PS4 PKG2USB: Fake PKGs on USB 4.05 / 4.55 Payloads by SiSTRo

Following the App.pkg Database Mod, PS4 4.55 Update Blocker HEN and recent PS4HEN VTX release, PlayStation 4 developer @CelesteBlue made available via Twitter PS4 PKG2USB to dump and run Fake PKGs on USB with both 4.05 / 4.55 Payloads by SiSTRo.

Download: PS4 PKG2USB (Latest Release) / PKG2USB 4.55_USB.zip / GIT

Available on the latest release page are a ps4-pkg2usb.cfg configuration file, ps4-pkg2usb_405.bin and ps4-pkg2usb_455.bin payloads.

Before getting overly excited, this is some PKG2USB Feedback by Stooged for those considering giving it a try.

Here's a brief usage guide from e✘treme-Modding.de, to quote roughly translated:

Today we present you PKG2USB, a Payload (based on Vortex’s Dumper) to dump and run Fake PKGs on USB.

1) works only with fpkg
2) game/app must be before installed as usally on internal
3) copy ps4-pkg2usb.cfg to usb root
4) edit config title_id with game/app title_id
5) always use the same usb port when you installed game
6) to reinstall game to internal hdd, remove and reinstall as usal
tip: if you still have the pkg and you want to avoid wasting time waiting for the file to be copied from the payload on the usb HDD, copy the pkg to X:\PS4\CUSAxxxxx\app.pkg

Download: ps4-pkg2usb_v1.0.7z (7.4 KB)

Coded by SiSTRo – Credits to XVortex & Anonymous

Thanks for the payload, have tested it on 4.05 and it works perfect. Keep in mind that the app.pkg must be on internal hdd, so it’s similar to my Database Mod but with this payload you don’t have to edit the app.db anymore. Great work !

Spoiler

And from the README.md, to quote: PS4 PKG2USB – Dump and run Fake PKGs on USB – 4.05/4.55 Payload by SiSTRo

This is a PS4 payload (based on Vortex's dumper) to dump and run fake PKGs on USB.

• USB drive must be formatted to exFAT
• works only with fpkg (not official pkg)
• game/app have to be before installed as usually on internal storage
• copy ps4-pkg2usb.cfg to usb root
• edit config title_id with game/app title_id
• always use the same USB port that when you installed game
• to reinstall game to internal hdd, remove and reinstall as usual

Tip: If you still have the pkg and you want to avoid wasting time waiting for the file to be copied from the payload on the USB HDD, copy the pkg to X:\PS4\CUSAxxxxx\app.pkg

External USB drive storage for 4.05 and 4.55 PS4 homebrews and games is now a thing ! exFAT drive is way easiest to manage, no encryption, so maybe faster than native USB, and works also on 4.05 !!! Credits go to SiSTRO and xvortex and anonymous. (not me)
I recall that I didn't do anything in this project except releasing it. I host source code so people will improve it.
Cheers to everyone who shared the news tips in the ongoing PS4 4.55 Holy Grail (PS4HEN) discussion thread earlier on!

 

[FFTHEWINNER]

@mtnjustme @fabrebatalla18 i see. if that is the case then that is great. thanks for the responses guys

 

[digipimp75]

Thanks to the dev, but this seems a bit clunky. Will wait for an easier external hdd loading solution.

 

[MrAss613]

If you can't compile your own work, can't figure out a few simple processes and have nothing positive to add just keep your mouths shut and hope someone simplifies it so you could leech off it later. It is not necessary to bash someone's great work because you aren't able to figure it out. Great work @CelesteBlue messing with it as I speak.

 

[level42jeff]

Can't wait to test this out, thanks!!

 

[mtnjustme]

@fabrebatalla18 @FFTHEWINNER
this payload is only a prototype probably, in the future it'll probably be combined with the hen's debug settings and there'll be an option to "install" a pkg file directly into the external hdd, what it'll do is just sign it and all the rest doesn't really matter (whether moving it to places inside the external hdd or whatever), the good part is that it won't take any time to do so, installing from external to external should take 0 secs.

at least this is the way i find it useful.
about moving multiple ones, maybe there'll be, if there'll be a feature to install directly to external then to most people it probably won't be needed to move multiple pkgs.
imagine it, moving the pkg to your external hdd, signing it and just playing without waiting for anything.
this is the late purpose of this payload i believe.

 

[tooretoo42]

@digipimp75 The easier solution would be perhaps the native feature but with the disadvantage of a proprietary format. This payload is very interesting because of exFAT compatibility and the use of symlinks (simple is better)

 

[gamer777]

so to clarify:

Install fpkg as normal on internal HDD
Edit config file (which is on root of external HDD) with notepad/wordpad/etc so that the ID is same as game just installed
Send pkg2usb payload to PS4
Wait for game to copy to external

Is this correct? Do we need to delete anything after?

 

[mtnjustme]

@gamer777
install, prepare cfg (copy=0) and move pkg file in external to PS4/CUSAXXXXX../ then run the payload

 

[stooged]

I was playing around with the ext0 mount and recreating the file structure that would be there if the pkg was installed to external storage.

there is a trick I found where if you copy the CUSAXXXXX folder from /user/app to /mnt/ext0/user/app and then unplug the hdd and plug it back in it causes the ps4 to do a repair and then the game is recognized as installed on external storage and from there there are other issues.

BUT with the great work SiSTRo has done with the symlinks its a lot easier to manage with exfat and just normal usb.

so building on his pkg2usb and symlinks I modified what I was working on for the ext0 mount to work with the usb0 or usb1 and symlinks

AppToUsb.zip for 4.55

this payload will just copy all of your installed games to usb from the system drive and create the symlinks like SiSTRo has kindly shown us the ability to do.

if you install more games just run the payload again and it will copy any new games to the usb and so on.

with symlinks you are making a link to a directory so you want to pick which usb port to have the hdd on and keep it on that same port or the links will point to the wrong directory.
USB0 is what i use.

thanks again to SiSTRo, xVortex, Anonymous.

 

[gamer777]

wow...sweet! So it will copy ALL installed games to external?