PS Vita Homebrew in 2026: HENkaku, Ensō and SD2Vita Setup

Last updated: October 2026

The Vita hacking route has changed since most guides in search results were written. The current one is: update to the latest firmware, run a browser exploit, and let one app downgrade the console and install permanent custom firmware for you.

This is the reference sheet for that route. Every firmware number, menu name and file path below comes from the current vita.hacks.guide pages, the GitHub repositories of the tools (VitaShell, VitaDeploy, YAMT, Adrenaline, GcToolKit), the libretro docs, and the Vita3K quickstart. Nothing here links to games, firmware files, keys or BIOS. Where games come up, the answer is to dump your own.

What You Need

• A retail PS Vita 1000, PS Vita 2000 (Slim) or PS TV. vita.hacks.guide covers all three in all regions and says the 2000 and PS TV are essentially identical to the 1000 in terms of software. It is written for consumer consoles only, not units from the PlayStation Partner Program.
• Firmware between 1.03 and 3.74. That is the range the guide supports.
• An internet connection on the console. The firmware update, the HENlo exploit and the VitaDeploy downgrade all download over Wi-Fi.
• A charger. The guide says to keep the device plugged in and charged for the whole process.
• A microSD card and an SD2Vita adapter if you want more storage than a Sony memory card gives you. The SD2Vita is a microSD to game card adapter that goes in the game card slot. A Samsung EVO Select 64GB is plenty for homebrew, RetroArch and a few PSP dumps. Step up to the 128GB or 256GB version if you plan to keep dumps of your own Vita game cards on the console, since GcToolKit notes that Vita cartridges are 2 GB or 4 GB each.
• Optional: a PC with an FTP client such as WinSCP or Cyberduck. The FAQ says every firmware can be hacked without a computer, but the Adrenaline and StorageMgr steps use FTP to move files.

A PS Vita 1000 with no Sony memory card needs one extra step: the HENlo page says to create an internal memory partition first, using the guide’s “Creating an internal memory card” page.

Step 1: Check Your Firmware

Open Settings, then System, then System Information. The version is listed there.

What the Get Started page tells you to do with that number:

Bought it used? If the console is second hand or you are not sure whether it had custom firmware before, the guide says to follow its Restoring System page and format the console before anything else. The update page adds that updating the firmware is also the easiest way to remove a previous CFW install.

Step 2: Update to 3.74

Yes, update. HENlo only works on 3.65, 3.68 and 3.74, so anything older gets updated first.

1. Go to System Update, then Update Using Wi-Fi.
2. Check that the update message says Version 3.74. If it does not, clear the DNS settings on your Wi-Fi connection and try again.
3. Follow the prompts. The console reboots when the update finishes.

Step 3: Run HENlo and Install VitaDeploy

HENlo is a WebKit and kernel exploit chain. You run it from the Vita’s own browser.

1. Open the browser and go to jailbreak.psp2.dev.
2. Press Unlock my Vita, then Unlock.
3. A screen titled henlo-bootstrap appears on success.
4. Press × on Install henkaku.
5. Press × on Install VitaDeploy.
6. Press × on Exit.

Then turn on the permission the next steps rely on:

1. Open Settings and go to HENkaku Settings.
2. Check Enable Unsafe Homebrew.
3. Close Settings.

The guide compares unsafe homebrew to administrator mode on a computer. HENlo does not survive a reboot, which the next step fixes.

Step 4: Install Ensō With VitaDeploy (Permanent CFW on 3.65)

HENkaku Ensō is the permanent version: it loads custom firmware at boot, so you do not rerun an exploit every time the console turns on. The home page says Ensō is available on firmware 3.65 and below, and that higher firmware can downgrade to 3.65 to use it. VitaDeploy does that downgrade. Its README says it can install firmware 3.60, 3.65 or 3.68.

1. Open VitaDeploy.
2. Tap Install a different OS. If it is missing from the green menu, Enable Unsafe Homebrew was not checked.
3. Tap Quick 3.65 Install. This needs an internet connection, and the Vita must not go to sleep.
4. Wait for the components to download, press × to confirm, read the notice for 20 seconds, then press × again. R exits instead.

The console installs 3.65 with HENkaku Ensō and reboots into CFW. According to the VitaDeploy README, Quick install applies the “R+YAMT” preset, so YAMT (the storage plugin in Step 6) is installed along with it.

Three warnings from the Installing Ensō page, worth reading before you press ×:

• The change is permanent, and the guide says there is no recovery if something goes wrong. This is why the charger matters.
• If the console sticks on a black screen, hold Power until it turns off, then repeat this step.
• If you see “Do you want to transfer the data on the internal memory card to the removable memory card?”, choose No. Yes deletes the data on your memory card.

Already on 3.60 or 3.65 with Ensō? The FAQ says there is no need to update a Vita with CFW.

Step 5: Finalize: iTLS, Update Block, PSN Spoofing

The Finalizing Setup page does three things.

iTLS adds TLS 1.2 support to the older firmware so online connections work.

1. In VitaDeploy, tap App downloader, select iTLS Installer, then tap Download the selected apps.
2. Open iTLS-Enso and press × on Install the full iTLS package. The console reboots.

Block updates so the console does not pull 3.74 back down on its own.

1. Settings, System, Auto-Start Settings.
2. Uncheck Download Update File for System Software.

PSN access.

1. Settings, HENkaku Settings.
2. Check Enable PSN spoofing and Enable Version Spoofing.
3. Set Spoofed Version to 3.74.

The guide notes that if Sony releases a new firmware, you change the spoofed version to match it to keep PSN working. The same page warns against advanced homebrew such as Enso EX unless you fully understand it.

Step 6: SD2Vita Storage With YAMT

The current guide’s SD2Vita page uses YAMT, not StorageMgr. StorageMgr is now the fallback. YAMT works only on 3.60 and 3.65 with Ensō, and if you used Quick 3.65 Install, it is already installed.

Format the card.

1. Put the microSD card in the SD2Vita and the SD2Vita in the game card slot.
2. In VitaDeploy, go to Miscellaneous, then Format a storage device.
3. Set Target to SD2Vita and Filesystem to TexFAT, then select Format target storage.
4. Reboot from the VitaDeploy menu.

If you did not use Quick install, get the YAMT Installer from VitaDeploy’s App Downloader, launch it and choose the lite install option. The console reboots.

Copy your data over.

1. Settings, Devices, Storage Devices. Enable Use YAMT, set ux0: to Default and uma0: to SD2Vita. Power off and back on.
2. In VitaShell, open ux0:, use Mark all, copy, and paste into uma0:. If you came from the HENlo route and do not have VitaShell yet, install it through VitaDeploy first.

Mount the card as your main storage.

1. Back in Storage Devices, set ux0: to SD2Vita and uma0: to Default.
2. Power off and back on.

YAMT now mounts the microSD card as ux0:, the same place a Sony memory card would sit.

Do not delete these from uma0: or imc0:. They hold VitaDeploy and its recovery tools: uma0:app/SKGD3PL0Y, uma0:appmeta/SKGD3PL0Y, uma0:license/app/SKGD3PL0Y and uma0:user/00/savedata/SKGD3PL0Y. Everything else on uma0: and imc0: can be cleared for space. imc0: is the internal storage on a 2000, a PS TV, or a 1000 without a memory card.

If you need StorageMgr instead. Remove YAMT first by deleting yamt.cfg, yamt.skprx, yamt.suprx and yamt_helper.skprx from ur0:tai. StorageMgr reads ur0:tai/storage_config.txt, where GCD=ux0 means an SD2Vita and UMA=ux0 means a USB drive or psvsd. The StorageMgr page has the full config.

VitaShell Basics

VitaShell (latest release v2.02) is the file manager almost every other step uses. Its README describes it as a LiveArea replacement with a file manager, package installer and built-in FTP.

The plugin list lives in tai/config.txt, on ux0: or ur0: depending on your setup, and kernel plugins go under the *KERNEL line. Edit it carefully: the troubleshooting page’s fix for a black screen on boot is removing recently added plugins from it.

RetroArch for Vita

The libretro docs list two prerequisites: the latest HENkaku and VitaShell. The current stable RetroArch is v1.22.2, and the Vita build ships as two files from the libretro buildbot: RetroArch.vpk and RetroArch_data.7z.

1. Copy RetroArch.vpk to the root of ux0: and install it from VitaShell.
2. Launch RetroArch once. Fonts and images will be missing. Close it.
3. Extract RetroArch_data.7z and copy its contents to ux0:/data/retroarch/.
4. Launch RetroArch again.

The docs recommend the stable build over nightly. For a higher output resolution they point to the Sharpscale plugin. For how cores, playlists and the quick menu work once it runs, see how to use RetroArch, and for which systems need firmware files you dump from your own hardware, RetroArch BIOS files.

Adrenaline: PSP Games You Dumped Yourself

Adrenaline modifies the Vita’s official PSP emulator, through the taiHEN framework, so it runs PSP 6.61 custom firmware. The latest release of the original repository is v7. vita.hacks.guide links to that release.

1. Transfer Adrenaline.vpk to ux0:data/ over FTP and install it in VitaShell.
2. Launch Adrenaline and press × to download the 6.61 firmware. It closes itself when done.
3. Relaunch, press × to install the firmware, then × to boot the PSP XMB. Finish the PSP initial setup.
4. To leave, hold the PS button and choose Settings, Exit PspEmu Application.
5. To stop Adrenaline needing two launches after every reboot, add ux0:app/PSPEMUCFW/sce_module/adrenaline_kernel.skprx under *KERNEL in tai/config.txt. The guide says to use that exact ux0: path even if your tai folder is on ur0:. Reboot.

From the Adrenaline changelog: it reads ISO and CSO files, launches PS1 games from the XMB, has save and load states in the States tab of the Adrenaline menu, fast forwards PS1 games with L+SELECT, opens a recovery menu if you hold R while launching it, and returns to the LiveArea on a double tap of the PS button.

The games side is simple: dump the UMDs you own, on your own PSP, and copy those dumps over. If PSP is the main reason you want a handheld, compare the Vita against current hardware in best handheld for PSP emulation.

Dumping Your Own Vita Game Cards

GcToolKit (v1.9, July 2026) makes 1:1 backups of Vita game cartridges, including the per-cartridge authentication data. It writes VCI (Vita Cartridge Image) or a raw IMG, with trimmed versions that copy only the partition sizes.

The SD2Vita and the cartridge share the same slot, so GcToolKit saves elsewhere: an official Sony memory card, a psvsd, an exFAT USB drive (on a PS TV, on a 2000 through a powered OTG Y-cable, or on a 1000 through the accessory port), or a PC on the same network running its GcNetworkBackup companion. A cartridge is 2 GB or 4 GB, so the README says the 1 GB internal storage on a 2000 is never big enough. With YAMT installed you can swap the SD2Vita for the card, but the SD2Vita needs a reboot to work again.

The Vita3K quickstart treats a VCI from GcToolKit as the most accurate cartridge dump, installs it through File, Install Archive (.zip / .vpk / .vci), and recommends dumping on HENkaku 3.60 to 3.65.

Common Errors

The browser exploit will not run. The troubleshooting page says browser exploits crash often. Check the connection is stable, turn on Enable JavaScript in the browser settings, use Delete Cookies and Clear Search History, and retry. Still failing: reboot, wait five minutes, try again.

Update screen does not say Version 3.74. Clear the DNS settings on the Wi-Fi connection and check again.

Install a different OS or App downloader is missing in VitaDeploy. Unsafe Homebrew is off. Turn it on in HENkaku Settings.

Black screen during the Ensō install. Hold Power until the console shuts off, then repeat that part.

Black screen on boot after adding a plugin. Hold L during boot to skip taiHEN plugin loading. If it boots, remove the plugins you just added from ux0:tai/config.txt. If not, the guide points to the Samilops Bootloop tutorial.

SD2Vita will not format. Check the adapter is seated and in good condition, reboot and retry. If it keeps failing, use the StorageMgr page.

Plugins in ur0:tai are ignored. The StorageMgr page says HENkaku will not load from ur0:tai while a ux0:tai folder exists.

“Cannot find ux0:/app/PSPEMUCFW/661.PBP” in Adrenaline. Delete ux0:app/PSPEMUCFW/flash0/ in VitaShell and retry.

FAQ

Is firmware 3.74 hackable?

Yes. The vita.hacks.guide FAQ says 3.74 is hackable, and the Get Started page now sends everything from 1.03 to 3.73 to update to 3.74 first, then run HENlo.

What is the difference between HENkaku, HENlo and Ensō?

HENlo is the exploit chain that runs from the browser on 3.65, 3.68 and 3.74 and installs HENkaku, which is the custom firmware itself. That combination does not survive a reboot. HENkaku Ensō is the permanent version that loads at boot, and it needs firmware 3.65 or below, which is why VitaDeploy’s Quick 3.65 Install downgrades first.

StorageMgr or YAMT?

The current guide uses YAMT for an SD2Vita and keeps StorageMgr for a psvsd, a USB drive on a PS TV, or a card that will not format. Do not run both. Each page tells you to remove the other first.

Will Sony ban my console?

The FAQ says Sony does not ban consoles or accounts unless you hack trophies or in-game, and that bricks are basically impossible unless you ignore instructions.

Should I update a Vita that already has CFW?

The FAQ says there is no need and recommends staying on 3.60 or 3.65. Blocking updates in Auto-Start Settings and using version spoofing keeps PSN working without updating.

Can I go back to stock firmware?

Yes. vita.hacks.guide has an Uninstalling CFW page, and the update page notes that updating the firmware is also the easiest way to remove a previous CFW install. For how the Vita compares to other hackable handhelds, see custom firmware for retro handhelds.

Sources for this page: vita.hacks.guide (home, get-started, updating-firmware-(3.74), using-henlo, installing-enso, finalizing-setup, yamt, storagemgr, adrenaline, troubleshooting, faq, site-navigation), the TheOfficialFloW/VitaShell and TheOfficialFloW/Adrenaline repositories and releases, the SKGleba/VitaDeploy and SKGleba/yamt-vita repositories, the oestriot/GcToolKit README and releases, the libretro docs Vita install guide and buildbot, the libretro/RetroArch releases, and the Vita3K quickstart.

Last verified: October 2026