UPDATE: Since this how-to was first written things have changed. Sony has released firmware 2.01 which makes this downgrade impossible. A PSP bricker trojan was released because of this antivirus software will classify both the good and bad downgrade files as harmful. You should do more research into the current state of the downgrade before attempting. As far as we know our firmware links are still good, we are not hosting them so we can not vouch for their safety.
C.K. Sample, III, TUAW / WIN Blogger and author of the forthcoming book, PSP Hacks, got his hands on the version 2.0 downgrader and wrote up a thorough how- to complete with pics for us. He even takes the extra steps to upgrade and downgrade yet again, just to make sure such a thing is possible.
As you can see, I have 2.0 running with the browser on my PSP. 
Step 1: Download the downgrader from either here, here or here. Then make sure you get a copy of the original 1.5 firmware upgrader. I found my copy here.
Step 2: Connect your PSP to your computer via USB. On your memory stick, create a folder called UPDATE inside /PSP/GAME/ and place the EBOOT.PBP file from the 1.50 update inside this UPDATE folder.
Step 3: Unzip MPHDowngrader.zip. Drop overflow.tif into your /PSP/PHOTO/ folder. Put both h.bin and index.dat in the root of your Memory Stick.
Step 4: Disconnect your PSP from your computer and plug in the AC adapter.
Step 5: Navigate to Photo then Memory Stick via the PSP’s menu system and start scrolling down through your photos until you reach the overflow.tif picture.
You’ll know you’ve hit it when everything freezes and you get a black screen with a bunch of white text output.
If your PSP freezes without going to this black text screen, then hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the PSP shuts down, then hit the power button again to start it back up. Repeat this step until you get that black screen.
Step 6: Don’t panic. Hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the PSP powers off. Hit the power button again. Your PSP will start up, and if you navigate to your System Information, you’ll discover that your PSP thinks it is running version 1.0 of the firmware. It isn’t and you cannot run homebrew (yet).
Step 7: Navigate to Game–>Memory Stick, hit the X button, and navigate to the 1.5 updater. Make sure you have your PSP plugged in or the upgrade won’t work. Click the X button and update like you normally would. At the end of the upgrade you will receive an error saying that the upgrade failed and to contact Sony. Don’t panic. Ignore this and again force your PSP to power off and reboot.
Step 8: After the PSP reboots you will receive an error screen that is scary and confusing because it is in multiple languages. Don’t panic. Find the language you can understand and read the corresponding line. It notes that your preferences are fragged and that you need only hit the O button to restore some default-ish settings. Hit the O button. 
Step 9: The PSP will start back up and you will go through the initial setup like the day when you first bought your PSP. Do so and then go to the system info pane again, where you will see that you are rocking version 1.5. Run homebrew at will.
I ran through this entire procedure, then I downloaded the 2.0 update and installed that again, and then yet again went through the entire procedure again. It works like a charm. It’s a little time-consuming, but you can have the best of both worlds. Have fun!
THis Is Frickin’ Awesome. The downgrade works like a dream…
Keep Up The Good Work &
Viva La Revolucion!!!!
it worked for me but i decided i liked the web browser more then homebrew….. but anyway it’s still a great hack for ppl who really wanted that homebrew back
i have spent like an hour trying to get the black screen can anyone help me
@ #47 mrkickboots:
on PSPupdates.com, there is a program in the download center (under “tools”) that allows you to launch games that require the upgrade. It works on my SOCOM beta, but from what I hear, the only game it doesn’t work on is FIFA Soccer, but who plays that anyways :P
@ #46 capillum:
Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound angry or anything, I just wanted to quell the rumor. Sure, having the file there doesn’t do anything, but it doesn’t hurt either. I do think that his problem was maybe that he had a wallpaper up. I had to remove mine to get past the psp shutting off when I looked at the .tif file.
Cheers!
this whole thing is aggrivating for some of us, i too have sat here for about an hour to no avail! there is no black screen with white letters on top, only a frozen photo folder then the psp shuts off. some help here would be GREATLY appreciated
The Root Of Memory Stick is Savegame?or System?
When i get to the photos part my PSP Freeze and its turning off without do black screen (i try hold the hold button 10 second but its didnt work)
Somebody Can Help me Plz?
thx :>
Loler, the root of the PSP is just that, NOT inside any folders. When you plug the PSP into the USB port and it shows up in “My Computer”, the “root” is where you are RIGHT after you double-click on it and enter. On most computers, it’s something like F:. You know you’re inside the root of the memory stick, because you’ll see a PSP folder.
Is there a specific point on the progress bar when to pull the battery out for the browser?
i wanna downgrade mine so bad but i dont wanna brick my psp… how big is the chance that by using this hack my psp will NOT get bricked
I was looking at the pictures and my psp doesn’t have the web browser you guys are talking about and it is isn’t says it is 2.0. I got mine the day it came out. I put every thing on it it just won’t freeze or give me the black screen. Can you help??? I’d be grateful!!!!!!!
wow honestly this took me no more than 5 mins, you just need to take your time and its amazing !! wow the last time i was as excited as this was when the mighty reds won the champions league !!! go psp ! lol
i have downgred the psp from v2.0 to 1.5 and it was work vry nice and after thet i go back to v2 by download sony last night after that i try to downgred a gain but did’t work with me i try to format the memory but same problem can’t downged
i think maybe sony fuxed up the 2.0 with a new ver.
any one can help me please
If you want to play your games that require an upgrade on your firmware 2.0 PSP, use the homebrew program version changer. It tricks your psp into thinking it’s the version you choose. you can find it here: http://files.pspupdates.qj.net/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,40,1192
I succeeded in the downgrade, and even got the version changer from WAB to work and played Madden 2006 on 1.5. However, I have a Mac and used a homebrew converter for 1.5. IT DOES NOT WORK. I have tried numerous emulators and homebrews, only a very SMALL portion end up working.
worked for me, no problem, now i gotta learn homebrew
i really want h/b but cant cear to part with my browser. is there any chance of a h/b browser any time soon?
I do not have a clue on what to do after step 2
What are and where are the next couple of files ? Please someone I need HELP!!!
julz, there is a homebrew browser. Do a google for “Tenchi” browser, I think.
i followed the method posted on http://pspupdates.qj.net and it worked fabulously and perfectly. never used the 2.0 browser(i don’t have a wireless AP) so that was no loss. homebrew works exceptionally well, but the super nintendo emulators need to be set to run at 333Mhz, which drain the batter much faster. that’s expected though.
can any of you guys help me out I tried to downgrade but every time I try it wont work. Every time on step five when I go to the photo menu it just messes all up, i go to the menu it freezes, and then my psp just shuts off what is up with that??? I then restart the psp and try again and still the same thing, what am i doing wrong? it says you are supposed to see letters/numbers on a black screen but that dosen’t happen on mine. Oh yeah the upgrade 1.5 still appears in the game menu but it wont let me upgrade the exact words state “the system software on your psp system is version 2.00 there is no need to update.” Please anyone can u help me i really want 1.5
For all those with no luck: make sure there is no UMD in the PSP. Mine didn’t work untill I pulled the game out. :-)
Ronald.
In Step 7 When i navigate to the game —> memory card i dont have a updater for 1.50!
somebody can help me plz?!
its say “There are no games”
where da hack is that motha *** updater :S
PROBLEM
Help please, everything is fine until I get to the point where I navigate to the 1.5 to start. It states corrupted data the game cant be started ( likke the screen shown here) but I have no idea what to do next ??????
I desperately need help, I did everything fine but it seems the v1.5 is corrupt, it keeps telling me it is corrupt data, game cannot be played, please help my son is really givin me a hard time
I solved it after 5 stupid worthless hours, turns out there is a very very silly solution, the word UPDATE must be written ALL CAPITAL, not in small letters, can u guys belive this
yeah im having the same problem an 65 can any one help me
the guys that have the problem in the photo menu do you have the us version or the eu version or the jap version??
how we can know us version or the eu becouse i download from websait
how we can know us version or the eu becouse i download from websait
my version make 2 main folder when i make format to mermory stick (MP_ROOT) and (PSP)folders
i think maybe this i.d help you to know what virson i have
can anyone help?
when i launch 1.5 updater, after the psp reboots, an error message appears:
update cannot be started
data is corrupted
i have a US version and copied the downgrade files using a memory card reader instead of USB (i don’t have a usb connector).
oh.it is so good.I like the white psp.so I want to know how is it going on 1.5 ver.
i was having troubles until i pulled the usb cable out, after that it worked
yeah, you can also search for “PSP Web Brower on Version 1.5” and clicking im feeling lucky. Should work, i tried it. Too bad its all in Chinese…
Any one use Apple Mac here, because I have the freezed screen and the PSP shut down itself.
Worked a treat!!! ace guide no probs job done :) keep up the good work
ok i got to the part where you got to go to the tifi pic on your psp but when ever i go to it my psp freezes i cant even get to the pic anyone no what i should do
OK, regarding all the posts above as far as the instructions not working.
Here is what happened when I tried.
Following the instructions listed on the “how-to”, I reached the last step where it has you select the Photo Menu, where you are supposed to be greeted by a few white characters on a black background. Instead, my PSP just froze completely at the Photo menu, and shut itself off after approx 15 seconds.
After much troubleshooting (the wife asked what the hell I was so frustrated about – I replied with “I can’t get my PSP to crash the way I want it to”), I finally got it to work. Here’s what I did.
1) When I was copying the files to my USB, I was copying them directly from the archive, without extracting them to a folder first. My first suspicion was that I had corrupted 1 or more files because of this. I unpacked the file completely, and copied them that way.
Tested by accessing Photo Menu :: Failed – same problem as listed above.
Next, I deleted my PHOTO folder completely on my PSP and re-created it. I then ensured that the only file in there was the overflow.tif file used to achieve the downgrade. I also removed any other folders in my /GAME/ folder, and made sure the /GAME/UPDATE folder was the only folder in there.
Tested this :: Failed, same result.
Of course, I thought – I forgot to add the two required files to the *root* target of my PSP – (first I had accidentally put them in /PSP/ , instead of /.
I made sure to correct this, then tried.
Tested :: failed. Dammit.
I had a smoke, and thought about it – I had my Wipeout : Pure UMD still in the drive. What the hell, I thought.
I removed this from the drive, so it was empty.
Tested :: SUCCESS.
If anyone has continuing problems with their own attempts, feel free to email me at jerrorist(AT)hotmail.com
-J
Alright, it worked, but now the Theme setting has gone AWOL. My active background is now yellow. Hahah, small price to pay for Super Mario World??? Any ideas to fix this? (My background was pink before, perhaps it was not a selection in 1.5?)
While downloading the 1.5 patch i pulled the ac adaptor and the battery pack now my my psp wont turn on the battery will charge the light will turn on but the psp screen just stays black i can acess the menu screen or nothing its just stuck like this i want to see if anyone has a fix to this before i have to go read the warranty and return it reply back fast plz
i followed your steps and tried pulling the pack and the AC cord my psp shut down and hasnt been able to start back up can someone plz plz help me?
worked like a charm – had a little trouble with corrupt 1.5 eboot.pbp, but after a second try it worked fine – so to everyone a afraid to try this – take a chance…isn’t that what hacking is all about? – thanks to you guys at hack a day and keep it up
Post #85 – The PSP firmware version 1.5 changes it’s theme setting depending upon which month it is. A nice idea, and not having your choice is a small price to pay…
i try what u say in poste 84. but same problem did’t work with me
it works!!!!
anyone who is afraid to do it, just go for it!!!
THANKS FOR THE DOWNGRADE!!!
god damnit fuck this shit i tried to pull the battery and keep the browser and now i try to start it and i just comes up black and powers down after a bit
im pretty sure i bricked it : (
for all those ppl who pulled the battery and yours still works lucky you
but mine bricked and this just sucks 10 tons of cock…. god damn it
It works!!! And I still have the browser! One question tho, I found a japnase website with the 1.0 firmware, would it work? Im afraid to try becouse my psp is good as it is.
I’m glad it worked for everyone else but what about those of us who are now stuck with a black screen? Anyone have a fix for that? Like I said, the green light comes on…the screen is black and then about 15 seconds later the green light goes off. Any thoughts?
Hi all, sorry to ask what might well be yet another silly question to some of you on here ( This is my first time at posting a comment on the web though, honest ) but nobody appears to say anything about deleting the h.bin index.dat UPDATE / EBOOT.pbp or overflow.tif files n’ folders ! how come, I take it that you can / should ?
I’ve downgraded my UK PSP from v2.0 to v1.50 with no problems at all, thanks to all the great advice on here, but I wondered if I’m meant to clear out the stuff that I copied over to my PSP ?
Cheers Pete
first time here. when i try to unzip the downgrader file and the 1.5 file, i get a window saying that there is no file to extract. has any one else had this problem?