PS Vita CFW Guide - Installing h-encore² (3.65 to 3.73)

h-encore² by TheFlow is the highly requested exploit to hack PS Vita devices on firmware 3.69 and above. It is compatible with 3.65 to 3.73 and also serves to replace the 3.70 Trinity hack that required a game from the PSN. h-encore² can be easily installed using the FinalHE application and the method largely resembles that of the previous h-encore exploit. It is strongly advised to immediately downgrade to 3.60 using Modoru 2.0 for greater compatibility with homebrew applications and plugins, as well as access to Ensō for persistent custom firmware after reboot.

Required Downloads

PlayStation Vita on Firmware 3.65 to 3.73

  • h-encore² is compatible with firmware 3.65 to 3.73. If your firmware is 3.61+, you will need to Offline Update your PS Vita to 3.65
  •  If your firmware is 3.60 or lower, it is highly recommended that you install the HENkaku exploit for 3.60 as this is considered the golden firmware with the best homebrew compatibility

Linked PSN Account

  • A linked PSN Account is required to use the PS Vita’s Content Manager to transfer files

Windows PC

  • A Windows PC is required to run FinalHE

PS Vita USB Connection

  •  You will need the USB cable to connect your PS Vita to a PC and transfer the h-encore files via the Vita’s content manager

SD2Vita Adapter (Recommended)icon-amazon

Preparing h-encore² Files

  1. Extract the FinalHE .7z to a folder on your PCfinalhe extract 7z zip
  2. Launch FinalHE.exefinalhe h-encore 2
  3. On your PS Vita, launch [Content Manager] -> [Copy Content] -> [PC]ps vita content manager
  4. FinalHE should confirm that your PC is connected to the Vitafinalhe h-encore 2 usb connected
  5.  Leave [Trim h-encore to ~7MB] unchecked
  6. Click [Let’s Go!] to start the processfinalhe h-encore 2 bittersmile
  7. FinalHE will display instructions for the next step once the files are preparedfinalhe h-encore 2 instructions
  8. Launch [Content Manager] -> [Copy Content] -> [PC]
  9. Select [PC -> PS Vita System] -> [Applications] -> [PS Vita]content manager ps vita pc
  10. Check h-encore² and select [Copy] -> [OK]h-encore 2 copy content manager
  11. Once the file is copied, press the [PS] button to find the new h-encore² bubble in your LiveAreah-encore 2 livearea bubble

Installing h-encore²

  1. Launch h-encore² and select [Yes] if there is a trophy warningps vita trophy warning h-encore 2
  2. Select [Install HENkaku]h-encore 2 install henkaku
  3. Select [Download VitaShell]h-encore 2 download vitashell
  4. Select [Exit] to go back to your LiveArea after the installation is complete
  5. Go to [Settings] -> [HENkaku Settings]
  6. Check [Enable Unsafe Homebrew]vita henkaku enable unsafe homebrew
  7. Return to the [Settings] menu and close the application

Congratulations, you’ve successfully hacked you PS Vita with h-encore². You should now prepare to downgrade to firmware 3.60 with Modoru 2.0.

Next Steps

Downgrade Firmware with Modoru 2.0

  • Downgrade to firmware 3.60 with Modoru 2.0 for more stability and greater compatibility with homebrew
  • Modoru 2.0 by SKGleba is an unofficial update of the Modoru application to include support for 3.71 / 3.73. 
  • DO NOT attempt to downgrade firmware from 3.71 / 3.73 using the original Modoru, it will cause your PS Vita to become inoperable.

Credits