The PS3 is quickly becoming quite the formidable emulation machine, as developer Robo Hobo has released a port of Mednafen, a multi-system emulator that emulates a wide range of retro gaming platforms from years gone by, including NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Sega Master System, and Game Gear.

Yeah, that’s a mouthful. To top it off, the author notes that he is incorporating support for other platforms as well —  notably the PC-Engine family, Atari Lynx, Neo-Geo Pocket and WonderSwan.

As an initial release, it has its fair share of show stopping bugs at the moment. Reports indicate that only ROM images compressed in ZIP format will run.

The Google code repository can be found at this link for those interested in compiling and/or contributing to the source.

Marcan of Team Twiizers fame has delivered on his promise to deliver a fully-functional, open-source Linux solution for those on firmware 3.41. Bare in mind, it’s still in the preliminary stages, meaning it’s not quite ready for the average end-user yet. The implementation calls for a programmable USB device capable of storing at least 40KB or so to house the loader. Devices like the Teensy++ and TI-84+ will get the job done.

Unlike Sony’s heavily-restricted OtherOS, the AsbestOS payload completely takes over the GameOS operational mode through a string of RAM patches, granting access to a seventh SPE (provided a kernel patch is applied). Additionally, Marcan notes that leveraging the PS3′s RSX GPU is now technically feasible, however, further research is required before it’s usable.

You can check out a video clip of AsbestOS running a Linux distro — Gentoo in this case — above. For those daring enough, Marcan has shared tips on how to set this up over on his blog. Just keep in mind it’s not intended for the masses yet. A less crude approach will come in time.

AsbestOS: Running Linux as GameOS [Marcan's Blog]

An insider close to Sony is chalking up the recent delay of Gran Turismo 5 to the recent PS3 hack that has made waves over the last few months, pinning blame on a last-minute SDK switchover. This comes following yesterday’s revelation that GT5 would miss its November 2 release.

A source on the Blu-ray.com forums suggests that looming fears over piracy prompted the setback. Shortly after PSJailbreak and its variants made the rounds, SCE issued a mandate requesting that titles with a post-October release date must be compiled with 3.50 SDK libraries. Here’s the post in full, which has since been removed for reasons unknown: more »

It was inevitable: according to user “lineX7″ over at the PSX-Scene forums, the PS3 version of Medal of Honor requires firmware 3.42 to play. This, of course, is the same firmware that renders all forms of the PSJailbreak hack inoperable.

Given how quick the 3.42 update itself was released to prevent those with jailbroken units from accessing PSN resources, Sony’s swift response comes as little surprise.

Said user also confirms that simple workarounds, such as modifying the game’s SFO file to reference an earlier firmware, simply result in the PS3 throwing a “80010019″ error. Unless a custom firmware a la the PSP’s M33 or equivalent materializes, it seems those on 3.41 holding out for homebrew are stuck at a crossroad at this point.

TI-Calc whiz Brandon Wilson made waves in the PS3 homebrew scene for the initial release of his adaptation of the PSGroove codebase for TI-84+ and TI-84+ Silver Edition calculators. He’s now expanded on that concept, adding a few nifty features that enhance usability into the mix.

With version 0.5, users can now opt to install a “hook,” allowing the USB-activated exploit to work its magic from any point in the calculator’s OS, essentially acting as a background process. Another highlight is the ability to load external stage 1 and stage 2 payloads, meaning you can now switch between the original jailbreak exploit and modified variants of it without having to recompile the application itself.

Additionally, support for marcan’s work-in-progress Linux bootloader known as AsbestOS is included. Catch the full lowdown straight from the readme after the break. more »

In Sony’s ongoing legal crackdown against PSJailbreak and related devices, the company has filed a second round of court orders that target several retailers of the USB dongle, including those selling variations or “clones” of it, such as PS3Break.

Specifically, SCEA points out that these devices circumvent the PS3′s TPMs (short for trusted platform module) under the DMCA. more »

Here’s good news for Linux faithful: homebrew developer KaKaRoTo, the original author behind PSFreedom, has incorporated support for earlier PS3 firmware revisions — specifically 3.01 and 3.15. What’s the advantage, you ask? Well, it means those who have been reluctant to take the update plunge following Sony’s controversial removal of OtherOS in 3.21 can now jailbreak their PS3.

Previously, the payload patches targeted only 3.41. Those interested can head on over to the PL3 github to compile a build that fits your fancy. KaKaRoTo also notes that several development-oriented utilities are featured in this release, such as the ability to dump LV2 kernel space. Additionally, a 3.10 compatible take is due out soon.

For those on 3.41 longing for Linux support, hang tight. As we reported last week, Marcan of Team Twiizers fame is working on a custom bootloader dubbed AsbestOS. It’s also nearing completion judging from recent updates on his Twitter.

PSFreedom now supports firmware 3.01 and 3.15 [KaKaRoTo]

Courtesy of Team GEN, the latest in an onslaught of emulators for PS3 is a port of Yabause, which emulates the multi-core powerhouse that is the Sega Saturn. Although short lived, it had its fair share of classics — most notably NiGHTS and Panzer Dragoon.

As far as emulation goes, don’t expect miracles in the speed or compatibility department: it’s still very early in development and should be considered a work-in-progress. more »

The blackb0x crew has come to the rescue with a much-needed alternative to the previously released FTP server for PS3. blackb0x’s take features threading support for fast, simultaneous file transfers across a LAN or WiFi connection.

Unlike CJPC’s (admittedly) buggy equivalent, it is crash-free and does not lock up or sporadically drop connection between network transfers, a plus in our book! Installation and usage instructions are below, which assume you have run PSGroove or any of its variants on a 3.41 unit: more »

You knew it was bound to happen eventually: emulators running under GameOS. Developer eiz has cooked up a rough port of SNES9X for the PS3. According to the release notes, it currently lacks the usual trimmings, such as save state support and a user interface. Here’s a snip from the included readme:

* Lots of snes9x features are not supported yet. No save states, for example. Most of these are really simple to implement.
* Sound code is rubbish. It more or less works, but you’ll probably hear the occasional skip.
* Performance isn’t great.
* UI. Or rather, there isn’t one.
* So much more.

To load ROMs, simply copy them over to the root directory of your USB device. SNES9X scans the drive for compatible files on boot. No doubt, this is a quick and dirty port, but still nice to see nonetheless.

via eiz’s github