When the PlayStation Vita was announced, one of Sony’s aims was to harden the system. Their previous portable console, the PSP, was exploited regularly, allowing users to run homebrew applications like emulators. The PS Vita, meanwhile, has stayed relatively locked since its 2011 launch. That has now changed, as Team Molecule released an exploit that fully unlocks the Vita hardware.
The exploit, named HENkaku, works on Vitas running firmware 3.60, the latest firmware. To apply the exploit, the user simply visits a special website that injects the exploit code into the PS Vita. The code removes the Vita’s file system from its sandbox. Users can the access it via FTP and transfer homebrew packages.
The exploit is not limited to the Vita; the PlayStation TV can also be exploited with the same code. With open access to the file system, users are now able to whitelist all Vita titles on the PS TV. Will the Vita fully unlocked, developers can create homebrew apps that can overclock the Vita.
The reason Sony tries so hard to harden the Vita is that any exploit like HENkaku can open up piracy for the system. While Team Molecule admits that it is possible, they maintain that they do not create these exploits for piracy.
“It does not let you install or run Vita ‘backups’, warez, or any pirated content,” developer Yifan Lu says. “It does not disable any DRM features. It does not let you decrypt encrypted games. Here’s my stance on this: I do not care one way or the other about piracy. I do not judge people who do pirate. I will not act as the police for pirates. However, I will personally not write any tools that aid in piracy. It is my choice just as it is the pirate’s choice to steal content.”
