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carts:sony:vita [2025/05/31 14:22] – prominoscarts:sony:vita [2026/11/10 14:33] (current) – [Vita-specific important notes] kaos
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 ===== Introduction ===== ===== Introduction =====
-{{wst>carts_important_notes}}+{{wst>dumping_important_notes}}
  
 ==== Vita-specific important notes ==== ==== Vita-specific important notes ====
 === grw0 partition ===  === grw0 partition === 
-Currently there is no known method to dump games with the writable partition (grw0) without the system initialising/modifying the filestystem. It may be best to keep unused grw0 carts unused (not inserted into a system) until a method is found. If the game box doesn't have "memory card required" on it (see images below), it is likely to be a grw0 cart, however this isn't a foolproof method.+Some Vita cartridges have a writable partition called grw0. You can identify cards that may have this partition by looking for game cases that do not have a 'Memory Required' badge; these are almost all early titles.
  
 Japan box front Japan box front
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-jpn-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?200|}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-jpn-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?150|}}
  
 Japan box back Japan box back
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-jpn-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?200}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-jpn-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?150}}
  
 USA box front USA box front
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-usa-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?200|}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-usa-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?100|}}
  
 USA box back USA box back
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-usa-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?400|}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-usa-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?150|}}
  
 Europe box front Europe box front
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-europe-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?400|}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-europe-box-back-memory_card_required.jpg?150|}}
  
 Europe box back Europe box back
  
-{{:carts:sony:psvita-europe-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?400|}}+{{:carts:sony:psvita-europe-box-front-memory_card_required.jpg?150|}}
  
 **List of game carts that are suspected (plus some confirmed) to contain a grw0 partition:** **List of game carts that are suspected (plus some confirmed) to contain a grw0 partition:**
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 Haiyore Nyaruko-san - Meijou Shi Gatai Game no You na Mono (Japan) //Confirmed Haiyore Nyaruko-san - Meijou Shi Gatai Game no You na Mono (Japan) //Confirmed
 Jak and Daxter (USA) Jak and Daxter (USA)
-Jigoku no Gundan (Japan)+Jigoku no Gundan (Japan) //Confirmed
 Katamari Damashii No vita (Japan) //Confirmed Katamari Damashii No vita (Japan) //Confirmed
 Kyokugen Dasshutsu ADV Zen'nin Shibou Desu (Japan) //confirmed Kyokugen Dasshutsu ADV Zen'nin Shibou Desu (Japan) //confirmed
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 Persona 4 The Golden (The Best) (Japan) //confirmed Persona 4 The Golden (The Best) (Japan) //confirmed
 Power Smash 4 (Japan) //Confirmed Power Smash 4 (Japan) //Confirmed
-Ragnarok Odyssey (Japan)+Ragnarok Odyssey (Japan) //Confirmed
 Ragnarok Odyssey (USA) Ragnarok Odyssey (USA)
-Sangoku Musou Next (Japan)+Sangoku Musou Next (Japan) //Confirmed
 Sengoku Hime 3 (Japan) Sengoku Hime 3 (Japan)
-Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru (The best) (Japan) //confirmed +Shin Kamaitachi no Yoru (Original, the Best releases) (Japan) //confirmed 
-Shinobidou 2 (US) //Suspected but the case still indicate the need for a memory card+Shinobidou 2 (US) //Suspected but the case still indicates the need for a memory card
 Shinobidou 2 (Japan) //Confirmed Shinobidou 2 (Japan) //Confirmed
 Silent Hill - Book of Memories (USA) Silent Hill - Book of Memories (USA)
 Spy Hunter (Japan) Spy Hunter (Japan)
 Sumi Oni (Japan) //Confirmed Sumi Oni (Japan) //Confirmed
-Super Monkey Ball - Tokumori Asobiita (Japan)+Super Monkey Ball - Tokumori Asobiita (Japan) //Confirmed
 Supremacy MMA Unrestricted (USA) Supremacy MMA Unrestricted (USA)
 Suugaku Rikiou - Shokyuu Chuu-1-Level (Japan) //confirmed Suugaku Rikiou - Shokyuu Chuu-1-Level (Japan) //confirmed
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 Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Japan) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Japan)
 Valhalla Knights 3 (Japan) //Confirmed Valhalla Knights 3 (Japan) //Confirmed
-Virtua Tennis 4 (US) //Suspected but the case still indicate the need for a memory card+Virtua Tennis 4 (US) //Suspected but the case still indicates the need for a memory card
 </code> </code>
- 
  
 === Blackfin ===  === Blackfin === 
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 ===== Methods ===== ===== Methods =====
  
-  - [[#Vita console with homebrew]]+  - [[#Vita console with GcToolKit + petra]] 
 +  - [[#Vita console with PSVGameSD + PSVStrip]]
  
-==== Vita console with homebrew ====+Both methods involve creating a dump of the cart, stripping the unique data to create a standardized image, and creating a generic (aka "fake") licence file for the cart.
  
-This method involves creating a dump of the cart after the block-level encryption has been "removed" and unique data stripped from the file. It also involves creating a generic (aka "fake") licence file for the cart.+=== Common Tools === 
 +  * A PlayStation Vita (1000 original model or 2000 revision model, or PlayStation TV/PS Vita TV) 
 +  * A PS Vita Memory Card (minimum 4GB), or a [[https://psvsd.henkaku.xyz/|psvsd]] internal SD card modification (Vita 1100 with 3G Modem only). 
 +    * SD2Vita is explicitly **not** supported as a dump target, since it takes up the cartridge slot in the Vita. 
 +    * psvsd is only explicitly supported with GcToolKit and may cause issues with PSVGameSD. 
 +  * [[https://enso.henkaku.xyz/|Henkaku Enso]] software installed (able to load homebrew, [[https://vita.hacks.guide/|https://vita.hacks.guide/]]).  
 +    * GcToolKit will work on Enso 3.60 or Enso 3.65. 
 +    * PSVGameSD requires Enso 3.60 specifically and may not be compatible with late PS Vita 2000 models. 
 +  * [[https://github.com/TheOfficialFloW/VitaShell|VitaShell]] homebrew installed (to be able to navigate through the Vita's file system, as well as enabling access to it by USB on PC) 
 +  * [[https://github.com/TheOfficialFloW/NoNpDrm|NoNpDrm plugin installed]]
  
-Technical Note: There are some game cards that have a writable partition called "grw0". PSVGameSD can probably dump that partition fine (todo: confirm this), but it cannot mount dumps with that partition, so the only way to play these dumps is to convert them to NoNpDrm format first (todo: confirm this works). Also each time a cart is used, the partition data and therefore the dump will be different. PSVStrip does not have support for stripping/emptying this partition.+=== Before Dumping === 
 + 
 +1. Check if the game you are dumping is in [[#grw0 partition]] list above. 
 + 
 +2. If your game is sealed or is not already installed (i.e. there's no bubble for this game on your home screen yet) **DO NOT** insert the game in the console yet.  
 + 
 +  * For PSVGameSD, launch the **Virtual GC** bubble as in step 1. 
 +  * For GcToolKit, launch the **GcToolKit** bubble. 
 + 
 +Only then insert the cart into your Vita. This should prevent the console from modifying anything on the game card if you happen to have a writable game card.  
 + 
 +3. If your game was bought used or already played and/or installed in your Vita, you can ignore the previous warning. 
 + 
 +==== Vita console with GcToolKit + petra ====
  
 ===Tools=== ===Tools===
  
-  * A PlayStation Vita (1000 original model or 2000 revision model) +  * [[https://github.com/oestriot/GcToolKit|GcToolKit app installed on Vita]] 
-  * At Vita Memory Card (minimum 4GB) +  * [[https://github.com/Deterous/petra|petra]] on Windows/macOS/Linux
-  * [[https://enso.henkaku.xyz/|Henkaku]] software installed (able to load homebrew, [[https://vita.hacks.guide/|https://vita.hacks.guide/]]) +
-  * [[https://github.com/TheOfficialFloW/VitaShell|VitaShell]] homebrew installed (to be able to navigate through the Vita's file system, as well as enabling access to it by USB on PC) +
-  * [[https://github.com/motoharu-gosuto/psvgamesd|PSVgameSD plugin and app installed]] +
-  * [[https://github.com/TheOfficialFloW/NoNpDrm|NoNpDrm plugin installed]]+
  
-=== Before Dumping ===+=== Dumping ===
  
-1. Check if the game you are dumping is in the list above.+1. Once all the tools are correctly installed, go to the LiveArea menu and launch the **GcToolKit** bubble.
  
-2. If it is and it is sealed consider waiting before dumping. These games are special cases and it'd really help the preservation community if you could hold on to them sealed until we find the best way to dump them as faithfully as possible. Such a method is currently being investigated and this guide will be updated once more is found on the subject. Of course no one is forcing you to wait and the process below will work just fine, but just know that it'll invalidate this particular dump to be submitted to No-Intro. In the best case scenario your dump will probably be flagged as Bad.+2. The application will wait for a game cart to be inserted, then perform cart authentication.
  
-3. If your game is sealed or is not already installed (ie: There's no bubble for this game on your home screen yet) **DO NOT** insert the game in the console yet. First Launch **Virtual GC** as in step 1. below and only then insert the cart in your vita. This should prevent the console from modifying anything on the game card if you happen to have a writable game card. +3. Select 'Backup Entire Game Cart' and press your system's confirmation button (displayed at the bottom of the application).
  
-4. If your game was bought used or already played and/or installed in your vita you can ignore the previous warning.+4. Select 'Backup Vita Cartridge Image (.vci)' and press your system's confirmation button. 
 + 
 +5. Select a device to backup to. 'ux0' is your Vita memory card (or SD card with a psvsd installed). 'Save to Network' allows sending files over the Vita's Wi-Fi connection with an assistant tool in the [[https://github.com/oestriot/GcToolKit/releases|GcToolKit repository]] (GcNetworkBackup), but it is very slow. This guide will use 'ux0'. Press your system's confirmation button. 
 + 
 +6. Wait for the backup to complete. The process will usually take under 10 minutes. The file will be saved to ux0:bak/. 
 + 
 +7. Eject the game card from the Vita once the dump is complete. 
 + 
 +8. In order to transfer it to a PC, go to the LiveArea, enter VitaShell, and then connect your PS Vita to the PC using a USB cable. Open the VitaShell settings menu by pressing the START button of your PlayStation Vita. Once opened, go to the "USB device" option and select "Memory Card". Press START once again to close the settings menu.  Then, press the "SELECT" button of your PlayStation Vita to enable the USB connection. Your PC should now automatically detect the Memory Card as a new USB device. 
 + 
 +9. Copy the '.vci' file containing the game data from the root of the device to your computer. 
 + 
 +=== petra === 
 + 
 +To be able to compare your dump to other dumps for verification purposes you have to remove the license information and CMD56 keys using petra. Open a command prompt in the folder with petra, and run the following command: 
 +<code>petra strip source.vci</code> 
 + 
 +Petra will output multiple files. 
 + 
 +  * The .dat file contains the information needed to dat the file in No-Intro; specifically, the hashes and filename. The line with the .img file is the one that should be used for datting. 
 +  * The .hdr file contains the original .vci header. 
 +  * The .img file is the stripped dump that No-Intro dats. 
 +  * The .rif file is the original license file for your dump. 
 +  * The .unk file is some currently unknown information. 
 + 
 +If you would like to turn your dump back into a single .vci file, use the following command: 
 +<code>petra repair source.img </code> 
 +The resulting .vci file should match the hashes in the .dat file. 
 + 
 +Continue to the [[#Applying a Fake License]] section. 
 + 
 +==== Vita console with PSVGameSD + PSVStrip ==== 
 + 
 +Technical Note: There are some game cards that have a writable partition called "grw0". PSVGameSD can probably dump that partition fine (todo: confirm this), but it cannot mount dumps with that partition, so the only way to play these dumps is to convert them to NoNpDrm format first (todo: confirm this works). Also each time a cart is used, the partition data and therefore the dump will be different. PSVStrip does not have support for stripping/emptying this partition. 
 + 
 +===Tools=== 
 + 
 +  * [[https://github.com/motoharu-gosuto/psvgamesd|PSVgameSD plugin and app installed]] 
 +  * [[https://github.com/Kippykip/PSVStrip|PSVStrip]] for Windows (or alternatively for Linux/Mac, this docker image: [[https://github.com/jonasrosland/psvstrip-docker/|GitHub]], [[https://hub.docker.com/r/jonasrosland/psvstrip-docker|Docker]])
  
 === Dumping === === Dumping ===
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  1. Once all the tools are correctly installed, go to the LiveArea menu and launch the **Virtual GC** bubble.  1. Once all the tools are correctly installed, go to the LiveArea menu and launch the **Virtual GC** bubble.
    
- 2. You will be presented with a console UI. Press "Left" or "Right" on the d-pad to switch between different modes - **choose Physical MMC mode**.+ 2. You will be presented with a console UI. Press "Left" or "Right" on the D-Pad to switch between different modes - **choose Physical MMC mode**.
    
  3. Once selected, press "Up" or "Down" to navigate through dump files and select the Game Cart.  3. Once selected, press "Up" or "Down" to navigate through dump files and select the Game Cart.
    
- 4. Press "Cross" to start dumping the came card (this option is only available if a game card is correctly inserted) + 4. Press "Cross" to start dumping the game card (this option is only available if a game card is correctly inserted) 
    
  5. Process should start automatically, displaying the "Dump progress" and indicating the sectors still to be dumped. The process can take long to finish (30-45 minutes), so just leave the device to do it's thing.   5. Process should start automatically, displaying the "Dump progress" and indicating the sectors still to be dumped. The process can take long to finish (30-45 minutes), so just leave the device to do it's thing. 
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  8. Copy the ".psv" file from within the "iso" folder to your computer for further analysis.  8. Copy the ".psv" file from within the "iso" folder to your computer for further analysis.
- 
  
 ===PSVStrip treatment=== ===PSVStrip treatment===
  
-To be able to compare your dump to other dumps for verification purposes you have to remove the license information using [[https://github.com/Kippykip/PSVStrip|PSVStrip]] (or alternatively for Linux/Mac, this docker image: [[https://github.com/jonasrosland/psvstrip-docker/|GitHub]], [[https://hub.docker.com/r/jonasrosland/psvstrip-docker|Docker]]): +To be able to compare your dump to other dumps for verification purposes you have to remove the license information using PSVStrip: 
-<code>PSVStrip.exe -psvstrip source.psv destination.psv</code>+<code>PSVStrip.exe -psvstrip source.psv destination.img</code>
  
-=== Applying a Fake License ===+===== Applying a Fake License =====
  
-To finish the dump we must generate a fake license file. For this, you need to launch the game (original cart or unstripped .psv) in your Vita as you were going to play it, with the NoNpDrm plugin enabled. As soon as you start it, exit the game and enter VitaShell.+This step is not necessary for submission to No-Intro, but can be useful for using your dumps on a console if you choose to do so. 
 + 
 +Generate a fake license file by launching the game on your Vita as if you were going to play it, with the NoNpDrm plugin enabled. As soon as you start it, exit the game and enter VitaShell.
    
-The license to be faked will be a ".rif" file with a long name, which should be stored at "ux0:nonpdrm/license/app/TITLE_ID/6488b73b912a753a492e2714e9b38bc7.rif". While you are in VitaShell, please check if the grw0 partition is present (it will be beside the gro0 partition), and note that down so you can provide this info in your dump submission. If your game contains a grw0 partition and is not listed above please also mention it in your dump submission so that it can be added. If your game doesn't contain a grw0 partition but is listed above please also mention this in your submission so that it can be removed from the list. +The license to be faked will be a ".rif" file with a long name, which should be stored at "ux0:nonpdrm/license/app/TITLE_ID/6488b73b912a753a492e2714e9b38bc7.rif". The TITLE_ID should be in the filename of your dumped file (of the format AAAA#####). 
-  +Copy this file from the Vita to the PC. 
-Copy this file from the Vita to the PC. Rename it to match your psv file, but with a ".rif" extension.+ 
 +While you are in VitaShell, please also check if the grw0 partition is present (it will be beside the gro0 partition), and note that down so you can provide this info in your dump submission. If your game contains a grw0 partition and is not listed in the [[#grw0 partition]] list please also mention it in your dump submission so that it can be added. If your game doesn't contain a grw0 partition, but is listed in the grw0 list, please also mention this in your submission so that it can be removed from the list. 
  
 ===== Gathering and Submitting Dump Info ===== ===== Gathering and Submitting Dump Info =====
 {{wst>see_submission_page}} {{wst>see_submission_page}}