.0.1

Control Center toggle — Settings → psp5 → Control Center on HOME lets you disable psp5's Control Center on the HOME button so plugins like Custom Home or the standard PSP HOME screen can be used without conflict (#16, #18).
Wraparound navigation in Settings — Pressing Down on the last row or Up on the first row in the Settings categories and option lists now wraps around (#15).
Large PNG support & File Manager picture viewer fix — High-resolution PNG images are now downscaled row-by-row during decoding so they open smoothly in the File Manager, and unreadable image files now show an error message instead of opening the file options menu (#14).
PSP Go dual-storage (ef0: + ms0:) fixes — Starting psp5 as an app from internal storage (ef0:) now relaunches in homebrew runlevel (0x141) so both System Storage (ef0:) and the M2 Memory Stick (ms0:) are mounted and indexed separately across Games, Apps, Music, and the File Manager (#17).
PSP Go plugin detection across storages — Settings → Plugins now reads and saves PLUGINS.TXT from the ARK folder, ms0:/SEPLUGINS/, and ef0:/SEPLUGINS/ regardless of which storage psp5 runs from (#21).
ARK-5 overclocking & CFW settings stability — Triggers ARK-5's boot-complete hook synchronously at startup before background threads and file scans begin, recognizes vitmute in SETTINGS.TXT, and flushes storage writes before reboot/reset (#19).
PSP Go USB reliability — Disables ARK's background USB charging pullup before starting USB storage drivers and resets stale USB state on connect (#20).
Reliable autoboot ("Boot into psp5") & launcher switching — Turning on Boot into psp5 from the normal app no longer gets turned back off when exiting to the XMB, settings are auto-saved immediately after toggling, flash1:/SETTINGS.TXT is supported on Full Flash ARK-5 installs, and renaming VBOOT_ARKMENU.PBP to VBOOT.PBP in the File Manager cleanly replaces an existing VBOOT.PBP without corrupting ARK's launcher path (#22, #23).

Thank you

A big thank you to everyone who opened issues, tested on different PSP models, and shared detailed feedback for this release:

@boubounokefalos (#14)
@lkd8 (#15, #16, #18)
@rubuntu247 (#17, #19, #20, #21, #22)
@zyresin (#23)

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v2.0.0 · Oct 23, 2026

psp5 v2 is here, and it's not a beta. Everything from the 1.6.0 beta is in it, along with the biggest batch of community requests so far. Your settings, covers and music stay when you update.

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.0.0-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.0.0-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v2.0.0-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v2.0.0-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

What's new in 2.0.0

Control Center on HOME. Like the PS button on a PS5, HOME opens a panel at the bottom of the screen with sleep, USB, the file manager, settings, the XMB, restart and power off. It follows your theme, and while music is playing it shows a now playing card. Inside a game, HOME works as it always has.
Categories. Put games in folders, ISO/<folder>/ or PSP/GAME/<folder>/<game>/, and press SELECT to pick one. A folder name that starts with g_ puts everything in it under Games (for example GBA games packed as EBOOTs), and s_ puts it under Apps. A bg.png in the folder is shown behind it in the picker. The prefix isn't shown.
Pin, move and sort from the □ menu. Pin a game to keep it first in the row, Move a game left or right in your own order, or sort by name, like the XMB, recently played or your own order.
psp5 remembers where you were. After a game, it opens on the same tab, category and game.
Sharper artwork. Backgrounds are shown in full resolution, and the game's logo (PIC0) shows under the selected game.
Screen off and sleep when idle. Settings → Power and USB can turn the screen off and put the PSP to sleep after a few minutes without a button press. Music keeps playing with the screen off, and the PSP doesn't sleep while it plays.
Shuffle in Music: press □. ✕ plays and pauses.
Picture viewer. Press ✕ on a JPEG or PNG in the file manager to see it (← → for the next one), and ✕ again to use it as your wallpaper.

Fixes

The game row no longer jumps back to the start after you open the settings.
Games no longer disappear without a trace. An ISO or CSO that psp5 can't read is now listed under its file name instead of being skipped, and ISO folders are read one level deeper.
No flash when switching to USB mode or the file manager.

From the 1.6.0 beta

No more duplicate games, PSP minis icons that aren't stretched, battery percent or time left, .DAX games, game previews like the XMB, wallpapers from your pictures, and a clock that works after a battery change on the PSP-1000.

Thank you

psp5 2.0.0 is built on your ideas and reports. A big thank you to:

Reddit: u/bz11g, u/\_N\_i\_D\_e, u/Johnmasster, u/TourProfessional4748, u/Ok_Amoeba_4466, u/ThoughtStandard3468, u/Flintnsteel222, u/CadiologistFair251, u/Psycohological_Rain_1, u/intergalactic24, u/N00I3M45t3r69 and u/Other_Ad2620

GitHub: @devpras22, @lkd8, @C3AMPS, @boubounokefalos, @gabrielxim1453 and @xioonae

Thanks also to everyone who uses psp5, tests it and tells me what's wrong.

Send me your feedback

psp5 keeps getting better because you tell me what you want and what's broken. Did something not work, do you miss a feature, or do you have an idea? Open an issue or write on Reddit. A screenshot or a short description of your PSP model and ARK version helps a lot.

Some requests are still on the list: RetroArch and emulator games as their own categories, a video player and camera access.

Install or update

Unzip the file for your PSP and copy the PSP folder over the old one: to the memory stick on a PSP-1000/2000/3000, or to the internal storage on a PSP Go. Your settings and covers stay. If you use psp5 as ARK's launcher, also copy ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP into PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/ again. The full guide is in INSTALL.md.

The first start after the update reads in all your games again, so it takes a little longer than usual once.

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.6.0-beta · Oct 21, 2026

> Beta. This is a test version. Most of it has been tested on a real PSP, but not all of it yet. If something breaks, please open an issue. Your settings and covers are kept, and you can go back to 1.5.4 at any time.

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.6.0-beta-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.6.0-beta-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.6.0-beta-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.6.0-beta-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

Community requests

Everything in 1.6.0 was asked for by you on Reddit. Features that not everyone wants are off by default, and you can turn them on in the settings.

No more duplicate games, requested by u/Ok_Amoeba_4466. If the same game exists twice (for example as both an ISO and a CSO), it is shown once. You can turn this off under Settings → psp5 → Hide duplicates.
Clock after a battery change on PSP-1000, reported by u/ThoughtStandard3468. The date and time now show up even when the PSP has lost its time zone settings.
Battery percent or time left, requested by u/Flintnsteel222. Go to Settings → psp5 → Battery and pick icon only, percent, or time left.
PSP minis icons are no longer stretched, reported by u/Flintnsteel222. Square icons keep their shape, with a blurred copy of the icon filling the space beside them.
The top bar no longer dims in Library and Music, reported by u/Flintnsteel222. The gear icon was already removed in 1.5.4.
.DAX games, requested by u/CadiologistFair251. Games compressed to .DAX now show up next to ISO, CSO and PBP.
Game previews like the XMB, requested by u/Psycohological_Rain_1. Highlight a game and its video plays in the card, with its music. Only games that include a preview have one. Turn it on under Settings → psp5 → Game previews.
Wallpapers from your pictures, requested by u/Other_Ad2620. Go to Settings → Theme → Wallpaper and pick any JPG or PNG from the PICTURE folder.

Not in this version

Camera access, requested by u/intergalactic24. This needs a whole camera app of its own, so it didn't make 1.6.0. I'm keeping it on the list.
Videos and movies, requested by u/N00I3M45t3r69. The XMB's Video app still plays them, and a video player in psp5 is on the list for a later version. Spider-Man 2 on PSP is a fine choice.
Dayviewer support, requested by u/Flintnsteel222. Battery percent and time left are in, but Dayviewer itself isn't supported yet.

Thank you

A big thank you to u/Ok_Amoeba_4466, u/ThoughtStandard3468, u/Flintnsteel222, u/CadiologistFair251, u/Psycohological_Rain_1, u/intergalactic24, u/N00I3M45t3r69 and u/Other_Ad2620 for the ideas and reports, including the ones that didn't make it this time. Thanks also to everyone who uses psp5, tests it and tells me what's wrong. You decide what comes next.

Known issues in the beta

Game previews are new and have only been tested on a few PSPs. If the screen freezes when you highlight a game, turn previews off and send me the file PSP5/preview.log from your memory stick.
Time left shows the percent instead while the PSP is charging, or when the PSP doesn't report a time.

Install or update

v1.5.4 · Oct 21, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.4-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.4-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.4-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.4-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

What's new in 1.5.4

PSP Go: games start from internal storage (#6, #8, #11). When psp5 was started from internal storage, PS1 games failed with error 800201A8, ISOs froze, and homebrew ports like GTA III and Super Smash Bros could shut the PSP down. psp5 now starts them the same way ARK's own launcher does.
"Boot into psp5" shows the right value (#8). It no longer reads No until you've started your first game.
USB mode stays on (#10). It no longer sends you straight back to the Games screen.
Smoother Games screen (#9). The artwork behind the cards is drawn faster.
Sort like the XMB (#7). Settings → psp5 → Sort → Like the XMB puts Games and Apps in the XMB's order, including an order you set with Homebrew Sorter.
No more crackle when you open the settings (#2).
Cleaner top bar. The gear icon is gone and the charging bolt is bigger and sharper.

Thank you

Thank you all for the support, the testing and the reports. psp5 gets better because of you.

Special thanks to the people behind the issues fixed in this release:

@devpras22 – the detailed PSP Go report (#6) that led to the main fix, and the earlier startup screen report
@lkd8 – four reports from a real PSP Go with ARK-4 (#8, #9, #10, #11)
@C3AMPS – the idea to keep the Homebrew Sorter order (#7)

And thanks to @gabrielxim1453 for the first PSP Go report and @boubounokefalos for asking for themes.

PSP Go users: this release fixes the most bugs for you, but I don't have a Go to test it on myself. If something still doesn't work, please open a new issue or reply on the old one, and I'll reopen it.

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.5.3 · Oct 14, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.3-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.3-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.3-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.3-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

Fixed in 1.5.3: games in folders show up

PS1 games and apps kept in a folder inside PSP/GAME (for example PSP/GAME/PS1/<game> or PSP/GAME/Emulators/TempGBA) didn't show up in psp5. Now psp5 looks one folder deeper, just like ARK's own launcher. Thanks for the report!

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.5.2 · Oct 13, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.2-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.2-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.2-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.2-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

New in 1.5.2: file manager

Like ARK's own launcher, psp5 now has a file manager: △ → Power and USB → File manager.

Browse your Memory Stick (and the System Storage on a PSP Go). Folders come first, files show their type and size, and the free space is shown at the top.
✕ opens a folder, ○ goes back, □ marks files, L / R jumps a page.
△ shows what you can do with the marked (or selected) files: Copy, Move, Paste here, Rename, Delete and New folder.
Copying and moving show a progress bar and can be cancelled with ○. A cancelled copy leaves nothing half-done behind, and psp5 checks that there's enough free space first.
Deleting always asks first, with Cancel selected, so nothing is deleted by mistake.
Names are typed with the PSP's own keyboard. psp5 never touches flash0.

Also in 1.5.2: put your games where you want them

Homebrew games sitting under Apps? Press □ on a card in Games or Apps and choose Move to Games (or Move to Apps). psp5 remembers it.

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.5.1 · Oct 13, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.1-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.1-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.1-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.1-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

New in 1.5.1

Volume bar. Press the volume buttons anywhere in psp5 and a PS5-style bar slides in at the top, with the level and a crossed-out speaker when the sound is off.
Charging. While the PSP charges, the battery icon fills up in a loop next to a little lightning bolt.
Album art in Music. Now playing shows the cover, from the MP3 itself or a cover.jpg / folder.jpg in the album folder.
Seek in Music. Hold ← or → to wind through the song. The longer you hold, the faster it goes. A short press still changes track.

Volume

Bug fix

Letting go of ← / → after seeking no longer jumps to the next song (or back to the start) on a real PSP.

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.5.0 · Oct 13, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.0-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.0-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.5.0-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.5.0-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

New in 1.5.0: themes

psp5 now has a Theme tab in the settings (△ → Theme). Highlight a theme to preview it, press ✕ to use it.

Themes

PS5 console colours: PS5 (the look you know), Midnight Black, Cosmic Red, Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, Galactic Purple, Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, Sterling Silver, Chroma Indigo, Chroma Teal and Chroma Pearl.
Classic consoles, like the PS5's own Appearance setting:
PS1: grey, with the four button symbols.
PS2: dark, with glowing blue towers and orbs.
PS3: the XMB wave.
PS4: blue waves and rising particles. All of them move, and all of them are drawn by psp5 itself.
Game art in the background can be turned off, so you always see your theme.
The theme also colours the settings, the USB screen, the loading screen, cards that are still loading, the switches and the music progress bar.

| PS3 | PS4 |
|---|---|
| PS3 theme | PS4 theme |

Also in 1.5.0

Smoother menus. The settings, tabs and backgrounds do less work each frame, so there's more time left for the animations.
Fixed: a game's background could stay missing if you moved away and came straight back while it was loading.
Fixed: a damaged ISO file can no longer make psp5 read outside its memory while it looks for the game's pictures.

Install or update

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.4.0 · Oct 12, 2026

Which file do I download?

Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

| Your PSP | Download this |
|---|---|
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.4.0-ARK5.zip |
| PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000 with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.4.0-ARK4.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-5 | psp5-v1.4.0-PSPGo-ARK5.zip |
| PSP Go with ARK-4 | psp5-v1.4.0-PSPGo-ARK4.zip |

New in 1.4.0: PSP Go support

psp5 now runs on the PSP Go. Before, it only looked on the memory stick, so on a PSP Go your games in PSP/GAME and ISO and your music in MUSIC didn't show up. Now:

Games and music on the internal storage show up, together with anything on a Memory Stick Micro. If ARK points the memory stick to the internal storage, psp5 notices and doesn't list your games twice.
Games start the way ARK's own menu starts them from the PSP Go's internal storage. That covers PSP games (ISO, CSO, ZSO), PSN games, PS1 games and homebrew. psp5 finds installed game updates on both the internal storage and the memory stick.
psp5 keeps its own files where you installed it. On a PSP Go that's the internal storage, and the hints on empty screens point you to the right folders.
Settings made for the PSP Go, like in ARK's own menu: Disable Pause Game and Keep the paused game are new. Disable UMD drive is hidden because the PSP Go has no UMD drive, and psp5 doesn't look for discs on it.

The two PSP Go zips contain the same psp5 as the other zips. psp5 notices a PSP Go by itself, so a "wrong" zip works too. The PSP Go zips just come with instructions for the PSP Go.

PSP Go support is new and hasn't been tested on a real PSP Go yet. If something behaves oddly, please open an issue.

Also new: a shorter, simpler install guide.

Install

PSP-1000, 2000 or 3000: unzip the file for your ARK, copy the PSP folder to the memory stick and start psp5 from Game → Memory Stick.

PSP Go: unzip the PSP Go file for your ARK, copy the PSP folder to the internal storage and start psp5 from Game → System Storage.

Updating: copy the new PSP folder over the old one. If you use psp5 as ARK's launcher, also copy ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP into PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/ again. Your settings and covers stay.

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB.

v1.3.3 · Oct 12, 2026

Which file do I download?

| Your PSP runs | Download | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| ARK-5 | psp5-v1.3.3-ARK5.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |
| ARK-4 | psp5-v1.3.3-ARK4.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |

There's no separate file per PSP model – psp5 checks the model and the ARK version by itself when it starts.
Not sure which ARK you have? Press SELECT in the XMB: ARK's VSH menu shows ARK 4.x or ARK 5.x.

New in 1.3.3

Start protection. psp5 now notices when a start doesn't finish, for example when the PSP freezes or is switched off while psp5 is starting. The next start is then a safe start: no startup screen, music or UMD, and the image cache is cleared. If the safe start doesn't finish either and psp5 is ARK's launcher, psp5 sends the PSP to the XMB instead, so it can't get stuck in psp5. Boot into psp5 turns back on after psp5 has started properly once.
Gentler sleep. When the PSP goes to sleep, psp5 draws a black screen once and then waits until the PSP has woken up. It no longer keeps drawing while the PSP falls asleep and wakes.
Safer exit to the XMB. psp5 only writes ARK's configuration back if it could read it first.
Help for the HOME menu in games. If the HOME menu doesn't respond and the game still gets the buttons, see Help! in INSTALL.md. psp5 isn't running while a game runs. It starts games the same way ARK's own menu does. L + R + START + ↓ always quits a game (built into ARK).

If your PSP gets stuck

Hold SELECT while turning on the PSP. ARK then skips its settings and starts the normal XMB, and you can copy the new version over the old one.

Install

Unzip the file for your ARK and copy the PSP folder to your memory stick (replace the old EBOOT.PBP). If you use psp5 as ARK's launcher, also copy ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP into PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/ again – see INSTALL.md.

v1.3.2 · Oct 11, 2026

Which file do I download?

| Your PSP runs | Download | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| ARK-5 | psp5-v1.3.2-ARK5.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |
| ARK-4 | psp5-v1.3.2-ARK4.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |

New in 1.3.2

Waking from sleep goes straight to the startup screen – in 1.3.1 you briefly saw the menu where you left off before the startup screen began. Now the screen goes black as the PSP falls asleep and stays black until the startup screen starts.

Install

v1.3.1 · Oct 11, 2026

## Which file do I download?

| Your PSP runs | Download | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| ARK-5 | psp5-v1.3.1-ARK5.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |
| ARK-4 | psp5-v1.3.1-ARK4.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |

New in 1.3.1

Thanks for the feedback on 1.3!

No startup screen after a game – when psp5 is ARK's launcher, quitting a game used to play the whole startup animation again. Now you're straight back in your list after a game.
Startup screen when waking from sleep – flip the power switch to wake the PSP and psp5 greets you with the startup screen again (any button skips it). Music that was playing pauses during it and continues afterwards.
UMD discs show up – a game disc in the UMD drive now appears first under Games (and in the Library), with its own icon and artwork. Put a disc in or take it out while psp5 is running and the list updates right away. Installed updates (PSP/GAME/<game ID>/PBOOT.PBP) are used when the disc starts, just like in ARK's own menu.

Install

v1.3.0 · Oct 11, 2026

Which file do I download?

| Your PSP runs | Download | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| ARK-5 | psp5-v1.3.0-ARK5.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |
| ARK-4 | psp5-v1.3.0-ARK4.zip | PSP-1000, PSP-2000, PSP-3000 |

New in 1.3.0

Fixed "ARK not found" – some ARK-5 versions (5.0.x) were wrongly detected as "no ARK", so games wouldn't start.
ARK-4 support – its own download, with the settings written the way ARK-4 understands them.
PSP-1000 and PSP-3000 – settings adapt to the model (the PSP-1000 has no extra memory or USB charging).
Music – a new tab like the XMB music player: plays the MP3s in ms0:/MUSIC (folders too), shows title and artist, keeps playing while you browse. ✕ play/pause, □ pause, ← → previous/next.
Startup screen like the PS5 – small grey logo on black, health notice over dark blue bokeh, golden dust and a warm spotlight, with its own sound. Any button skips it; turn it off under Settings → psp5 → Startup animation.
The startup animation setting is now saved properly.

Install

Unzip the file for your ARK and copy the PSP folder to your memory stick. To use psp5 as ARK's launcher, see INSTALL.md (ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP goes into PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/).

v1.2.0 · Oct 10, 2026

New

Startup screen – points of light swirl in, meet in a flash and leave the psp5 logo behind while its own chord plays. Any button skips it, and you can turn it off under Settings → psp5 → Startup animation.
Library – a new tab next to Apps with every game and app in a grid. Move with ↑ ↓ ← →, press □ to sort by name or recently added.

Install

Unzip and copy PSP/GAME/PSP5 to your memory stick. To use psp5 as ARK's launcher, copy ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP to PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/ – see INSTALL.md.

v1.0.3 · Oct 10, 2026

Buy me a coffee

Bug fixes

Exit to XMB now really goes to the XMB when psp5 is ARK's launcher – before, it just restarted psp5. Boot into psp5 is paused until the next time you start psp5 (from the XMB's Game menu), then it turns itself back on.
Sound glitch: fixed a short, repeating crackle that could sometimes be heard, e.g. when opening settings.

Updating from v1.0.2: copy the new EBOOT.PBP to PSP/GAME/PSP5/, and if psp5 is your ARK launcher, the new VBOOT.PBP to PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/. Your settings and covers are kept.

v1.0.2 · Oct 10, 2026

Buy me a coffee

Languages

psp5 now speaks English, Swedish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian and Japanese. It follows your PSP's system language automatically – or pick one yourself under △ → psp5 → Language.

Japanese and Russian text now has the right size and colour, and long labels shrink to fit instead of running into their values.

Easier install

The zip now has both files ready to go, so there's nothing to rename:

PSP/GAME/PSP5/EBOOT.PBP     ← psp5 as a normal app
ARK_LAUNCHER/VBOOT.PBP      ← psp5 as ARK's custom launcher (optional)

See INSTALL.md for the steps.

Updating from v1.0.1: copy the new EBOOT.PBP to PSP/GAME/PSP5/, and if psp5 is your ARK launcher, the new VBOOT.PBP to PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/. Your settings and covers are kept.

v1.0.1 · Oct 10, 2026

Interface sounds

Soft ticks when moving between games and through settings
A swipe when switching between the Games and Apps tabs
Chimes for select and back, a click for toggles, an arpeggio when opening settings
A swelling chord when a game starts (allowed to finish before the game loads)

The sounds are synthesized by psp5 itself at start-up – no audio files and no sounds taken from any console. Preview them in docs/sounds. They can be turned off under △ → psp5 → Systemljud.

Update from v1.0: copy the new EBOOT.PBP over the old one in PSP/GAME/PSP5/ and, if psp5 is your ARK launcher, also as PSP/SAVEDATA/ARK_01234/VBOOT.PBP. Settings and covers are kept. New installs: see INSTALL.md.

v1.0 · Oct 10, 2026

First release.

Install: unzip and copy the PSP folder to the root of your memory stick. See INSTALL.md – including how to use psp5 as ARK-5's launcher.

Home screen with game cards, artwork backgrounds and Games/Apps tabs
ISO/CSO/ZSO and EBOOT (homebrew, PSN, PS1) support, launched like ARK-5's arkMenu
Settings screen: ARK CFW settings, plugins, USB mode, power and recovery
Tested on PSP-2000 with ARK-5. The settings screen has so far only been tested in PPSSPP.

Requires ARK-5 custom firmware. PSP Go and PS Vita are not supported.