PlayStation TV Hack Opens Streaming Device Up To Nearly All Vita Games

It's not often that we get to talk about Sony's microconsole, the PlayStation TV. In fact, you shouldn't feel bad if you forgot it even existed; since its release outside of Japan last summer, it really hasn't garnered much follow-up coverage. It's too bad, too, because technically, it's a very cool device, especially with its unique ability to play PS Vita titles.

Well, if you do happen to own a PlayStation TV and want to have a bit of hacking fun, we have a project for you. Because some PS Vita titles require touch support in certain areas (or entirely), Sony has a blacklist to prevent such games from being run on the device. What this hack allows you to do is completely bypass those restrictions and play the games anyway.

How this works is kind of neat. At the URL below, you will need to download a file and then rename it to "#0". You then email that file to yourself while including a very specific subject, which makes sure that the file will be applied to the correct location. Once the email is received, you'll be able to see the file represented as a camera icon; at that point, the email must be closed, and the PS TV rebooted.

Here's an example of the PlayStation TV running Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a title on Sony's blacklist.

It's noted that if you want to increase the compatibility even further, you'll have to get your hands dirty with a more advanced process, which involves editing a database file. It's unclear exactly which titles this opens up access to over the original hack, however.